The realization that Kenny Minchey wasn’t coming to Lincoln struck hard. A superior quarterback development opportunity saw the QB flip to Kentucky just one day after committing to Nebraska. And that wasn’t just one recruit slipping away. For one Nebraska booster, the frustration is getting deeper, and this fight is starting to feel unwinnable.

After back-to-back 7–6 seasons, Nebraska feels like it’s right back where it started, according to Will Compton. “You’re scrolling to see what optimism there could be with Nebraska,” said former Cornhuskers LB and $7.2M donor in the December 7 episode of Bussin with Boys and Josh Pate’s College Football Show. “I want Nebraska to win. I want us to get all the best players in the portal. ‘You wrong us, I’m coming after you.'”

But optimism is harder to sell when QB Dylan Raiola is headed for the transfer portal to save his career, Matt Rhule has already fired multiple assistants, and the roster is bleeding depth. Nearly 20 players, including key linemen, defensive backs, and former starters, have hit the portal, gutting a team that desperately needs bodies in the trenches. For Nebraska, this offseason seems to be more about survival.

And that’s where the frustration turns painful. When players start walking away, recruiting wins disappear suddenly, and the program’s losing streak against ranked opponents has skyrocketed to 29 straight losses since 2016; loyalty starts to fade away. The Kenny Minchey flip landed on top of months of roster uncertainty and fallout. That’s where the hope finally cracks. “It’s always bothered me. I know it’s always going to continue to happen. I just feel like it’s a… lost cause, “Compton continued with a disappointed feeling that nothing ever really changes in Lincoln.

What makes it sting even more is the belief that Nebraska should be able to do better. “Don’t let anyone tell you there aren’t better options out there for Nebraska,” Josh Pate insisted, pointing to the chaos of college football. ” This time last year in one of these games that we’re going to break down, Ole Miss and Miami, Ole Miss will start a quarterback that was at Ferris State a year ago…Don’t let anyone tell you there aren’t better options out there for Nebraska.”

In an era where the right evaluation and timing can flip a roster overnight, Nebraska’s struggles feel more about opportunities slipping away. That’s what made the Kenny Minchey flip land so hard.

Another reset for the Nebraska Cornhuskers

Minchey felt perfect for Lincoln. A blue-chip quarterback, ranked top 10 by Rivals and 247Sports, who might have taken Trae Taylor’s place straight away. Instead, Nebraska was left staring at the same question it keeps asking every offseason. TJ Lateef could be the future, but Rhule couldn’t afford to take that chance given how last season ended. And this all came on the heels of losing Dylan Raiola to the transfer portal, another gut punch for a program still trying to climb out of mediocrity after back-to-back 7–6 seasons.

But this time the Huskers didn’t sit still. Within 24 hours, Nebraska signed UNLV transfer Anthony Colandrea, whose breakout led to a 10-win season for the Rebels. In 2025, he threw for 3,459 yards and 23 touchdowns, rushing 649 yards and 10 touchdowns, and was named Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year. He has started in 32 games, and he immediately solidifies Nebraska’s credibility at that position.

In the end, Nebraska survived the chaos, but survival isn’t the same as stability. Landing Anthony Colandrea steadies the QB room and gives Matt Rhule a proven, battle-tested option for 2026, yet the bigger issue remains untouched.