Nebraska Gets Gut Punched by Kentucky

Originally posted on Mike Farrell Sports
By Mark Pszonak | Last updated Jan 6, 2026 10:16 AM ET

Nebraska thought that they had found their quarterback of the future on Sunday when Notre Dame transfer Kenny Minchey announced his commitment to the Huskers. That sense of joy and relief lasted about 24 hours because on Monday night Minchey flipped his commitment to Kentucky.

Minchey was Nebraska’s top target to replace Dylan Raiola. His commitment was seen as a quick and successful move by head coach Matt Rhule. Now, instead of focusing their attention on improving their roster at other positions through the portal, the Huskers must refocus on finding yet another quarterback.

Sep 27, 2025; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Kenny Minchey (8) hands the ball off during the fourth quarter against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Notre Dame won 56-13. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

And it isn’t as if Nebraska lost Minchey to a top-level program. They lost him to Kentucky, which finished 5-7 in 2025 and is bringing in a first-time head coach, Will Stein. Granted, Stein is arriving with plenty of juice, as he is currently helping steer the Oregon offense during their attempted run at a National Championship.

This is the latest setback for a Nebraska program that continues to try and regain relevancy. Matt Rhule was supposed to speed up this process, as was Raiola. Now, Raiola is gone while Rhule is 19-19 during his three seasons in Lincoln.

While the Huskers have time and adequate quarterback replacements still available, overall, this isn’t a position that the program and fans expected to be in as everyone prepares for Rhule’s fourth season.

But this has become the norm in Lincoln.

This article first appeared on Mike Farrell Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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