At both Nebraska and Minnesota, Malachi Coleman's coaches believed big things were ahead for the talented wide receiver. Those big things never came at either school, and now he's expected to look for someplace where he can hope the third time is the charm.
Coleman came to the Huskers as one of the most significant commitments in Matt Rhule's first class after arriving in Lincoln. The battle between NU and Colorado went down to the wire before Coach Prime was finally rebuffed. However, after a solid, if unspectacular, freshman season, he didn't play a down in 2024 and redshirted. After the season, he entered the portal and joined the Golden Gophers.
Head coach PJ Fleck believed Coleman would make a significant impact for the school. Instead, he caught just 5 passes for 83 yards and is now expected to enter the portal again when it opens on January 2, looking to play for his third team in four years.
Former Nebraska football wide receiver Malachi Coleman expected to enter portal again
As of now, Coleman will be the eighth scholarship player from Minnesota to enter his name into the transfer portal for Minnesota as he joins quarterback Jackson Kollock, running back Fame Ijeboi, wide receivers Kenric Lanier, Cristian Driver, Quentin Redding, and Legend Lyons, plus offensive lineman Reese Tripp.
Coleman will be the fifth wide receiver from Fleck's most recent team to leave, making the position one the coach will need to recruit hard himself in January.
With Nebraska, Coleman was a fan favorite because of the work he did off the field for foster children, and he signed with the Huskers out of Lincoln. In the one season where he saw extensive playing time, he caught 8 passes for 139 yards and a touchdown. He was unlucky enough to play for an NU team that had consistent, glaring quarterback problems, using three different players as starters over the course of the season.