7/12/2022 football Edit

Nebraska RB Markese Stepp has entered the transfer portal

Steve Marik • InsideNebraska

Staff Writer

Steve Marik is a staff writer covering football and men's basketball for Inside Nebraska. After covering prep sports for seven years, he made the transition to college and hasn't looked back.

Running back Markese Stepp has entered his name in the transfer portal, a Nebraska spokesperson confirmed with Inside Nebraska.

Stepp’s transfer puts Nebraska at 87 scholarship players.

The 6-foot-1, 230-pound Stepp, a native of Indianapolis, Indiana, spent last season and this past spring at Nebraska following three years at USC. Stepp played in seven games with two starts for the Huskers and rushed for 177 yards and two touchdowns on 45 carries.

Stepp's best game statistically came against Fordham on Sept. 4 when he rushed for 101 yards on 18 carries. He never eclipsed 29 rushing yards and nine carries in a game after that.

In three seasons with USC, Stepp rushed for 505 yards and six touchdowns on 100 carries.

Stepp seemed to have fallen behind in the Huskers' running back room while four players emerged following spring ball, including returning backs Rahmir Johnson, Jaquez Yant, Gabe Ervin Jr. and New Mexico Military Institute transfer Anthony Grant.

The last time fans saw Stepp was in the spring game, but Stepp saw his day end early with an apparent leg injury.

First-year running backs coach Bryan Applewhite has done a good job of injecting talent into his room. The former TCU coach was able to flip talented 2022 class running back Ajay Allen from TCU to Nebraska last February. Allen was a three-star prospect from Neville, Louisiana.