Matt Rhule reveals approach to recruiting defensive talent

Mending a defense that finished ranked 101st nationally in 2022 in total defense and 79th in scoring defense is one of the main tasks for new Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule. And as always, it starts and stops with getting the players needed to make it happen.

Rhule hired defensive coordinator Tony White away from the same job at Syracuse, where White had deployed the 3-3-5 with strong results. And while that might be the foundation of what the Cornhuskers end up doing, Rhule isn’t set that they’re going to be a 3-3-5 team and thus the goal is to just get better players.

“And I’ve always had this belief that I’m not one of those guys who says ‘I need three of these, four of these.’ People ask me all the time, ‘How many more do we have?'” Rhule said about filling out various positions on the depth chart. “I mean, guys are going to come, they’re going to change their position. And we love to change guys’ positions if it’s going to help them play in the NFL. So I just try to take the best players. And obviously, you need a minimum of certain things. I’m not saying that, but I’m not beholden to that. I like to think creatively and Evan Cooper and our staff makes me think creatively and so we try to take the best players possible.

“In terms of the defense, I’m not sitting here saying we’re going to run the 3-3-5 defense. I’m not saying we’re going to run this defense. What I loved about Tony is he’s creative.”

To the end of filling up the roster, of the 2023 recruits Nebraska currently has signed, seven of the Top 10 rated players are on the defensive side of the ball. The top recruit in the class, athlete Malachi Coleman — a Top 100 player nationally — could probably play on either side of the ball depending on what the coaching staff prefers and needs.

And with talent needing restocking across the board, Rhule and his staff were really just looking to load up on as many good defensive players as possible, though they did have one trait in mind.

“So we’re not going to bring in ‘Hey this is our defense and you guys have to fit it.’ We’re going to get the best players possible,’ Rhule said. “We felt like we needed speed on defense. And that’s what we tried to recruit.”