The crowded Nebraska tight end room just got a little less crowded at the start of spring practice.
Hail Varsity has confirmed that fifth-year tight end Kurt Rafdal has entered his name into the transfer portal. Rafdal later announced the decision himself on Twitter.
— Kurt Rafdal (@kurt_rafdal) April 1, 2021
In three seasons at Nebraska, Rafdal caught six passes for 77 yards. Due to last season’s eligibility rules from the NCAA, the class of 2017 recruit has two more season of eligibility at his next stop.
Tight ends coach Sean Beckton was asked about Rafdal’s progress when he met with media on Wednesday. What did he bring to the team?
“Kurt Rafdal is a steady, steady player,” Beckton said. “He’s a guy that’s been kind of buried over the years with Jack Stoll and then Travis coming in last year. He’s just one of those guys that does his job on a daily basis. Everybody forgets about him, but when he gets in there he makes plays when he’s in practice.”
Despite that, the news of Rafdal’s departure broke just a couple of hours after practice concluded. Beckton had mentioned the transfer portal during his media availability on Wednesday as well.
“Well, we’ll see what happens you know, down the road. Kids get discouraged a little bit,” Beckton said. “They want to jump ship. If they jump ship, the next man is up. We’ve had some guys jump in the portal this year. Obviously, we don’t want to lose anybody but if they jump in the portal, we got to find the next man to step up and get the job done.”
Rafdal was in a tough spot. He’s a veteran player with players younger than him that have passed him on the depth chart. The tight end room features veterans Austin Allen and Travis Vokolek. It also has mega-recruit Thomas Fidone and James Carnie who entered the mix this winter. Creighton Prep’s AJ Rollins will also join the unit this summer.
