It’s spring portal season—and like clockwork, the madness has arrived. You know the drill: players jumping ship, chasing starting spots, avoiding the bench like it’s contagious, and of course—NIL money flying around like it’s tax refund week. But there’s one name that’s got Matt Rhule and Mario Cristobal throwing hands (figuratively): a redshirt freshman who cooked the FCS for over 1,180 yards and dipped into the portal like he owned it. Now, it’s down to a two-horse race. And yeah, one coach low-key just tapped out.
Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule is officially folding his hand on one of the most electric backs in the transfer portal—CharMar Brown. Despite locking in a campus visit, hosting a steakhouse dinner with the entire Husker hierarchy, and building a real connection, Rhule isn’t matching the money Miami’s throwing on the table. Meanwhile, Mario Cristobal is out here dealing straight cash, pushing hard to lock up the North Dakota State superstar before the weekend hits.
The numbers don’t lie—Brown’s not some hype train without wheels. This man torched FCS defenses in 2024, posting 1,181 rushing yards on 244 carries, averaging just under 5 a pop, and hitting pay-dirt 15 times. CharMar Brown had four 100-yard games, scored in 11 of 14 matchups, and sealed a national title for the Bison with 77 yards and a score in the chip against Montana State. CharMar Brown’s the real deal, and now he’s on the move.
On April 28th, Nebraska insider Wilson Dittman lit up his podcast mic and didn’t hold back. “This is CharMar Brown. We can expect a commitment from him very, very soon. He’s wrapped up all of his visits that he was gonna take…..It is down to Nebraska and the Miami Hurricanes,” he said, sounding both hopeful and resigned. Then came the stinger….
“The thing that’s going in Miami’s favor is the money. They are offering more money to CharMar Brown than what Nebraska is offering. Nebraska has a budget they’re not willing to go over.”
That budget wall? Yeah, it’s brick. Rhule might’ve gone all-in with relationships, but Cristobal went all-in with commas. And in today’s portal circus, sometimes the commas talk louder than dinners with ADs. Brown’s camp knows it. Miami knows it. And Nebraska? They know it too. Let’s keep it real—CharMar Brown didn’t come from cushy suburbia with NIL money as a luxury bonus. Like many in the portal, that bag matters. And while Nebraska brought the emotional pitch and personal vibes—dinner with Rhule’s wife, the AD, even Dana Holgorsen—Miami brought the checkbook. Mario Cristobal might’ve fumbled transfers before (ask Ajay Allen how that went), but he isn’t fumbling the business side.
“But what Miami doesn’t have in this recruitment is the relationships. Nebraska has built those relationships,” Dittman added. “I think he’s gonna get more touches at Nebraska too. Miami has a better running back room, and they’ve screwed over transfers.” That’s a straight warning shot. Still, for Brown, the NIL now might feel heavier than the what-ifs later. When you come from the mud, six figures right now can sound louder than NFL millions later.
Rhule, for his part, isn’t budging. The man’s drawing a line in the sand with Nebraska’s NIL limits—and this isn’t the first time he’s said something like this. If you’re chasing dollars over development, he might not be your guy. That’s admirable. It’s also risky. Because in 2025, this game isn’t just Xs and Os anymore—it’s contracts and commas.
Mario Cristobal’s gamble: Fool me once, fool me twice?
There’s a reason half the Power Five tried dialing Brown the second he hit the portal. The Jerry Rice Award winner didn’t just show out—he dominated. He led all FCS freshmen in rushing yards, carries, and touchdowns. That isn’t just production; that’s reliability. Coaches love that. NFL scouts? They eat that up.
At 5’11” and 214 pounds, Brown isn’t just a volume back. He’s built for the next level. And yeah, he’s still raw in pass pro and not a polished route guy, but you don’t find dudes with that blend of toughness and vision in every portal cycle. This is one of those rare portal names that could actually start for an FBS program tomorrow and change the run game overnight. It makes this all the wilder—Rhule let him walk over dollars.
Mario Cristobal’s got receipts. And not the good kind. Remember Ajay Allen? Sam Dittman cooked here: “You know, Chamar Brown should look over Ajay Allen’s career. Ajay Allen was a former Nebraska running back, transferred to Miami thinking he was gonna have a big role—and he got screwed over by Mario Cristobal. And he ended up transferring out. And that was one of the most talented running backs to ever come out of Lincoln. He was so talented.” The former Nebraska back dipped to Miami, thinking it was sunshine and touches. Instead? Nada. Transfers in that backfield have gotten buried. So yeah, CharMar’s taking a risk if he picks the Canes. But the check’s real, and sometimes that risk feels worth it.
This is Cristobal’s chance to prove he isn’t just collecting shiny toys. Brown could actually be the bell cow Miami’s been missing. But he’s got to make sure he doesn’t do him like he did Allen, or the locker room will notice fast. Look, we aren’t blaming the kid. NIL is life-changing money, and when you drop 1,100+ yards as a redshirt freshman, you’ve earned that conversation.
Nebraska made it personal. Miami made it business. And in this new era of college football, those two lanes barely cross. Matt Rhule is sticking to his playbook. No cap. But as portal seasons heat up and more CharMar’s enter the chat, he might have to decide how far his principles stretch when the market doesn’t play fair.
The post Matt Rhule Refuses to Match Miami’s NIL Move for 1181-YD RB Target as Mario Cristobal Makes Aggressive Push for Elite Transfer appeared first on EssentiallySports.
