QB Jeff Sims leaves Nebraska after one season by logging onto a transfer portal.

LINCOLN, Nebraska — After just one season, quarterback Jeff Sims is leaving Nebraska.

The Athletic has learned that Sims re-entered the transfer portal on Monday. Before joining the Huskers a year ago, he played three seasons at Georgia Tech, starting twenty-three games.

Sims was on track to graduate in December, which would allow him to play right away at a different school. He has a redshirt year and one more season of eligibility left. In 2023, he participated in five games at Nebraska. He lost his redshirt this year due to the one snap he took in relief against Louisiana Tech in Week 4.

Returning starter Casey Thompson and seasoned backup Logan Smothers left Nebraska in the spring as a result of his arrival and rise to the No. 1 quarterback spot during the offseason. Sims committed six turnovers in the first two games of the Nebraska season, which were losses to Minnesota and Colorado. He missed four of the following five games due to an ankle injury that occurred in Week 2.

Sims made a comeback against Purdue in late October, but he fumbled on a fourth-down play that was recovered for a touchdown. After Heinrich Haarberg, the backup starter, was injured two weeks later against Maryland, Sims took over and led the Huskers to ten points, but he also made three more turnovers in the team’s 13-10 loss.

Sims amassed 5,616 yards of total offense while attending Georgia Tech. Over the course of his three seasons in Atlanta, he battled numerous injuries. In his first season as coach at Nebraska, Matt Rhule was drawn to him because of his dual-threat ability. Sims’ placement this year was partly influenced by the fact that he played for former Rhule colleague Geoff Collins at Tech.

What does Sims provide to an underfunded program?

At 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, Sims has good stature and exceptional athleticism. Sims gained 189 yards on 42 rushes during his one and only season with the Huskers. He also aroused curiosity when he passed away, completing 28 of 47 passes for 282 yards.

Still, the errors cost him. He lost the ball ten times in all on just a few plays. The Huskers, who have missed seven consecutive bowl games, are 132nd in the nation with a turnover margin of minus-17.

Where does Nebraska go after Sims leaves?

Not anywhere other than where it was. In the season’s final two games against Wisconsin and Iowa, Chubba Purdy took over at quarterback. After the Nov. 11 game against Maryland, Sims did not play. He was not someone the Huskers could rely on to look after the ball.

Purdy and Haarberg are back at Nebraska, and in December, the state will sign Daniel Kaelin, a high school graduate. However, assistance at the position via the portal is required. Marcus Satterfield, the offensive coordinator, has met with quarterbacks in the portal while traveling this week. The earlier Nebraska can arrange for a prospect to visit Lincoln, the better.

According to Nebraska coaches and players, Sims was a good teammate throughout. In August, the team’s toughest players were given a single-digit jersey, which Sims received. From a competitive perspective, however, his time at Nebraska is a failure. The Sims situation should serve as a reminder of how crucial it is to choose wisely when selecting a transfer quarterback. A season may be made or broken by it.