Ever seen a head coach dodge showcasing his talent? Well, thanks to NIL, Matt Rhule’s annual spring game might just be the casualty in this new era. With 31 players already in the portal, tough decisions are a must. And after this, who can blame him? Plus, it’s wise to learn from the errors of others, a lesson that the Longhorns learned the hard way when key players left after their spring game. And for Rhule, it’s about learning from others’ past moves, like The Matrix—don’t take the red pill unless you’re ready for the consequences.

Now, Matt Rhule’s not messing around—he’s already seen six players hit the transfer portal this January and made it clear he won’t stand for any tampering. If more players leave, Nebraska’s situation could become dire. However, ESPN’s Greg McElroy raised familiar concerns about Longhorns quarterback Maalik Murphy. In their spring game, he was sensational, surpassing Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning with a remarkable 9-of-13 passing performance that totaled 165 yards. But things took a nasty turn.

As suddenly the Longhorns were in a big mess as Maalik entered the portal. Even McElroy says the same thing: “It carried over all the way into the latter part of the season, and Malik Murphy ends up getting in the portal, leaving the team prior to them competing in the Sugar Bowl that was the national championship semi-final prior to last year.” Then why would Matt Rhule want to risk his players? When he knows other teams might have better deals to offer?

Moreover, Nebraska is not just dealing with players making moves entering the portal but also watching their coordinators make switches. Now who doesn’t want to earn like Bucks’ Jim Knowles? On that note, Matt Rhule also lost his defensive coordinator, Tony White, to Florida State, who was instrumental in the team’s defensive turnaround.

Plus, no one wants to be an eye candy for tampering, injuries, and NIL. Moreover, it’s not the only program taking adverse measures for it. We have UCF, who opted out of it, as McElroy mentions, saying, “UCF said they will not hold a traditional spring game this year.” It’s like every single program is in fear of the spring transfer window. And let’s be real, not every team can offer $10 million to their players like Michigan did, right?

But for now, let’s just see if Matt Rhule’s got some good news.

Matt Rhule turning Huskers’ fate

Well, the Huskers’ offseason has been quite a rollercoaster ride, with 31 players being let go. However, it’s worth noting that 23 of them have already found new teams, just as Adam Carriker had predicted. Additionally, another 10 players left voluntarily as Nebraska aimed to trim their roster down to the 105-player limit. This process became quite complicated considering they had nearly 180 players in 2023, which caused issues with their walk-on tradition, especially with the arrival of new recruits and transfers.

But, it’s not the end of the world for them. Matt Rhule is currently reshaping the roster with the addition of 35 new players, including high school recruits and portal picks, in order to create a team that aligns with his vision. According to Sean Callahan, an insider from ‘Huskers Online’, “They had an excellent transfer portal class. I mean, I think as deep of a year as they’ve had, they had as good of a high school recruiting year as they’ve had in a number of years.” Now you can understand why coach Rhule is fearing to host the spring game.

Moreover, the most exciting news is that freshman QB Dylan Raiola will be staying with the Huskers! With the inclusion of offensive tackle Elijah Pritchett and the arrival of key defensive reinforcements, Nebraska has the necessary pieces to make a statement this season. The offseason moves are certainly setting the stage for something significant. And now that they are taking some more key measures, things might get even better in Lincoln!