Seven members of Nebraska’s 2023 senior class have signed as free agents with NFL teams as of Monday afternoon. The group includes three members of the Husker secondary who helped Nebraska post its best defense in more than a decade, NU’s leading receiver from 2023, a two-year starter at running back, a key member of the offensive line and one of the nation’s best specialists.
On the defensive side, safety Omar Brown and cornerback Quinton Newsome both signed with the Denver Broncos, while safety Phalen Sanford will join the Las Vegas Raiders. Offensive guard Nouredin Nouili agreed to terms with the New Orleans Saints, receiver Billy Kemp IV will join the New York Giants and running back Anthony Grant will head to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ rookie mini camp. Long snapper Marco Ortiz is set to join the Los Angeles Chargers.
Brown spent his final two collegiate seasons at Nebraska after beginning his career at Northern Iowa. In 2023, Brown earned honorable-mention All-Big Ten accolades when he was tied for second on the team with 51 tackles. Brown found his way to the football, recording an interception, three PBU, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. Between his two schools, Brown totaled nearly 200 tackles, nine interceptions and 16 pass breakups.
Newsome was a fixture in the Nebraska secondary the past five years, playing in 53 games with 35 starts. Newsome received honorable-mention all-conference honors as both a junior and senior, when he made 44 and 37 tackles, respectively. The Georgia native finished his career with 149 tackles, 17 pass breakups and seven tackles for loss.
Sanford’s role for Nebraska grew in each of his five seasons in Lincoln. He began as a special teams performer and reserve safety in the secondary, and grew into a starting role in his final year in 2023. Last fall, Sanford played in all 12 games, including five starts and made 40 tackles, caused two fumbles and had two PBU.
Nouili began his career at Colorado State before transferring to Nebraska in 2020. With the Huskers, Nouili started 18 games between the 2021 and 2023 seasons. As a senior, Nouili started 11 games at guard and helped the Husker offense rank second in the Big Ten in rushing offense.
Kemp joined the Huskers for his sixth and final collegiate season after playing at the University of Virginia. Despite battling an injury for the second half of the season, Kemp led Nebraska with 35 receptions for 310 yards in 2023. Overall, Kemp accumulated 227 receptions for 2,084 yards and nine touchdowns in his collegiate career.
Grant spent two seasons at Nebraska, playing in 23 games with 15 starts between the 2022 and 2023 seasons. He was an honorable-mention all-conference selection in 2022 when he led the Huskers with 915 rushing yards and six touchdowns. In his final season, he ran for 413 yards and three scores.
Ortiz spent his final collegiate season at Nebraska in 2023 after spending five seasons at Florida. Ortiz was a key part of an improved Husker special teams effort in 2023, handling snapping duties for both place-kicking and punting. Ortiz was recognized as one of three finalists for the Patrick Mannelly Award following the 2023 season.