Matt Rhule gives blunt response to Nebraska's lack of depth at RB: 'Some people paid more money than I had'

Nebraska has a clear lead back with RB Emmett Johnson having almost double the carries as the rest of their rushers combined. However, in addressing the depth at that position, Matt Rhule made an overall point when it comes to having that.

Rhule was asked about his running back room during his press conference on Monday. He called it like he saw it in saying other programs paid more than he had to offer, with him noting anyone who has issue with that can donate to their program as they see fit.

“I think there’s a lot of things to that, right. Like, there’s money. Some people paid more money than I had,” said Rhule. “So, that’s the reality of it.

“I just, you know – and, I say that, like, you can probably hear a little tone in me because, like, there’s about three people who can say that question to me because they’ve given me money to go get players. When people say to me like, ‘I’m worried about the D-line’. Do you know how much a D-lineman costs nowadays, to go get him in the portal? Alright, 1890 is right there. Write a check and then you can talk to me about what you think we should do.”

That wasn’t to say that Rhule doesn’t appreciate the money he did have and the players he was able to retain and add with those funds as far as in NIL. He does think they have several players on the roster, in this case at running back, who can contribute. That’s just the cases based on where he thinks they are as far as name, image, and likeness now in Lincoln.

“I love our backs, though,” added Rhule.

“I say that respectfully towards our players. Like, we’re going to have to spend a lot of money to keep this roster together. We have a good roster. We have a good team. I think Mekhi Nelson is a starting running back in college football. I think Isaiah Mozee is going to be dynamic. He’s just young and we’re trying to figure him out. I think Kwinten Ives is a big, physical back. But, the whole, like, for me? I want our players to hear, like – I’m not going to start talking about I wish I had done this differently because that belittles our own guys. But there is a component to this of, you know, this was the first year, like, this is the first roster, this is the first year where we’re at where everyone else is at.”

This goes two ways for a team like Nebraska. The Cornhuskers lost two of their top-four rushers to the portal this past offseason in Dante Dowdell (Kentucky) and Gabe Ervin Jr. (Kansas State). Then, in replacing them, the ‘Huskers didn’t add any transfer backs, as they’re instead relying on homegrown names in the program with Ives, Nelson, and Mozee along with Kenneth Williams, Conor Booth, and Izaac Dickey all being underclassmen.

Rhule is grateful for the resources that his program does have, as they’re in a place now in his tenure that is among the best of the rest in college football. But, to have the kind of depth that some may think they should, he knows it takes even more money than that with the kind of spending going on at the top end of the sport.

“I think you can see how we recruit. People want to come to Nebraska. Recruits want to come to Nebraska. But, you know, we just have to have what everyone else has, and we finally do,” said Rhule. “Troy has worked his tail off. The Pete Family has worked their tail off. And rev-share now. We have maybe not what ten other teams have, but we have about what everyone else has.

“And so, yeah, I don’t want to start playing – I mean, respectfully out there, I don’t want to start playing the roster game because it takes a lot of money. There’s $40 million rosters in college football right now – four, zero. So, I’m just saying.”