The whispers started the moment Penn State fired James Franklin. Would Matt Rhule, the Nebraska head coach and Penn State alum, make the jump back to his alma mater? It’s not exactly a mystery why Matt Rhule’s name shot to the top of every coaching candidate list. He walked on as a linebacker under Joe Paterno and has openly admitted he “probably had a Penn State shirt on when I was born.” Moreover, his close friendship with Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft gives all the more reason for a Hollywood homecoming story. But according to Nebraska legend Will Compton, that film won’t be released anytime soon.​

Compton, the former Husker linebacker, has developed a close relationship with Matt Rhule through their “House Rhules” podcast. And he delivered a monologue when asked about his former program’s head coach potentially leaving Lincoln. “My confidence level, 1 to 10, about Coach Rhule staying, I think it’s a 10,” Compton said on the Up & Adams show on October 14, though he acknowledged the obvious pull of Penn State. “I think what Coach Rhule and I have built over the last three years is a very promising future for Nebraska,” he explained. He then dived into the real heart of the matter. 

Penn State might be “a pretty girl with a lot of nostalgic, emotional ties,” but Nebraska offers something potentially more valuable for a coach like Matt Rhule.​​ Here’s where Compton’s argument gets interesting. “I think if you’re a head coach in college football, you want a few different things,” Compton said. “You want, you know, a place where you feel like your family can be and thrive. He has that in Nebraska. You want a place where you have all the resources in the world, with facilities, ability to recruit. He has that.”

But then Compton touched on the modern college football reality that could be the dealbreaker: “And now in the NIL world, the money world, if you want to compete for national titles, this is where it’s more of outside of coach Rhule and more of the donors and the money that’s there.” So basically, Penn State’s deeper pockets in the NIL era might be the only real advantage they hold over Nebraska.​

And that gets to the real reason Rhule might actually stay put. He’s a program builder, not a quick-fix hire. At Temple, he went 2-10 his first year before eventually leading the Owls to 10-win seasons. At Baylor, he inherited a program in shambles and methodically rebuilt it into a Big 12 contender. Now at Nebraska, he’s 17-14 in three seasons with the Huskers currently 5-1 and ranked No. 25, their first ranking in years. 

Penn State, on the other hand, would expect immediate results, not a multi-year rebuild. Penn State is looking for someone who could instantly bring a positive turn to the results. It wants someone to win Big Ten titles and make College Football Playoff runs right now. Matt Rhule is a coach who thrives on building culture, developing players, and establishing long-term success. Nebraska might actually be the better fit, even if his heart has always belonged to Penn State.​

Meanwhile, if Will Compton’s confidence level about Matt Rhule staying at Nebraska was a perfect 10, Dylan Raiola just cranked the dial up to 11.

Nebraska’s star quarterback shuts down the noise 

The Nebraska quarterback didn’t dance around when reporters asked him about Rhule potentially bolting for Penn State. He came out swinging with four words that pretty much ended the conversation: “He ain’t going nowhere.”

Raiola even posted a picture on social media of himself and Rhule with the caption “Nebraska head ball coach” and a lock emoji, just in case anyone missed the message. It’s the unwavering loyalty you’d expect from a five-star quarterback who’s been starting since his freshman year under Rhule. And it echoes what Compton said about the foundation they’ve been building in Lincoln over the past three years.​

Raiola didn’t just stop at blind optimism. He actually made some legitimate points about why Rhule isn’t going anywhere, and it circles back to what really matters: family. “Even if he wanted to, he couldn’t,” Raiola said, pointing out that Rhule’s wife Julie loves Nebraska and has her business established there. “It doesn’t really matter what he says; his wife loves it here,” the quarterback added, essentially saying that Julie Rhule holds the final vote on where the family lives. 

Raiola also dismissed the entire saga around the Penn State speculation, saying it doesn’t faze Rhule at all: “It’s just people stirring stuff up and making things bigger than it is. He’s as locked in as ever on this football game to get this win.” For Raiola, this whole thing is just noise, and Rhule’s laser focus on preparing for Minnesota proves it.​