With the regular-season now over, several Nebraska Huskers football players are reportedly entering the transfer portal.
Defensive end Jimari Butler is reportedly entering the transfer portal. The surprising development comes just a week after Butler announced he would return for the 2025 season to pursue his master's in criminal justice.
The Blackshirt and junior leader battled injuries in 2024 but still tallied 22 tackles and 2 sacks.
It's a big loss for the Huskers if he leaves, although he previously entered the transfer portal in 2022, only to return. However, a change in defensive coordinators may have prompted the move this time.
BREAKING: Nebraska DL Jimari Butler plans to enter the Transfer Portal, he tells @on3sports
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) December 2, 2024
The 6’5 260 DL totaled 65 Tackles, 7.5 Sacks, & 1 FF in his 3 years with the Cornhuskers https://t.co/MfHHpnCmhj pic.twitter.com/gOx74CgZgV
Defensive tackle Vincent Jackson announced his portal entry on social media. He was a three-star recruit in the 2023 class and showed big potential. However, the 6-foot-5, 290-pound lineman played only 56 defensive snaps over nine games this season after redshirting last year.
Linebacker Stefon Thompson is also reportedly moving on after just one season at Nebraska. The 6-foot-1 junior played in all but one game this season, registering 27 tackles and two passes defended. However, his playing time was sporadic, as he logged only 175 total defensive snaps on the season and averaged barely over seven per game over the final five weeks.
Still, for a team that will also lose guys like John Bullock, Thompson is a big loss. Pro Football Focus also gave him the second-highest grade of any defender this season.
Running back Gabe Ervin Jr. is also entering the portal, according to multiple reports. This was Ervin’s fourth season at Nebraska but he was still below several other tailbacks on the depth chart, limiting him to just 30 total snaps on offense this season. In those, he totaled 14 carries for 41 yards and tw touchdowns. It’s hard to blame him for seeking a bigger role for his final season.
That news comes a week after head coach Matt Rhule confirmed Malachi Coleman is also entering the portal.
Expect several more players to enter the portal in the coming weeks.
With NCAA regulations forcing the Huskers to carry roughly 45 fewer players starting next year, Rhule previously said he expects between 30 and 50 guys to transfer after the season. That attrition has now begun.
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