Following Dylan Raiola’s Oregon move, Nebraska needed an experienced QB, and it got Anthony Colandrea through the portal. But before transferring to Lincoln, he had a breakout dual-threat season at UNLV under head coach Dan Mullen. Yet, the chance to maximize his value and get the opportunity to return to the Power 4 level tempted the QB. But this move wasn’t easy for Colandrea.

“It was tough. It was tough,” said Colandrea during his Saturday appearance on Next Up with Adam Breneman. “I talked to him [Dan Mullen] after the bowl game, called him, and it was tough just because he looked out for me. He was kind of a father figure while I was at UNLV. So that was a tough deal.”

Although Colandrea began his career in the ACC at Virginia, his season under Mullen at UNLV proved his capability. Last season as a junior QB, he completed 275-of-417 passes for 3,459 yards while rushing 127 times for 649 yards. For this performance, he was named the 2025 Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year.

He even became the first UNLV QB to start every single game of a full season since 1996. In 2025, he led the Rebels to a 10–4 record and a berth in the Mountain West title game. After that, the QB didn’t overlook an opportunity on a massive stage with immediate, high-stakes goals, ultimately landing at Nebraska.

However, his bond with the Rebels was strong. Corey Dennis, the OC and QBs coach for UNLV, shared a deep connection with Colandrea. It was one of the reasons that made the former UNLV QB’s decision to leave difficult.

“I really didn’t want to leave,” said Colandrea. “I love those guys over there. Coach Mo (Maurice Sims) and Coach Dennis. He was a huge part. He was at Ohio State with, like, Justin Fields and all those guys, and he was a huge part of my life. So yeah, it was awesome having him.”

Across two seasons, Colandrea started 18 games for Virginia. But the breaking point occurred at the end of the 2024 season, and following that late-season benching, he entered the transfer portal and joined the Rebels. After spending an outstanding season at UNLV, he is ready to play for the Cornhuskers to achieve more success.

The QB’s expectations in 2026 at Nebraska

This season, after arriving in Nebraska, Anthony Colandrea competes against redshirt sophomore Daniel Kaelin and sophomore TJ Lateef for the starting QB role. But his 31 career collegiate starts gave him a distinct structural advantage over the younger QBs. In his final collegiate season with the Cornhuskers, the QB set his goal crystal clear, appearing in an interview with Pete Nakos of On3.

“I’m not coming here to just win eight or nine games,” said Colandrea, brimming with confidence. “I want to win a national championship; I want to go to the playoffs. I have high expectations, and we have high expectations as a team.”

Even the Nebraska head coach, Matt Rhule, has confidence in the QB. “He’s got like a burning desire to be great,” said Rhule. “He’s unbelievably confident yet unbelievably approachable, not cocky.”

However, the program hasn’t really put up mind-blowing performances for quite some time now, and can surely use his confidence. Now, only time will tell if his performance for the Cornhuskers lives up to expectations or not.