Matt Rhule explains the importance of building leadership in the summer for Nebraska

Nebraska coach Matt Rhule knows that it’s the bonds that are built throughout the spring and summer that lead to success in the fall. As he prepares to enter his second season in charge of the Cornhuskers, he hopes to see players naturally fill those roles.

With additional time away from classes and the grind of the season, players have a better opportunity to get to know each other. Rhule is challenging his group to take on the challenge of becoming a “self-led team” that creates its own identity during that time.

“The summertime is where we really develop the leadership that you need as a team,” the coach said. “There’s not a ton of school going on. It’s the time they spend together. It’s the weekends they spend together. Coaches will be there in June. We have our camps, we have recruiting weekends. We’ll do a lot of stuff with the guys. But then we kind of hit a point late in June where I try to get the coaches away.

“My goal has always been when we start camp for the players to be excited to see the coaches. That’s where the team will decide if they want to be a self-led team. If they wanna set standards for each other and be accountable or not. I would bet on this team doing that. To me, the summer becomes a very, very important piece of what you do in the fall because of the bonds that are built.”

Nebraska is coming off of a 5-7 finish in Rhule’s inaugural season and have not had a winning record since 2016. However, five of their seven losses in 2023 came by a touchdown or less, which gives hope that they are right to the precipice of a breakthrough.

The Cornhuskers were one of the better defenses in the country this past season to rank No. 13 in the FBS in points allowed per game. However, where they often cost themselves games was with their poor offensive play, averaging only 18.0 points per game.

The addition of five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola has many hopeful the offense will turn around and this year’s squad can finally compete for a bowl game or even beyond. If that ends up being the case, it will be because of where it started in the summer and the leaders that are built out of it.

Nebraska is set to kick off the 2024 season on Aug. 31 against UTEP.