Matt Rhule raves over Jahmal Banks, connection with Dylan Raiola in Pinstripe Bowl

The Nebraska Cornhuskers were led to a bowl win for the first time since 2015 by head coach Matt Rhule in his second season with the program. However, Rhule knows that without the play of wide receiver Jahmal Banks they just as easily could have lost the Pinstripe Bowl.

Following the game, Rhule praised Banks for his play in the Pinstripe Bowl. In particular, he highlighted the connection that he has with quarterback Dylan Raiola.

“Yeah, you know, Boston College came out and played a lot of man, a lot of pressure,” Matt Rhule said. “And we did a nice job picking those pressures up. And then you need guys to win one-on-one, and Jahmal was able to win several of those plays. Had another one that got called back for the hands to the face on us or whatever it was.”

Jahmal Banks came to Nebraska as a transfer from Wake Forest last January. That gave him one season to get comfortable on the team alongside Dylan Raiola as the star freshman transitioned into college.

In the Pinstripe Bowl, Banks made four receptions for 79 yards. That yardage total ended up leading everyone on the Cornhuskers in receiving yards. That came in a game he could have opted out of to prepare for the next level but he chose to play and help the Cornhuskers get to their destination this season.

“But Jahmal is another one of those guys, man, he’s out there every day at practice. He’s a leader. He’s made that room better,” Rhule said. “If you’re in that room with him, you can’t say you don’t know what it looks like because he’s made that room better. He does everything right. It was a big catch for him. He played really well, won on a slant versus man, won on a go ball versus man, made a great one-handed catch. That got us going. Appreciate him very much.”

Jahmal Banks finished the season at Nebraska with 44 receptions for 587 yards and three touchdowns. In a season where Dylan Raiola underwent some growing pains, he was first in receiving yards and second in receptions on the team.

Matt Rhule evaluates Dylan Raiola’s freshman season

In Dylan Raiola’s first season at Nebraska, he led the Cornhuskers to a bowl win. However, as Matt Rhule is aware, there were some downs to go with the ups, even though the promising side of Raiola is going to be the focus.

“Yeah, I mean, I think he’s had a great first year. Playing quarterback as a freshman in the Big Ten is not easy,” Rhule said.

“One of the things I told Dylan was, ‘Hey, you can go some places where the team at the present moment is significantly better than all the teams around them, and then you’re going to have to maybe once a year or twice a year make a throw to win a game, and then you’re going to get drafted by probably the worst team in the NFL, and they’re going to say, hey, put every game on your back.”