The 2026 transfer portal officially swung open on Friday. And it’s already overflowing with more than 1,000 names across all levels of college football. This year’s QB crop is stacked with experience and potential. And former Notre Dame backup Kenny Minchey is one of the more intriguing names circulating.

The redshirt sophomore entered the portal with a “do not contact” tag. It immediately set off alarms across the college football landscape. On3’s Pete Nakos wasted no time connecting the dots. He reported that Nebraska is “one to watch” for the Notre Dame transfer.

Nakos wrote that Kenny Minchey “nearly beat out CJ Carr in training camp for the starting job” at Notre Dame. This tells you everything you need to know about his readiness to lead a Power Four offense. The timing couldn’t be better for Nebraska, either. Dylan Raiola, who started 22 games for the Huskers over two seasons, announced his intention to enter the transfer portal in mid-December.

Raiola’s departure left a gaping hole under center for Matt Rhule. He now needs to find a quarterback capable of leading Nebraska back to bowl contention and beyond. Kenny Minchey’s name keeps popping up in Lincoln circles. He’s experienced, he’s ready, and he fits the profile of a guy who can step in and compete.

The 6-foot-2, 208-pound redshirt sophomore pushed CJ Carr all the way to the wire during Notre Dame’s fall camp. And by multiple accounts, it was a legitimate competition that could’ve gone either way. Kenny Minchey ended up playing in six games during 2025, mostly in blowout situations.

But he made the most of his limited reps. He went 20-of-26 passing for 196 yards, plus 84 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground. Those are efficient numbers. They show he can operate in a pro-style offense while also creating with his legs when plays break down. 

The “do not contact” designation Minchey slapped on his portal entry is the juiciest part of this whole story. That tag means he’s not taking applications. He’s either already decided where he’s going or he’s narrowed it down to a handful of finalists. He doesn’t want to be bombarded by every program with a QB vacancy. It means that Minchey and his camp have been doing their homework for weeks before officially hitting the portal button. 

The Cornhuskers also make a lot of sense for someone like Minchey. They need a quarterback who can make plays with his legs just like Raiola did. They also have a substantial amount of NIL money, which is expected to be infused in 2026. Moreover, Rhule has a track record of developing quarterbacks similar to Minchey. If the Huskers can close this one out, they’d have won one of the more underrated deals in the 2026 transfer portal.

Nebraska is casting a wide net for QB help

But wait, Minchey isn’t the only quarterback Nebraska’s got its eyes on. According to On3’s Pete Nakos, the Huskers are also in the mix for Kentucky’s Cutter Boley. Boley is a 6-foot-5, 220-pound redshirt freshman who just wrapped up an All-SEC freshman team season. Boley put up 2,160 passing yards with 15 touchdowns against 12 interceptions in 2025. 

He also set Kentucky’s freshman record for completion percentage at 65.8% while tossing five touchdowns in a single game against Tennessee. Arizona State initially looked like the frontrunner to land Boley, especially after losing starting quarterback Sam Leavitt to the portal.

However, Nebraska has joined the conversation alongside North Carolina and Virginia Tech. Matt Rhule and his staff are clearly casting a wide net here. They recognize that landing even one quality quarterback would be a win. But they do not want to get bitten in the back if they are not the top priority of their top priority.

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