Undersized and often overlooked, Billy Kemp is playing for more than himself at Nebraska

Billy Kemp couldn’t wait to tell the world where he was playing his final season of college football. But this was no longer just about him.

So when the former Virginia receiver posted a graphic to social media on Jan. 9 that he was committing to Nebraska, he made sure the most prominent part featured him holding up three jerseys with numbers he’s never worn.

41. 1. 15.

The numerals are reminders of the teammates Kemp played with only a few months earlier. Linebacker D’Sean Perry, who donned No. 41. Lavel Davis (1) and Devin Chandler (15), who used to sit in the same position meetings as Kemp. All three were killed Nov. 13 when another student opened fire on a charter bus that had returned to campus from a field trip.

“Those three guys were friends of mine, brothers of mine,” Kemp said. “Doesn’t matter the color of jersey I have on — my next season and my life is in honor of them. Every day I’m going to do everything I can to make sure their legacy isn’t forgotten.”

Devastation left Kemp leaning hard into a large support group of family and friends. It also altered his career and sent the native of Highland Springs, Virginia, to a place he never would have guessed: Nebraska.

The Cavaliers canceled the last two games of a 3-7 campaign in the wake of the shootings. Kemp — a five-year player whose eligibility clock had run out — declared for the NFL Draft on Dec. 6. A day later the NCAA announced it would grant an extra season to Virginia seniors. After three weeks of deliberation, Kemp pivoted to the transfer portal in search of a new home and one more chance to show pro scouts what he can do.

“Last year didn’t go how it was planned and ultimately ended in a tragedy,” Kemp said. “It wasn’t the way I wanted to end my college career. For my mental space, I thought it was best for me to change locations.”

So he did, with the Huskers reaching out as quickly and aggressively as any of the half-dozen or so Power Five offers the graduate transfer fielded during 10 days in the portal as the calendar flipped to 2023. An early January visit impressed Kemp, as did conversations with his player host, former Georgia Tech quarterback Jeff Sims. The two talked about the past — Virginia and Kemp beat Sims and Tech twice in ACC matchups — and a future in the same Nebraska offense.

“We have similar business for the season,” Kemp said. “That’s all it took for me.”

NU sees a likely starter in Kemp, who piled up 1,774 receiving yards and 192 grabs — fourth most in school history — during a career spanning 50 games (25 starts). He has excelled in the slot while also logging 200-plus snaps on the outside and taking 10 career handoffs. Punt returning is also an option in Lincoln after he fielded 60-plus at Virginia.

Yet the production isn’t enough to satisfy the 5-foot-9, 170-pounder who is used to being literally and figuratively overlooked on the field. His stature limited his offers coming out of a powerhouse high-school program. Somewhere along the way, he developed a motto — heart over height — that leaves an impression on those around him.

It definitely did for Olu Oluwatimi, the 6-foot-3, 307-pound center who played with Kemp for four years at Virginia before transferring to Michigan last season and winning the Outland Trophy as college football’s best interior lineman.

“He’s not the biggest guy, but my God, that dude is feisty,” Oluwatimi said. “He’s ready for whatever. He gets into it with the biggest guys at practice. … He’s going to fight for every yard on the field, he’s going to talk smack and he’s going to get under people’s skin. … Nebraska’s going to love him.”

The Huskers have annually reset their receiver room in the portal era to some success — recent one-year additions Samori Touré (2021) and Trey Palmer (2022) turned in two of the top receiving totals in school history — and will do it again with Kemp, whose game is more smart routes, sure hands and elusiveness than pure straight-line speed.

“You don’t want them all (as receivers) to look the same and be the same,” NU offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield said earlier this month. “You need different body types.”

Kemp wants to hit 1,000 receiving yards next season but also bring others at his position along for the ride. NU returns Marcus Washington and Alante Brown as 2022 contributors but otherwise is flush with new faces, including veteran Baylor transfer Joshua Fleeks along with former-and-current Huskers Zavier Betts and Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda, who were away for most or all of last year. Seven other scholarship pass catchers are underclassmen.

The 22-year-old Kemp also arrives just one year younger than his new position coach, Garret McGuire.

“I’ve heard great things from him and he definitely understands the game,” Kemp said of McGuire. “Looking forward to making the youngest coach one of the best coaches.”

The next 12 months represent one more chance for Kemp to show just how big his heart is. An ankle injury before last season limited him to 16 catches for 116 yards and no touchdowns in seven games — he had combined for 141 receptions and 1,369 yards the two campaigns before that.

Now Kemp is fully healed — physically, at least — and ready to make the most of another situation that once felt too big to handle.

“The coaching staff is coming from the NFL where I want to go and letting me earn the opportunities I feel like I deserve,” Kemp said. “I won’t back down from anything. I’m ready to work.”