Matt Rhule believes Daniel Kaelin has ‘it,’ predicts NFL future

Talent is common in college football. The “it” factor is not. On Saturday, Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule made a bold claim about freshman quarterback Daniel Kaelin.

“He’s got it,” Rhule said. “He’s got the ‘it’ factor. I’ve said it before. I’ll say it again. There’ll be a day when you’ll look up, I bet you those two freshmen (Kaelin and Dylan Raiola) are both playing in the National Football League. They’re both pro players.

“When the Big Ten Network came here, they said it’s as strong a quarterback room as they’ve seen — all three guys. You have two freshmen that, to me, the sky’s the limit. I think with Danny, though, he has it. He has swagger. He has juice. He gets up and sings in front of the team. And, pretty soon, he’s got the entire team. He sings a capella. He’s got the whole team singing with him. He’s just one of those guys.”

Kaelin can do more than sing. The Nebraska native played high school football at Bellevue West High School, where he was a three-star prospect and the No. 50 QB in the 2024 recruiting cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking.

In his senior year, Kaelin completed 187-of-319 passes for 2,225 yards and 17 touchdowns, against only six interceptions. He also rushed for 169 yards and two touchdowns, boosting the Thunderbirds to a 7-4 record and a trip to the state semifinals. Kaelin was an honorable-mention all-state pick and second-team All-Metro selection by the Omaha World-Herald.

Kaelin committed to Nebraska in May 2023, seven months before five-star freshman QB Dylan Raiola flipped his commitment from Georgia to the Cornhuskers. Although Raiola has soaked up most of the attention during the offseason, Kaelin has quietly been putting together solid showings at practice.

Daniel Kaelin making offseason strides

Daniel Kaelin reportedly put on 20 pounds since stepping on campus and has improved his arm power while maintaining his silky-smooth mechanics. Rhule can’t wait to see what the future holds for the promising, young talent.

“You see it when he does interviews,” Rhule said. “He lights up the room and lights everything up. The thing is that sometimes everyone will want to look at Dylan and Danny’s journeys linked, but they’re not. They’re each on their own journey.

“The thing with Danny is he’s got great perception. He can see things. He can anticipate things. He’s got accuracy. He’s got great feet. He’s dynamic with his feet. As his body matures, and as he gets bigger and stronger, and his arm grows along with that, his brain works so fast that he’ll be a lot of fun. I think the sky’s the limit for Danny.”