Nebraska's workouts aren’t necessarily innovative. But they reinforce values Matt Rhule aims to live out himself. Concentrate amid exhaustion. Be present. Be accountable.
journalstar.com
I didn't know Gabe Ervin was that fast. He's seems like a forgotten guy in the RB room.
Also Tommi Hill is moving back to DB.
EDIT: The speed thing is being reported somewhere else, either on Rivals or Tater Island I think.
EDIT EDIT: Apparently this was reported on the Tater Island podcast.
Wearing athletic shorts and sitting in his North Stadium office overlooking the Husker football weight room, Matt Rhule runs his hands over his face and through his hair.
The Nebraska coach has another full day of commitments, including another round of interviews later Wednesday afternoon. He’s been all over — physically and mentally — in two-plus months on the job.
“Sorry, guys,” Rhule said with a smile during an hourlong talk with the Omaha World-Herald. “I’m so tired.”
But it’s a good fatigue, a byproduct of work being done by coaches and players that won’t show up in highlight videos or on cool online graphics. There’s no room for talk of season expectations or outcomes when every day and every hour has its own set of demands.
Rhule can glance down from his window at 6 a.m. and see players grinding through mat drills for 75 minutes. The workouts aren’t necessarily innovative — “it’s kind of what everyone else does,” Rhule said — as participants move weights and respond to verbal commands. Players endure shared adversity, with entire groups required to start over if one player makes a mistake.
But it reinforces values Rhule aims to follow himself. Concentrate amid exhaustion. Be present. Be accountable.
“Let’s not blame everyone else if you go 4-8 instead of 8-4,” Rhule told the team recently. “Let’s take responsibility and let’s fight for what we want.”
As winter conditioning rolls on, Rhule and his staff have been familiarizing themselves with the players they inherited. Rhule strode into his office fresh off a 90-minute session watching that morning’s conditioning so he could give fresh feedback to players. He’s watched tape of every Nebraska game and practice from 2022 — spring, fall camp and the season — as well as every offseason workout that was filmed.
“I like seeing the whole process of how they did everything so that I can find ways that are similar, ways that are different, and I can explain it to them,” Rhule said. “I kind of have a good feel for everybody while at the same time I’m trying not to pre-judge myself on anybody like, ‘Oh, he’s this, he’s that.’ I’m trying to really use my eyes.”
Spring practice will begin on March 20 before falling into a Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday rhythm leading up to the Spring Game on April 22.
There are many players Rhule can’t wait to see in pads. The first he mentions is fourth-year outside linebacker Blaise Gunnerson, who made five tackles in a reserve role on defense and special teams in 12 games last year.
Another is sophomore tight end AJ Rollins, who saw 30 offensive snaps. And running back Gabe Ervin, who is one of the most explosive players on the team.
“I just think watching the guys work out, it’s a pretty good-looking team,” Rhule said. “They’re getting big and strong; I like the way they work. I’m anxious to see them go out there and play football.”
Spring practice — like conditioning now — will be difficult, Rhule said. The goal is to structure practices through competition. The coach laughs at how 18-to-22-year-olds will complain at the notion of running five 40-yard dashes. But if he asks who the fastest guy is, they could run 20 times and demand more. Some one-on-ones will include others on the team watching to up the ante.
“I’m big in competitive practices,” Rhule said. “When we get to the practice field we will drill and we’ll do individual drills and we’ll do skills and stuff like that. But we’re also going to line up and play.”
Notes
Back on the team: Receivers Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda and Zavier Betts are back on scholarship. Both left the program at different points in 2022.
More than 100 players currently: Nebraska still has about 100 scholarship players even after the announced Wednesday departures of offensive lineman Hunter Anthony and receiver Alante Brown.
Rhule said there are “nuances” to helping more players pay for school — especially in the NIL era — but that natural attrition will occur as the team works its way back to the 85-player scholarship limit this fall.
“I’m not the guy to come in and just kick a bunch of guys off the team,” he said. “I want everyone to have an opportunity to go through the spring and live up to our standards on and off the field and see if this is for them.”
Hill back at DB: Tommi Hill is working again as a defensive back. The junior came to Nebraska from Arizona State as a cornerback before switching to receiver midseason, seeing 32 offensive snaps but not having any receptions.
Missing: Among players who will be out this spring are inside linebacker Nick Henrich (ACL) and safety Marques Buford (ACL), along with offensive lineman Teddy Prochazka (shoulder), defensive lineman Ty Robinson (shoulder) and tight end Brodie Tagaloa (elbow).
Quarterbacks Casey Thompson and Logan Smothers will be limited coming off winter shoulder surgeries.
NU will ease tight end Thomas Fidone back into action as he returns from a second ACL injury suffered last spring.
