Rhule Talks Transfer Portal, NFL Draft

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule met with the media following the Huskers’ spring practice on Tuesday. He discussed the transfer portal and how he’s handling it.

“I’m going to still coach the guys as if it’s 10 years ago in terms of, I’m going to meet with every player after the spring to talk about what they need to do to become a great player. I put up a picture of Cam Jurgens the other day for the guys. I did a photo display and the first picture was him in spandex at a Coach Frost or Go Big Red camp, and they didn’t even fit. Then it was him while he was here, then him at pro day, the transition. Did 16-year-old Cam Jurgens know that someday, he would sign an extension for $69 million? I don’t know. But he stayed in the process. My job, when I meet with the guys after spring ball, is always to tell them ‘this is what I think you need to do.’ I’m accessible 24/7. I’m happy to talk to guys. I don’t talk to guys about money. I don’t talk to guys about money. I don’t think that’s good business. I think my conversations with guys should be about football. Pat (Stewart) and Sean (Padden) are here to talk about the financial piece when there’s a financial component. There’s a reason I have an agent. If there’s something in my contract, I don’t want to start having those conversations. I’m not adept at that. Guys can come talk to us anytime. Guys have come in to me and some guys have asked ‘where do you think I fit? Where am I at in the 105?’ I’ve been honest with everyone. I’ve told them I’m here for them at any point this week. I have two rules. I don’t want to talk about any other players. I didn’t get into college football to be in this business of paying different people. It is what it is and I’m happy they’re getting stuff, but it is hard. He’s getting one amount and you’re getting another. That can be very hard for guys. I’m not here to talk badly about another player on the team and I’m not here to spend a lot of time talking about money. I’m here to talk about football. Pat and those guys will talk about the money. We won’t talk about other guys. It’s on a person-by-person basis. If a guy wants to talk to me, if a guy is thinking about going into the portal. Early on, the first time through the portal, I probably didn’t understand exactly how to do it. Now, I’m like, come talk to me if you have any questions. I’ll tell you where I see you guys at. I’ve had players come in and say to me ‘coach, I’ve got three head coaches calling my mom, telling her I should go here. What should I do?’ I’m not saying they are, but kids feel all kinds of pressure and I just do my best to tell them ‘I know how it feels, here’s where I see you.’ It’s kind of fluid.”

He spoke on the NFL draft and how he puts players in position to go to the league.

“I think it’s very important to say that most of those guys were brought here by Scott Frost and his staff and his strength staff and all those people that were here. I think that’s very, very important to say. Ty Robinson, Nash Hutmacher, Isaac Gifford, those (Thomas) Fidone, those guys were brought here under that staff. I know the impact Coach (Sean) Beckton had on Thomas and the relationship that they had. I think that’s important to say. We took an approach when we got here with everyone that was here – there was no ‘you’re old guys and new guys.’ You’re our guys. We tried to take that approach. We tried to develop. Corey (Campbell) and those guys downstairs do a really nice job. I think the thing that we’re trying to get done, is we really, really want our players, when they go to the NFL, to be pros. As I tell them, when you’re in year one, I want you to be in year three mentally, if that makes sense. The guys are trying to figure out how to take notes and learn all of this information. We’ve put them in an environment where year one is actually year three and they’re further ahead. Ty Robinson spoke to the team. He went to the Senior Bowl, and day one, he was third-team. Day two, he was first-team. He knows how to practice. He knows how to take care of his body. He knows how to take notes and those things. I’m going to be really, really excited. I love that group of guys. I love the first group that was here. They took a chance on me and our staff and they stayed.”

He talked about Thomas Fidone and his journey. 

“Fidone – my wife and two daughters love Thomas Fidone,” he said. “There’s always been a connection there between them. Thomas has a dog, Rambo, and we have a dog, Nala. Our dog tore her ACL and I had to get her to the doctor and I was going out of town, and he was driving to our house. He was like ‘I’ll take the dog to Omaha for you.’ That seems like a little thing, but usually once they’re done playing for you, they’re done playing for you for a couple years and they come back around. There’s no one more loyal than Fidone. I’m excited for him. He’s going to get drafted, I think. I’ve gotten more calls on him. He’s an unbelievably freaky athlete. He took probably the toughest shot to the knee – I saw the practice rep and almost threw up. No disrespect to the kid who did it, I’ve just never seen anything like it. Sometimes, you see vitriol on Twitter for that kid. Why, because he was a five-star and you wanted a little more? That’s tough. I think he’s an amazing, amazing young man. I encouraged him to go to the NFL. I remember my call with Matt Nagy at the Senior Bowl. I said ‘I think if you can get him in at the Senior Bowl, we’re going to tell him to go pro.’ He was like ‘why?’ I just didn’t want to see him have another knee thing. He had two of the toughest injuries and he’s fought back and he’s carried it on his shoulders and he’s so loyal. He plays hard and his best football is ahead of him. I’m excited for him.”

The Husker Games, presented by FNBO, are set for Saturday, April 26. Fans will have the opportunity to get a preview of the 2025 Husker football, volleyball and soccer teams as part of the Husker Games events.