Matt Rhule stresses importance of satellite camps for recruiting

Recruiting is the foundation of how a college roster is built. Because of that, there is a lot of competition in recruiting and it ends up taking tons of time and effort to do properly. As new Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule explained, one thing that helps in this process is using satellite camps.

Rhule broke down why these camps were so important while he was at one in Texas this offseason.

“Well, you know, obviously the University of Nebraska and a lot of guys on our staff have some recognition here in the state,” Matt Rhule said. “This is a priority for us, recruiting-wise.”

Rhule emphasized that satellite camps give coaches a chance to go out and build relationships in states like Texas where it’s important for the Cornhuskers to recruit. By making their presence felt there, the Nebraska coaching staff can build its recruiting base for the future.

“So, I want to make sure that we have a presence here, whether it’s visiting with high school coaches or seeing these student-athletes, whether they’re the guys we’re gonna recruit this year, they’re younger guys, you know, I just think it’s about making sure that we stay relevant here and our brand is known.”

Nebraska’s recruiting class for the 2024 cycle is currently ranked 25th in the On3 Industry Ranking Football Team Recruiting Rankings. However, at this point in the cycle, there is still plenty of time for those rankings to change.

For Matt Rhule, satellite camps are just a small portion of the recruiting plan going forward. That’s especially true for what is going to be a busy month of June.

“Really the June 23rd through the 25th weekend is the primary one. The June 16th weekend could still be one. I think where a lot of people made their mistakes is they’re running their camps at the same time they’re having official visits and then the coaches aren’t even at the camps. I’ve seen that a lot of places,” Rhule said.

“So, we want to really have a focus on camp, not just for this class but for the 26s. You know, like I’m looking at 24s right now and I don’t how fast they run. I have to try to get them to camp. Well, I should know that already or I should have had them in the year before, the year before. So, really our camps are — we’re gonna go down to Texas for camps. We’re gonna do them here.”

Matt Rhule is confident in his plan at Nebraska

It’s been a long time since Nebraska has been a threat in the Big Ten. Now, with Matt Rhule taking over as head coach, expectations are high and he’s confident in his long-term plan for the Cornhuskers.

“My history has been we never win the first year. I do feel like, I’ve told the seniors this, there’s such a good group of seniors that really want to win. So we’re trying to win, right? I’ve never not tried them and it’s just more like, well, the seniors weren’t really bought in and didn’t do what I was asking at Baylor, then I’m just gonna play the young guys,” Rhule said.

“These guys love Nebraska and they want to win so badly. They have a chance to be the team that got back to a bowl game. So we’re gonna chase that … And even a guy like Jeff Sims you know he’s, he’s potentially a two-year player so I think we made the most of that. The big thing for me was just bringing in guys who I thought were really competitive. So there’d be a competitive toughness within the organization that matches some of the guys that are there.”