2025-26 #PortalSZN Thread

[wildcat_husker]

If you're going to have a really small class then 78% of your class can't be 3 stars and then expect to actually compete with the top 1/4 of the Big 10.

You sign as many blue chip prospects as you can and then deal with the non contributors that they are better than. Top programs aren't taking 9 guys in a class. Nebraska has 2 "blue chip" kids in this class. If that's all they can sign after 3 years...this program is not going to elevate past 6 or 7 wins a year.

My glass half full take is that they can recruit better, as evidenced by how the early 2027 class looks. That's why it's a bit interesting. They have the capability so I'm curious about the deeper strategy of the 2026 class.

 

[Baron Winnebago]

My glass half full take is that they can recruit better, as evidenced by how the early 2027 class looks. That's why it's a bit interesting. They have the capability so I'm curious about the deeper strategy of the 2026 class.

I have no information on Dylan either way, but if Dylan is who you were building around and the plan was for him to be here his 3 years and hit the draft, this was the year to keep as much roster flexibility as possible to add.

Is that a short sighted strategy? Yeah. Could it blow up in their face if he bolts? Yeah. But that's my best guess

 

[Irv]

I think we are competing for top 1/2 of the B1G, Rhule can say whatever he wants to say but which assistants on our staff are top 25 at their job? What position groups are top 25 in the country? I am coming to the realization we have no urgency in turning this around. That is from Athletic Department all the way down. They keep cashing checks, we keep giving them money. Nothing over these 3 years says compete with the top 25% of the conference.

The big tell was Butler. I can give Rhule a pass on the first season of hiring and wanting to do what was familiar.

But he had all the money he wanted to make a DC hire after 2 seasons. He hired a guy that literally no team we want to be in the conversation with would hire. That was not a guy a serious program stakes its future on.

And it’s not that there was no chance he would work out. It was just a dumb gamble that wasn’t necessary to take.
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[rsmacke]

The big tell was Butler. I can give Rhule a pass on the first season of hiring and wanting to do what was familiar.

But he had all the money he wanted to make a DC hire after 2 seasons. He hired a guy that literally no team we want to be in the conversation with would hire. That was not a guy a serious program stakes its future on.

And it’s not that there was no chance he would work out. It was just a dumb gamble that wasn’t necessary to take.
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Foley, Butler, Bradden, Satterfield, McGuire, the TE coach who got arrested like a month after being here Ill give him a break on keeping Raiola since he wanted his nephew. But these were all risky/bad hires that made no sense even at the time and have aged even worse

 

[Flabio]

That's where schools need to start being allowed to sign players to contracts for their side of contributing side of factors and for those contracts to be public.

Those contracts will probably happen sooner than later, but the whole public thing, will never probably happen.

I don’t think it will as the Wild West no rules benefits the top programs, particularly SEC who tamper and can throw around more money to move players every year. Contracts would mess that up for them and would help the vast majority of teams.

 

[Hedley Lamarr]

Foley, Butler, Bradden, Satterfield, McGuire, the TE coach who got arrested like a month after being here Ill give him a break on keeping Raiola since he wanted his nephew. But these were all risky/bad hires that made no sense even at the time and have aged even worse

Bingo, no one can honestly say if Rhule wanted to hire a top flight staff that Dannen would say "sorry, shop on a budget and give guys a chance to learn on the job buddy"

 

[Boondock_St_Sker]

Bingo, no one can honestly say if Rhule wanted to hire a top flight staff that Dannen would say "sorry, shop on a budget and give guys a chance to learn on the job buddy"

Totally agree...Rhule said he now has the resources right?? pretty sure that includes the coaching staff too. He's made some pretty bad moves on both sides of the staff. If he does a complete overhaul of the staff, as many have suggested, are we starting back at square one?? Does Rhule get ANOTHER pass on future hires??

I agree, shit needs to change, but what is he willing to risk? Team culture, going backwards, revamping both sides of the ball? Whatever he does, as mentioned 2357256257 times in multiple threads, both OL and DL MUST be addressed and he CANNOT miss

As I typed this JoBu has been let go...per Dean

 

[Kinish]

Totally agree...Rhule said he now has the resources right?? pretty sure that includes the coaching staff too. He's made some pretty bad moves on both sides of the staff. If he does a complete overhaul of the staff, as many have suggested, are we starting back at square one?? Does Rhule get ANOTHER pass on future hires??

I agree, shit needs to change, but what is he willing to risk? Team culture, going backwards, revamping both sides of the ball? Whatever he does, as mentioned 2357256257 times in multiple threads, both OL and DL MUST be addressed and he CANNOT miss

As I typed this JoBu has been let go...per Dean

HOLY FUCK WE DID IT

 

[Herbie]

I want to be clear that I already respect his decision.

Not only do I respect it, I encourage it

 

[JerryBones5]

Not sure if we need another WR but this guys a player

 

[Goskers07]

Not sure if we need another WR but this guys a player

This guy is gonna make some big money in the portal. Would take him in a heartbeat.

 

[V-Doub]

You guys aren’t seriously naive enough to think these dudes are just jumping into the portal without talking to other schools, right?

Now sometimes they might be getting misled or lied to & sometimes they might get better offers than initially promised after entering but any notable player who enters the portal will have already been in contact with multiple other schools.

True, but players like Cortez Mills are told one thing by coaches, when they are really that coaches backup plan. You can’t be someone’s backup plan if you aren’t available.

 

[V-Doub]

Will complete the annual tradition of some people simultaneously saying our roster is horrible & melting down over players leaving.


Just to set expectations, the FBS average is something like 19-22 players portalling each year. From the B1G/SEC, it's like 16-18. We are widely expected to be active in acquiring portal dudes this year, and nobody can designate anymore dudes as exempt (grandfathered walk-ons) + have the 105 hard cap in place, so there will definitely be significant turnover.

Portal season will seem weird at times, bleak to off season NC and everything in between. Just gotta let it play out and hope your coach knows WTF he is doing.

Then fire or extend him accordingly a year later 🤣

 

[Fargo Husker]

Not sure if we need another WR but this guys a player

Gimme

 

[HerbRedman]

Lateef might be looking for guarantees that won’t be given. Coast on the one UCLA game perhaps

Don’t get a transfer portal. No

Guarantee starting job. No

I want this much in NIL. No

Remember, he signed here thinking he'd be sitting behind Dylan for 2 yrs. There's no reason he'd logically want to leave unless something happened or his brain changed.

 

[SlumpBuster]

I expect everyone we have high hopes for to enter and everyone we believe sucks to stay.

I ask this question a lot, but just curious who we've lost in the portal that really really hurt. It's honestly a small number. Usually it's more of a 'fan freak out' than actual loss.

Hausmann? Wan'Dale? Princewill?

 

[herbsinator]

I ask this question a lot, but just curious who we've lost in the portal that really really hurt. It's honestly a small number. Usually it's more of a 'fan freak out' than actual loss.

Hausmann? Wan'Dale? Princewill?

Hausmann and Princewill are the two big ones in my mind. Seems like we certainly would be better with them.

Wandale was terribly mismanaged while here so not sure it would have made a difference.

 

[ChocaEgg]

I ask this question a lot, but just curious who we've lost in the portal that really really hurt. It's honestly a small number. Usually it's more of a 'fan freak out' than actual loss.

Hausmann? Wan'Dale? Princewill?

Didn't Tuioti take a lineman or two to Oregon that did pretty well? Not talking about his son.

 

[SlumpBuster]

Wandale was terribly mismanaged while here so not sure it would have made a difference.

Wan'Dale definitely wins the award for, "I hate to see you go, but yeah...I get it"

Now he's a very decent contributor in the NFL, albeit for a sh*t team

 

[YetiJR]

Didn't Tuioti take a lineman or two to Oregon that did pretty well? Not talking about his son.

Casey Rogers was "okay" and has stuck around the nfl as more of a practice squad guy.