If you walk into the Nebraska football program right now, something feels different—like that eerie calm before a tornado touches down. And no, it ain’t just the wind in Lincoln. It’s something deeper. Matt Rhule ain’t just planning a comeback; he’s cooking one. And the secret sauce? His QB1 Dylan Raiola and a ‘Under The Radar’ move that no one saw coming.

After dragging his team to a shaky 5-7 debut season, folks started whispering. Is Rhule the guy? Can he resurrect a program that’s been dead on arrival for over a decade? Well, just when the vultures started circling, boom—he flipped Dylan Raiola, a five-star golden boy, straight from Georgia. That was the biggest dub of the season for Matt Rhule.

See, the Raiola hype was REAL. Kid walks in with more stars than a Marvel premiere, and expectations so high they could touch Memorial Stadium’s lights. And at first, he kinda delivered. Nebraska popped off to a 3-0 start and flexed on Colorado with a nasty 28–10 dub. They finished 7-6 in the 2024 season, low-key disappointing. At one point, the Huskers were 5-1. Folks started dreaming playoff dreams. But then, it all unraveled like a bad Tinder date. Just one more win in the last 6 games? That ain’t it, chief, especially for all that pre-season hype at Lincoln.

Now, let’s be real—Raiola wasn’t a total bust. He threw for 2,819 yards, 13 tuddies, and yeah, 11 picks. Kinda messy. But for a true freshman tossed into the fire? Not bad. Still, critics had the knives out, saying he was supposed to be college football’s second coming, and instead looked like he was still finding his cleats. But Matt Rhule isn’t fazed. Nah, he doubled down.

Fast forward to this spring. Nebraska ain’t just practicing football. They are making some ‘Under the radar’ moves, too. Here’s where it gets spicy. While fans focused on Raiola and the Husker Games, Rhule had his squad doing Navy SEAL-style training. Nebraska insider, Sam McKewon, took it to X: “This flew under the radar: Nebraska football worked with the Navy SEALs this spring.” Per Emmett Johnson (Running back). That’s next-level. That’s how you turn boys into warriors.

Sam McKewon also tweeted Rhule, saying, “Dylan’s 10 steps ahead of where he was.” Man’s out here mentoring other QBs like he’s the locker room Yoda. Rhule even benched Raiola for the live-action spring game—not ’cause he’s slacking, but ’cause he’s too polished to risk. Raiola and backup Jalyn Gramstad only played in the skills challenge, while the newbs threw in the scrimmage. Big-boy moves.

Matt Rhule on Husker games

Matt Rhule ain’t your granddaddy’s football coach. He broke the whole internet back in February when he killed the traditional spring scrimmage game. Yup, the man just axed it. Instead, he cooked up a custom “Husker Games” format to dodge tampering eyes. Wild? Maybe. Smart? Absolutely. Tuesday marked Nebraska’s 13th spring practice, and Rhule finally pulled the curtain back. With the NCAA still fumbling around with NIL and transfer rules like it’s their first day on the job, Rhule said, “We still don’t know all the rules.” Facts. College football’s a mess right now. But while other programs whine, Rhule adapts.

So how do the Husker Games work? Think of it like spring break meets Hunger Games. Rhule said the “twos and threes” would be the ones lighting it up on Saturday, not his top dogs. He wants about 60 snaps total. “Might be about 15 plays each quarter,” he said. While Dylan Raiola chills like a general watching from the sidelines, the young guns get their shot. It’s genius. Give the vets a break, develop your depth, and keep your playbook safe from nosy rivals.

This whole new format ain’t just smoke and mirrors either. Rhule’s walking the walk. His staff’s been on one. General manager Pat Stewart? That man’s been wheeling and dealing. And Rhule even cracked jokes on how his players react to “Matt” vs “Coach Rhule.” Spoiler: They listen better when it’s Coach talking.

Bottom line? Nebraska’s not just doing spring football. They’re building something. Raiola’s looking like the chosen one again, Johnson is low-key locked in after flirting with the portal, and the vibe’s different. It ain’t loud yet, but it’s coming. Real ones can feel it. Because when you’ve trained with Navy SEALs, you don’t walk back into the Big Ten and play scared. You walk in like you own the damn place. And in 2025? Making it to playoffs is the bare minimum for Matt Rhule and Dylan Raiola.