Matt Rhule is planning for a breakout in his third year in Nebraska. He’s making a blueprint to revive a shredded program. Remember his year 3 at Temple and Baylor? He revived both the teams and upgraded them to a conference championship contender level. His second year at Nebraska vouches for the same. The Huskers took a significant step forward last year when they dodged their bowl drought after seven long years. They will begin the season on August 30 against the Cincinnati Bearcats in a neutral-site game and this time, they are not going to settle for the less. Rhule said it is the time to go into powerhouse mode, raising their bar high. His ace in the hole? Two freshman additions on the defense.
Nebraska possesses a history of excellence and class, producing a lot of banger matches over the years. So, they have all the elements to get where they strive to be, but it’s just that they need a little harder push in that direction with a stupendous roster to back them. Rhule knows how the dominant recruiting ballgame can turn the page of a program in just a year. This time, he’s leaving no stone unturned and has already swooped in two gems on the defensive front, defensive lineman Malcolm Simpson and linebacker Dawson Merritt.
Dawson Merritt is probably the most ballyhooed member of Nebraska’s 2025 recruiting class, and for a reason. He showcased unfathomable improvement and progress during his junior year and eventually turned out as a force to be reckoned with for Stilwell Blue Valley. From playing hoops as a kid to choosing football back in 2021 and grabbing 20 plus scholarship offers from the blueblood schools in a five-month span last year is what we call an overwhelming journey. He shrugged off Iowa State, Kansas State, Ole Miss, Alabama, and Nebraska and other powerhouses to come to Nebraska, filling a key position of need in the 2025 cycle. Another defensive lineman, Malcolm Simpson from Hitchcock, joined the ranks back in December. Now, it’s time for them to show up and unleash the real force. ON3’s Codie Bellaire said, ”Defensive lineman Malcolm Simpson and top 150 linebacker, Dawson Merritt, these two guys are physically ready to go with Malcolm Simpson standing in at 6ft 3′ 260 pounds with an 80 inch wingspan and Dawson Merritt coming in at 6’3 220 pounds also possessing an 80-inch wingspan I mean these guys look like absolute creature walking into that building.”
Both of them bring out tremendous talent on defense. Simpson looks like a solid threat to the opposing backfields, as he can slip easily by would-be blockers through his minute movements. He can burst off the line of scrimmage and can dazzle you with some, throwing some impressive dunks when he switches into that hardcore mode from the pretty, eye-soothing athleticism. Now, it’s just a matter of time before we see some pure magic from both the freshman DLs.
But if you don’t have a crown jewel at the QB front, you can still lose it all. Rhule knows it the best. This is the reason he was aggressively trying to keep QB Dylan Raiola around for another season, and he succeeded?
Matt Rhule has high yet realistic hopes for Dylan Raiola
Dylan Raiola, the leading quarterback of the Huskers, threw for 2,819 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions during the year. He led the program to their first bowl game appearance since 2016, with a 5-1 start, and won the Big Ten Freshman of the Week award back in September. But despite the shiny record, the QB had his fair share of struggles in his first year with the Huskers.
Year two will be crucial, getting out of the newbie cocoon and garnering more scrutiny for his game. But with the addition of Dana Holgorsen as offensive coordinator and transfer wide receivers Nyziah Hunter and Dane Key, the stage seems to be set to see Raiola take that next step as a quarterback. But Coach Rhule is even looking beyond the immediate future. He’s aiming to set the kid up for the pro but at the same time, wants to get him accustomed to the harsh reality.
“I love the kid, and he came here; his parents trusted him to come here, not because of my offensive philosophy; I’m not renowned for that. It’s the other part. I do not want him showing up someday as the first pick and going to some team in New York or some team in LA and, all of a sudden, for the first time in his life, he’ll experience adversity,” said Rhule.
But apart from some bad throws, Rhule is preparing him for the best – both mentally, psychologically, and physically. “When he doesn’t do something right, he’s hearing about it from me. And if he misses a nutrition appointment, and he wants to show up to throw, I’m like, ‘No, you’re not allowed to throw today,” the Nebraska head coach explained the father-like bond between him and Raiola.
So, having all that said and done, it won’t be wrong to assume Raiola gets a high ceiling heading into an impact year under coach Rhule.
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