Matt Rhule reveals Nebraska is still after recruits for 2026 class: 'People are calling our guys'

With three weeks until National Signing Day, Nebraska has work to do to lock down its commitments for 2026, while also turning some of their attention to what’s ahead for 2027. However, as we know, the Cornhuskers also have to focus on retaining what they can of their current roster with this season almost over.

Asked about his recruiting plans for this week during his press conference on Monday, Matt Rhule said the ‘Huskers will be looking at both of their next two classes. Travel might be an issue as part of it, but he plans to be on the recruiting trail this week during this final bye that they have in Lincoln.

“Yeah, both (’26 and ’27). You know, they limited the amount of days you can have, so we don’t have very many days left. I think we have like six days left. And, to your point, there is nothing in December anymore. Now it’s in January, so it kind of changes everything,” said Rhule. “So, yeah, we’re still working on ’26s.

“So, my plan is to head out on the road. Now, I’m still, we’re still waiting to see all the FAA stuff – can you fly here, can you land. There’s some challenges to that that we’re waiting to see, because, you know, obviously, some of the airports most affected are in some areas that we recruit pretty heavily. But, yeah, I plan on going out on the road. I think (we) are going to go out and continue to try to build off of, you know, what’s happening right now.”

Still, part of that roster construction involves the NCAA Transfer Portal, with the lone window now for it set to open on January 2nd. And, with that, Rhule said phones are already ringing in the Cornhuskers’ locker room.

“You know, the portal has been moved back to January, but, you know, we all know that people are calling our guys, you know,” noted Rhule. “So, like, you know, we kind of have to also – you have too look at your roster, you have to start looking at who you think is going to be in the portal. And then, ’26s and ’27s both.

“They’re all getting called. If you’re a good player, you’re getting called. Just is. Just the way football is now. It’s way more surreptitious than (a direct message). It’s way more – you know, just think about it. They call the whatever coach, you know. I mean, just, it is what it is. My coaches get upset about it. I’m like, what do you think you guys do to me, you know? And then, what, I mean, I just signed a contract extension, right, because of someone else. I mean, it is just what it is, right.”

That said, Rhule thinks Nebraska is in as good a position to be able to retain its players as ever before. That’s with a focus and buy-in to what they’re doing from the top down as far as university leadership into the athletic department, and the results of that are what the Cornhuskers can sell their players on to come back.

“All I’ll say is, my point is that I always want our players to see, like, hey, if you stick around here, you’re going to play your best football here. You’re going to get developed here, unlike anything else. And, we can take care of our guys,” said Rhule. “Now, people want to get taken care of sometimes before they produce, you know what I mean, and so that’s the hard part. You know, you have to pay a high school recruit to come in, all that, and you have to pay a certain amount and all those things…But, that’s the message.

“You know, what Troy has done here? He’s put the place on overdrive, and that’s why, look at all the other sports, you know. I mean, how are we this good in all these other sports? It’s the nutrition. It’s the facilities. It’s the coaches. It’s the investment in coaches. The University of Nebraska’s athletics is beyond elite. And, you know, we have alignment here from the top down that not many places have. I talk to a lot of my coaching friends. They would kill for the situation we have, between our board, to our president, and our chancellor, and our AD, and the assistant coaches here. I mean, I said it when I signed the contract extension. I think, probably – trust me, you’re going to see more coaches leave good jobs for other jobs because they’re chasing what we have here: resources and alignment.”

In the end, also, that sort of thing in the portal, as well as coaching searches elsewhere, can be evidence of what they’re doing right at Nebraska. The Cornhuskers want to keep their staff and their roster intact, but calls into any of their coaches or players, including Rhule even just last month, means they must be doing their jobs right.

“I want to have really good players, and I want players who other people are calling them, and I want players who want to be here because it’s one of the best places in the country. And, you know, I want people to be calling my assistant coaches saying, hey, why don’t you come here? You know, I mean, it just means you have good people, right. It’s a good problem to have,” said Rhule. “I hope, next year, you guys are asking me about, hey, we heard your name for this job. Means I did a good job. So, it’s just part of it. But, this is an amazing place and people should want to be here like we want to be here.”