The Matt Rhule era at Nebraska was built on a very specific promise: the “process.” When Rhule arrived in Lincoln, fans weren’t just buying into a new playbook or a flashy recruiting class, they were buying into his reputation as a master builder. At Temple and Baylor, he became a coaching darling because he took overlooked, three star recruits and turned them into NFL Sunday starters. He was the guy who could find a raw athlete, coach them up, and produce a high level contributor.
But as we head into the 2026 season, that reputation is facing its toughest test yet. For a coach known for developing talent, the results at Nebraska have been surprisingly thin.
When you look at the roster from the last couple of seasons, the success stories are few and far between. You have Emmett Johnson, who has truly blossomed into a legitimate weapon in the backfield. He is the poster child for what the Rhule process is supposed to look like—a guy who put in the work and became a star. But outside of Emmett, where are the others?
The frustration for Husker fans reached a boiling point when they saw what happened with Nate Boerkircher , the tight end who was at Nebraska before heading to Texas A&M. He went from a player who couldn’t seem to find his footing in Lincoln to a second round NFL Draft pick. Seeing a guy leave your program and immediately look like a pro ready talent elsewhere is a tough pill to swallow. It raises the uncomfortable question, why was that talent being maximized in College Station but not in Lincoln?
This brings us to 2026, a year that feels like a massive crossroads for this coaching staff. The “he needs more time” excuse is starting to wear thin because the roster is now full of “his” guys.
This is the season where the development has to show up on the field, or the narrative around Rhule will officially shift from “master rebuilder” to “underachiever.”
All eyes are on the young core that is supposed to lead this program back to relevance. We need to see Carter Nelson live up to the massive hype as a versatile playmaker. We need to see Jacory Barney and Willis McGahee IV take that next step from promising underclassmen to consistent Big Ten threats. Likewise, guys like Dawson Merritt have to prove that the staff can develop elite LB talent.
This year is a big one. It isn’t just about the win loss column, it is about proving that the Matt Rhule who built Baylor and Temple still exists. If these young stars don’t show significant growth, it will be hard to keep preaching about a process that isn’t producing. For Matt Rhule and Nebraska, the time for “potential” is over. It is time for results.