FOOTBALLThoughts on Chief Borders entering the transfer portal.
Chief Borders is the first Nebraska football player to use the transfer portal this spring, and here are some thoughts.
Nebraska football has had one of the fewest transfer portal departures this offseason, but the Huskers experienced their first true transfer this spring when Chief Borders announced he was going to the portal on Monday.
It’s surprising, given that Matt Rhule recently mentioned Borders as one of Nebraska football’s most improved players this spring. However, the 6-foot-4, 245-pound EDGE/Jack is the first player on the spring roster to leave.
The spring transfer portal window will be open for one more day. It closes after Tuesday, although it can take a couple of days before the paperwork gets finalized. Borders wasn’t expected to start for the Huskers this season but he’s a solid depth piece who will go somewhere else. Transfer portal departures are par for the course You don’t want to lose a good football player. Borders played 12 games last season but he wasn’t what I would call an impact player. He’s a former four-star recruit though and has talent. He’s also been a great part of the locker room, by all accounts, since his arrival.
To me, this feels like someone tampered with. Rhule talked up Borders and in hindsight, maybe he shouldn’t have done that. However, that’s just who Rhule is. He’s kind of an open book. I love that about him and the players to do.
Other teams tried to get Thomas Fidone to leave too. Yet, Fidone is sticking with Nebraska football. He’s also starting and Borders is likely going to look for a starting job somewhere else
My guess is that he’ll find a home soon. He might already have an idea of where he’s going and I don’t mean to sound bitter — I’m not — it’s just the way the game is usually played.
Tampering is out of control. Maybe it didn’t play a role here but it likely did, because some team needs another EDGE/LB and Borders is probably better than most of the other options.
As far as Nebraska, he would have played. But he likely wouldn’t have been more than a part-time player. Still, the Huskers now have less depth, although, at EDGE/Jack, I’m not overly concerned.
