Anthony Colandrea might have been the Mountain West player of the year, but there's still plenty of people who believe that Nebraska downgraded (at least talent wise) this offseason at quarterback. Count CBS Sports' Tom Fornelli, who thinks the former Virginia and UNLV QB could run Nebraska's offense very well, but he might not run it well enough to lead the Huskers to a winning record in 2026.
Fornelli recently wrote about his "bold predictions" for the Big Ten this fall, and overall, he doesn't see much good happening in Lincoln. In fact, the analyst thinks the Huskers won't make a bowl, and because of that, Matt Rhule could be fired.
Analyst believes Nebraska's new quarterback will struggle at times
In defending his prediction, Fornelli made a comparison of Colandrea and former Nebraska QB1 Dylan Raiola. In his assessment, Colandrea fits what offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen wants to do this year, but he might not do it well enough to win six games.
"This prediction is not based on Dylan Raiola leaving," Fornelli wrote. "I'm of the opinion that Anthony Colandrea might not be the NFL prospect Raiola is, but he's a better fit for what Dana Holgorsen likes to do. No, this prediction is based on the fact that just because he's a fit doesn't mean Colandrea is a star, and Nebraska's schedule is not easy."
Anthony Colandrea needs to prove the Nebraska football doubters wrong
Fornelli is far from the only analyst not quite sold on Colandrea's ability to be a "star" in the Big Ten. The quarterback struggled to throw more touchdowns than interceptions while at Virginia. The Huskers don't have the best track record when bringing in turnover-prone ACC signal callers either.
Colandrea's performance in Nebraska's spring game showed a quarterback who isn't the pure passer Raiola is for sure. But the transfer is also more willing to try for the homerun instead of the safe dumpoff. The Huskers hope their new quarterback can prove the naysayers wrong and lead them over a tough schedule to a third straight bowl game.
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