Matt Rhule raves about Nebraska’s talent, depth at receiver

INDIANAPOLIS — After Nebraska football coach Matt Rhule declared that another 5-7 season wouldn’t be satisfactory for his team on Wednesday, he began to tick off the reasons why he expected the Huskers to improve. Depth. Playmakers. Experience.

What about quarterback? Shouldn’t NU be better there?

“It’s not necessarily that,” Rhule said at Big Ten Media Days. “It’s not necessarily that.”

He then delved into one of his favorite topics. A unique one for a defensive-minded head coach. The strength of his wide receivers.

“We’re so much different at receiver than we were last year, it’s not even,” Rhule said, trailing off. “It’s not even funny.”

The Huskers had one of the nation’s worst passing offenses last season because of poor quarterback play and perhaps the least-experienced receivers, once injuries hit, in school history.

NU added transfers Jahmal Banks (Wake Forest) and Isaiah Neyor (Texas). Struggles experienced by Jaylen Lloyd and Malachi Coleman as true freshmen pressed into action turned into good experience by year’s end. Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda, injured in the 2023 season opener at Minnesota, is back healthy. And NU has some true freshman receivers it really likes, too.

“Now I think people are going to have to defend the run and the pass, no matter who the quarterback is,” Rhule said.

Safety Isaac Gifford, who has had to cover NU’s new receivers in spring camp, called Banks and Neyor “great and smart.”

“They can go up and they can get it, too,” Gifford said of Banks and Neyor, both 6-foot-4, 220 pounds. “Long, lengthy, they run good routes.”

Lloyd, a sophomore, who averaged 39.5 yards per catch last season, and true freshman Jacory Barney are both “friggin fast” and can move.

“’I better friggin get running in the post,’” was Gifford’s first thought when 6-0, 170-pound Barney ran a deep route in spring camp. Lloyd and Coleman “got to taste it firsthand” in 2023 and know what it’s like to play major college football.

Better receivers will make the offensive line better, Rhule said, free up more opportunities for tight ends Thomas Fidone and Nate Boerkircher and provide a chance for Ainsworth grad and blue-chip true freshman Carter Nelson to get his feet wet, too.

“We’re way more talented,” Rhule said. “And the guys who were here last year, they’re way more talented than they were last year because they’re more skilled. So the quarterback play — guys are going to be more open, y’know what I’m saying? Some of our sacks happened last year because no one was open.”