Matt Rhule is back coaching college football and things have changed since he left for the NFL following the 2019 season.
Name, Image and Likeness, coupled with the transfer portal, has changed the sport significantly, as players are now free to find a new landing spot after the season.
In just the past few days, multiple quarterbacks have reportedly entered the portal, including Miami’s Tyler Van Dyke, Duke’s Riley Leonard, Kansas State’s Will Howard and Coastal Carolina’s Grayson McCall.
In Rhule’s first year at Nebraska, three quarterbacks made at least five appearances during the season, according to ESPN.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Rhule was asked whether he needed to go into the transfer portal for a quarterback, and Rhule made it clear what that would require.
“Make no mistake that a good quarterback in the portal costs a million to $1.5 million to $2 million right now,” Rhule told reporters. “Just so we’re on the same page. Let’s make sure we all understand what’s happening. There’s some teams that have $6 or $7 million players playing for them.”
Rhule added that Nebraska will certainly take a look at the transfer portal, but the player would have to meet a certain set of requirements.
“We just kind of believe in doing things the old school way,” Rhule said. “The hard way. Building. But that doesn’t mean we won’t look at people in the portal. We did it last year.
“It just means they have to be clearly an impact player for us, if they’re like a one-year player. Or they have to be someone that has multiple years to get into our program and develop.”
Sophomore quarterback Heinrich Haarberg led Nebraska in passing yards with 967, while sophomore Chubba Purdy and junior Jeff Sims combined to throw for 664 yards.
“When I go back and look at our quarterbacks this year, obviously everyone can look at the negatives,” Rhule said. “The turnovers and all those things. I also see a lot of positives. I saw a lot of positives in the way that Chubba played. I say to myself, if Chubba had played more throughout the course of the year, would he be further along?”
Chubba Purdy of the Nebraska Cornhuskers drops back to pass against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium on Nov. 18, 2023, in Madison, Wisconsin. (John Fisher/Getty Images)
“I think Chubba has a high ceiling,” he continued. “When I look at Heinrich, Heinrich wasn’t even in quarterback meetings last year. He wasn’t even allowed to go to meetings. So, I’m really proud of him.”
Nebraska finished the year 5-7 in Rhule’s first season in Lincoln, missing out on a bowl game after a close loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes in Week 13.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A year ago, Matt Rhule was not in a good place. He was about to break training camp with the Carolina Panthers and dealing with a host of injury and personnel issues that hastened his firing five games into the season.
Six days before his first game as Nebraska’s coach, he showed a sunny demeanor much like he has in previous meetings with the media since he arrived in Lincoln almost nine months ago.
“I’m having the time of my life, I really am,” he said Friday. “So this is as happy as I’ve been in a really, really long time. My family’s here now. My girls are happy, my family’s happy, my wife’s happy, the son’s doing well. I really enjoy this team.”
It’s been a whirlwind for the 48-year-old Rhule since Nebraska landed him as one of the splash hires of the 2022-23 coaching cycle.
Rhule and his assistants have visited towns and cities across the state to immerse themselves in its passion for football and build relationships with high school coaches. He signed a recruiting class judged best in the Big Ten West and fifth overall in the conference. He even played a role in bringing Frank Solich back into the Husker family 20 years following Solich’s controversial firing.
“He’s done everything right so far,” said 86-year-old Tom Osborne, who coached the Huskers to three national titles in his Hall of Fame career and stopped by Rhule’s office this week to wish him good luck.
Rhule said he has no doubt the Huskers are ready for their opener at Minnesota on Thursday.
“I’m confident we’re going to play hard. I’m confident we’re going to be a physical team. I’m confident that if things don’t go well early, that we’re not going to panic. I’m confident that if things do go well early, we’re not going to celebrate,” Rhule said. “And I’m confident we’ll have fun together.”
The Huskers haven’t had much fun for a while. Their most recent winning season was in 2016. They never won more than five games, or three in conference play, in four-plus seasons under Scott Frost and just over a half season under interim coach Mickey Joseph.