Why Nebraska’s roster retention remains high amid transfer portal churn
LINCOLN — Ty Robinson walked into the room wearing glasses and a white T-shirt. The Nebraska defensive lineman didn’t have the look of someone about to make a big announcement.
A few seconds later the 22-year-old took a question about his future and answered it in the casual, matter-of-fact way one might discuss the merits of exercise. Yeah, he’ll be sticking around for a sixth season. And he was comfortable enough to say so even before his fifth one had finished.
A driving reason why is simple: He had too much fun and saw too many personal gains in 12 months under coach Matt Rhule to leave Lincoln now.
“It’s pretty sound up there,” Robinson said. “It definitely goes into it — being in that environment — to being able to stay for another year and knowing that there’s not going to be anything crazy going on. It’s all going to be planned out. It’s all going to be how it was, probably, this year.”
A parade of other players stepped up to the Hawks Center podium in recent months to offer their own testimonials. And as the season has given way to nearly two weeks of an open transfer portal, the Huskers are putting their future where their mouths are by standing pat.
Nebraska is nice. Perhaps obscured by a wild week of quarterback twists and turns — both in the open market and high school recruiting — is mounting evidence of a culture of stability new to Nebraska in the free-agent era. Few players are seeking opportunity elsewhere. Many are putting off pro plans or work life to stick around longer.
Three scholarship Huskers in December have transferred out — deposed quarterback Jeff Sims, rotational cornerback Tamon Lynum and reserve linebacker-turned-tight end Jake Appleget — in a number on par in the Big Ten with College Football Playoff qualifiers Michigan (one) and Washington (two). Iowa (five), Wisconsin (eight) and Oregon (eight) all have more. Coaching changes at Indiana (22) and Michigan State (19) have spurred a mass exodus while Purdue (19) and Ohio State (15) are seeing major turnover too.
Be the first to comment