From Arch Manning’s $6.8 million NIL value to Nico Iamaleava’s $8 million NIL deal. No college football program right now is expecting to do things without NIL in the picture. And those like Clemson, who have lagged in the NIL world? Might be relics in the future! But while all of this is true, NIL has also created an ecosystem where major colleges will continue to undermine colleges with fewer resources. “NIL has created a pay-to-play system where only the richest programs thrive,” said Paul Finebaum. But Paul Finebaum isn’t the only one speaking against NIL; Trae Taylor, the Nebraska commit, has also joined the tide.

Taylor is a five-star QB commit for Nebraska and made his commitment to the Cornhuskers back in January. Some people might think that Matt Rhule’s strategy was just about offering the biggest NIL money and hoping for the best, but that’s not the case at all. The truth is that Rhule’s coaching staff worked really hard to build relationships from the ground up and were super patient in their approach to landing Taylor.

Glenn Thomas, the Cornhuskers’ Co-offensive coordinator, played a pivotal role and made regular visits to the 2027 prodigy. Taylor even described the relationship dynamic. “Coach Rhule and Coach Thomas, they’ve all been very genuine, and I feel like they can get me better both on and off the field… I really believe that they can get me to the next level, which is the NFL, where I want to be,” said Taylor to 247 Sports. Now, having gone through the whole process, Taylor has advice for coaches around the country and programs flashing those NIL pockets.

Tim Verghese, the Cornhuskers’ recruiting reporter, posted a message on X cautioning prospects not to follow the NIL trail and instead focus on building relationships. “Blanket statements that reduce recruiting in this day and age to strictly NIL do such a disservice to the programs and the recruits, the relationships that are built and the effort that goes into recruiting,” wrote Verghese. Trae Taylor took note of the message and agreed with Verghese’s take, providing his own opinion on the matter.

“Facts because if there is no relationship on both sides, neither side is even talking about money. And 90% of the recruits feel this way,” replied Taylor to Verghese’s post. As for Nebraska, its focus on relationship building and approaching NIL with pragmatism is commendable.

For instance, during Taylor’s visits to Lincoln, the Cornhuskers not only showed him their vision. But also paired him up with none other than Dylan Raiola, whom Taylor admires. So, the time the duo spent together practicing directly translated to Taylor’s lean towards Nebraska. Moreover, the relationship that Matt Rhule made with Taylor is translating to off-the-field recruiting exploits, too.

Just recently, on June 4th, four-star wide receiver Larry Miles made an impromptu visit to Lincoln and spent 20+ hours in the town. Not only did he visit the campus, but he also had breakfast with Trae Taylor, who is his 7-on-7 teammate. Tim Verghese posted about the visit on his X account and raised concern about the huge distance between Miles’ hometown in Florida and Lincoln, which can, in turn, make the guy homesick. Trae Taylor, however, wasn’t convinced and alleviated the concerns with a simple reply. As for Matt Rhule, he is probably basking in the $165 million newly acquired investment.

Matt Rhule gets a $165 million investment package

While Matt Rhule is majorly focusing on building relationships, he still knows that having money on your side will help in the future. Also, his 2025 season will be pivotal, and he will decide if he can stay for the long term at Nebraska or not. The head coach, while preparing for that, is building a $165 million investment, which could change the fortunes of the program.

Nebraska football has recently renovated its Hawks Championship Center, which was revealed on June 6th. People are naturally excited about the place. But more than that is the $165 million promise it brings. “And the battle at Boneyard, to him, they wanted to get guys to Lincoln, Nebraska, really to show off the facilities. After we spent all of Friday there, getting the tour of that football building, a 165 million dollar complex, I would get back to my hotel room and kind of looked up to that Tom Osborne complex, there’s not much out there in the media about these things,” said analyst Andrew Irivin on the June 11th episode of the 247 Sports Podcast.

The complex spans 315,000 square feet and features several state-of-the-art facilities that cater to their football team.  The facility was named after the legendary Tom Osborne, and like the legendary figure he is, the complex is also quite legendary. For context, it has recovery stations, swimming pools, and training tables. The weight room is world-class, and the upgrade will surely give a major boost to the program.