Nebraska football head coach Matt Rhule has made no secret that he’s not looking forward to the fall deadline that will require him to pare down his Husker roster to 105 players. Unfortunately for him, at least for now, his team isn’t making it any easier.
Rhule has made several comments about how he doesn’t have a spot for everyone. During his press conference on Tuesday he said he’s had conversations with several players as to whether they’ll make the cut or not. And yet, so far, just one player has gotten while the getting is good.
D’Andre Barnes became the first Nebraska football player who decided to enter the portal since it opened this spring. He joins Hardley Gilmore, who was dismissed from the team earlier in spring practice. Gilmore has already found a new (old) home at Kentucky. Barnes is still obviously looking, since he just decided to leave.
Nebraska cornerback D'Andre Barnes has entered the transfer portal, @On3sports has learned. https://t.co/VxSGJETKD9 pic.twitter.com/tNRyZ3xOhq
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos_) April 22, 2025
Nebraska football roster drama looms as portal exits stay surprisingly quiet
It’s not that Barnes’ departure is a surprise. Over two years in Lincoln, the defensive back has a grand total of four snaps. His most extensive playing time came last year in mop-up duty against UTEP. He logged three snaps and didn’t record a tackle.
What is a bit of a surprise is that so far, he’s the only member of the Huskers who has decided it was time to move on. That could obviously change after the Husker Games scrimmage which will feature quite a few players that may not have a spot on the 105-man roster come August.
Even with Gilmore and Barnes already off the official roster, Nebraska lists a whopping 132 names. That doesn’t include potential additions like CharMar Brown who the Huskers will host for a visit this Thursday. Should he sign with NU, that would make 133, and would mean the team needs to shed 28 players by the fall.
Knowing all of that, Nebraska football’s trickle into the portal so far has been eye opening. Sooner or later, there aren’t going to be a ton of choices. The portal closes in just a few days and then things get even more interesting.