Why Jeff Sims makes sense as Nebraska's Big Ten Media Days representative

As the Big Ten Media Days get underway, the choice of which athletes are attending for each school always gets a little scrutiny. So too will the decision for Nebraska to bring new transfer quarterback Jeff Sims.

Sims transferred in from Georgia Tech and will almost certainly be the guy manning Matt Rhule‘s offense in Year 1.

“I think when you look at who they could have taken, I was like I hope they bring Jeff Sims because he makes the most sense,” HuskersOnline’s Sean Callahan said. “But you never know who a coach is going to bring. Like a year ago, Casey Thompson, Trey Palmer, those guys were not at media days for Nebraska and you knew they were going to be the key players.”

Thompson was a high-profile transfer from Texas, so the fact that Sims is now attending media days a year later is noteworthy. The last coaching staff opted not to send the transfer quarterback.

Rhule has no such qualms with Sims.

In fact, if anything, Sims’ inclusion at Big Ten Media Days says it all about what Nebraska is hoping he can be for the team this fall.

“In this situation, Year 1, new coach, new offense Jeff Sims is going to be the face of Nebraska this year, and he is a big part of what Matt Rhule is going to do here in Year 1, so it does make a lot of sense they’re bringing him,” Callahan said.

“I think we’ve seen there’s some other transfer quarterbacks and there are names like that, as well, coming to Big Ten Media Days.”

Few are likely to be quite as impactful as Sims off the rip.

Nebraska is coming off a four-win season that saw former coach Scott Frost fired very early on after a woeful start to the season. Immediate improvement is far from guaranteed, though Rhule has a track record turning around programs at Temple and Baylor.

Sims will give him plenty to work with. As a junior in 2022, he was electric for the Yellow Jackets.

He finished his season with 1,115 yards passing with five touchdowns and three interceptions, while also adding 302 yards rushing and another score on the ground.

Sims did suffer a foot sprain that greatly impeded his progress during the 2022 campaign. He’ll get a chance to reintroduce himself to the college football world at Big Ten Media Days.