Matt Rhule Provides Barney, Rule Injury Updates, Thoughts on Dylan Raiola, and Maryland Preview

Don't count Jacory Barney Jr. out against the Terps.

Even so, while Husker Nation received encouraging news about its do-it-all receiver, Matt Rhule was less optimistic about the status of freshman running back Jamal Rule.

From injury updates to a preview of Maryland and thoughts on former starting quarterback Dylan Raiola, here's everything Nebraska's head coach had to say during his time at the mic.

Matt Rhule on Injury of Jacory Barney:

“I honestly don’t know how (he’ll) be,” he said. “I’d never bet against Jacory Barney, to be honest with you. Guys made out of rubber.” pic.twitter.com/rP9b7hSTT8
— Skers Scoop (@SkersScoop) September 28, 2026

“I don’t know yet,” said Rhule when discussing the injuries several of the Big Red's top playmakers seemed to have. “They’ll be in here tonight; I haven’t seen them yet… I’m watching every other press conference; they’re not giving anything away until Wednesday, so, just for competitive reasons, I won’t say anything about injuries on Mondays.”

“But I really, honestly, don’t know how those guys will be,” he continued. “I’d never bet against Jacory Barney, to be quite honest with you. Guy's made out of rubber.”

Rule, who entered East Lansing as the nation's most productive freshman running back, played just eight snaps before suffering an undisclosed injury, while Barney saw the field for 21 plays.

Anthony Colandrea runs during the third quarter against Michigan State. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Even without two of his top weapons, Anthony Colandrea led the Huskers to 369 yards and 31 points. However, Rhule said he'd like to see his starting quarterback protect himself a bit more, particularly when running the ball.

“Before he got here, he had slid three times in three years,” Rhule said. “He practices sliding every day… It’s just not the way this kid plays. I’d love it if he’d get down and slide, but he’s just a competitor. We’ll work on it with him, but at the same time, we also like when he makes guys miss.”

“I pray that Dante Moore (Oregon's starting signal-caller) is okay,” Rhule continued. “But obviously sliding isn’t always the safest thing either, right. Some of these guys would rather just go headfirst, and if they’re going to get hit, at least they get hit like a football player… For Anthony, when it’s clear, get down, but I just don’t know how much of that kind of guy he really is, which I don’t love, but I also really like, if that makes sense.”

Colandrea has totaled 141 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 28 attempts. There's no question he's capable of making plays with his legs, but the Huskers will need to find a balance between protecting him and allowing him to use his athleticism down the stretch.

Kwazi Gilmer catches for a touchdown against the Bowling Green Falcons. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Nebraska has seen a significant impact from players who didn't start their careers with the Big Red thus far in 2026. Colandrea is NU's QB1, while Kwazi Gilmer leads the team in receiving yards. However, even players like Owen Chambliss and Dwayne McDougle are leading the team in tackles, while Jahsear Whittington leads the team in sacks.

Against the Spartans, players who began their careers in Lincoln accounted for 610 total snaps, while players who didn't accounted for 802. Asked about the impact portal players have made on the team, Rhule said it's a result of good player identification during the offseason as much as it is the players putting in the work themselves.

“Well, we’re only four games in,” he said. “But Pat (Stewart) does a great job. Logan (Holgorsen), Keith (Williams), and Marques (Little) do a great job. They’ve identified that these are good players.”

“But I also think, like, you know, Kwazi had two catches for 10 yards against Michigan State last year,” he continued. “He’s improved since he got here. Jahsear got here at like 258 pounds. He’s now, at least last week, he was one of the top defensive tackles in the country; he’s at 280-something pounds… These guys like football… I think it’s just the right kind of guys.”

Oregon quarterback Dylan Raiola celebrates a touchdown to Dierre Hill Jr. against the USC Trojans. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Though the portal has given Nebraska a lot of production, it's also led to several starting-caliber players leaving the program. Most notably this fall was the departure of former starting quarterback Dylan Raiola, who landed with the Oregon Ducks.

Raiola stepped in for an injured Dante Moore and led his new team to a road victory over USC; the same team he suffered a season-ending injury against in 2025 in what became his final contest with the Big Red.

When asked about Raiola's performance, Rhule offered words of encouragement for his former QB1.

“We got on the plane, and there was no TV,” said Rhule. “But, you know, I love Dylan. Great, great, great kid; great family. Played here for me. Everyone that plays for me, I root for… I’ll root for Dylan and Taylor and Dayton, and that family forever. A big part of my life for two years.”

Homecoming at Memorial Stadium 🎈

🗓️ 10.03.26
⏰ 3:00 PM CT
🏟️ Memorial Stadium vs Maryland
📺 @FS1 pic.twitter.com/5sNCo4rgWq
— Nebraska Football (@HuskerFootball) September 28, 2026

However, Rhule ultimately doesn't have the time to reminisce. Instead, he's got to get his team ready to take on the Maryland Terrapins on Saturday afternoon.

Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. CDT. Nebraska enters its homecoming matchup as the favorite to win. Even so, with injuries to key players and a Big Ten opponent hungry for its first conference win, the Huskers will need to go out and prove themselves for the fifth straight week.

Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.

Add us as a preferred source on Google