By Rock Westfall
Matt Rhule is generating momentum at Nebraska but must carefully nurture top recruit Dylan Raiola.
Adrian Martinez – A Warning from History
We have seen this movie before. In 2017, newly arrived head coach Scott Frost landed prized QB recruit Adrian Martinez. Frost flipped Martinez from the Tennessee Volunteers and SEC Country. In the Land of Corn, it was not a question of if there would be Heisman Trophy and national championship celebrations. It was a question of when. However, the project never got off the ground. Frost and Martinez turned out to be fool’s gold. The Frost-Martinez partnership ended with plenty of scars.
Frost left Nebraska as a failed loser in 2022 with a badly damaged reputation. He has not yet returned to football. Martinez went on to play at Kansas State as a graduate transfer in 2022. At K-State, with strong coaching and a quality supporting cast, Martinez flourished. He starred in a memorable victory at Oklahoma and helped the Wildcats win the Big 12 championship.
The 2024 Nebraska Cornhuskers have a new promising partnership of second-year head coach Matt Rhule and 5-star QB sensation Dylan Raiola. Like Martinez, Raiola was flipped from a premier SEC brand, Georgia, to Nebraska. Raiola arrives as the touted savior of a program that is desperate for a return to national relevance.
It is easy to assume Raiola will step right into the number one QB slot just as Martinez did. But rushing things could prove disastrous, as it was for Martinez.
He didn't know what to expect on his visit, but @MartinezTheQB quickly found out there is NO PLACE like Nebraska.
December ✍️#GBR #AllN pic.twitter.com/XJJtYPPi7o
— Nebraska Football (@HuskerFootball) February 7, 2018
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A Record-Setting but Lost Career
Adrian Martinez was a sad case of too much too soon. He was named the starter for the Big Red as a true freshman. At Nebraska, the starting quarterback faces the heat of a spotlight and media attention unlike anywhere else. It is difficult enough to be a Power Five starting QB in the Big Ten. But at Nebraska, that is magnified to an unimaginable level.
Additionally, Martinez was installed as the starter for a fledgling program that lacked a quality supporting cast to give him the necessary support for success. From the start, Martinez was forced to carry most of the burden. He was plagued with countless injuries during his time at Nebraska but toughed it out to stay in the lineup. At times, Frost would flirt with using an alternative QB. But it was quickly discovered that Martinez was the best option available.
Adrian Martinez set 16 records at Nebraska but was never on a winning team during his time with the Big Red. In the end, his body and spirit were broken. He was unable to answer the bell for Senior Day in 2022. Later, it was revealed he had been playing for several weeks with a broken jaw and a shoulder injury.
The Adrian Martinez saga is one Matt Rhule must avoid. And it looks like Rhule is a quick study on the topic.
Frost is unsure whether Adrian Martinez will participate in Nebraska's Senior Day ceremony. The 4-year starting QB has the option to return in 2022.
"I would encourage him to walk. Certainly hope its not his last one. If it is, he needs to be honored."#Huskers @1011_News pic.twitter.com/4OXEkjo2fk
— Kevin Sjuts (@kevinsjuts) November 22, 2021
Enter Glenn Thomas
Matt Rhule did not have a specific QB coach in his first year at Nebraska, but he has one now. Glenn Thomas arrives from the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he was an offensive assistant in 2024. Previously, Thomas was a QB coach for the Atlanta Falcons, Temple, Baylor, UNLV, and Arizona State. Although he has further experience as an offensive coordinator and the additional title of co-offensive coordinator at Nebraska, Rhule confirmed that Scott Satterfield would call the plays.
Rhule and Thomas were together at Temple and Baylor, where they shared success. Rhule said he knows his QBs will get quality coaching from Thomas, whom the HC trusts.
New Nebraska assistant coach Glenn Thomas is learning quickly about #Huskers fans & their passion.
"I was outside walking in the concourse (at PBA). That thing was rocking in there. I was like this place is… let's go!"
Watch Thomas's full interview: https://t.co/tuw3NGt9Rh pic.twitter.com/WWpTag9uCW
— Kevin Sjuts (@kevinsjuts) February 13, 2024
A Stronger Supporting Cast and Culture
Raiola leads a strong 2024 recruiting class for Nebraska. Rhule and staff were relentless after failing to qualify for a bowl, using the extra time for a recruiting blitz that may serve as a benchmark for years to come.
Equally important, Rhule and athletic director Trev Alberts are partnering to build a Nebraska culture that emphasizes the benefits of players sticking with the school instead of transferring out.
Rhule is blunt about his demands and does not sugarcoat what is required to be a Husker. But he also emphasizes the family atmosphere of Nebraska caring about its players and their welfare. Rhule is creating a home that players will never want to leave. As a result, Nebraska ranks in the top five nationally for returning production entering the 2024 season.
BREAKING: Edge rusher Keona Wilhite announces his commitment to Nebraska, joining the #Huskers' 2024 recruiting class on Signing Day.
A very promising pass rusher prospect, Wilhite had signed with Washington in December before being granted a release. pic.twitter.com/0d7EpnOWmP
— Luke Mullin (@LjsLuke) February 7, 2024
Rhule-Raiola vs. Frost-Martinez – The Difference
Dylan Raiola will get better coaching and a stronger supporting cast around him than Adrian Martinez ever hoped to have in his Nebraska career. Thus, it is likely that Raiola won’t suffer the same tragic fate of a wasted Big Red career.
Kirk Herbstreit gives his take on the phone call he had with Dylan Raiola's dad before the QB recruit flipped his commitment from Georgia to Nebraska pic.twitter.com/W7fWbSrKHq
— Paul Finebaum (@finebaum) February 8, 2024
