Matt Rhule stresses importance of Grant Brix to Nebraska’s offensive line future
One of the integral pieces of the Class of 2024 for Matt Rhule and the Nebraska Cornhuskers is offensive lineman Grant Brix.
The Logan (Iowa) Logan-Magnolia native Brix is the No. 3 IOL, according to the On3 Industry Rankings, the No. 96 player in the nation overall, and the No. 1 player in Iowa in the Class of 2024. He’s headed to Lincoln, where a myriad of fantastic offensive lineman have made their names known.
Speaking on Brix’s potential, Rhule joined On3’s Andy Staples on The Andy Staples Show, where he elaborated on how he’ll cultivate him into a stud lineman.
“I think for Grant, this was all about relationships and player development,” Rhule stated, regarding Brix’s choice to come to Nebraska. “He had some great opportunities to go to a lot of different schools. I think we’re special in what we do offensive line wise. You mentioned, who does it better than (Iowa head coach) Kirk Ferentz, right? Not many. But you know, you have a lot of schools recruiting guys to come and run two or three different schemes. Be a zone team. Be a no-huddle team. That’s great, and I have no issues with that. But we want guys that want to come and be NFL players. We want them to understand that if you play for our program … if you play for Matt Rhule, you’ll understand when you get to the next level, five-man protections, six-man protections. You’ll have run inside zone, outside zone. You’ll have put your hand in the dirt. You’ll have trained. I mean, this is an offensive line-generating place.
“So that’s hopefully one of our differences, and I think for a guy like Grant, big, powerful, he wanted to be a part of that. He wanted to be a part of the huddle and break the line and one play run outside zone, the next play run-power. Next play be in outside protection. Really develop. That was key for us. I mean, we won’t win if you don’t win up front.”
Obviously, Rhule is a big fan of Brix, but the offensive lineman reciprocates that feeling, and it’s partly what landed him with the Cornhuskers.
“He knows how to lead, he is a great coach and he is going to turn Nebraska around,” Brix told On3, when he chose Nebraska. “He is a guy I want to follow and play for.
“As soon as he got the job, I was one of his first stops when he got on the road. It didn’t really impact my decision, but he made me a priority and that did mean something.”
Nebraska and Matt Rhule will need players like Grant Brix if they’re to recapture their past glory. He’s headed to Lincoln, and the Cornhuskers faithful couldn’t be happier.