Matt Rhule secures major recruiting win as three-star 255-pound OT commits to Nebraska for 2026 class

Matt Rhule secured another commitment in the class of 2026 on Monday after offensive tackle Leon Noil gave his word to Nebraska. The three-star prospect initially planned to announce his decision on July 7, but wasted no time in giving his pledge to the Cornhuskers.

The 6-foot-4, 225-pound tackle committed to Nebraska ahead of the other two finalists, Baylor and Mississippi State. He was said to have received around 20 scholarship offers, narrowing the list down to three programs, before finally settling to play college football in Lincoln.

In his interview with On3 following his commitment, Leon Noil explained how he decided on his recruitment process. He noted a couple of things Matt Rhule’s program offered that gave it the edge.

“Nebraska offered me in January and they have been heavily recruiting me since then,” Noil told On3. “One of the biggest things I love about Nebraska is the resources they have there. How close people are and the community stand out a lot and the fan base is different too.

“After all my visits, I did some thinking and felt Nebraska in my heart. I have been to Nebraska twice and the vibe is great. Everyone is very family-oriented.”

Noil is also elated about who he will be working with at Nebraska. Donovan Raiola enters his fourth season as the Cornhuskers’ offensive line coach and the third under Matt Rhule’s leadership.

“Coach Raiola is the coach I have the best relationship with,” Noil said. “He is a good coach and a good person to be around. Coach Rhule is great too. He is a lot of fun to be around.”

Matt Rhule is counting on NFL experience to handle new NIL rules at Nebraska

College football starts revenue sharing at the beginning of July, marking a new variable in the NIL landscape. As recruiting intensifies for the class of 2026, Matt Rhule believes the experience he had in the NFL will come in handy in managing NIL at Nebraska.

“I think the biggest thing you learn when you’re in the NFL is really evaluation,” Rhule told Greg McElroy on the Always College Football podcast. “Before in college football, it was like, ‘Yeah, he’s a good player, let’s offer him, let’s take him.’

“You get to the NFL, they’re all good players. It’s just, ‘Hey, what’s the financial value we put on this person and put on this position?’ Every year in the NFL you go through free agency and you see teams walking away from it with really good players because of their contract situations.”

Rhule had a short-lived tenure in the NFL with the Carolina Panthers. Following his successful stint at Baylor, the coach took his first NFL head coaching job with the franchise. However, his three seasons with the Panthers failed to impress, finishing with an 11-27 record.