At the end of last week, I was close to writing an article about how screwed up our quarterback room is going to be in 2024 and probably again in 2025. We could get in a very difficult situation with almost no one in the QB room for a second straight year (thus my Travolta gif). For many of you that followed me, I told you how big of a mistake it was in our 2023 class not signing a QB recruit and only taking Jeff Sims. In my opinion, you have to get your guy that you are starting to groom for your offense in year 1. You then of course follow that up with a QB commitment (like we did with Kaelin) for your second recruiting class. That way when/if Sims leaves you at least have two hand-picked guys coming in that are at least Power5 scholarship worthy. If you don’t, you essentially put yourself in a bad spot for your future when it comes to the depth in that room because you only have your true freshman coming in, or another transfer.
In my opinion, what should have happened was Rhule should have grabbed Sims AND grabbed a high school QB that knew he was going to learn the offense and be prepared for when Sims moved on (whether that be in 2024 as a RS Freshman or 2025 as a RS Sophomore). But Rhule bypassed that philosophy and solely went with Sims as the only new QB he brought into the team in his first year. As it stands, Nebraska basically wasted the first year developing at the most important position because they 1) grabbed the wrong transfer QB and 2) didn’t grab a guy to start developing for when Sims is gone.
To defend Rhule a little bit, it was a tough situation to be in. Nebraska had Casey Thompson, Chubba Purdy, Logan Smothers, Henrich Haarberg, and Richard Torres already there for spring football to go along with Jeff Sims coming in. It’s very rare to have 6 scholarship QBs on your roster for the spring and quite frankly 7 scholarship QBs is tough to do. But with the new NCAA rules where you can essentially cut players with no restrictions when a new coach comes in on top of the fact that 2 or 3 of those guys were out for most of spring, it just didn’t make sense to me.
But enough about what’s already happened. Nebraska got in a spot where their starting QB all spring and first two football games is already in the portal (Sims). Their #2 QB was hurt all fall (Purdy) and started for us the last couple games when our #3 QB HH finally had been beaten up too much. And the reality of our situation now is that Kyle McCord is not transferring to Nebraska from Ohio State without a starting spot guarantee, and I anticipate his commitment within the next day or two.
So what will that mean for Chubba Purdy and Henrich Haarberg? Purdy almost certainly won’t be ok with that, as he graduates and can transfer free of penalty right now. He’s not going to sit around and be a backup. Now I know what some of you are saying, which is the worst philosophy I can hear from Nebraska fans sometimes, and that’s “well we are going to need the backup he needs to stay for when/if McCord goes down.” Let’s set aside the fact that McCord played in every game this year for the Buckeyes… the QB position is just much different than other spots. That philosophy may work for backups at RB, WR, LB, DL, etc., but at QB if your #1 is healthy you stay. The position has more transfers percentage-wise than any other position due to this fact. Staying to be a backup and crossing your fingers that the starter gets hurt to get your chance is just a weird philosophy for a teammate.
And let’s not forget, we have Raiola coming in for a visit this weekend. So if we get McCord who is guaranteed a starting spot and then the #1 overall QB in the 2024 recruiting class coming in sandwiching you, you’re probably leaving if you are Purdy.
I also know that we have Kaelin committed in the 2024 class, but remember he only committed when we turned to him after Raiola committed to Georgia. Kaelin doesn’t shy away from competition, but that’s a tough pill to swallow. I expect him to move on and commit elsewhere.
So What Does The Room Look Like In 2024?
So if we get McCord AND Raiola as i’m predicting, there’s a good chance Purdy and Kaelin won’t be members of the football team this upcoming season. That leaves you with only Haarberg as an emergency 3rd string QB. That is a very thin situation. And to beat the dead horse, 2023 was basically a dead year for development at the QB spot. That’s not a great look.
Nebraska may go the Ohio State route where they grabbed a Tristan Gebbia from Oregon State where he knew he wouldn’t be playing, was an emergency option for them if things went crazy, and basically tell him “we can groom you for coaching”. The long and short of it, is let’s take a look at what Purdy does and if HH stays in the QB room. Rhule can’t afford to move him right now, that’s for sure.
Our TE Coach Being Fired 2 Hours Into Employment Gives Us Flexibility
Bob Wager was an FBS coach for just slightly longer than I last in the bedroom which is really not that impressive. But the good news is, that gives Rhule a ton of flexibility with how he constructs the offensive staff for 2024.
You can always keep the analyst that moved into that spot. But assuming you don’t, you can move Satterfield to that spot and grab the QB coach that is rumored to be possibly a part of all this movement that coached McCord and Raiola (even though I don’t believe that to be true). You can move Satterfield to RBs coach, keep the TE analyst, and grab a QB coach (if the rumors on Barthel leaving are true).
What Changed?
A friend of mine brought up a good point after reading my article from yesterday you can find here:
But he said, “If Rhule really was all about not paying guys just to come here and paying our lockerroom for achievements to keep attrition low, I wonder if that changed a bit when he realized you can’t just sell vision every year and if we had a chance and now the money he changed his tune?”
I remember an article that came out that I reference frequently, and it is the fact that your first year or two of recruiting classes (2023 and 2024 for Rhule) you can sell vision. But by your 3rd and 4th classes you are needing to show tangible results that your vision can come to fruition. I still remember the Bellevue West coach back in 2021/2022 saying that all of his players are always really intrigued and bought in to what Frost and his staff were saying. It wasn’t because the pitches were bad. But at some point the recruits need to see the results on the field.
Circling it back to Rhule, is he understanding that year 2 is a very big year for him and while he doesn’t really want big ticket guys purchased to come INTO the program but more leave money to KEEP players around, is it a necessary part of the process to get the QB you need?
If We Grab Raiola What Does That Do For Other Recruits?
Kaelin was a huge peer-recruiting piece of Rhule’s puzzle for this 2024 class. There is no doubt he built a really tight bond with multiple guys like Carter Nelson and obviously his two Bellevue West WRs.
I don’t expect there to be much of an issue with this. At the end of the day the nation’s #1 ranked QB and #2 ranked overall prospect according to 247 and Rivals wants to be a part of your team. You make that work. If that rubs a few guys the wrong way, so be it. Quite frankly the addition of Raiola probably gives you some better options anyway in many instances.
In fact i’d say that’s really my only problem with the timing of this whole thing. If we had Raiola on board as the #1 QB in the 2024 class since June, it probably changes at least a little bit who is coming in with him. But that’s probably splitting hairs at this point.
One Watchout For Raiola
While I fully anticipate him to be ‘N’… Georgia is full court pressing him the day or two prior to leaving for Lincoln on his visit. Expect them to try and remedy whatever created this mess for the two parties and squash the visit to Nebraska.
If he still gets up here this weekend, it’s a wrap and he’s coming to Nebraska.
Why Does Wiltfong Know?
What I don’t understand is how does Wiltfong have sources at basically every school? He knew Raiola was getting ready to take a trip and also that it was back to Nebraska? Local media in Nebraska who I would think have better connections didn’t even know that. Just kind of mind-boggling to me how he knows all this stuff.
The Transformation
What is really crazy to me is the fact we are going from one of the worst QB rooms in Power 5 with Sims, HH, and Purdy to possibly one of the best in an offseason. I’m not trying to speak in hyperbole there, but based on how things went in 2023, that room just wasn’t very good. What if all of a sudden in 2024 I told you we had an All-Conference B1G player in it and the #1 recruit in the nation there? It really doesn’t get much better than that. And while it won’t be an overly deep room that needs to avoid injury, i’ll take this everyday of the week.
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I’d be interested in who you think the QB coach will be. That’s where my head went when all this news came out on Monday. We have to be upgrading with a new hire don’t we? It would be odd for McCord and Raiola’s guy to take a college job.
I think there will be a new staff hire but i’m really unsure who it is and at what spot. QB coach makes the most sense, especially with Rhule kind of circling around the question in his postseason presser that he wasn’t ready to give a definitive answer.
Rhule has always said he will try to develop what he has then use the transfer portal, but if he has a shot to take a big time talent he will always go for it.
In Carolina, one of his issues was not having a good QB. He was quoted that he wished he would of been more aggressive getting a better QB in the first year. Maybe this is him learning from his mistakes.
I don’t think McCord is a good fit, he wont have time to throw and he wont have the talent around him to bail him out. Time will tell. If we can keep HH as a wildcat QB or place someone in that role to help the run game, then maybe it could work.
Probably a good call. He wasn’t going to go into year 2 just running the room back like it was so if he was going to spend or overspend somewhere may as well be at the most important spot.
Ya, his lack of running concerns me. Already have that loaded for my commitment article.
I’m not as concerned with his lack of running skills as our current QBs lack of passing skills.
I understand that out line still isn’t great but did improve some, and I don’t expect us to be competing for championships this year.
If McCord is basically who he was and can be steady, make reads, and make the passes that are given him…loke just be a good quarterback, that will be plenty for our ambitions IMO.
Interesting point about Rhule possibly changing his view from just selling his vision to having to get tangible results now. Nebraska has gone from being regarded as a second- or third-tier NIL program, to apparently ready to drop 7 figures each on 2 QBs.
Have we always had this NIL money available but just weren’t spending it? Or have we just had a huge increase in donation money after Rhule’s comment about the current going-rate for a QB?
We haven’t always had it. But I do know that Rhule came in and didn’t want to drop a ton of money in NIL so it was also pulled back a bit. I think if you are going to get a Raiola or even a Lacy at RB you have to be willing to pay a little.
Very good article. I am glad to see that you are back writing again. I have missed your take on the issues surrounding the football team.
Appreciate the kind words. I get a little down once things go south like the end of the season and it’s tough to write articles that aren’t lopsided negative so sometimes I taper off.
Really good take on the QB situation. A couple comments/questions: The way I saw it, Simms, HH and eventually Purdy were banged up because they ran and got hit too much (duh). Whether that was coached or done because they struggled in the pocket, reading defenses, progressions, etc., I don’t know. Maybe the coaches knew none of them could do these things well so they said “take off if read #1 isn’t there”. My point is that McCord (and hopefully Raiola) can do these things and outside of the occasional scramble, won’t need to run much and thus will be a much lower risk to getting hurt (also, duh). So, personally I’m comfortable with a 3 QB room (4 with walk on?) as long as 1 and 2 are KM and DR.
I have to disagree with the comment above from a poster that McCord is a bad fit and won’t have time to throw. Our QBs this year often had plenty of time to throw, but couldn’t get it done (see above). I also think the WRs can and will improve on route running. I think Satt’s ’23 offense was a just trying to plug in what our limited skill talent could do. As far as the OL, they were definitely better than in ’22. Plus Rhule is a line guy. He isn’t going to bring in top QBs just so they can run for their lives fifty times a game. QB was our biggest problem and it may be soon fixed.
For sure, I think for at least Sims and HH they had designed runs for them because that’s what they were best at. They aren’t throwers, so they ran more often than not whether that was designed or if the first read wasn’t there.
I think our OL looked better as the year went on, but I see the posters concern. Purdy looked like the best guy because he could scramble when things broke down. But with our two tackles and center returning I think we have a good nucleus.
Agree 100% about the line providing protection to throw. How many times this year did we see receivers running open with time to throw, but the QB simply didn’t make the read or make the wrong choice? I know the OL in 22 was on the struggle bus the whole season, but the 23 line was a marked improvement and expect continued improvement from them in 24. If a guy like McCord can make the reads, the throws, and lead receivers, (which he can), then the OL won’t be taking the heat they have been and we’ll all be talking about the massive improvement in their play.
Part of me is concerned because Satt needed to go RPO (one read and decision made) with SIms/HH and how bad our OL was early, but he didn’t do that. I’m hoping McCord and Raiola are more what he’s used to coaching and that our offense looks much different in 2024.
If our QB’s could’ve just made the open throws last year we are in bowl prep right now. The time in the pocket got better as the year went on, but others are correct: if other DC’s know our QB’s are terrible decision makers and can’t make the easy throw blitz the heck out of them. From his film it looks like DR has incredible touch and placement on his deep balls even while throwing under duress. Moves around great in the pocket. Interesting to see how things evolve.
For sure… the Minnesota, Iowa, and Maryland game all have throws that if just one of those don’t result in an INT we are winning one of those games and bowling.
Yeah on tape, Raiola Is like the perfect version of modern day QB you want. Big arm, soft touch, and can make throws on the run. Is mobile but uses that to make a throw vs just to tuck and run. Reminds me of Mahomes’ game.
To be clear, I’m not saying he is the next Mahomes’, and you never know how a player Will translate to the next level. But his game and physical traits have that style to them.
Doesn’t appear the perfect scenario is going to happen unless they find another QB in the portal. I get why McCord backed out. One bad game and there would be immense pressure for DR to start. The way things look right now DR will probably be starting next Fall if he commits. The question is are there enough pieces around him to make him successful? At this point I would argue no.
Now that DR has committed he is going to have immense pressure to be successful from the get go due to his potential. As stated above, I do have concerns there are enough pieces around him on offense to make him successful. Main concerns I have are the RB and Receiver room. Johnson is the only healthy back returning and the other two have proven to be injury prone. It seems to me NU needs to bring in one decent RB from the portal who has experience. At receiver, still believe they need to add 1 to 2 receivers from the portal with experience.
We absolutely need a transfer RB and it looks like we have that Oregon kid coming in. At WR, I would love for us to get just one transfer if we have some room, but I would want him here for the spring so we will see if they can get that done.