Now that Nebraska football has its new defensive coordinator on board, a candidate to help the Huskers reload on the defensive line is in the transfer portal. The timing of Jared Badie's announcement that he will enter the portal next month can't be seen as a total coincidence.
The Huskers brought in Rob Aurich to replace John Butler over the weekend. Aurich's defense was the best in the Mountain West at San Diego State. It was also one of the best in the country. While Badie didn't see a ton of playing time, he was plenty effective when he did get on the field and could help bolster a rebuilding defense.
Badie played in all 12 games for the Aztecs in the regular season and was generally used as a pass-rushing specialist. His numbers were far from eye-popping, but he did post one of the best pressure rates in the country. That should make him plenty attractive to Nebraska.
Jared Badie offers Nebraska football and Rob Aurich an interesting portal option
In 131 snaps, he had just one sack, but he had 9 pressures, as well as a couple of quarterback hits. While he might not translate to a starter for the Huskers, Badie could be someone that Aurich finds a similar use for, and a spring, summer, and fall with Nebraska's lifting program could help him hit the next level.
Nebraska will hit the transfer portal hard this season. Most of the hunt will be for guys that can step into starting roles. However, with the new staff trying to rebuild a defense that was rocky at best in 2025, some talented role players would be a welcome addition to. And it appears that Jared Badie is at least willing to entertain the notion of reuniting with his old defensive coordinator.