You’ll sometimes hear a coach talk about a player and say something like, “His superpower is his speed – intelligence for the game – mental toughness.” That’s understandable, everybody brings something special if they’re playing in one of the power-four conferences. At least one quality if not more has got them to the highest level.
So, as a Husker football fan, what excites you most about the upcoming 2025 season? What is the one thing that you can’t wait to see because you think it’s going to be the driving force in Matt Rhule’s team having success in year three. What is Nebraska’s superpower? It can be anything, a player, a unit, a coach, anything.
I’ll say this, while each player may have his own superpower, football is a team sport, and true success comes from playing as a team. A bunch of talented players playing as individuals are more apt to lose than win. And when talking team, don’t just think players. That includes coaches.
I’ve said this time after time, and you might say I’m full of horse donuts, but a great coach can take a group of mediocre players and win with them. And a mediocre coach can take a group of super talented players and lose with them. In saying that, Nebraska has neither mediocre players or coaches. But I wouldn’t go so far as to say they have top tier players or coaches either. Matt Rhule’s year three team is a work in progress and still unproven.
But if you had to answer my initial question, how would you answer? I’ve already given myself away. For me Nebraska’s superpower is their coaching staff. Yes, Nebraska’s player talent level is better in year three. But it will be this staff that makes a difference.
I know the players must play the games and make plays, but it’s the coaches who create the scheme and put players in the best position to win, prepare them mentally, make them believers, and motivate them to play at the highest level.
With Nebraska that all starts with head coach Matt Rhule. He’s the right guy, a CEO who takes charge and manages people. I agree with Damon Benning when he says, head coaches coach coordinators, coordinators coach assistant coaches, assistant coaches coach players, and players coach one another. That’s what’s happening right now at Nebraska.
I don’t care what anybody says, and I don’t mean this as a slap in the face to Tony White, Marcus Satterfield, and Ed Foley …. Well maybe Foley. But Nebraska has far and away improved their coordinator positions. Am I going out on a limb by saying that? Holgorsen hasn’t called a game in the B1G yet where it was truly his offense. John Butler’s only experience as the DC at Nebraska is the Pinstripe Bowl, and Mike Ekeler has yet to coach a game as Nebraska’s STC.
But when talking about those three guys, just their pedigree and experience alone tells you all three are an improvement. Holgorsen has been an OC and a head coach at numerous power five schools over multiple years. But let’s be truthful he is far better known for his OC skills than his head coaching prowess. John Butler has years of experience at the college level and in the NFL, he’s seen it all. Ekeler was a madman as a special teams player, has been a position coach at multiple schools and has piled up special team’s stats that make Nebraska’s numbers over the last dozen years look like something from junior high. I anticipate the offense, defense, and special teams to all take a giant leap forward in 2025.
Part of that will be due to the assistants being coached up by the coordinators and working towards the same goals. Holgorsen is working with O-line coach Donavan Raiola, TE coach Marcus Satterfield and RB coach EJ Barthels, getting them all on the same page and creating a cohesiveness so they function as one. WR coach Daikiel Shorts is already in step with Holgorsen and has hit the ground running. Holgorsen has assistants coaching their players so that they know the offense and where they need to be on every play and why. There is a method and a purpose to Holgorsen’s offense, it isn’t something squirrely with play calling that doesn’t coincide with the next play being called.
The same can be said for John Butler and his crew. It felt like under Tony White there was a disconnect between the front six and the back five. The defense didn’t play like a true unit. That’s about to change under Butler. Look for Butler to be much more aggressive than White ever was. He’ll have D-line coach Terry Bradden and edge coach Phil Simpson setting their players up to get maximum pressure. This group may not have the experience of the guys leaving, but they are more physically gifted to perform at the level Butler envisions. Secondary coach Addison Willimas will have his DB’s blanketing players and contesting catches. They’ll get hands on the ball. This staff will have the D-Line and the secondary playing in sync and feeding off one another. You’ll see constant pressure without blitzing and DB’s who cover tight. Meanwhile Ron Dvoracek’s LB’s will create their own havoc, defending the run and dropping into the secondary when needed. And don’t be surprised if you see some creative blitzes from this group. They too have the talent to show up out of nowhere.
Now, you can use the word aggressive when talking Blackshirts, but their aggressiveness will pale in comparison to what Mike Ekeler brings to the special teams. These Husker units will take on a whole new way of thinking. The Husker special teams will go from a mentality of just don’t screw up, to dominate the play. Be a unit that creates turnovers, scores touchdowns, and difference makers. They will search and destroy. Ekler brings a enthusiasm lever to special teams that Husker fans haven’t seen in years. I anticipate what Ekler brings to the table good for at least two wins this season. And his enthusiasm will be contagious throughout the team. The plays Ekler’s units make will fire up the offense and defense, they’ll feed off special teams.
Now, when talking staff, don’t forget names like Phil Snow, Glenn Thomas, Ron Brown, Nick Humphrey, Brett Maher, Andrew Verboys, Corey Campbell, Kristen Coggin, and Mitch Cholewinski just to name a few. They are all top notch and championship caliber.
As excited as I am to see this year’s players on the field, as you can tell, I’m even more excited as to what this staff can bring in the upcoming season. They may be new and unproven, but they are going to be the difference makers. They are Nebraska’s 2025 superpower.
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