Matt Rhule shares how NFL stint helped him with transfer portal, NIL

Matt Rhule had enough success building up college programs that the NFL came calling. Carolina hoped Rhule would be able to turn around their franchise, only for things to flame out rather quickly. The Panthers won just 11 of 38 games coached by Rhule.

The door for Rhule opened back up to the college game by Nebraska, hiring him as their head coach this offseason. But things look a little different these days compared to when Rhule was at Baylor.

It’s almost a mini-NFL with how the NCAA transfer portal and NIL are working. Players are free to move at least one time and can cash out some serious dollars while doing so.

Some coaches might still be adjusting to the ever-changing college football but Rhule feels “comfortable” with it all. If the sport is really becoming a smaller version of the NFL then Rhule has been in the big leagues before. He understands the entire process and knows players will be ready to work.

“I think being in the NFL really helped me,” Rhule said during a Wednesday appearance on The Herd. “You go through this free agency period. What I learned was — let everyone go handle their business, handle their money, and when they come back, they’re kind of signed up.

“I don’t think there is anything wrong with investing in young people. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with guys having some money to fly their parents to a game. Obviously, people are all different levels of the spectrum but I’m pretty comfortable with it.”

Rhule proved his comfort with the portal pretty quickly. Nebraska has brought in 14 new transfers and at a few key positions. None more so than the quarterback position with Jeff Sims. He is expected to be under center for the Huskers this season.

As for how NIL will be handled when attempting to recruit, Rhule wants to be “straight-forward” with people. Both coming out of high school and when attracting out of the portal, Nebraska is going to shoot it straight with players.

“We just try to deal with it honestly, straight-forward,” Rhule said. “Most young people, they respect that.”

Business can be done similarly in the NFL — an advantage Rhule has over most of his fellow Big Ten head coaches. Jim Harbaugh is the only other former NFL headman in the conference. He may even still want to be there instead of college.

The experience, especially since it’s recent, will help Rhule navigate today’s college football.