2025-26 #PortalSZN Thread

[Bootleg11]

I think I would give the overall grade a D at this point.

I think they got Big 10 bodies at linebacker and the OL.

But the worst part of this team last year was the DL by far and they did an absolutely awful job of addressing this issue.

Instead of spending on an RB they are going with what they have in the room..which is ballsy considering we didn't see much out of this room.

Rhule said early in his tenure that it was his job to recruit over what he has on the roster, he did not do that in this portal season.

If there was any year to overspend on the portal it was this year with the amount of coaching change at the head and assistant positions. And I felt like Nebraska took on players that will basically make them the same team as last year. And that's not good enough.

In my opinion, this portal season has verified to me that Nebraska is not a serious player to try and be competitive at the upper echelon of college football. They spend and recruit like a top 30ish-40ish team so their ceiling is always going to be around 8-4 (when a QB hits) and 4-8 (when the QB doesn't hit).

 

[SOHusker11]

Tim scored the transfer portal a D.

I listened again. The 'D' grade was definitely just for RB. He had glowing comments for, as I said, several position groups.

 

[Quint]

I listened again. The 'D' grade was definitely just for RB. He had glowing comments for, as I said, several position groups.

You’re deviating from the desired ‘We shit the bed’ narrative.

It’s going to piss of the Sandy’s.

 

[Kinish]

I listened again. The 'D' grade was definitely just for RB. He had glowing comments for, as I said, several position groups.

QB-- Got destroyed on the Minchey thing but made a impressive pivot to Colandrea
RB-- Not impressed rolling into '26 with Nelson/Mozee/Ives/Rule
WR-- Gilmer is just a guy to me
OL-- Black and Mubenga are DUDES. Mubenga and Tree are pretty raw

DL-- Whittington is fine. Jones is meh and Stoudmire is ?????
LB-- Chambliss and Foster are probable starters. Hawthorne is ??
CB-- McDougle is a starter. Evans and Shiggs?

ST-- Wills is a good pickup. 3 years of eligibility too.

Vibe grade from me is about a C/C+.

 

[Sous Chef]

You’re deviating from the desired ‘We shit the bed’ narrative.

It’s going to piss of the Sandy’s.

I suspect the Sandy's will be pissed when we go 4-8 next year whilst watching us get pushed around on defense and lacking a difference maker at RB.

 

[TampaBaySkers]

QB-- Got destroyed on the Minchey thing but made a impressive pivot to Colandrea
RB-- Not impressed rolling into '26 with Nelson/Mozee/Ives/Rule
WR-- Gilmer is just a guy to me
OL-- Black and Mubenga are DUDES. Mubenga and Tree are pretty raw

DL-- Whittington is fine. Jones is meh and Stoudmire is ?????
LB-- Chambliss and Foster are probable starters. Hawthorne is ??
CB-- McDougle is a starter. Evans and Shiggs?

ST-- Wills is a good pickup. 3 years of eligibility too.

Vibe grade from me is about a C/C+.

Big misses on rb and DL. Huge W on QB. Let’s see what happens

 

[djw004]

QB-- Got destroyed on the Minchey thing but made a impressive pivot to Colandrea
RB-- Not impressed rolling into '26 with Nelson/Mozee/Ives/Rule
WR-- Gilmer is just a guy to me
OL-- Black and Mubenga are DUDES. Mubenga and Tree are pretty raw

DL-- Whittington is fine. Jones is meh and Stoudmire is ?????
LB-- Chambliss and Foster are probable starters. Hawthorne is ??
CB-- McDougle is a starter. Evans and Shiggs?

ST-- Wills is a good pickup. 3 years of eligibility too.

Vibe grade from me is about a C/C+.

So we portaled to get about 7+ starters? 1/3 of our 22 main spots got immediately improved? And some are going with the “D” grade that was apparently ascribed to a singular position as the grade for the whole squad?

I don’t hate C+ as I do believe we could’ve been in on either more or higher quality guys if we were real players

 

[realbp]

I suspect the Sandy's will be pissed when we go 4-8 next year whilst watching us get pushed around on defense and lacking a difference maker at RB.

Will somebody get this motherfucker a Sandy Vag badge STAT?

 

[Kinish]

So we portaled to get about 7+ starters? 1/3 of our 22 main spots got immediately improved? And some are going with the “D” grade that was apparently ascribed to a singular position as the grade for the whole squad?

I don’t hate C+ as I do believe we could’ve been in on either more or higher quality guys if we were real players

Just cause they starting doesn't mean they improved the position

 

[Quint]

I suspect the Sandy's will be pissed when we go 4-8 next year whilst watching us get pushed around on defense and lacking a difference maker at RB.

I think everybody will be pissed if we go 4-8 next year, regardless of the ‘why?'

 

[Flabio]

I’ve gotta stop messing with you guys.

 

[djw004]

Just cause they starting doesn't mean they improved the position

If they are starters they’re better than what we’d have had in their place - no?

 

[Kinish]

If they are starters they’re better than what we’d have had in their place - no?

In comparison to 2025

 

[Quint]

I’ve gotta stop messing with you guys.

You’re gonna need a bigger boat?

 

[Carm]

So we portaled to get about 7+ starters? 1/3 of our 22 main spots got immediately improved? And some are going with the “D” grade that was apparently ascribed to a singular position as the grade for the whole squad?

I don’t hate C+ as I do believe we could’ve been in on either more or higher quality guys if we were real players

I look at a lot of portal guys. There are some really really good guys, but the number of really good guys is quite small. The vast majority have question marks and limited production. And you can't outbid everyone for that small number of high quality guys. There is always some team that looks at the number one guy on your board at a position as their top overall need.

Our problem isn't actually a portal problem IMO - it is the problem of having too many holes, which is either a recruiting problem or a development problem, or both.

Recruiting: we are in the hole because the roster was weak when Rhule got here, he had to sign a class days after he arrived, which meant that class was a throwaway, and this is a hard place to recruit to because we've been out of the limelight so long. Development? the 2024 and 2025 classes are young, but we still should have gotten more of those guys on the field and playing earlier.

 

[Quint]

I look at a lot of portal guys. There are some really really good guys, but the number of really good guys is quite small. The vast majority have question marks and limited production. And you can't outbid everyone for that small number of high quality guys. There is always some team that looks at the number one guy on your board at a position as their top overall need.

Our problem isn't actually a portal problem IMO - it is the problem of having too many holes, which is either a recruiting problem or a development problem, or both.

Recruiting: we are in the hole because the roster was weak when Rhule got here, he had to sign a class days after he arrived, which meant that class was a throwaway, and this is a hard place to recruit to because we've been out of the limelight so long. Development? the 2024 and 2025 classes are young, but we still should have gotten more of those guys on the field and playing earlier.

I think a lot of folks either don’t remember this or have conveniently forgotten it. We signed bodies for the most part and it panned out that way.

There are a number of guys in the 24 and 25 classes I like, but are still young and not ready to take that next step. we really need to get some of those guys to step up in 26 and it looks different.