Strong recruiting month is just the tip of the iceburg for Nebraska, Matt Rhule

On3’s JD PicKell is sky-high on Matt Rhule era Nebraska. Before Rhule has even coached a single football game, the new head of the Cornhusker program is already inspiring hope for what he’s building towards in Lincoln.

The reason for that hope is the building blocks Rhule already has in place when it comes to recruiting. He’s hit the ground running with the ‘Huskers and got off to a speedy start in the 2024 class, already nabbing 22 recruits, including five four-star prospects, per the On3 Industry Rankings.

In the video here, PicKell explains that the early success with the ’24 class is only a sign of more positive developments to come for Nebraska football. He also goes in depth on why it is that Rhule is able to have such success on the recruiting trail even after a hiatus from college football. So take a look at what PicKell said or read his comments in full below the clip.

JD PicKell fired up for recruiting success of Matt Rhule

“Let’s go back to Nebraska. Matt Rhule has been on a tear. Last I checked they have 12 commitments in the month of June alone. And here’s the exciting thing for Nebraska fans: yes, you’re getting better personnel; yes, you’re getting some of the players you’re excited about from the high school level to join you in Lincoln, Nebraska.

“But to be real with you, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Like Matt Rhule’s Secret Sauce is development and evaluation. Development is how he has made his bed. Everything he does within that team is to prepare those guys to go and be pros. I was within his team for a couple of minutes when I was at Baylor and I’ll just say this: everything he’s doing is to give these guys a chance at the NFL.

“Perfect example: a lot of the starters on this football team at Nebraska, you’re going to see them running on kickoff, you’re gonna see them running down on punt. They say… well, that’s kind of weird, why is our starting running back the L2 on our kickoff team? That doesn’t make any sense. Because, whenever that running back gets to the NFL, they’re going to be asked to play special teams.

“So Matt Rhule was saying ‘I want to develop you and prepare you to go achieve your dreams that next level.’ In doing that, he’s making his team better. And also, I promise you, recruits see the guys that get to the league from Matt Rhule. Teams tell you, this doesn’t hurt. In fact, it’s the opposite. It bolsters then tremendously in the recruiting trail. You’re seeing what they’re doing right now and this is exciting. But again, just the tip of the iceberg.”