Matt Rhule guided Nebraska to its second-straight 7-6 season with Dylan Raiola playing quarterback during those winning campaigns. However, Raiola will almost certainly not wear a Cornhuskers football jersey next season, as he plans to enter the transfer portal when it opens on Friday.
Matt Rhule Targets Notre Dame Transfer Kenny Minchey for QB1 Spot
Rhule is actively seeking Raiola’s replacement at quarterback. The former NFL coach is exploring the transfer portal to sign a new signal-caller with capabilities similar to or better than Raiola’s. Various college football websites mention a former Notre Dame quarterback who backed up CJ Carr as a potential candidate.
The Cornhuskers lost their last game in an embarrassing 44-22 setback to No. 15 Utah in the 2025 SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. Now, they are searching for a new signal-caller who will likely contest for the QB1 position after former top QB Raiola announced his entry into the portal right after the loss to the Utes.
Chris Hummer, a writer covering the college football and transfer portal beats for CBS Sports and 247 Sports, was among the experts (Matt Zenitz was the other reporter) who picked Nebraska as Kenny Minchey’s most possible destination next season.
On3 previously reported that Minchey is one of the players being evaluated by Rhule, alongside Aidan Chiles of Michigan State and Dylan Lonergan of Boston College. Minchey, an incoming junior, passed for 196 yards last season, connecting 20 of 26 passes for an average of 7.5 yards per throw. He also demonstrated that he possesses the strength and agility to scramble in the middle, running for 84 yards and scoring one touchdown.
Then, on Friday, On3 reporter Pete Nakos confirmed on their X account that Minchey has entered the transfer portal with a “do not contact” tag, which means that the quarterback has a definite program in mind, preventing other schools from contacting the young quarterback.
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Nakos added that the 6’2″ Hendersonville, Tennessee, native fits Nebraska’s needs of a quarterback who is mobile enough to extend plays and his the determination to prove he deserves a starting position in a Division I team. Minchey may likely produce big games under Rhule’s system next season, as he has the experience of having played for Notre Dame, one of the nation’s top programs, since 2023.
However, Rhule needs to move quickly in acquiring Minchey’s services, considering that another Big Ten foe, Wisconsin, has expressed interest in taking the quarterback from the transfer portal. But the wide-open starting quarterback vacancy in Nebraska could lure Minchey into committing and then signing up to the Cornhuskers during the offseason and play for the team in the 2026 season as a junior.
A lot could still happen in the transfer portal, as it has only recently opened to accommodate college football players looking for a new team. Nebraska should finalize this deal to prevent Minchey from going into the rival program’s hands.
