dailyloe.com – New Nebraska quarterback Anthony Colandrea is ranked 11th among 18 projected Big Ten starters by CBS Sports. The transfer from UNLV is unproven in the conference. His performance will be a key unknown for Nebraska in the 2026 season. The Huskers face six of the projected top-ten quarterbacks in the league.
Colandrea brings significant game experience to Lincoln. He played 14 games in one season at UNLV after transferring from Virginia. At Virginia, he played 19 games over two seasons. He has thrown many passes in competitive games.
His 2025 season at UNLV was statistically impressive. Colandrea led the Mountain West Conference with 3,459 passing yards. He also presents a running threat from the quarterback position. He gained 649 yards on 127 attempts that season.
Colandrea scored 10 rushing touchdowns for UNLV in 2025. For his career, he has rushed 328 times for 1,151 yards. He has also scored 12 career rushing touchdowns. His legs could help Nebraska’s offensive scheme.
Nebraska’s offense may need his ground production. The team loses NFL-bound running back Emmett Johnson. Johnson accounted for 1,451 of Nebraska’s 1,897 rushing yards last season. That was 76.4 percent of the team’s ground attack.
The offense will look different with Colandrea under center. He replaces Dylan Raiola, who played two seasons for Nebraska. Raiola was burdened by a lack of mobility according to the source. Colandrea’s mobility should change the attack.
His running ability can gain yards on designed plays. It can also help him extend plays when protection breaks down. This mobility could help cut down on sacks. Nebraska allowed 33 sacks last season, a major problem.
Translating his play to the Big Ten is the big question. The conference is home to the last three national champions. The competition level will be superior to the Mountain West. His adaptation is a pivotal storyline for 2026.
CBS Sports analyst Tom Fornelli commented on the quarterback situation. Fornelli wrote about the potential competition with TJ Lateef. He said Nebraska would not have portal sought Colandrea if they expected Lateef to win. The analyst suggested Colandrea was brought in to play.
Fornelli noted Colandrea’s extensive experience from UNLV and Virginia. He stated Colandrea feels like a better fit for a Dana Holgorsen offense than Raiola did. Fornelli clarified this does not guarantee he will be better than Raiola. It simply means he could be a better schematic fit.
The CBS Sports rankings feature three top-four quarterbacks from top teams. These projected top quarterbacks are from Oregon, Ohio State, and Indiana. Indiana is the defending national champion. A quarterback’s importance in college football makes this unsurprising.
Nebraska’s 2026 schedule features several ranked opposing quarterbacks. The Huskers will face six of the projected top-ten signal-callers. They will also play the quarterbacks ranked 16th, 17th, and 18th. The schedule presents a significant challenge.
Tom Fornelli provided the full rankings list. The top-ranked quarterback is Dante Moore of Oregon. The list details when each ranked quarterback will face Nebraska during the season. The full rankings contextualize Colandrea’s 11th-place standing.
Colandrea’s career statistics demonstrate his volume and efficiency. He has played in 33 total collegiate games. He has 627 completions on 983 passing attempts. His career completion percentage is 63.8 percent.
He has thrown for 49 touchdowns against 29 interceptions. His career passing yardage totals 7,542 yards. He averaged 8.3 yards per passing attempt in his career. That yards-per-attempt figure led the Mountain West Conference.
The 2026 season is pivotal for the Nebraska football program. Integrating a new quarterback is always a major transition. Anthony Colandrea’s experience and dual-threat ability provide tools for success. How he uses them against elite competition will define the year.[]
Source: Sports Illustrated
