Before he even touched down in Nebraska, Matt Rhule had known that keeping the best in-state players was a priority. On December 21, 2022, at the Signing Day Press Conference, Matt Rhule discussed the importance of getting in-state recruits. During his press conference, Coach Rhule answered why there was a big focus on in-state players, stating, “I think you always start at home. The key to long-term success is for every fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh-graders in the state of Nebraska to grow up dreaming of playing out here. They have to see other kids just like them, do that. As I went through this process of evaluating this job if I would be a good fit here, I got to know these players. I watched them. I wanted the local kids to stay here and play here at Nebraska.”
So far, Matt Rhule has been true to his word. He and his staff have made it clear that in-state kids are a priority, going as far as visiting nearly, if not all, the high schools in Nebraska. Their hard work has paid off; in every recruiting class, at least one-third of the signees have been in-state talent. In all those classes, Rhule has landed the number-one ranked in-state prospect and has signed at least half of the top ten prospects in Nebraska. Rhule, for all intents and purposes, had built a wall around the state border, rarely letting the best talent leave. But that was before the new roster limits, and looking at the classes of 2026 and beyond, it would appear that someone left all the gates open.
Right now, the top four in-state players in the class of 2026 have already or are predicted to commit to…Iowa State. This should be ringing alarm bells somewhere in Lincoln. I understand you can’t get everyone, especially with the new roster limit, but letting the top four players all leave and go to the same school is not a good look. What’s worrying is that Nebraska hasn’t even sent an offer to any of them. In fact, Nebraska has only offered three players currently in the 2026 in-state class. The low number of in-state offers doesn’t stop there. Currently, Nebraska only has six total offers combined for 2026, 2027, and 2028.
As it stands, Nebraska’s lack of in-state offers for these top prospects could signal a shift in how the program is approaching recruitment, and maybe not in a positive direction. While the roster limits are certainly a factor, the fact that the top four in-state players are trending towards Iowa State, especially with the lack of interest shown by Nebraska, could create long-term issues for the program’s relationship with local high schools. Historically, the Cornhuskers have thrived on in-state talent, and while Matt Rhule’s strategy of late has prioritized a broader national approach, neglecting Nebraska’s own recruits could lead to losing a sense of identity in the state. The challenge moving forward will be for Rhule and his staff to balance national recruiting needs while not letting the state’s best talent slip away. If this trend continues, Nebraska may find itself not just behind regional rivals like Iowa State but also struggling to build the local foundation that has been a cornerstone of the program’s success for decades.