With one week remaining in the college football In the regular season, the biggest event of the offseason is fast approaching: Portal Season.
Over the past few offseasons, there has been an influx of college football players (and college athletes) entering the transfer portal for a handful of reasons, including COVID-19, an extra year of eligibility, seeking more playing time elsewhere, and name, image and likeness (NIL).
But this year’s “Gate Season” appears to be an unprecedented season – at least that’s what it seems. Nebraska football coach Matt Rhule alluded to it Monday during his weekly press conference.
“Think this year we’re going to end up with 30 to 50 guys (Nebraska players) in the portal with the (limit) roster. … I don’t want any of them to come into the portal. I do.” Everyone must stay here and develop. It’s just the new world we live in. It’s going to be different.”
Matt Rhule confirms WR Malachi Coleman is considering entering the transfer portal. Due to incoming roster limitations, he expects 30 to 50 Nebraska players to enter the portal.
“I want them all to stay here and thrive. This is just the new world we live in. It will be different.” pic.twitter.com/cWlm9VtSQd
-Clayton Collier (@ClaytonJCollier) November 25, 2024
MANDATORY READING: The five biggest questions to ask the committee in this College Football Playoff post
The “new world” Rhule was referring to is the roster limit that will come to college athletics starting next season. With the House settlement against NCAA in October, the NCAA removed a program’s specific number of scholarships and replaced them with roster limits. For example, starting next year, college football will go from 85 scholarship spots to a limit of 105 players.
THE Corn hullers have already lost two players to the transfer portal with Syncere cornerback Safeeullah and wide receiver Malachi Coleman. Coleman, who Rhule said was redshirted this season for development, has entered the transfer portal Monday, which favored Rhule’s allusion.
“Malachi came in and told us he was going to enter the portal, so obviously I wish him the best,” Rhule said Monday of Coleman. “(A) great, great young man and local guy. We had some great moments for us last year.”
Nebraska (6-5 overall, 3-5 in the Big Ten) will close out the regular season on Friday, Nov. 29 against Iowa (7-4, 5-3) at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa.
This article was originally published on USA TODAY: Matt Rhule expects Nebraska to lose 30-50 portal players due to new roster limit
