Ajay Allen is the latest portal entry. Now the window is closed. Those stories and more in today’s Nebraska Cornhuskers News.
If Casey Thompson was an unwelcome surprise when he entered the transfer portal, then Ajay Allen jumping in was certainly a shock to Huskers fans’ systems. But should it have been?
It’s important to remember that Allen was thought to be transferring last fall not long after he suffered his broken collarbone. He eventually stayed, but perhaps everyone should have seen the writing on the wall.
Now that the Cornhuskers are down another player that got significant playing time in 2022, there are obvious concerns that things aren’t as rosy as Matt Rhule and company made it seem. However, the reality is that this is just how the college football world is in 2022.
Transfer portal closes
The transfer portal for college football closed on Sunday night. That means the Nebraska Cornhuskers are still three over the 85-man roster limit.
It is possible that a couple of Nebraska football players entered the portal and we don’t know about it yet. Conventional wisdom says it could take as long as Wednesday before we know everyone who is now a free agent.
If they didn’t jump into the portal, it will be interesting to see how the Huskers get down to 85. There is a kind of “retirement package” on the table for Nebraska football players. Basically, they can keep their scholarship and give up football if they’d rather just go to school for free.
Other Nebraska Cornhuskers news
- The Nebraska baseball team salvaged a weekend series against Minnesota after a bad Friday night loss. The Huskers won on Sunday 11-5, outscoring the Gophers 29-5 in the series’ final two games. The wins mean that Will Bolt’s boys are tied for 3rd in the Big Ten and still have an outside shot at a regular season title.
- Ajay Allen wasn’t the only Nebraska football player who entered the portal on Sunday. Jalil Martin announced he was departing as well. The defensive back out of Chicago redshirted his first year in Lincoln.
- The 2023 NFL Draft saw just two Huskers selected in Trey Palmer and Ochaun Mathis. That means the Huskers were 12th in the Big Ten in number of players drafted. Only Rutgers (1) and Maryland (0) had less. Even Northwestern, who won just one game last year had four players drafted.
- We still don’t know where Dylan Raiola is going to play his college ball but we do know that he’s continuing to earn accolades as the top recruit in the 2024 class. The 5-star quarterback that the Nebraska Cornhuskers are still trying desperately to land recently earned an invite to the Elite-11 Finals camp.