Nebraska Football: Post-firing stability shines compared to B1G rival

One of the most interesting oddities of the Nebraska football program since Scott Frost was fired is just how stable Mickey Joseph and company have managed to keep the roster. The almost complete and total lack of player movement would be impressive all on its own, but it’s even more impressive when the Huskers are compared to a conference rival dealing with the fallout of its own head coach getting canned.

While there were plenty of people who thought the firing of Frost might start a chain reaction of players leaving in protest, that team outcry never really came. In fact, despite the fact that players have special dispensation to transfer during the season after a coach is fired, the Huskers have only seen one player leave. Compare that to what’s gone on in Wisconsin in a shorter period of time.

Matt Reynoldson, a reporter for a Wisconsin CBS network, reported on Monday evening that the Wisconsin Badgers have lost four players to the transfer portal since the school fired head coach Paul Chryst.

While there are likely more than a few Badgers fans who would claim the team is better off without at least Logan Brown, it still stands out that four players have now decided to see where the grass is greener.

In addition to Brown, who was kicked off the team for fighting with teammates, Wiscy has lost two wide receivers so far in Stephan Bracey & Markus Allen, as well as quarterback Deacon Hill.

Of the two receivers, Bracey’s loss is the least impactful. A 3-star prospect out of Michigan, He only recorded one catch in his Badgers career, back in 2020. However, he was a decent kick returner, even taking one back 91 yards for a touchdown in 2021,

Allen has been a bit more impactful, he had three catches for 65 yards last season and has 7 receptions for 91 yards and a touchdown this year. That TD cam in a 42-7 win against Northwestern.

Hill was rated as a 4-star prospect by 247Sports, but the California native didn’t throw a pass for Wisconsin before he decided to depart.

Nebraska football coaches holding things together

In the grand scheme of things, it’s likely that Wisconsin really won’t miss any of the four players it has seen depart since Chryst was shown the door. The fact that the Nebraska football team has managed to keep its roster almost entirely intact is a testament to the job Mickey Joseph has done since taking over the head coach position for the Huskers.

There’s been a lot of talk about the buy-in the players have when it comes to Mickey. There might not be a better sign out there than the fact that even players that might not be getting much playing time, have decided to stick with the Nebraska football program during a period that has been far more turbulent in Lincoln than it has been in Madison.