“We want to be a killer instinct team that plays the same way every day.” As fall camp begins, Matt Rhule continues to reinforce that message in his Nebraska team. After a 7–6 season, the Huskers aren’t just trying to improve; they’re also trying to achieve the third-year Rhule leap that supporters are used to. However, Rhule clarified at Big Ten Media Days that there are other components to the puzzle besides talent. He thinks that Nebraska’s identity in 2025 will be shaped by the small things, like daily routines, discipline, and details.
The Huskers finally feel like a team with direction now that Dylan Raiola has settled in and Rhule’s recruiting pipeline is looking stronger than ever. Nebraska isn’t just hoping to compete anymore; they’re expecting to win. And that shift in mentality is what led Rhule to make one of the boldest decisions of his tenure to date that has caught college football’s attention.
In a recent post on X, Nebraska dropped the news on why NFL coach John Butler is officially joining the Huskers as their new defensive coordinator. “He wants to shut down explosive teams. John Butler had the top secondary in the NFL for 5 years. Butler has that aggression and fire to accomplish that,” it said. The action, which follows Tony White‘s exit, shows an obvious shift in Rhule’s strategy. Rhule wants an edge going into a pivotal season, and Butler, who spent years leading in the NFL, is known for his aggressive schemes.
Matt Rhule on why he hired John Butler to be his new Defensive Coordinator.
He wants to shut down explosive teams. John Butler had the top secondary in the NFL for 5 years Butler has that aggression and fire to accomplish that. pic.twitter.com/aIZbvxFRps
— Rhuler of Husker Nation (@RHULEROFNEB) August 7, 2025
In Big Saturday Night at NBC Sports, Matt Rhule acknowledged that Tony White had a successful stretch in the past years. “Yeah, we’ve played great defense the last two years and Tony White did a great job.” Sure, replacing him was no easy task. “But when the job came open, I had to think about what’s next. If you want to be in the CFP, and not just be there, but win it, you’ve got to win crucial moments,” he added. Finding someone who could elevate the defense, particularly against elite passing attacks, was essential for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. The fact that Nebraska is spending $1 million annually on Butler demonstrates how committed Rhule is to building a top-tier defense.
“You’ve got to win third down. You’ve got to win two-minute,” he said. That’s when John Butler came in. “And when I looked at John, someone that, you know, was in the NFL for 10 years, had the top secondary in the NFL for like five of those years. And I wanted to advance some of the things we do defensively versus, you know, great throwing teams,” he added. And the numbers tell the story. The Nebraska Cornhuskers then finished 17th in scoring defense and 18th in total defense nationally in 2024. The team recorded the most pick-sixes Nebraska has had since 2013, with 11 interceptions, three of which were returned for touchdowns.
Nebraska heats up with expectations
Fall camp rumors make it abundantly evident that John Butler is not here to play nice. With his no-nonsense approach, the new DC is setting the tone already. Young talent like Riley Van Poppel and Elijah Judy are being set up to fill the enormous void left by Ty Robinson and Nash Hutmacher, while veterans like Marquise Watson-Trent are strengthening the foundation. Butler is focusing on the most important things, which are communication and physicality, with only nine full-pad practices permitted. And the same tone is being echoed from the top down.
Troy Dannen, the AD for Nebraska, isn’t letting Trev Alberts go. He stated that the pressure is on, saying, “Competitive expectations are equal to or greater for this year than they were last year.” Dannen didn’t sugarcoat the facts: yes, the program endured for years without any significant victories, but that model isn’t sustainable. He stated quite plainly, “If you’re not in it to win it, get out.” That Pinstripe Bowl victory against Boston College (20-15) was enormous. It gave fans something to hope for again and ended a seven-year drought.
Now that Nebraska football has a lot of resources, Dannen has made it clear that winning is the new norm and competing isn’t enough. Now, all eyes will be on August 28, when Nebraska plays Cincinnati in the first game of the 2025 season at Arrowhead Stadium. The Huskers are going into Kansas City with more than just momentum; they have expectations thanks to their reloaded defense and rising talent like Dylan Raiola under Matt Rhule.
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