The 3-2-1: Rhule's scheduling strategy, recruiting insights and Raiola's rise as a leader

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule addressed the canceled Tennessee series, emphasized a high school-focused recruiting strategy, and praised quarterback Dylan Raiola’s work ethic.

Here’s more in this week’s 3-2-1 for all the latest insights, key questions, and one bold prediction.

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THREE THINGS WE LEARNED THIS WEEK

1 – Matt Rhule was fully behind the decision not to play the Tennessee non-conference series

In an era where Big Ten teams play nine conference games and the SEC plays eight, Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule made it pretty clear this week he had no issues with the NU series vs. Tennessee being canceled.

Rhule was a guest on the Triple Option Podcast with Urban Meyer and Rob Stone on Wednesday and made his first public comments about the series’ cancellation.

“Why would you ever play one of those games?” Rhule said. “If we’re being completely honest, coach Meyer, I’m at a lucky point in life where in my fourth job and after getting fired in the NFL, I kind of say what I feel nowadays, I could care less.

“Why in the world would a Big Ten team who’s already playing nine conference games, why would you ever play one of those games?”

The series was initially set for 2016-17 but pushed to 2026-27 to give Tennessee schedule relief during those seasons since they played eight SEC league games and had a game with Virginia Tech set for Bristol Motor Speedway.

Husker athletic director Troy Dannen told HuskerOnline last week that they offered to move the series later, once Nebraska’s stadium renovation was complete, but a new date could not be agreed upon.

As Rhule said, after studying the College Football Playoff, there is no bonus for playing tough out-of-conference games, and the biggest metric the committee looks at is your overall record and how your team is playing late in the season.

2 – Rhule breaks down his thoughts on high school vs. portal recruiting

Another thing Rhule spoke about during his interview with the Triple Option Podcast is the balance of high school vs. transfer portal players he would like to take.

College football and recruiting continue to change, and the class of 2025 presented many unique challenges.

“This year in the portal was unlike anything I’ve ever been a part of,” Rhule said. “I’ve been a part of the portal the previous two years, and I’ve been a part of free agency. This was unlike anything…I mean anything I’ve ever seen.”

Rhule said he would like at least 65 to even 75 percent of his roster additions to come from high schools. In 2025, 20 of the Husker’s 36 additions (55.6 percent) came from the high school ranks.

3 – Shorts has high words of praise for Dylan Raiola

One of the more interesting comments from the assistant coaches we spoke with on Wednesday was from wide receiver coach Daikiel Shorts about quarterback Dylan Raiola.

Shorts praised what he’s seen from Raiola so far, including the work ethic and leadership skills he’s shown over the off-season.

When people arrive at the weight room for morning workouts, Shorts prides himself on being one of the first people there, even as a coach. This past week, he thought he arrived early, but Raiola was already in there working.

“You see Dylan on the field and on tape with how he carries himself … I think he can be pretty special,” Shorts said.

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TWO QUESTIONS THIS WEEK

1 – What is the point of mat drills?

During this time of year, a lot of discussion surrounds Nebraska’s mat drills. They are high-intensity drills that feature no football.

So what’s the point of them? Rhule said much of it goes back to his time at Penn State. He didn’t quite understand their value even as a player, but his former head coach painted a pretty clear picture that still sticks with him today.

“It has nothing to do with winning. It has everything to do with winning,” Rhule said his former coach Joe Paterno once told him about off-season mat drills during the Triple Option Podcast.

“You learn the power of accountability.”

2 – Are spring games done forever?

Ohio State is now the latest big-time college football program to cancel its spring game, joining teams like Nebraska, Texas, USC, Florida State, Missouri and others.

Will we ever see traditional spring games again? With non-binding contracts that allow players to transfer whenever they want, Rhule doesn’t think so. There is so much invested into players now, and nothing binding that keeps them at your school.

Oregon’s Dan Lanning even told Urban Meyer during the spring that he does not have a first, second, and third-team offensive line. Instead, he mixes and matches all his players together, preventing them from wanting to transfer if they don’t like their place on the depth chart.

“The day we get some contracts and we get some rules, I’ll back off,” Rhule told Meyer on the Triple Option Podcast about not having a spring game.

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ONE PREDICTION: Dasan McCullough will lead Nebraska in sacks in 2025

A big question is where Nebraska’s pass rush will come from in 2025. We learned last week just how high defensive coordinator John Butler is on the versatility Oklahoma transfer and EDGE Dasan McCullough has.

With that said, I predict McCullough will lead the Big Red in sacks in 2025. Butler appears to have big plans for him in his defense.

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Sean Callahan can be reached at [email protected] and is heard daily at 6:45 am and 5:05 pm on Big Red Radio 1110 KFAB in Omaha during the football season. He can also be seen on KETV Channel 7 in Omaha during the fall, and each week, he appears on Nebraska Public Media’s Big Red Wrap-Up Tuesdays at 7 pm.

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