Matt Rhule Makes Significant Practice Change From The Scott Frost Era

Nebraska practices look a bit different with Matt Rhule running the show.

During the Scott Frost era, there wasn't a ton of high speed contact in practices, which drew the ire of many.

That's no longer the case. Not only are the Cornhuskers flying all over the place on the field in practice under Rhule, but that includes the quarterbacks getting live action.

"I let quarterbacks play, and that was the best the quarterbacks had played (Saturday). That's the best they have played. They needed that. They needed those live reps when they can get hit to speed up their process. We went quarterbacks live inside the 5-yard line. You find out when you do that they don't get hit that often. It just speeds up their process. A lot of things for us is a little bit off timing-wise. What I love about our group is they're not making excuses," the former Panthers head coach turned B1G program leader told the press after a recent practice, according to 247Sports.

Matt Rhule is changing the tone.

There was a time in college football history when the Nebraska Cornhuskers were one of the most feared programs in the country.

Nobody wanted to line up against the Blackshirts. They were a brutalizing defense and program in general.

In the 1990s, the Cornhuskers won three titles in the span of four seasons. However, those days are long gone. Nebraska's last okay season was back in 2016 under Mike Riley when the Cornhuskers went 9-4. Since then, it's been a disaster in Lincoln, and Scott Frost was fired early last season. The program went from being a power to being a team easily pushed around.

That's what Matt Rhule is attempting to change. By going high speed in practice, Rhule is setting the tone that there's a new sheriff in town.

The days of Nebraska being pushed around are coming to an end.....or that's at least what Rhule will attempt to build.

Unfortunately for Rhule, he has his work cut out for him. Over the past three seasons, Nebraska is an abysmal 10-22.

It's going to be a very long climb to the top of the mountain in the Big Ten, but at least Rhule is throwing out the soft ways of the past out the window.

It's football. Get ready to get hit or find a different sport.

The good news is the Cornhuskers have a relatively soft 2023 schedule. If Matt Rhule can hit the ground running early this year, Nebraska could possibly surprise some people.

Written by
David Hookstead is a reporter for OutKick covering a variety of topics with a focus on football and culture. He also hosts of the podcast American Joyride that is accessible on Outkick where he interviews American heroes and outlines their unique stories. Before joining OutKick, Hookstead worked for the Daily Caller for seven years covering similar topics. Hookstead is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin.