Nebraska is a program that is trending up heading into the 2025 season.
If anything, look at the trends for head coach Matt Rhule. In Year 3 at Temple, he had the Owls as a 10-win program and considered one of the top teams in the AAC. At Baylor, the Bears went 11-3 in his third season in Waco, and that included an 8-1 record against Big 12 opponents.
Rhule is a program-builder, and especially with star quarterback Dylan Raiola entering his second year in Lincoln, the Cornhuskers will be one of the more interesting teams in the country to watch.
But can they compete for the College Football Playoff this season? Interestingly enough, Fox Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt recently revealed that he thinks Nebraska is close to being a “playoff party crasher.”
There is one reason he thinks the Huskers will fall short, though, and that’s the defensive side of the football.
First, losing former defensive coordinator Tony White to the same position at Florida State is going to be tough.
“Well, I didn’t pick them because they lost Tony White, their defensive coordinator. He’s very good. So they promoted from within with John Butler,” Klatt said (h/t On3).
Klatt doesn’t seem to think hiring from within was the right move to elevate Nebraska in 2025. He also seems worried about losses on the defensive line. Nash Hutmacher, a 6-foot-4, 310-pound defensive lineman, is now in the NFL, as is 6-foot-5, 288-pound defensive tackle Ty Robinson.
Those are two huge (literally) players that Nebraska may have a hard time replacing.
“That was the heart and soul of their defense, so I question whether their defense will be as strong this year as it was a year ago,” Klatt said.
Even in a 12-team CFP, a team with a massive weak link probably won’t cut it. It will be interesting to see if the defense really does hold back Nebraska in 2025, or if Klatt is simply overthinking it.
Again, Rhule’s track record is hard to ignore.
