It's early February, but that hasn’t stopped Nebraska football from continuing to mine the transfer portal to improve its roster heading into the 2025 season. On Sunday, the Huskers hauled in another one by landing a commitment from Notre Dame graduate transfer offensive lineman Rocco Spindler.

Spindler is the 16th transfer addition Nebraska has made this cycle and will come to Lincoln with one season of eligibility remaining.

Per reports, Nebraska won the portal recruitment over Indiana, Pittsburgh, Virginia and Michigan, the team he nearly committed to as a high school recruit.

The 6-foot-5, 325-pound Spindler, who was a four-star recruit ranked No. 68 overall in the 2021 class, spent the past four seasons at Notre Dame. The native of Clarkston, Michigan, played in 40 career games with 23 starts for the Fighting Irish, all at right guard, including 13 starts in 2024 when he replaced starter Billy Schrauth, who went down with an injury against Purdue on Sept. 15.

Spindler finished the season at right guard after Schrauth's early-season injury and started all four of the Irish's College Football Playoff tilts, including the national championship against Ohio State. Spindler started 10 games at right guard in 2023.

An experienced veteran, Spindler comes to Lincoln with 1,325 snaps under his belt, according to Pro Football Focus. The past two seasons, Spindler has played 1,306 snaps (747 in 2024-25 and 559 in 2023). Spindler comes from good football bloodlines as his father, Marc, played nine years in the NFL as a defensive lineman and played at Pitt.

Nebraska returns two of its three interior offensive line starters from 2024, including right guard Henry Lutovsky and left guard Justin Evans. Ben Scott, the starting center the past two seasons, has departed the program after exhausting his eligibility.

Evans has experience playing center at Nebraska and spent much of the 2024 season as Scott's backup while starting next to him. Evans will be an option to start at center in 2025, as will a couple third-year players in Sam Sledge, a local product out of Creighton Prep in Omaha, and Jason Maciejczak, an interior lineman out of South Dakota.

Nebraska also brought in 2025 class true freshman Houston Kaahaaina-Torres, an intriguing player who is already with the team for winter workouts as an early enrollee out of St. Louis High School in Honolulu, Hawaii.

— Steve Marik, Inside Nebraska staff writer

Stocky and well-proportioned at 6-5, 325 pounds, Spindler has played right guard primarily through his career at Notre Dame. Plays lower than expected for his size, does a good job playing with consistent leverage. Physicality over finesse is the name of his game.

Wrestling background shows up as a run blocker. Always looking for work and engages in blocks through the whistle. Moves well in open space. Violent puller, climbs to second level efficiently. Impressive overall body strength, but initial punch is just average.

Quickness off the ball could improve, he can lose ground to quicker defensive linemen, but typically does a good job anchoring down, even when beat off the line of scrimmage.

Could improve counters to defenders that utilize speed-to-power rush moves. Technically sound in most elements of his game. Not necessarily nimble, but well-balanced in his pass set and mirrors defenders well. Could potentially afford to lean down and improve athleticism, likely best sticking at right guard.

Technically sound after years of development in Notre Dame’s scheme, but should benefit from learning Donovan Raiola’s coaching style.

— Tim Verghese, Inside Nebraska recruiting analyst

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