Isaac Gifford explains how Nebraska's family atmosphere helps avoid high roster turnover

Roster turnover is commonplace in modern college sports. However, that hasn’t necessarily been the case for Nebraska football, which star defensive back Isaac Gifford attributes to the program’s family atmosphere.

While at Big Ten Media Days, Gifford addressed that atmosphere and attributed it to the culture that head coach Matt Rhule has been instilling during his time in Lincoln.

“Coach Rhule, he’s big on family,” Isaac Gifford said. “Making the team a family and not even just the team but the coaches and everybody around us, just bringing everybody together so we’re just like close. We all eat together. We all try to get to know each other. So, that’s a big emphasis for Coach Rhule.”

Matt Rhule took over the Nebraska program in 2023, replacing Scott Frost. It’s his third stop as a college head coach, and he’s earned the reputation of a program builder over the course of his career. That’s what he’s trying to do at Nebraska and it is starting with a strong culture.

For Isaac Gifford, Nebraska has always been a part of how he views college football. A Lincoln, Nebraska native, Gifford was a three-star recruit in the 2020 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking. Now entering his fifth season with the program, he’s seen plenty of change while developing into one of the team’s best defensive players.

Ultimately, Isaac Gifford feels like that atmosphere is exactly what the program needs and what the players want.

“For me, growing up in Nebraska, family is very big to us. So, for Coach Rhule to preach that at Nebraska is big and it fits right in with who we are as Nebraskans and who we are as a state, and I think that’s why we don’t have that high turnover rate that you’re talking about and that’s happening all over college football is that guys like it here. They like the family atmosphere. They can all get on the train of what we want to do.”

In the 2024 transfer cycle, Nebraska only saw 10 players transfer out of the program. That’s a smaller number of outgoing transfers than anyone else in the Big Ten.

“Honestly, listen, I’m always gonna support that person and whatever they do,” Gifford said. “They can make whatever decision they want, but the grass is not always greener and I think you can have all kinds of opportunities at Nebraska.”

Isaac Gifford opens up on what it means to earn Blackshirt at Nebraska

Isaac Gifford is a Blackshirt on that Nebraska defense, which is one of the program’s great traditions. It’s an honor that he recently opened up about.

“It means the world,” Gifford said. “Like I said, growing up in Nebraska, I watched a lot of people come through the University and earn that Blackshirt. And it’s always been a dream of mine, so it means everything to me.”

In 2023 under Matt Rhule the Nebraska defense saw a return to form, with the 13th-ranked scoring defense in the country, giving up just 18.3 points per game.