It’s been a very interesting couple of days for the Nebraska football team. Just when you thought the transfer portal business was pretty much over, the Huskers got busy again.
First there was the announcement that the Huskers lost out on a transfer defensive back they thought they brought into the fold. Marquis Groves-Killebrew had committed to transfer to NU from Arizona but he pulled out of the portal on Saturday and is going back to Tucson.
Now, the Nebraska football team has lost a veteran wide receiver and punt returner. On Friday night, Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda announced he’s entering the transfer portal.
Nebraska football loses another wide receiver to the transfer portal
“I gave my all to the program and I’m extremely proud to have been a Husker,” Garcia-Castaneda wrote on social media.
Garcia-Castaneda’s three-year Husker career, in which he played 18 games, was marked by ups and downs. When he first arrived in Lincoln, he was expected to be a key impact transfer and starter at wide receiver. His best game as a Husker was his first, a 120-yard performance against Northwestern in Ireland.
Garcia-Castaneda made just one reception in the three games and decided to end his season there, taking a redshirt year and entering the transfer portal. However, he eventually decided to return to NU under Matt Rhule only to suffer an ACL injury during NU’s 2023 season opener at Minnesota ended his season.
This past year, he was back and healthy and while he didn’t get much playing time at wide receiver, he did become the team’s top punt returner. Of course, he didn’t offer much impact on special teams, mostly fair catching punts. He did record 11 returns for 60 yards, with a long of 13 yards.
Garcia-Castaneda became eligible for a seventh season of eligibility through a recent NCAA waiver granting an additional season to former junior college athletes. That’s the same waiver that saw defensive back DeShon Singleton return to NU. Garcia-Castaneda began his career at Saddleback College in 2019 and spent two seasons at New Mexico State prior to playing for Nebraska football program.