Matt Rhule details Malachi Coleman's 'bright' future at Nebraska

Matt Rhule’s first signing class since being hired as Nebraska‘s new head coach is headlined by four-star ATH Malachi Coleman, ranked the No 1. prospect in the state of Nebraska according to On3 Consensus. Being categorized as an athlete as a high school prospect leaves some room for flexibility regarding the position one could potentially play at the college level, but Rhule made it clear where he wants Coleman lined up for the Cornhuskers next season.

“I think he’s a wideout, I think Malachi at his size at 6-foot-4, the length that he has, the athleticism that he has, the competitiveness he has, he’s a 10.3 young man. To me I think he has the ability to play all over the field on the offensive side of the ball,” Rhule told 247Sports.

Coleman is a freak athlete out of Lincoln East high school in Nebraska, where he not only played football for the Spartans but also ran track, standing out in the 100-meter, 200-meter, and triple jump events. On the football field he was a two-way standout, playing wide receiver on offense where he recorded 17 catches for 561 yards and 10 touchdowns his junior year as well as 57 tackles, 7.5 sacks, and four forced fumbles as an edge player on defense.

The two-way prowess of Coleman is most definitely impressive, and likely tempting for Rhule and other members of his coaching staff to tap in to. But Rhule has not fully ruled out the possibility of Coleman potentially switching positions, a transition he’s successfully made with other players in the past.

“And I don’t think that precludes him, I’ve had a lot of success over the years moving guys around, taking guys from offense to defense, taking guys like Haason Reddick from safety eventually to d-end, watching them go make a ton of money,” Rhule said.

Coleman could likely help the Cornhuskers on either side of the ball, but wide receiver may be where he’s needed most. Nebraska’s top receiver Trey Palmer declared of the 2023 NFL Draft following the end of the regular season and his production will surely be missed next season. Palmer ranked third in the Big Ten in receiving yards with 1,043 and contributed to over half of Nebraska’s receiving touchdowns this season with nine.

“So the future’s bright for Malachi, but the biggest thing for me is I see him coming in and helping us right off the bat on the offensive side of the ball competing to be one of our elite receivers,” Rhule said.