Matt Rhule entering year three at Nebraska with high expectations

LAS VEGAS — He led the program to a winning campaign, and bowl victory for the first time since 2013, and now Nebraska’s third-year coach is extremely confident approaching fall camp.

After all, Matt Rhule has a proven track record in year three from his two previous collegiate stops, and he could potentially be fielding his best team yet. There are plenty of reasons why Rhule believes his 2025 Huskers are Big Ten contenders too. Quarterback Dylan Raiola is the big man on campus, who’s receiving a lot of preseason buzz following a promising season as a true freshman. There are weapons around him that Rhule can’t wait to unleash. Not to mention the big boys up front are finally healthy, and building chemistry in the trenches.

Although Nebraska technically will have two new Coordinators this fall, they both have experience with the current players on the roster. Dana Holgorsen called the plays for the final three games of the season, while John Butler orchestrated Nebraska’s secondary in 2024. From the coaching staff, down to the players, everyone wants to be part of a winning culture, and that’s how Rhule envisioned it would be in year three.

“I’ve taken a lot of jobs, and when you walk into a job that hasn’t been winning, everyone tells you what’s wrong,” Rhule said. “They usually say, well, it’s this guy, it’s that guy, it’s the last coach, it’s this, it’s that, but good organizations win because everyone owns the product.”

Holgorsen gave Big Red Nation a glimpse of how his offense supposed to operate in the victory over Wisconsin. He spent the entire offseason implementing his system, and made progress with Raiola. Everyone understands the speed, and physicality of the Big Ten, which is why depth is a priority to Rhule. The Huskers’ four-game losing streak happened when they navigated through the Big Ten gauntlet. Rhule understands injuries will happen, and he must have enough bodies to go around down the stretch.

The offensive line has been injury-plagued in the past, but is experienced and remained nearly intact. Raiola’s pocket awareness must be improved from last season though, after Nebraska allowed 28 sacks, which tied for 73rd nationally. However, Rhule likes how Raiola is making strides under Holgorsen’s direction, and feels the best is yet to come.

“He (Raiola) has done a great job with his knowledge of the offense, his growth with Glenn Thomas, our quarterback coach, and Dana Holgorsen, our OC,” he said. “His command of the roster, of the team, make no mistake, it’s really hard to come in as a freshman with tremendous expectations and have to go be the leader.”

Butler is familiar with the Blackshirt tradition, and didn’t make too many changes to the system that Tony White operated for the past two years. He actually led the Blackshirts in Nebraska’s bowl win over Boston College. Familiarity is key, and the transition from White to Butler continues to be smooth in Rhule’s eyes.

“I think with John, the great thing is he was in the system, and he knows what we’ve done, but he has so much knowledge from his team in the National Football League,” the 50-year old coach said. “He had the No. 1 secondary in Buffalo for five years, and his ability now,
it’s been an adjustment coming to college.”

Nebraska fans are somewhat apprehensive about last year’s kicking woes lingering into the upcoming season, but with the addition of Special Teams Coordinator Mike Ekeler, improvement is on the horizon. Everything appears to be trending up for the Huskers, and after going through success and adversity in Rhule’s first two seasons, they’re ready for whatever comes their way in year three.

“We’ve been through a lot in two years together, and we’re going to go make a run at this thing this year.”