Tag: Matt Rhule

What two Big Ten programs does ESPN analyst Greg McElroy think will bounce back this season?

Greg McElroy predicts that two Big Ten programs will bounce back this year.

ESPN analyst Greg McElroy singled out two perennial Big Ten powerhouses as ready to bounce back this season.

McElroy believes that Nebraska and Wisconsin are ready to take a step forward this season. Both Big Ten teams are in their second year under high-profile head coaches.

Last year, [autotag]Matt Rhule[/autotag] guided the Cornhuskers to a 5-7 (3-6 Big Ten) record, their best finish since 2019. With several successful wins in the transfer portal and the nation’s top incoming freshman quarterback recruit in Dylan Raiola, expectations are certainly high around the blue blood program.

McElroy, speaking on the ESPN platform ‘Always College Football,’ thinks that the progress shown last year in their first season under Rhule can be furthered this season.

“I look at this year’s team and I think this could be a bounce-back season for the Cornhuskers with where their program is ultimately going to be,” McElroy said on ESPN’s ‘Always College Football.’

“I think Matt Rhule has them ultimately going in the right direction. I believe that. I think they’re going in the right direction, no doubt about it. But, how quickly can they get there? When you look at Matt Rhule’s tenure as a head coach – both Baylor and Temple….year one was really underwhelming. Year two was a big step in the right direction.”

As for Wisconsin, McElroy sees some of the struggles in Luke Fickell‘s first year as also ready to turn a corner. The Badgers finished with a winning record but with expectations high in Madison, McElroy thinks the pieces are in place for Fickell to continue the program’s development.

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Their season ended with a 35-31 loss to LSU in the ReliaQuest Bowl.

“Wisconsin went 7-6 last year. New year, new regime. New everything under Luke Fickell heading into ’23. I felt really good about Wisconsin last year, I had it wrong. I’m not going to try to sit here and spin it. I had it wrong. I’m not going to sit here and spin it. I got it wrong. There’s no denying it,” McElroy said.

“But if you look where they were last year -I just thought this offense was going to take shape. Clearly, there was some growing pains. They could still run the ball pretty effectively last year.

“There was some inconsistencies at quarterback from time to time. There were inconsistencies at wide receiver. And I will be curious to see if maybe year number two, Luke Fickell can take a big step. Vegas doesn’t anticipate it… their win total right now is 6.5.”

Rhule praises Dylan Raiola’s preparation following spring game performance

The Husker head coach still hasn’t named a starter.

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule has not yet named a starting quarterback, but speculation surrounds freshman Dylan Raiola. The young quarterback shined during his performance at Nebraska’s annual Red-White game last month.

Raiola finished the day completing 16-of-22 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns. Early reports have praised Raiola’s skills, but high marks have also been given to quarterbacks Daniel Kaelin and Heinrich Haarberg, last year’s starter.

Rhule appeared on Always College Football with Greg McElroy and was asked about the personality traits that make Raiola a special player.

First of all, he was raised in a football family. So you start there, right? It’s a football family, and every conversation in that family is about ball. And when it’s about ball, it’s about getting better every day. Dylan comes in as a young player, but he understands that its a 24 hour a day deal to be the starting quarterback at a place like Nebraska. That background has helped him walk in here in an extremely mature way, and he wants to be a pro. He doesn’t just want to learn the pass plays. He wants to know how to flip the protections and what are the run checks. He’s up early in the morning and working at it all the time so I think what you saw in the spring game was a guy who is extremely prepared.

The Nebraska legacy recruit committed to the Georgia Bulldogs in May after initially committing to Ohio State. His father, Dominic Raiola, played at Nebraska from 1998 to 2000 and was a consensus All-American.

The Cornhuskers will kick off the 2024 college football season on August 31, when they welcome UTEP to Memorial Stadium.

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Rhule excited for Nebraska-Colorado primetime kickoff

Nebraska will play at home for all three non-conference games of the 2024 season.

Earlier this week, it was announced that the Nebraska Cornhuskers would host the Colorado Buffaloes under the lights of Memorial Stadium later this year. The two will face one another at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 7, in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Head coach Matt Rhule discussed the excitement surrounding the kickoff time on the Husker Radio Network on Tuesday evening.

We’ve had one home night game here so far, and it was a great experience. I think this is great for our fans and great for the game. The Nebraska and Colorado rivalry over the years and what it means. Obviously, they beat us last year. And for our guys to go out there early in the season, go out there on national television, and show the country the work that they’ve done and the team we have.

Nebraska will play at home for all three non-conference games of the 2024 season. They will also host UTEP on August 31 and Northern Iowa on September 14.

RELATED: Kickoff time set for Nebraska vs. Colorado game

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ESPN report suggests why Panthers passed on hiring Bill Belichick

Why didn’t the Panthers hire the greatest coach in the history of the NFL? A new report from ESPN may have provided that answer.

So, why weren’t the Carolina Panthers too interested in hiring the greatest head coach in the history of the game? A deep dive into Bill Belichick’s offseason may have just suggested why.

On Wednesday morning, ESPN published a report about the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach and his “failed” job hunt following the 2023 season. Some legwork done by Don Van Natta Jr., Seth Wickersham and Jeremy Fowler resulted in the following tidbit about the Panthers:

The Carolina Panthers briefly discussed Belichick, before he signed his two-year extension with New England a year ago. But this offseason, Carolina decided to pass, a source said. Panthers owner David Tepper often sifts through data to critique his coach’s playcalling. That, according to a source, “is tough to do with Belichick as the figurehead.” The Panthers opted for 42-year-old former Tampa Bay offensive coordinator Dave Canales.

When you have the kind of résumé that Belichick has, power often follows. That was the case with the Patriots, who also positioned him as the team’s de facto general manager over his 24-year tenure.

If Tepper is as hands-on as this reporting hints at, that influence could’ve posed a problem for the dynamic atop the organization. Following Frank Reich’s introductory press conference last January, the billionaire owner had admitted that hiring a “CEO-type” in Matt Rhule—Tepper’s very first choice—was a mistake on his part.

Instead of going down a similar route, the Panthers are rocking with first-year head coach Dave Canales.

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Matt Rhule blown away by Bill Belichick’s football knowledge

Matt Rhule on Bill Belichick: “He can make the complex so simple that it humbles you and embarrasses you.”

Nebraska football head coach Matt Rhule got a chance to spend a couple of days with former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick. Needless to say, Rhule was impressed with Belichick’s football knowledge.

Rhule is coming off a 5-7 season with Nebraska, as the Cornhuskers look to right the ship in the Big Ten. Belichick is keeping busy, after parting ways with the Patriots in January. The departure has led to mixed feelings from Patriots fans with the winds of change blowing through Foxborough over the past couple of months.

Rhule got a taste of Belichick’s knowledge firsthand when the legendary coach spent four hours talking to Nebraska football assistants during his time in Lincoln. The Nebraska coach and Belichick have formed a connection over the years, and the two crossed paths while Rhule was with the Carolina Panthers from 2020-2022

“He is so smart. He’s seen so much that he can make the complex so simple that it humbles you and embarrasses you,” Rhule said, via KETV 7 in Omaha. “I was embarrassed yesterday listening to him, how smart he is, how simple it was. He went four-and-a-half hours just with the coaches. Forget the clinic. He came in and met with our coaching staff. And three-and-a-half hours in, I was like, ‘Coach, would you like a water? Coffee? Would you like to use the restroom?’ Because I desperately had to use the restroom, you know? And he’s like, ‘I’m fine, Matt.’ I was like, ‘Yes, sir.’

“…I mean, so you have this man who’s a savant, right? He’s been a defensive coordinator. He’s been a special teams coordinator. He’s coached, you know, he could be an offensive coordinator. He’s been a head coach twice. He’s been a GM. And he’s talking about football in a way that just like, I mean, illuminates things, that makes things so simple that you’re like, ‘Oh my goodness.’”

When it comes to football knowledge, Belichick is unmatched. Patriots fans got to see it first-hand as he constructed and coached two separate dynasties for the organization in the early 2000s and 2010s.

It’s been widely talked about that Belichick has one of the best minds in the game of football. It’s even more interesting to hear seasoned coaches like Rhule talk about just how much Belichick knows and can bring to the table.

If anything, Patriots fans are all too familiar with it.

Panthers great Cam Newton explains key difference between Ron Rivera and Matt Rhule

Panthers great Cam Newton: “I would kick it with Matt Rhule.”

There’s no question, even to the most novice eye of the game, that former Carolina Panthers head coaches Ron Rivera and Matt Rhule were two completely different Carolina Panthers head coaches. And a certain someone who played under both men spoke about why.

While talking about the dynamic between pro athletes and their higher-ups on Friday’s episode of 4th & 1 with Cam Newton, franchise great Cam Newton was asked about the differences between Rivera and Rhule. He responded to co-host Omari “Peggy” Collins by saying that Rhule’s lack of a playing background in the NFL showed.

“And that’s not no slight to Matt Rhule,” Newton stated. “Matt Rhule was an unbelievable guy. So much so, that when I say ‘unbelievable,’ I’m like, yo, he’s a guy that I would kick it with. We had great conversations. We had great meetings and great insights on the game, family, religion—just the whole process to how we both got to this situation.

“But it was a little different coming from Ron Rivera. He knew what it was like to be a player in certain situations. Practice intensity, locker room tension, knowing how to get the most out of their players—it’s just certain different tactics you have to go about.”

While the circumstances were vastly different, Newton probably had a much better experience with Rivera—a former Super Bowl-winning linebacker. The two spent nine years together in Carolina, where they secured three NFC South titles and the organization’s second-ever trip to the Super Bowl.

Newton’s time with Rhule lasted just half a season, as the Panthers brought back the 2015 Most Valuable Player to help save their 2021 season. But even Superman couldn’t save that ship from ultimately sinking.

Regardless, perhaps we’ll see Newton and Rhule kick it some time down the line.

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Report: JJ Jansen likely returning for 16th season with Panthers

Longtime long snapper JJ Jansen may be back with the Panthers in 2024.

The longest-tenured Carolina Panther may be tenured even longer.

Joe Person of The Athletic dropped a few bits of info in a new report on Thursday. Amongst the nuggets was one on long snapper JJ Jansen, who is currently set to hit free agency.

But according to Person, the longtime long snapper is likely staying put in Charlotte. He writes:

The team’s previous regime was interested in re-signing the 38-year-old Jansen, who has played in 243 consecutive games since arriving in 2009 in a trade from Green Bay, according to a source briefed on the situation. The sense here is Jansen will be back for a 16th season.

Those 243 games stand as a franchise record, one he broke in the middle of the 2022 campaign. Jansen surpassed former kicker John Kasay, who appeared in 221 games for the Panthers between 1995 and 2010.

Jansen has already played under four different head coaches in Carolina—including John Fox, Ron Rivera, Matt Rhule and Frank Reich. So, will Dave Canales become No. 5?

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Franchise tag unlikely to be an option for the Saints in 2024

The franchise tag is unlikely to be an option for the Saints in 2024, but it carries heavy implications for some of their division rivals:

Never say never, but fans shouldn’t expect the New Orleans Saints to use the franchise tag in 2024. The team did a good jump last summer getting a jump on their upcoming free agents: players like defensive end Carl Granderson,  right guard Cesar Ruiz, and defensive end Cameron Jordan all signed extensions before they would have hit the open market this spring. They lack players the tag’s heavy price tag would justify keeping.

On top of that, they’re so far in the red that they need as many cap-friendly contracts as possible, and the franchise tag is a lead weight on that scale. Once handed out it cannot be restructured, reduced, or otherwise manipulated.

But the tag could make life difficult for some of New Orleans’ division rivals, specifically the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tampa Bay has three key candidates headed for free agency in All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield Jr., firebrand quarterback Baker Mayfield, as well as amateur boxer and wide receiver Mike Evans.

Of the three, Winfield is likeliest to receive the tag. It shouldn’t be hard for the Bucs to hammer out an extension with Mayfield. Evans is a different story. His contract voids on Monday, Feb. 19, accelerating $7.4 million onto their salary cap in dead money, and tagging him isn’t an option. He’s a rare case. If the NFL-estimated cap hit (for wide receivers this year, about $21.6 million) is lower than 120% of last year’s cap number, the team would have to pay the higher amount. In this case, that would be a fully-guaranteed $28.4 million, and the Bucs would have to balk at that.

Another team to watch: the Carolina Panthers. Spendthrift owner David Tepper has managed his money poorly and has been unable to sign pass rusher Brian Burns to a long-term extension, but he’s paid millions of dollars to multiple head coaches he’s fired (Matt Rhule, Frank Reich, and soon, history suggests, Dave Canales). The Panthers balked at both a multiyear deal with Burns and lucrative trade offers from other teams last year, then changed his position listing from defensive end to linebacker with a move to a 3-4 defense.

It means tagging Burns costs a little less (about $1.3 million), which could buy the Panthers more time to work on a longer deal. However, Burns could take them to arbitration arguing he’s a defensive end (with an estimated $23.3 million tag), not an outside linebacker (about $22 million), just as Jimmy Graham did with the Saints back in the day.

Burns will likely be staying in Carolina (largely against his will), but there’s a good chance Evans could be moving on as a free agent, catching passes and starting fights elsewhere around the league. Of course it’s possible the Buccaneers could hammer out an extension with him. They’re just going to have one less tool in their toolbox to negotiate with. The NFL’s two-week window to use the franchise tag opens on Tuesday, Feb. 20 and closes Tuesday, March 5.

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Rhule supported Tony White becoming UCLA head coach

Head coach Matt Rhule recently put in a kind word regarding defensive coordinator Tony White’s bid to take over at UCLA.

Head coach Matt Rhule recently put in a kind word regarding defensive coordinator Tony White’s bid to take over at UCLA. Rhule told the Husker Radio Network earlier in the week that he knows it’s only a matter of time before White gets the opportunity to lead a program.

“I thought Tony would have been an excellent, excellent choice. I don’t want to lose Tony White at all. I love Tony. I want him to go coach here forever, but there will come a time when he is going to have an opportunity to be a head coach and he deserves that. I think we have great young coaches in that room who are ready to be coordinators.”

White was considered a top candidate after Bruins head coach Chip Kelly departed the program to accept the offensive coordinator position with Ohio State. Last season under White, the team finished 11th nationally in total defense, their best finish since 2010.

During the offseason, he also received head coaching interest from San Diego State and a look from USC in what would have been a lateral move to defensive coordinator.

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What did ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit tell Dylan Raiola’s father before the Georgia flip? ‘I of course did not try and sell Nebraska’

Kirk Herbstreit discusses his alleged role in Dylan Raiola’s flip to Nebraska.

Dylan Raiola’s flip on the eve of the early signing period made waves in the college football world. It continues to do so, with ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit’s “involvement” in the five-star quarterback’s flip from Georgia to Nebraska.

According to Rivals, the quarterback is the second-best player in the nation in the class of 2024.

In a recent interview with Rivals, Dominic Raiola said that Herbstreit, a former Ohio State quarterback who is one of ESPN’s biggest personalities, offered advice to the family in the days leading up to the Nebraska flip.

With his father a former standout at Nebraska and his brother on staff, the decision by Dylan Raiola to leave in-state Georgia for the Big Ten program certainly makes sense. But it is Herbstreit’s involvement that has raised some eyebrows.

There were questions about the appropriateness concerning Herstreit’s involvement in the star quarterback ending up in Nebraska for head coach Matt Rhule’s rebuilding of the program.

In an appearance Thursday on the Paul Finebaum Show, Herbstreit clarified and defended his role.

“When somebody calls and says ‘What do you think of Matt Rhule’ and you like Matt Rhule…are you supposed to say Matt Rhule is a bad guy? Matt Rhule is an idiot? Matt Rhule is a bad coach? Or do you say ‘I like Matt Rhule. I think Matt Rhule is a good coach.’ And the other part of it that he said, I think the family legacy,” Herbstreit told ESPN’s Finebaum.

“I think he mentioned his brother was an assistant coach (Donovan Raiola) there at Nebraska and of course, Dom was a great player there himself, an All-American.

“And I think it sounded like the family, out of their respect for their love for Nebraska, that they were really torn. That’s what he made it sound like.”

Herbstreit said that the story was compelling to him. Before he decided to flip, Dylan Raiola was weighing his current commitment to Georgia, a juggernaut program that has two national championships in recent years.

 

But the heart, Herbstreit said, was tugging for Nebraska.

“I felt like being a guy that went to Ohio State and a lot of it had to do with my dad (Jim Herbstreit was a former Ohio State player and assistant coach)…I just said ‘Wow, the fact that your son can go to any school, any powerhouse that is competing for national titles and because of his respect for his own dad, he’s thinking about maybe going to Nebraska?’ A place that hasn’t competed for national titles in 20 years,” Kirk Herstreit said.

“That says about who the kid is. It’s not just about going to the NFL.”

In closing out his defense, the ESPN analyst made it clear that his advice was not geared toward pushing Dylan Raiola in the direction of one program or another.

“I of course did not try and sell Nebraska and try to tell anyone not to go to Georgia. That’s the most ridiculous thing that anybody would do,” Kirk Herbstreit said.

“But I did compliment Matt Rhule – if I’m guilty of anything, I said that Matt Rhule was a good coach and he’s a good man. I do believe he will bring Nebraska back, like he did Temple and Baylor.”