Nebraska football: Matt Rhule on transfer portal, ‘Not all that’s true’

The transfer portal is a major topic in college football once again, thanks to the Nico Iamaleava controversy, as the Tennessee starting quarterback is entering the portal after an unsuccessful holdout. On Saturday, Nebraska football head coach Matt Rhule spoke to the media and talked about how to handle this new era.

It’s been a hot topic of conversation among Nebraska football fans, too, not just because of the Tennessee issue. The Vols just lost their starting quarterback, but every program has had players leave for more money or opportunities elsewhere.

Mikai Gbayor, a former Nebraska football linebacker, comes to mind. He entered the transfer portal during the winter window before ending up at Missouri. Gbayor was an 11-game starter for the Huskers last season and has a visit scheduled to North Carolina already, but still, it’s a reminder that the grass isn’t always greener.

I don’t know if Rhule was talking about Gbayor specifically when he was asked about the transfer portal on Saturday. Other Nebraska football players have left for other programs with mixed results. Still, it was interesting to hear what the head coach had to say though.

“If they aren’t happy here, I want them to leave,” Rhule said. “Just don’t leave because someone says, ‘Hey, I can get you a couple of more bucks or a couple more of this or a couple more of that’ because I think a lot of the guys who leave, they find out that not all that’s true.”

Rhule also talked about how players are developed at Nebraska and that if a player is an NFL player, he will essentially rise to the top, regardless of the situation.

At any rate, you get the impression that Rhule and the Huskers aren’t too worried about losing players during the spring transfer portal window. Some are sure to leave due to unknowns surrounding roster limits, but I wouldn’t expect any that are expected to play a major role next season.

Rhule is a big reason why.

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