Nebraska football head coach Matt Rhule had a lengthy press conference following a disappointing season for the Cornhuskers. After Rhule commented on the players and games from the 2023 season, the focus shifted toward the future, most importantly in the quarterback room. Rhule spoke on potentially bringing in a transfer quarterback but commented on the steep price of that request.
“Make no mistake: a good quarterback in the portal costs $1 million to $1.5 million to $2 million right now. So just so we’re on the same page, right? Let’s make sure we all understand what’s happening. There are some teams that have $6-7 million players playing for them,” said Rhule, per Matt Olson at The Athletic.
The Cornhuskers had one of the most crowded quarterback rooms in the nation, and despite giving multiple guys a chance to prove themselves, no one stood out in the equation. They gave snaps to Jeff Sims, Heinrich Haarberg, and Chubba Purdy on multiple occasions.
There was never a true starter in Lincoln, which really hurt Nebraska's chances of finding any consistency. Rhule mentioned the price a good transfer portal quarterback would look for, basically viewing the offseason similar to the NFL with free agents. There's been a flurry of transfers that have already hit the portal and with popularity rising every year, there will likely be plenty of options for Rhule and Nebraska football.
Rhule is tied into the program for many years to come, so it's going to be important to get him at least a decent signal caller he can trust. The quarterback position is especially important in the Big Ten with so many talented defenses in the conference. It may be costly for the Cornhuskers, but right now it may also be their only option to succeed next season.