CBS Sports has ranked all 68 Power Four coaches heading into the 2026 college football season. Matt Rhule dropped five spots from last year’s poll, coming in at No. 37 in this year’s rankings.
Rhule is entering his fourth season in Lincoln. He has a 19-19 record overall and 10-17 in the Big Ten Conference. Last season, Nebraska went 7-6 (4-5) and lost to Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl.
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The Huskers enter the 2026 season with several new faces on the staff and roster. Rob Aurich is entering his first season as defensive coordinator after John Butler was dismissed after one season on the job.
Geep Wade is the new offensive line coach after the dismissal of Donovan Raiola. Donovan wasn’t the only Raiola to depart the program, as Dylan Raiola transferred to Oregon after two seasons as the starting quarterback.
Nebraska replaced Raiola by adding former UNLV quarterback Anthony Colandrea to the roster. The St. Petersburg, Florida, native finished the 2025 season throwing for 3,459 yards, 23 touchdowns, and nine interceptions with a 65.9 completion percentage.
He also ran for 649 yards and 10 touchdowns. His play earned him the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year award. CBS Sports highlighted Rhule’s inability to finish a season with a winning record in the Big Ten as a main reason for dropping in this year’s poll.
There were hopes that when Matt Rhule landed Dylan Raiola, it would return the Cornhuskers to glory. That’s not how it worked out, though, and after going only 14-12 in two seasons with Raiola, Rhule falls in our rankings for a second consecutive season. While he put an end to Nebraska’s bowl drought and has reached the postseason each of the last two years, Rhule is yet to finish a season with a winning record in the Big Ten, and is starting over again at QB.
Nebraska opens the 2026 season on Sept. 5 at Memorial Stadium. The Huskers will host Ohio at 11 a.m. CT, and the game will be shown on FS1.
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This article originally appeared on Cornhuskers Wire: Nebraska football coach Matt Rhule drops in Power Four rankings
