Kirk Herbstreit has great confidence in Matt Rhule’s ability to turn around Nebraska

The Nebraska football program has really struggled in recent years as the Cornhuskers haven’t had a winning season since 2016. ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit expects that to change under new head coach Matt Rhule.

Herbstreit spoke with On3’s JD PicKell at the On3 NIL Elite Series in Nashville on Wednesday.

Needless to say, he feels good about the future of Nebraska football.

“Well, you’re talking to a massive Matt Rhule fan. I am a big believer in him and the culture that he creates,” Herbstreit said. “I’ll be more surprised if he can’t do it than if he can.”

Rhule was hired by Nebraska after struggling in 2.5 seasons as the head coach of the Carolina Panthers. However, prior to that, he excelled as a college head coach.

Herbstreit believes Nebraska and Rhule have everything they need to win and win big.

“They have resources. They have history and tradition,” Herbstreit said. “Now people say, ‘In 2023, they’re in Lincoln, Nebraska, who wants to go and play there?’ But if you have the right coach, who can create that energy, then I think you can bring recruits in.”

As Herbstreit alluded to, he believes Rhule will recruit well throughout the country.

“I think he’ll recruit Texas. I think he’ll get into Southern California. I think he’ll even try to get into Florida and New Jersey, going back to the Tom Osborne glory days,” Herbstreit said. “I’m not saying ‘this year, here they come.’ But you’re going to start seeing some signs of Nebraska starting to kind of be like, hmmmm. And I think he’s going to recruit.”

Prior to coaching in the NFL, Rhule was very successful at Temple and Baylor. He led Temple to-back-to-back 10-win seasons, before taking over at Baylor and helping the Bears have an 11-win year in 2019. That season included a berth in the Big 12 championship game and the Sugar Bowl.

“He did it at Baylor. When he went to Baylor, I don’t think anybody thought that Baylor would be able to win any games. And he got them competing for Big 12 championships,” Herbstreit said. “So the guy will do it. Knows how to coach, knows how to recruit. He’s coming. I just don’t know when it’s going to be.”

Nebraska will open the 2023 season on Aug. 31 against Minnesota, which will mark Rhule’s first game with the Cornhuskers. The following week, Nebraska heads to Colorado to face Deion Sanders‘ club.