For Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule, the NFL Combine is just one more sign that the times, they are a-changin'. Earlier this week, Rhule talked about how he used to go to the combine just to support guys like Emmett Johnson and DeShon Singleton. Now, it's not just a business trip for his players; it's a business trip for coaches as well.
"I probably spoke with 30 agents Thursday night and Friday because they represent high school players now," Rhule told the assembled media. "Pat Stewart went. Keith Williams went. Logan Holgorsen went.
"You probably could argue we could have been up there for three days, just with the amount of guys who represent pro and college players," the Nebraska football coach added. "And able to get a lot of meetings with those guys, not just for this year but years moving forward."
Nebraska football coach Matt Rhule says the NFL Combine is now a business trip
NIL and the transfer portal have changed all sorts of things in the college football world. Coaches don't have to just go into a high school player's living room and convince him and his parents to come to a school. Now, Rhule and coaches like him have to convince the people representing the players professionally.
The Nebraska staff also knows that the agents who are at these combines might represent players still in college, looking for a new team in the coming years. That's a change from before the Transfer Portal, when talking to agents was only important to help their players find someone who could get them to the next level.
One leg up that Nebraska might have over other schools is that Matt Rhule has seen the combine as a college and professional head coach. He understands the business that needs to be done better than most. In the long run, the NFL Combine being a business trip for Matt Rhule could be a very good thing.