If Matt Rhule had thought that he experienced his share of woes last season, he has already received a wake-up call. The Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach was lucky to have a ‘Patrick Mahomesque’ weapon, his quarterback Dylan Raiola. The young chap frightened the rivals, carrying off a Patrick Mahomes’ doppelganger look. Sadly, all this was limited to the physical looks as he fell flat on the gridiron. Then, as Rhule stepped into the 2025 season, he got served up with fresh recruiting blows. Something that made it hard to handle. Can you imagine FOUR LOSSES IN ONE DAY? So, Rhule might have gotten the trailer on how his 2025 season is going to roll. However, here comes a big update that is going to uplift his mood. If that’s not enough, he already has a $2.55 million weapon to count on. 

Holding the head coaching seat in Nebraska is no joke. Rhule is carrying the burden of a storied program. After all, they won back-to-back Natty crowns in 1970 and 1971. They made a comeback in the 90’s with Natty victories in 1994, 1995, and 1997. The pressure gets 100x more for Rhule as there has been a drought since the 2000s. So, moving into this season, here comes the biggest obstacle for the Cornhuskers. If Nebarska is to win six games, they must ensure winning ALL SIX OF THEM. There is no room for compromise and distractions, there. So, they can’t afford to take any games lightly, be it Illinois, Northwestern, or Minnesota. Amidst all this pressure, if Rhule is looking for some motivational juice to sip on, he got lucky. 

Wilson Dittman, on his namesake podcast, dropped a big update. He brought up USA Today’s ‘The Best Coaches in Big 10’ list. In that list, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day is at No.1. However, according to Dittman, “If Ryan Day was a coach at Nebraska or if he was a coach at Iowa, he would not have as much success.” The list then goes like – No. 2 James Franklin, No. 3 Kirk Ferentz, No.4 Dan Lanning, then Rhule at No.5. This came off as a big surprise to Dittman. So much so, he went like. “Okay, wow! They gave us respect. I was not expecting that, I was expecting us to be potentially 10, I’m not going to lie to you… I’m shocked! A lot of beat reporters around the country don’t respect Matt Rhule, probably as much as they should.” 

Then came Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti, who is below Rhule at No.6. Dittman did not hesitate while not favoring the Huskers’ head coach in this case. He said, “I’m not going to lie to you, I think Curt Cignetti’s above Matt Rhule. I don’t even think it’s a question because Curt Cignetti turned around Indiana in one year. Indiana’s the worst power for football program of all time. Turned him around one year, took him to the college playoff, and they destroyed Nebraska and Matt Rhule.” Well, the Huskers fans must be remembering the Indiana vs Nebraska face-off for the longest time. After all, Cignetti’s boys crushed Raiola and co. in a 56-7 heroic feat. Then what’s the current ranking according to Dittman? 

“I’m just going to tell you what I think, Ryan Day #1, Dan Landing #2, James Franklin #3, #4 Bret Bielema, #5 Curt Cignett, #6 Kirk Ferentz, #7 Sherrone Moore. Probably #8 Matt Rhule.” Right now, Rhule’s confidence might be hitting the turbo mode. Is it because of a player or a new coach?

Someone special ushers in sustainability in Matt Rhule’s squad

No. The Huskers fam has now welcomed a new member. That’s none other than their General Manager, Pat Stewart. He received a three-year, $2.55 million contract from Nebraska to oversee the acquisition, retention, and finance aspects of the Huskers’ roster. We all know how NIL is now stirring the pot in college football. On the May 11 episode of his podcast, Dittman shared some inside scoop. He stated, “Nebraska right now, they boast a top 20 NIL collective… probably even top 10. But what Pat Stewart’s done so far, and this is a good thing, is he’s made Nebraska’s NIL sustainable.” 

Talking about the amount, Rhule’s program is not doing anything special. Big powerhouses like Ohio State, Texas Longhorns have funding of millions of dollars. However, they might be missing out on the “sustainable” factor that makes their collective’s wheels fall off in the long run. So, what is the model that Stewart is following? He has allocated approximately $4 million on quarterbacks, $4 million on O-line, $2 million on wide receivers, and a $500,000 cap on running backs.

Having a systematic approach will help Matt Rhule’s program not to overspend in areas that do not have a high return rate. So, Wilson Dittman noted, “We’re treating this like cap space. We’re not going crazy with money just ‘cause we have it.” Plus, Pat Stewart brings his NFL experience to the mix, having already pulled strings for the New England Patriots and having walked through Eagles and Panthers war rooms. 2025 could be Rhule’s redemption tour—if he plays his cards right.