Last October, the NCAA approved moving the spring transfer portal window up from May 1 to April 15. That opened the window into the final week of Nebraska spring football.
Head coach Matt Rhule told media on April 11 that he hadn’t thought much about the portal. He plans to meet with every player in the week following Nebraska’s Red-White Game on April 22 to discuss futures. Before the portal opened, Nebraska’s scholarship count still hovered near 100, well over the 85-scholarship limit. Non-graduate student-athletes have until Sunday, April 30, to enter the portal. Portal activity is expected and will be updated here as they happen.
Outgoing
Ajay Allen, running back: The 4-star recruit ran for 190 yards before a collarbone injury ended his 2022 freshman season. Allen, originally from Monroe, Louisiana, also ran for touchdowns against North Dakota and Georgia Southern before his season-ending injury. Because Allen met redshirt requirements last season, he maintains four years of eligibility.
Alante Brown, wide receiver: Brown started 10 games and played in all as a sophomore in 2022. He tallied 191 yards on 16 catches throughout the 2022 season, both career highs. He played in 10 games as a freshman in 2021 and in every game for the Huskers during the COVID 2020 season. Brown was a 4-star recruit out of Simeon High School in Chicago. He returned to Chicago during winter break and did not participate in winter workouts alongside the Huskers. He became the first Husker to officially enter the portal on the day it opened.
Respect my decision.. pic.twitter.com/dF7uMiof4c
— Cadillac Brown (@alantebrown3) April 15, 2023
James Carnie, tight end: The Norris graduate officially entered the transfer portal on Thursday, April 20. He played in two seasons as a true freshman in 2021 and did not play at all last season. He signed with Nebraska as a 3-star tight end and top-five in-state recruit in the 2021 class. Carnie wasn’t a part of the team when spring practice began.
Braxton Clark, defensive back: Clark played in only six games last season as a junior after playing in every game of the 2021 season. The Orlando native was part of former head coach Scott Frost’s first recruiting class as a 3-star recruit. He made 22 tackles in 33 total games as a Husker. Clark made four tackles in the Red-White Game.
Shawn Hardy II , wide receiver: Hardy did not play in two seasons at Nebraska despite earning Offensive Scout Team Player of the Year distinction in 2021. The sophomore from Kingsland, Georgia, was one of the top 100 receivers in the country among his recruiting class. Hardy did not register a catch in the Red-White Game.
Thank you Husker Nation🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/envZTildcr
— Shawn Hardy II (@ShawnHardyII1) April 26, 2023
Victor Jones, wide receiver: Jones Jr. was a redshirt freshman for the Huskers who did not play at all last season. The Orlando native was a 3-star recruit in Nebraska’s 2022 recruiting class. He made two catches for 10 yards, with a long of 6 yards, in Nebraska’s Spring Game on April 22.
Jalil Martin, defensive back: Martin redshirted last season in his first year of college football. He arrived in Lincoln via Chicago, having chosen an offer from Nebraska over Colorado, Boston College and others. He made one assisted tackle during this spring’s Red-White Game.
Noa Pola-Gates, defensive back: He announced played in 20 games across four seasons at Nebraska, mostly in special teams roles, including two games last season. Pola-Gates tallied four tackles in that timeframe. He had one assisted tackle in the Red-White Game. The nephew of NFL Hall of Famer Troy Polamalu arrived in Lincoln as a 4-star recruit in the 2019 class.
Logan Smothers, quarterback: The former 4-star quarterback played in 11 games in the last two seasons in Lincoln. He played backup to Adrian Martinez as a freshman and largely played No. 3 on the depth chart last year, although he stepped in for crucial minutes with injuries to Casey Thompson and Chubba Purdy. Smothers reportedly entered the portal but could return to Nebraska based on interest from other schools.
Jarrett Synek, quarterback: The Hastings High graduate and walk-on announced his entry into the portal on Monday, April 17. Synek worked his way up the depth chart to No. 3 in 2022, traveling with the team to Michigan and playing in the fourth quarter against the Wolverines. He was taken off Nebraska’s online roster during winter workouts and has not practiced with the Huskers this spring.
Casey Thompson, quarterback: Last year’s starting quarterback was 173-for-274 for 2,407 yards,17 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while missing two-and-a-half games due to injury. Thompson transferred to Nebraska from Texas following the 2021 season. He did not play in the Red-White Game due to rehabilitation constraints, but Nebraska’s coaching staff recently said Thompson’s recovery is on schedule.
Richard Torres, quarterback: The lone Texas recruit in the final class before Matt Rhule’s arrival redshirted his first year on campus. The San Antonio Southside standout was a 3-star prospect when a knee injury cut his senior year of high school short. Torres was 9 of 18 for 66 yards with an interception and a sack in Nebraska’s Spring Game on April 22.
Stephon Wynn Jr., defensive lineman: Wynn transferred from Alabama ahead of last season and contributed in every game for the Huskers. He tallied 22 tackles last season while moving among the defensive interior. Coaches complimented his work in the spring, culminating with a five-tackle performance in Nebraska’s Red-White Game.
