2025-26 #PortalSZN Thread

[Carm]

Sounds like Henderson may just be rescheduling his Nebraska visit. He was visiting Houston and decided to go A&M while he was there. Interesting dynamics - another Edge we are trying to get to visit (who IMO is a better get) was visiting A&M this weekend. Maybe they couldn't get him to commit this weekend.

 

[rsmacke]

If you were a booster with what Rhule has shown so far would you want to keep spending money?

Absolutely not

 

[Seaofred92]

I get it, Tech has the Double Eagle guys footing the bill.

But Tech recognized that they aren’t in a desirable location and overpaid guys to get there. McGuire isn’t some great mastermind. They just built him a roster.

Nebraska is building a roster like Cockeye and Minnesota and then getting out coached by Ferentz and Fleck.

I think most of my personal disappointment thus far is stemming from a few things:

1. The entire reason for Rhule’s public Penn State deal fiasco was he wanted to be able to build “$30-$40M rosters at Nebraska”

2. We hire a DC who made a massive 1 year turnaround at his previous school and has really good players with eligibility left at two of the most critical position gaps Nebraska’s roster needs help filling

3. High school recruiting class is dead last in the Big Ten and incredibly small because “we have a lot of young guys and we will be going after a big portal class for next year and need the spots”

4. Portal opens and there’s seemingly nothing linking NU and the majority of the SDSU guys together - Nothing with NU and White together through the Twittersphere and Henderson immediately schedules a visit to Houston (??), we then work to get him on campus after his UH visit and he cancels for TAMU. Memphis OL cancels his visit too.

5. Then on top of it we are seeing other guys that should’ve been targets visiting elsewhere and seemingly will be off the board by time Nebraska would be able to get them on campus

6. We know NU is approaching things with a “positional value” mindset and doesn’t want to “overpay” despite us probably needing to for difference maker talent given recent struggles

7. Only two guys it feels like NU has done a great job of lining things up with prior to the portal opening is Minchey and Chambliss. Everyone else feels like a crap shoot

In summary:

- Didn’t leverage the Aurich relationships to mass import experience and production
- Aren’t seemingly leveraging the increase in NIL $ from the Rhule extension to chase “top tier” guys
- Aren’t scheduling and getting visits with guys who seem to be somewhat obvious candidates to fill holes in our roster

The entire thing just feels odd and off. I could (will?) be wrong about how things shake out, we’re only 2 days in FFS, but it just feels weird and like things aren’t exactly humming the way we need them to going into year 4 with the schedule we are facing and the roster gaps we have

 

[Cash68847]

McGuire was 7-6 and then 8-5…tech boosters still wanted to spend money. Seemed to work out

It can, but like I wrote you in another post what makes you feel good about Rhule when we spend more than Cockeye and Minnesota and he gets bitch slapped by those two teams. It also worked out for Joey because he plays in a garbage conference. Oregon still beat them down at the end of the day.

 

[Carm]

I think most of my personal disappointment thus far is stemming from a few things:

1. The entire reason for Rhule’s public Penn State deal fiasco was he wanted to be able to build “$30-$40M rosters at Nebraska”

2. We hire a DC who made a massive 1 year turnaround at his previous school and has really good players with eligibility left at two of the most critical position gaps Nebraska’s roster needs help filling

3. High school recruiting class is dead last in the Big Ten and incredibly small because “we have a lot of young guys and we will be going after a big portal class for next year and need the spots”

4. Portal opens and there’s seemingly nothing linking NU and the majority of the SDSU guys together - Nothing with NU and White together through the Twittersphere and Henderson immediately schedules a visit to Houston (??), we then work to get him on campus after his UH visit and he cancels for TAMU. Memphis OL cancels his visit too.

5. Then on top of it we are seeing other guys that should’ve been targets visiting elsewhere and seemingly will be off the board by time Nebraska would be able to get them on campus

6. We know NU is approaching things with a “positional value” mindset and doesn’t want to “overpay” despite us probably needing to for difference maker talent given recent struggles

7. Only two guys it feels like NU has done a great job of lining things up with prior to the portal opening is Minchey and Chambliss. Everyone else feels like a crap shoot

In summary:

- Didn’t leverage the Aurich relationships to mass import experience and production
- Aren’t seemingly leveraging the increase in NIL $ from the Rhule extension to chase “top tier” guys
- Aren’t scheduling visits with guys who seem to be somewhat obvious candidates to fill holes in our roster

The entire thing just feels odd and off. I could (will?) be wrong about how things shake out, we’re only 2 days in FFS, but it just feels weird and like things aren’t exactly humming the way we need them to going into year 4 with the schedule we are facing and the roster gaps we have

I follow your reasoning. It may well be right. But it may turn out to be wrong as we get more data over the next two weeks. All we know is what is in the public domain which is very likely a small piece of the existing data.

 

[Bootleg11]

It can, but like I wrote you in another post what makes you feel good about Rhule when we spend more than Cockeye and Minnesota and he gets bitch slapped by those two teams. It also worked out for Joey because he plays in a garbage conference. Oregon still beat them down at the end of the day.

Man wouldn’t it be nice for Nebraska to even be good enough to get beat down in a playoff game.

Tech isn’t getting any worse. They were only investing in the portal, now they are doing it at the high school recruiting as well.

 

[MincheyMania2026]

Wat dis say

 

[Seaofred92]

I follow your reasoning. It may well be right. But it may turn out to be wrong as we get more data over the next two weeks. All we know is what is in the public domain which is very likely a small piece of the existing data.

100% and this entire thing changes rapidly (“recruiting is fluid!”)

But nothing about the way the last 4 years (and beyond that) have gone indicate to me we’re going to be able to pull a rabbit out of our hat based upon the way things have started to date in the portal for us

Most of the difference maker talent is going to be wrapped up at new schools in the next 2 weeks. We’re probably going to be importing guys from one of the worst OLs in the P4 last year (South Carolina) to fill gaps in what was already not a high performing unit. We’ve heard nothing about targeting players at RB or WR on offense.

Meanwhile on defense, we’re appearing to be struggling to attract proven production guys with relationships from the new DC at his previous stops. The entire reason you hire someone like Aurich is he can bring 4+ guys with him… so far we’re trending closer to 1-2 of those guys which is a disappointment. I have no idea what is happening at linebacker or if Dvorcheck has even come back from Vegas yet to start thinking about it

My concern is the difference maker talent will be off the board by two weeks from today. Classes at UNL start a week from tomorrow (!!). For this thing to turn around its going to have to move QUICKLY in a very, very short period of time.

 

[Baron Winnebago]

100% and this entire thing changes rapidly (“recruiting is fluid!”)

But nothing about the way the last 4 years (and beyond that) have gone indicate to me we’re going to be able to pull a rabbit out of our hat based upon the way things have started to date in the portal for us

Most of the difference maker talent is going to be wrapped up at new schools in the next 2 weeks. We’re probably going to be importing guys from one of the worst OLs in the P4 last year (South Carolina) to fill gaps in what was already not a high performing unit

Meanwhile on defense, we’re appearing to be struggling to attract proven production guys with relationships from the new DC at his previous stops. The entire reason you hire someone like Aurich is he can bring 4+ guys with him… so far we’re trending closer to 1-2 of those guys which is a disappointment

My concern is the difference maker talent will be off the board by two weeks from today. Classes at UNL start a week from tomorrow (!!). For this thing to turn around its going to have to move QUICKLY in a very, very short period of time.

It's too myopic to hire any coach based on who they can bring with them. Like it was sweet it seemed to work out when they hired Mozee that he had a bunch of KC kids lined up, but this ain't hoops, you gotta get elite coaches in the building if you have any hope.

 

[Fargo Husker]

I follow your reasoning. It may well be right. But it may turn out to be wrong as we get more data over the next two weeks. All we know is what is in the public domain which is very likely a small piece of the existing data.

This is where I am at. There is a (potentially decent) chance that we screw up this portal haul, but I’ll make that conclusion once the haul is complete.

 

[V-Doub]

I will say I am surprised by the amount of overall discontent with our portal so far.

I’m sure a lot of it has to do with lots of commits announcing today, but there’s still a long ways to go.

Get a few more commits announced for us and I’m thinking it’ll die down a bit.

Still plenty of time and quality players available so I’m not losing it yet. But I am getting a little concerned.

 

[Eaton Beaver]

I'm not worried just yet, but by Wednesday that will change. Hoping though Rhule isn't doubling down or still thinking this roster is a tweak away? I mean he thought this roster last year was playoff ready when most on this board rolled their eyes.

 

[Seaofred92]

It's too myopic to hire any coach based on who they can bring with them. Like it was sweet it seemed to work out when they hired Mozee that he had a bunch of KC kids lined up, but this ain't hoops, you gotta get elite coaches in the building if you have any hope.

Coaches are hired all the time under the premise they’ll bring guys with them.

Indiana/Cignetti + staff with JMU
OU hiring Arbuckle from Wazzu and bringing Mateer
OK State hiring Morris bringing Mestemaker and the RB

etc etc etc

It’s the most Nebraska thing ever we brought in a guy who can do that and we’re seemingly not able to capitalize on it

 

[ZJSARENOTFREE]

Davis is probably a loss but it didn’t seem like he ever wanted to be here

Agree. Looked like Tarzan played like Jane

 

[Baron Winnebago]

Coaches are hired all the time under the premise they’ll bring guys with them.

Indiana/Cignetti + staff with JMU
OU hiring Arbuckle from Wazzu and bringing Mateer
OK State hiring Morris bringing Mestemaker and the RB

etc etc etc

It’s the most Nebraska thing ever we brought in a guy who can do that and we’re seemingly not able to capitalize on it

I think they get hired and the players come. I don't think they get hired because the players will come.

Indiana wasn't thinking "oh let's go get Cigs so we can get in on those sweet JMU dudes". He happened to bring a gaggle of them and they were awesome immediately

 

[Seaofred92]

I think they get hired and the players come. I don't think they get hired because the players will come.

Indiana wasn't thinking "oh let's go get Cigs so we can get in on those sweet JMU dudes". He happened to bring a gaggle of them and they were awesome immediately

Being able to bring guys is one of the biggest features of hiring coaches.. Hell even Tony White brought Vincent Carroll-Jackson, Stefon Wright, etc when he came.

One of the biggest issues IMO is that we hired a HC and OC without the ability to immediately infuse talent in from previous stops. I was very fired up for Aurich as he was going to be able to do that. Does not appear at this time we’ll be having as much success/benefit from that as originally anticipated (but again - it is early)

 

[Sous Chef]

It is what it is, curious how Indiana seems to have so much luck.

Do you really think "luck" has anything to do with Cignetti and Indianus?

 

[V-Doub]

McGuire was 7-6 and then 8-5…tech boosters still wanted to spend money. Seemed to work out

Our big boosters must have shit for brains if they think not spending will somehow motivate Rhule to coach better 🤣 You have to spend, every year, unless you 100% know you are firing your coach next season. Outside of that, you have to spend, holding money back cause mad we didn’t win enough will just get us further behind.

If that is of course what our booster are thinking. I hope they’re not that stupid. 🤞🏼

 

[Bootleg11]

Do you really think "luck" has anything to do with Cignetti and Indianus?

Great coach with an admin and booster walking lockstep with him. The guy built rosters with Saban, he knows how to play the game.

 

[Carm]

100% and this entire thing changes rapidly (“recruiting is fluid!”)

But nothing about the way the last 4 years (and beyond that) have gone indicate to me we’re going to be able to pull a rabbit out of our hat based upon the way things have started to date in the portal for us

Most of the difference maker talent is going to be wrapped up at new schools in the next 2 weeks. We’re probably going to be importing guys from one of the worst OLs in the P4 last year (South Carolina) to fill gaps in what was already not a high performing unit. We’ve heard nothing about targeting players at RB or WR on offense.

Meanwhile on defense, we’re appearing to be struggling to attract proven production guys with relationships from the new DC at his previous stops. The entire reason you hire someone like Aurich is he can bring 4+ guys with him… so far we’re trending closer to 1-2 of those guys which is a disappointment. I have no idea what is happening at linebacker or if Dvorcheck has even come back from Vegas yet to start thinking about it

My concern is the difference maker talent will be off the board by two weeks from today. Classes at UNL start a week from tomorrow (!!). For this thing to turn around its going to have to move QUICKLY in a very, very short period of time.

I get it - I just don't expect us to hear anything until it happens. It would be malpractice if we did.