Greg McElroy shares why he 'loves' Matt Rhule at Nebraska

With many fresh faces heading into year one with new teams, former Alabama quarterback and current college football analyst Greg McElroy broke down which head coaches he believes are the most likely to succeed.

One of those coaches was new Nebraska head man Matt Rhule, who McElroy thinks can capitalize on a situation that’s not as tumultuous as it seems.

“I also love Matt Rhule’s situation at Nebraska,” McElroy said. “Now I liked Nebraska going into last year, I did not see it going sideways the way it did. I thought they’d be far more competitive, it did not materialize.”

Nebraska had a disappointing 4-8 finish last season, which was actually an improvement after two straight three-win seasons. But between Rhule’s moves this offseason and a clear vision of how he wants to build up the program, there’s a lot to be optimistic about in Lincoln.

“I think Matt Rhule has already won over the faithful, I think his quarterback, more on him in a minute, has a chance to be a significant difference-maker. And I also think that’s the type of guy you just would never bet against, Matt Rhule is a star and would expect him to do impressive things,” McElroy said.

The quarterback being referred to is Georgia Tech transfer Jeff Sims, a dangerous dual-threat quarterback that joins 13 other incoming transfers that Rhule brought in this offseason that could have an immediate impact.

In his first offseason as head coach, he’s already brought in the No. 5 ranked recruiting class for 2023 in the Big Ten according to On3’s Industry Ranking, their highest ranking since the 2020 offseason. And his early impact as a recruiter paired with his track record at the college level could be a sign that he could turn things around sooner than later for the Cornhuskers.

“I know, look, when he got to Baylor it was a dumpster fire and it took some time but they got there. You look at Nebraska, it wasn’t a dumpster fire, two years ago they were actually highly competitive. They didn’t win enough games, but they were highly competitive and played hard, and maybe Matt Rhule is the missing link to get them over the top,” McElroy said. “I certainly hope they are, it’d be great to have Nebraska back in the national conversation.”

Temple had a two-win season in year one under Rhule, and Baylor, a one-win season in his first year. But both teams eventually achieved double-digit win seasons and conference championship appearances under his leadership.

An eventual turnaround seems inevitable given Rhule’s history, and it will definitely be interesting to see how early he can start that momentum for the Cornhuskers.