Matt Rhule and Huskers staff have gone back to the drawing board, and are coming guns a-blazing into the 2025 season. They were thrown off the rails last year, despite having okay odds. Rhule is now locked in on exploiting the full potential of his roster, which has a lot of difference-makers. “We’re comin’,” OL Ar’maj Adams told the press during the Big Ten Media Days. With the way things are going at Lincoln, it looks Matt Rhule’s 3 year will finally be the one.

The Big Ten’s preseason poll is out. And Nebraska has an okay standing. Voters have ranked the Huskers the No. 8 program in the poll. But there’s a very good chance of us seeing them somewhere further up as the season progresses. This is Rhule’s third year, after all. During his Baylor and Temple stints, year 3 is when success came to those programs. Nebraska’s locker room has some great talent, which can help that trend continue at Lincoln as well. Along with Dylan Raiola, players like Dane Key, Jacory Barney, Emmett Johnson, and more make this team one that can go the extra mile.

Rhule gave a sneak peek into the state of the Huskers’ locker room in a July 22 sit-down with Husker Radio Network. He started off with how Dane Key’s transfer is going to make an instant impact. “Dane Key did such a great job of coming in as a guy with production in the SEC… you bring like, the youth and exuberance of like Jacory and those guys, and you bring the experience of Dane,” he said. Key, who comes in with a production of 126 catches for 1,870 yards, is going to be the most impactful transfer for Nebraska.

“I think we have unbelievably explosive players and guys that haven’t even hit the field yet. Kwinten Ives, Mekhi Nelson, Isaiah Mozee, you know, moving around from wide receiver, not kind of going over running back. I just think we have a lot of difference makers. They’re all gonna have to fight to get on the field,” Rhule added. He has had success at the freshman level, i.e., with Dylan Raiola. These guys, too, stand a chance of making a name for themselves in the roster this season.

Matt Rhule was also just as fired up about his defense. Now, last year, that unit gave up some major plays. This year, he is confident of getting over that hump. “Our defensive line is gonna be hell on wheels,” the HC said. “We have Andrew Marshall, and we have Ceyair Wright, and we have Amare Sanders and Blye Hill, and Jeremiah Charles. We got corners that can match up and play man, we got Javin Wright, who’s a cheat code. He can match all the best tight ends in this league…  I like [John] Butler. He’s an aggressive guy and he’s not gonna settle for bad defense,” he added.

The 2025 Nebraska squad doesn’t lack potential. But it lacks proof. That’s why the Huskers remain a mystery until the season begins, where we see Dylan Raiola 2.0 take the stage, along with these new units.

Matt Rhule confident about Dylan Raiola’s development

Nebraska’s talking point before last season began was Dylan Raiola. He is one of the program’s highest-rated recruits, and there was a lot to be excited about. And he started well, bringing Nebraska back to the limelight. However, midway through the season, he hit a snag and suffered a losing streak. The up-and-down nature of his debut season did not quite match the hype around him. Raiola struggled in running and became prone to making negative plays.

But Matt Rhule is confident that Raiola is going to be better in 2025. “He’s done a great job with his body, knowledge of the offense, his command of the roster and team…He now embraces when he is frustrated, when things aren’t going well, and he puts it on himself to fix,” the HC told the press during the Big Ten Media Days. We can already see the change in Raiola’s physique, courtesy of relentless training. When it comes to going over his faults, even that seems to be checked off the list. “I know fans will love this, but running. I’m going to be excited to run a lot more this year,” the QB said.

A better Dylan Raiola is always going to mean good things for Nebraska. But Matt Rhule has to ensure his roster executes the necessary strategy to make his third year his first success in Nebraska.