Another Offseason, Another Nebraska Overhaul

Nebraska football is going to change things up again. Will these moves be the ones that lead to sustained success?

Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule walks along the sidelines during the second half against the Maryland Terrapins at SECU Stadium. | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

In the time since Nebraska’s last game against Iowa, the Cornhusker football program has undergone a series of massive changes.

Change has been the constant each offseason for Matt Rhule. It hasn't, however, brought the results expected.

Starting in December, there’s been no shortage of news coming out of Memorial Stadium and the Osborne Legacy Complex.

From a coaching personnel perspective, Nebraska has changed its defensive coordinator, offensive line coach, and defensive line coach. The Huskers have hired or been linked to more assistants than they presently have openings, which creates intrigue about what else could happen just on the coaching side.

On the player side, Nebraska will be without its two best offensive players moving forward, as quarterback Dylan Raiola entered the transfer portal and All-American running back Emmett Johnson declared for the NFL. Both had eligibility remaining.

Running back Emmett Johnson declared for the NFL draft earlier in December. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

More departures are undoubtedly coming after the New Year’s Eve bowl game against Utah.

All of this feels about a million miles from the USC week, when Nebraska was 6-2, Raiola was coming off another fourth-quarter win for the Huskers, Rhule had signed an extension, and enthusiasm for a massive home game and recruiting weekend had coaches, fans, and players dreaming of a televised breakout party.

Instead, Raiola finally couldn’t get back up after another hit, Nebraska couldn’t hang on to its lead, and the Huskers ultimately finished with another ugly November, including just 26 total points in their final two games, despite Herculean efforts from Johnson at running back.

So now Rhule and his program are at a crossroads. Can the coach reinvent his staff and have it lead to more success this time? Can they correctly identify players in the portal who can come to Nebraska and leave as significantly more impactful than those from the previous three seasons? Will the development of players who signed under Rhule and his staff begin to show up?

It’s fair to be dubious on almost every front.

In four seasons, and for different reasons, the Huskers will have had three different defensive coordinators, two offensive coordinators, two special teams coordinators, three defensive backs coaches, three defensive line coaches, two offensive line coaches, and two wide receiver coaches. That doesn’t even touch on the constant change inside the recruiting department, which saw Nebraska move on from Vincent Guinta, who was the senior director of player personnel and recruiting from 2022 to 2024, only to finish with a class ranked No. 113.

Was it a small class? Yes. Does that mean Nebraska should still finish No. 113? No.

Matt Rhule's first move after the regular season ended was to fire first-year defensive coordinator John Butler. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

Since putting his initial staff together, Rhule has officially hired the following coaches:
Dana Holgorsen, offensive coordinator (2024); Glenn Thomas, quarterbacks (2024); Daikiel Shorts, wide receiver (2025); Geep Wade, offensive line (2026); John Butler, defensive coordinator (2025); Rob Aurich, defensive coordinator (2026); Terry Bradden, defensive line (2025); Phil Simpson, outside linebackers (2025); John Butler, defensive backs (2024); Addison Williams, defensive backs (2025); Mike Ekeler, special teams (2025).

Change doesn’t have to be bad. The change from Ed Foley to Ekeler led to Nebraska producing one of the best special teams units in the country. Change this offseason could lead to big jumps where Nebraska has struggled, such as on the offensive or defensive line, or perhaps the defense gets a jolt from Aurich and the success he cultivated at San Diego State.

But in the fourth offseason, after two average to slightly above-average seasons and in the shadow of the largest contract ever given to a Nebraska coach, it’s fair to wonder what exactly the Huskers have built under Rhule so far.

Touted as a builder, the Huskers have enjoyed a one-win increase in the regular season every year since 2022, but have also maxed out at just four conference wins in that time.

Discussed as a strong evaluator, the Huskers have signed more than 80 high school players under Rhule in the 2023 through 2025 classes. Injuries may have shifted this number slightly, but roughly seven were starters when Nebraska played Iowa on Black Friday.

Nebraska has been very active in the portal, but when you look at the additions the team has made, none have been All-Conference players, none have been drafted, and the players projected to deliver the biggest impact have ranged from solid to serviceable.

Ty Robinson was an All-Big Ten selection for Nebraska in 2024. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

In three seasons, the Huskers have had three players receive first- or second-team All-Big Ten honors. Only specialist Kenneth Williams wasn’t on the team when Rhule arrived, as Ty Robinson and Johnson were holdovers.

This isn’t to say there hasn’t been on-field progress. Nebraska has improved in areas where it previously struggled, such as special teams and turnovers. It has enjoyed fourth-quarter comeback wins and has qualified for bowl games.

But as Nebraska football faces its latest round of change, it must be acknowledged that there’s been little evidence put forth that a big leap is coming — only more new faces, new challenges, and the same question that existed before Rhule and still exists in mid-December after three seasons with him in charge.

When does change result in real success for Nebraska football?

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