Nebraska wideout Malachi Coleman to enter transfer portal
Wide receiver Malachi Coleman has chosen to play college football somewhere other than Nebraska.
On Monday, Huskers head coach Matt Rhule confirmed that Coleman, a 6-foot-5, 210-pound sophomore from Lincoln East High School, has left the team and plans to enter the transfer portal.
“I can’t say anything but good things about Malachi,” Rhule told reporters during his weekly news conference.
Regarded as the No. 1 recruit in the state of Nebraska in 2023, and one of the top prospects in the country for his class, Coleman this season has played in one game. He made his season debut October 5 against Rutgers, nearly blocking a punt but recording no statistics. He will count 2024 as a redshirt season.
Rhule said Coleman “was redshirting and developing,” calling him “a great young man.”
As a true freshman for Nebraska in 2023, Coleman played in 11 games with six starts. A prime deep threat, he caught eight passes for 139 yards with one touchdown. He also impressed as a perimeter blocker, helping the Huskers rank second in the Big Ten in rushing.
Nebraska’s perimeter blocking as been a bugaboo this season.
His true freshman season included a 44-yard touchdown grab against Northwestern. He had the first multi-catch game of his career late in the season at Michigan State, with two receptions for 39 yards, including a 30-yard catch. He also had two catches for 32 yards at Wisconsin and ended his first season with two catches for 19 yards against Iowa.
Top 10
- 1
Memphis shakes up CFP
Tigers upsets changes CFP picture
- 2
Charles Woodson
Michigan legend opines on Sherrone Moore
- 3
A Twisted Mess
Big 12 Championship scenarios
- 4Trending
Saban chirped
Big 12 comes after GOAT
- 5Hot
Underranked SEC
Lane Kiffin protests CFP rankings
Coleman was key recruit for NU
In high school, Coleman was a standout on the football field and on the track for Lincoln East. The ultra-athletic Coleman was selected to play in the 2023 All-American Bowl and the Polynesian Bowl. In the Polynesian Bowl, Coleman caught two touchdown passes.
Injuries limited Coleman’s availability and productivity as a senior, but he flashed his ability during his junior season, catching 17 passes for 561 yards (33.0 ypc). Ten of his 17 catches went for touchdowns. On defense, he recorded 57 tackles, 7.5 sacks and four forced fumbles. He was also a stellar return man for the Spartans.
On the track, Coleman finished second in both the 100 and 200 meters at the 2022 Class A state meet before injuries cut his senior track season short in 2023. His ability was not limited to his speed, as he finished third in the triple jump at the state meet as a junior and fourth as a sophomore. He also played basketball for Lincoln East.
Coleman, as a football standout, was ranked as the No. 60 overall prospect in the On3 Consensus rankings. The four-star prospect was a consensus pick as one of the top five athletes nationally. Coleman chose Nebraska over Colorado after receiving scholarship offers from many of the nation’s top programs.
