Matt Rhule has done a phenomenal job of keeping the majority of the Nebraska football roster in tact ahead of his second year as the head coach in Lincoln. However, the Cornhuskers are not immune to the ongoing issues in collegiate athletics with the transfer portal and player retention.
He claims that tampering is rampant.
Of course, this should not come as a surprise. College football coaches have been up in arms about tampering since the transfer portal first came to exist in 2018. It has only become an even bigger problem with the integration of Name, Image and Likeness into the equation.
Players at one school are getting illegal calls or texts from staffers or boosters at another school with an offer to transfer for more money. Sometimes they go. Sometimes they take a pay cut to stay. Other times, their current program’s NIL collective can match the offer from the other program.
Rhule has done everything he can to keep his team together despite all of the tampering. He met with each one of his players individually after the conclusion of spring practice and saw first-hand just how bad things have become in that realm.
I’ve had so many guys already come and talk to me, like I said, you can kind of tell there’s a lot of tampering happening in college football. Guys showing me their phones, showing me this, so if a player is urgent, trying to make a decision about going in the portal then they’ll sign up early for their meeting with me. Most of the team’s probably pretty set, they’ll sign up maybe later in the week with me or maybe next week.
— Matt Rhule
One particular thing on which Rhule puts emphasis is loyalty.
I think the biggest thing that I’d say is wanting them to always understand everyone’s going to have your back, everyone’s going to tell you what you want to hear when things are going well. When you’re one of the top players and they’re trying to get you in the portal. When you’re Demetrious Bell or Blye Hill (two players who suffered significant injuries) and you’re laying in there and you have tears running down your face and you don’t know what’s going to happen to you, who has your back then?
— Matt Rhule
The new era of college football requires coaches to adapt and adjust. However, the most important piece of the puzzle remains the same. Rhule tries to build a bond so strong with his players that they don’t want to leave.
I just gotta coach them all like they’re my younger brother, I don’t like to say sons because that’s a weird dynamic. I coach them all like they’re my younger brother, hard on them probably like your older brother is, give them advice, try to listen to them, help them through this. I mean sometimes they offer you so much money you gotta leave. Coaches complain about it, my assistant coaches do the same thing to me. “Hey coach, I got this offer to go there.” So I just want them all to be successful, it’s a sad state I’ll just say that. It’s a sad state but it is what it is.
— Matt Rhule
With one week left in spring practice, not one single player had entered the transfer portal. The Huskers had approximately 100 guys who were/are worthy of a scholarship and only 85 scholarships. None of them left. That is a testament to what Rhule is building.
A few Nebraska players have since hopped in the portal in large part due to the lack of scholarships available in Lincoln. There are some who might be after more money elsewhere.
And then there is former four-star tight end Thomas Fidone. He is constantly hit up by other schools who want him to transfer, but he is not going anywhere. The tampering efforts are not working.
Every team in the country is trying to get him to leave and go there. The kid is a Nebraska Cornhusker through and through.
— Matt Rhule
To hear Matt Rhule’s perspective on the transfer portal and what it takes to keep players with their team is a great look at the current state of college football. There are a lot of issues that need to be fixed, but those issues aren’t as detrimental if you have a plan on how to approach them!