Matt Rhule has a rule. He always makes a trip to Indianapolis to support his players for the combine. In 2024, the NFL Scouting Combine invited no Nebraska players, so Matt Rhule was spared a trip. That changed in 2025 when four of his players went to the Combine, and Rhule praised them, boosting their draft stock. This year, Cornhuskers’ RB Emmett Johnson and DB DeShon Singleton were invited and went through the Combine process. The Nebraska head coach consequently took feedback about his players from scouts and NFL reps.

“The feedback I have gotten on Emmett is just how well he has interviewed (with teams),” Matt Rhule said. “The feedback I’ve gotten on Deshon is how he interviewed (with teams) at the Senior Bowl was really good.”

Johnson finished his college career after rushing for 2,460 yards in total. His 2025 performances were especially notable as he racked up 1,451 rushing yards and also had 370 receiving yards. Going into the NFL Combine, Johnson ran the 40-yard dash in just 4.56 seconds and did the 10-yard split in 1.59 seconds. Apart from that, the 5’11” and 200 lb RB recorded a 35.5-inch vertical jump. He followed it up with a 10-foot broad jump before finishing his three-cone drill in 7.32 seconds.

Coming off an illustrious collegiate career, Johnson is confident in his draft stock. The Minneapolis, Minnesota, native met with the Vikings on Friday and later compared his skills to some NFL greats like LaDainian Tomlinson and Christian McCaffery.

“Hey, man, it would mean a lot. I grew up in the inner city. I lived about 10-15 minutes from U.S. Bank Stadium. I had a great formal meeting with them and (Kevin) O’Connell. I would love to go back home.”

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As for Singleton, he didn’t do the 40-yard dash, but he still did the vertical jump, recording 39.5 inches. Thereafter, his broad jump stood at 10 inches as he followed that up with a three-cone drill. The 6’3″ and 210 lb DB is also a Cornhuskers’ homegrown talent and has totaled 163 tackles in his time in Lincoln. In the 2025 season, Singleton’s performances were especially notable as he notched 70 yards and two interceptions.

The Greensburg, Louisiana, native is impressing scouts with his performances and his ability in confined spaces. His vision is top-notch, and he quickly matches up the tight ends in given assignments. Though some issues, like closing bursts and his pursuit angles, are still there in DeShon’s game. In all, analysts predict Singleton is the 65th DB in the country, and projections predict him to go undrafted. Can his Combine performances change that? As for Johnson, he is the 4th-best RB in the country, and mock drafts predict him going in the second round.

Rhule has done his part. But interestingly, he wasn’t there only to support his players. This trip was as much of a business trip as it was for two of his own.

Matt Rhule opens up on new agendas at the NFL Combine

The NIL and revenue-sharing landscape has transformed amateur high school players into de facto pro players, represented by agents. Last year, the Cornhuskers had a 21st-ranked recruiting class, highlighted by its acquisitions of Dawson Meritt, Cortezz Mills, and Malcolm Simpson. But even after enrolling, players’ movement doesn’t end, as they always have the opportunity to transfer.

According to Rhule, this year’s Combine has turned more into a business trip. “I probably spoke with 30 agents Thursday night and Friday because they represent high school players now,” Rhule said. “Pat Stewart (Nebraska GM) went. Keith Williams went. Logan Holgorsen went. You probably could argue we could have been up there for three days, just with the amount of guys who represent pro and college players, and able to get a lot of meetings with those guys, not just for this year but years moving forward.”

With so much going on and high school prospects like Jackson Cantwell, Jared Curtis, and Lamar Brown receiving 6- and 7-figure deals, the involvement of agents becomes imperative. ” It used to be just the player and his family, and now it is the player and his rep. A lot of them have seen the facilities, how great Lincoln and Omaha is and then carry that over to former players.” Rhule said.

According to ESPN, around 67% of surveyed athletes agreed to giving agents a percentage of their earnings. Moreover, a quarter of the coaches said they were approached by agents. But within this growing market, sometimes agents financially exploit young players. As per ESPN, 70% of the coaches agreed to that and said agents don’t always represent players’ best interests. But since that’s the way it works now, coaches like Matt Rhule have accepted it and are navigating accordingly.

“Talking to agents who rep players about creative ways people are doing things, best practices, is one of the many good things. A lot of these agents have been on campus, whether on a portal visit or in the summer,” Rhule said.

Despite talking up agents, supporting his two players at the NFL Scouting Combine was still his paramount concern.