New Nebraska quarterback Anthony Colandrea, unproven within the Big Ten, in ranked eleventh among the many 18 projected starters within the convention by CBS Sports.
Colandrea is a switch from UNLV. He performed 14 video games in his one season for the Rebels after transferring from Virginia, the place he performed 19 video games over two seasons. So, he has expertise. He has thrown a ton of passes in video games that counted. He led the Mountain West Conference with 3,459 passing yards in 2025.
Colandrea’s expertise exhibits in his profession stats.
* Games performed: 33
* Completions: 627
* Attempts: 983
* Completion share: 63.8
* Touchdowns: 49
* Interceptions: 29
* Yards gained: 7,542
* Yards gained per try: 8.3 (led the Mountain West)
Colandrea additionally brings a running threat to the desk. He gained 649 yards on 127 makes an attempt (5.1 yards per try) and 10 dashing touchdowns in 2025. For his profession, Colandrea rushed 328 instances for 1,151 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Nebraska may wish one other floor menace. Its working again room might be with out NFL-bound Emmett Johnson and his 1,451 dashing yards, 76.4 p.c of the Huskers’ 1,897 floor yards.
After two seasons of Dylan Raiola, who was burdened by a scarcity of mobility, Nebraska’s offense will look completely different with Colandrea. His legs will gain yards on scheduled performs, lengthen performs, assist lower down on sacks — a significant Nebraska downside final season, with 33.
How Colandrea’s play interprets to superior competitors within the Big Ten — residence of the final three nationwide champions — might be one of many Huskers’ great unknowns going into the pivotal 2026 season.
What CBS Sports mentioned about Colandrea
CBS Sports’ Tom Fornelli wrote about Colandrea: “Perhaps TJ Lateef wins this job, but I don’t think the Huskers go into the portal to get Colandrea from UNLV if they expect that to be the case.
“Colandrea has plenty of experience from his time at UNLV and Virginia, and honestly, he feels like a better fit for a Dana Holgorsen offense than Dylan Raiola did. That doesn’t mean he’ll be better than Raiola, but it means he could be.”
The rankings
Three of the CBS Sports’ top-4 quarterbacks are projected from the highest three groups within the convention — Oregon, Ohio State and defending nationwide champion Indiana. No shock there, given a quarterback’s significance within the faculty sport.
Nebraska will face six of the projected top-10 quarterbacks within the convention. The Huskers additionally will play the projected sixteenth, seventeenth and 18th-ranked quarterbacks.
Here are Fornelli’s rankings, and after they face Nebraska.
1. Dante Moore, Oregon
Nebraska visits the Ducks on Oct. 17, the Huskers’ seventh sport of the season. Moore surprisingly returned to Eugene after he was projected to be a top-5 choose within the NFL Draft. If you need intrigue, Raiola transferred to Oregon after final season.
2. Julian Sayin, Ohio State
The Buckeyes go to Memorial Stadium on Nov. 21, the Huskers’ eleventh sport of the season. Sayin, who accomplished an FBS-best 77 p.c of his passes final season, was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy.
3. Jayden Maiava, USC
Maiava is a proficient passer who led the Big Ten with 3,711 passing yards. He helped defeat the Huskers final season, 21-17, at Memorial Stadium.
4. Josh Hoover, Indiana
The defending nationwide champions go to Memorial Stadium on Oct. 10, Nebraska’s sixth sport. Hoover, who’s changing Heisman Trophy winner and certain No. 1 general draft choose Fernando Mendoza, is a switch from TCU, the place he was a three-year starter.
5. Demond Williams, Washington
Williams and the Huskies will go to the Huskers on Oct. 31, Nebraska’s eighth sport. Williams accomplished 69.5 p.c of his passes for 3,065 yards and 25 touchdowns.
6. Rocco Becht, Penn State
Becht is a switch who adopted new PSU coach Matt Campbell from Iowa State.
7. Bryce Underwood, Michigan
Talented quarterback who was wildly inconsistent final season. With a brand new teaching employees and a devoted quarterback coach, Michigan hope for large issues from Underwood in 2026.
8. Katin Houser, Illinois
The senior transferred to the Illini from East Carolina after beginning his profession at Michigan State. Houser accomplished 65.9 p.c of his passes for 19 touchdowns final season for ECU within the American Athletic Conference. Illinois performs host to Nebraska on Nov. 7, the Huskers’ ninth sport.
9. Malik Washington, Maryland
As a real freshman, Washington accomplished 27-of-37 passes in a 34-31 Huskers victory at College Park. He is the centerpiece of a Terrapins program that began final season 4-0 and completed 4-8. Maryland visits Memorial Stadium on Oct. 3, Nebraska’s fifth sport and first residence Big Ten sport.
10. Colton Joseph, Wisconsin
The switch from Old Dominion may very well be the primary participant to find out whether or not Luke Fickell will get one other season because the Badgers’ coach.
11. Anthony Colandrea, Nebraska
How Colandrea goes, so goes the Nebraska offense? Often, that’s the case.
12. Nico Iamaleava, UCLA
Talented runner and passer who struggled because the Bruins struggled to a 3-9 season in 2025. Same as Underwood, maybe he’ll profit from a brand new teaching employees.
13. Drake Lindsey, Minnesota
Solid quarterback who helped the Golden Gophers to an 8-5 season that included a 24-6 beatdown of the Huskers on a fateful Friday night time in Minneapolis on Oct. 17.
14. Aidan Chiles, Northwestern
The switch from Michigan State is proficient each as a runner and passer however he had damage points final season. Northwestern has a brand new offensive coordinator in Chip Kelly, as soon as an offensive guru.
15. Ryan Browne, Purdue
Browne is attempting to assist the Boilermakers once more turn out to be an element. It’s not an straightforward job within the difficult Big Ten.
16. Dylan Lonergan, Rutgers
Fornelli acknowledged that Lonergan won’t be the starter in September, as AJ Surace may win the job this summer time. Lonergan, a Boston College switch, will face the visiting Huskers on Nov. 14, Nebraska’s tenth sport. Lonergan rode the bench for 2 seasons at Alabama earlier than enjoying at BC in 2025. At BC, he accomplished 190-of-284 passes for 12 touchdowns and 5 interceptions because the Eagles went 2-10.
17. Alessio Milivojevic, Michigan State
He performed in 9 video games behind Aiden Chiles, who had damage points. Milivojecic accomplished 111-of-173 passes for 1,267 yards, 10 touchdowns and three interceptions. He might be enjoying underneath a brand new head coach in Pat Fitzgerald and new system. The Spartans’ first Big Ten sport in 2026 might be towards visiting Nebraska on Sept. 26. That would be the Huskers’ fourth sport — and first Big Ten sport, too, in 2026.
18. Jeremy Hecklinski, Iowa
The Huskers’ season finale might be in Iowa City, on Black Friday, Nov. 27. Hecklinski threw solely two passes in 2025, finishing each for 8 yards. This might be his second season at Iowa after one season at Wake Forest, the place he didn’t try a cross in his one sport. The Hawkeyes struck paydirt in 2025 with switch Mark Gronowski, who led Iowa to a 9-4 season that included a 40-16 win at Memorial Stadium.
How Colandrea stacks up towards his fellow Big Ten quarterbacks may assist decide the Huskers’ season. Successful seasons normally go hand-in-hand with profitable quarterback play. Colandrea was the 2025 Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year at UNLV, so we all know he can play. How effectively? An intriguing query in what may very well be an interesting Nebraska season.
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