Matt Rhule is ready to start his journey to rebuilding the Nebraska football program, and his first official depth chart is here. Jeff Sims will start at quarterback again, but who else made the Cornhuskers' first string?

 

Offense

Quarterback: Jeff Sims

Running back: Gabe Ervin Jr.

Wide Receivers: Alex Bullock, Isaiah Garcia-Casteneda

Slot receiver: Billy Kemp IV

Tight end: Nate Boerkircher -OR- Thomas Fidone II

Offensive line (from left to right): Turner Corcoran, Ethan Piper, Ben Scott, Noure Nouili, Bryce Benhart

 

Defense

Defensive ends: Ty Robinson, Blaise Gunnerson OR Cameron Lenhardt

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Defensive tackle: Nash Hutmacher

Linebackers: Luke Reimer, Nick Henrich, Chief Borders -OR- MJ Sherman

Cornerbacks: Quinton Newsome, Malcolm Hartzog

Safeties: DeShon Singleton, Omar Brown

Nickel: Isaac Gifford

 

Outlook

Matt Rhule is no stranger to rebuilding a college football team. He took the reins of a Baylor program that had the worst optics in the country. Following a sexual assault scandal, Art Briles left behind a cultural mess that nobody wanted any part of, and the on-field results were just as bad.

The Bears went 1-11 in Rhule's first season at Baylor. By year three, they finished the regular season 11-1, and played for the Big 12 Championship. Baylor finished 11-3 after losing to Oklahoma and then Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, but it was an unbelievably strong turnaround for a program that looked like it was destined for some really dark times.

Rhule then left to take the Carolina Panthers head coach job. His time in the NFL was a disappointment, but it's a very different task than leading a college football program. Even Nick Saban didn't excel at the NFL level.

Rhule has proven he has what it takes to restore this Nebraska football program to the top of the sport. It may not be as glorious as it once was, but it will certainly be better than it has been.

Rhule also wants to rebuild this program in a natural way, unlike the way Colorado and USC have been flipped upside down through the transfer portal. Expect this rebuild to be a two to three year job, not an overnight success.