Nebraska football is entering a period of great unknowns under the direction of Matt Rhule.

2019 marked the year that Matt Rhule stepped down from his position as head coach of a collegiate football team (before Nebraska, that is). Despite the fact that it was not too long ago, the sport has undergone significant changes since that time. Neither the transfer portal nor the players’ ability to make money off of their name, image, and likeness (NIL) were considered as concerns at this time. It appeared as though the possibility of Stanford and Cal joining the Atlantic Coast Conference was about as plausible as Tom Osborne converting to the air raid offense. Texas and Oklahoma were still members of the Big 12 conference, while Oregon and Washington were remained members of the Pac-12 conference. It’s possible that some of these significant shifts were being discussed or perhaps apparent on the horizon, but now that we are actually experiencing them, it’s a very different thing.

In addition, the tectonic plates are continuing to move. The year 2025 marks the beginning of revenue sharing, which effectively means that colleges will have the authority to pay athletes directly. Even before the first ever 12-team playoff has even come to a close, discussions are already taking place about the possibility of modifying the format of the college football playoffs. And in the fall of this year, it was reported that a group of private equity investors were presenting “Project Rudy,” a massive realignment proposal that would transform the members of the Power Four conferences into a college football super-league, to the athletic directors of colleges and universities. When it comes to college football, it seems as though we are only on the cusp of this era of huge change, and there is no clear vision of how things will look once the dust settles (or even if the dust will ever settle).

When I think about it, the issue that keeps coming back to me is this: in this era of rapid change and uncertainty, how can Nebraska football come back to being relevant, or even great? Can it even be accomplished? If we are honest with ourselves, no one can state with absolute certainty that they have the blueprint for how to construct a consistent winner in the year 2025 or beyond. It would appear that the teams that are in the best position to achieve success are 1) those that entered this era on a solid foundation (basically, those that had already demonstrated their ability to win), and 2) those that have the most resources, not only for the most up-to-date and best facilities, but also to devote to non-disclosure agreements for players. The transfer portal has also made it possible for teams to go from losing to winning more quickly than ever before (for example, Indiana and Colorado this season). However, it is still unclear whether or not switching out a complete squad year after year is a paradigm that can be maintained for long-term success in college football.

When I think about it, I can’t help but think that it would have been beneficial for Nebraska if they had entered this new phase of college football without having just gone through one of the most terrible and unstable periods in its glorious history (possibly ever). Take into consideration the fact that Bo Pelini was the last coach of the Huskers to compete for a conference championship, which he did in 2009, 2010, and 2012. A little more than a decade has passed since the Big Ten championship game in 2012, and Nebraska is currently on its fifth athletic director and fourth head football coach. If you count interim athletic directors and head coaches, the number of individuals in these positions is even higher. In terms of stability and success, that is not exactly a recipe for success.

In light of this, let us return to Rhule. The record of his accomplishments as a program builder is unmistakable: after taking over programs at Temple and then Baylor (both of which were arguably in worse health than Nebraska when he took the reins in Lincoln), he gained a minimum of ten victories by the third year at each university. If this is the case, then it would imply that the Big Red is on schedule to make the patented Year 3 leap under Rhule in 2030? We certainly hope so, Husker fans. However, the nature of the college football scene in today’s world, which is constantly shifting, causes you to rethink everything. Because the transfer site makes it possible for players to switch schools without incurring any fines or limits, and because NIL and revenue sharing essentially give players the ability to select the best bidder, coaches are continually engaging in a game of whack-a-mole.

The situation that occurred during the first week of December, which was the first week after the regular season had ended for the majority of teams, is a perfect example. During that week, Nebraska lost defensive coordinator Tony White and defensive line coach Terrance Knighton to Florida State, and twelve players, some of whom were anticipated to be major contributors on this year’s team, entered the transfer portal. Such changes are simply part of the drill for major college coaches at this point, but you had to feel a little bad for Rhule as he dealt with so many distractions while at the same time trying to prepare the Huskers for their first bowl game in over a decade.

Since that time, the Huskers have lost additional players to the portal, but they’ve also re-stocked at positions of need and made many coaching changes, all of which you could argue are upgrades from where they were previously.

Rhule appears to be masterful at maintaining his agility. At this time, he does not appear to be surprised by anything. It is highly likely that, assuming all other factors remain unchanged, he would prefer to recruit players who are still in high school so that he can cultivate and train them over the course of several years. He’s still doing that, but you can’t prosper under the current system without also embracing the transfer portal. Going into the 2024 season for example, much was made about how Nebraska was among the teams with the fewest players leaving for the portal. It was probably only a matter of time before more males fled. Every season that passes by seems to enhance the mayhem across college football. What’s more, 2025 is special since there is a new maximum of 105 players on the roster, so the Huskers will have to eliminate a lot more individuals just to get into compliance. That there will be more disruptions in today’s college football is the one thing that can be said with absolute surety.

In the coming days, I will be publishing a number of articles that review the current state of the Nebraska football program as it prepares to enter a key third year under the direction of Matt Rhule. There are a number of reasons to believe that Rhule can construct a winner in Lincoln, as well as reasons to be concerned that he might fall short, and we will also discuss some highlights from the 2024 season. We will also discuss the current state of the program and the concerns that are being asked heading into 2025.

For the time being, Husker Nation can relax and enjoy a lengthy offseason, content with the fact that we have won for the first time since 2016, while also harboring the hope that we will earn even more victories in the coming year. There are many more colleges and universities that are also attempting to solve the rubik’s cube that is modern college football. It is my hope that Matt Rhule is the individual who will be able to steer these turbulent waters and restore Husker football back to its former glory.