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‘Great Players Love Competition’: Nebraska Football Coach Matt Rhule Sees Added Depth in the Secondary

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‘Great Players Love Competition’: Nebraska Football Coach Matt Rhule Sees Added Depth in the Secondary


Nebraska football coach Matt Rhule wants his defense to be better on third down this fall.

In 2024, Husker opponents converted on 35.2% of third downs. That rate was good for 31st in the nation and fifth in the Big Ten Conference.

But in the first five losses last year, the opponents converted at a 40.4% clip. Iowa, the sixth loss of the season, went 0-for-10 on third downs.

Iowa quarterback Jackson Stratton (19) hands the ball off to wide  receiver Seth Anderson during the Hawkeyes' 2024 game agai

Iowa quarterback Jackson Stratton (19) hands the ball off to wide receiver Seth Anderson during the Hawkeyes’ 2024 game against Nebraska. / Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Rhule said the defense this fall, now under the direction of new defensive coordinator John Butler and with help from associate head coach Phil Snow, won’t “just sit in a 3-3.”

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“We’re going to put five corners on the field at times, five safeties,” Rhule said at his Saturday media availability. “I want different groupings out there. I want a ton of guys playing.”

Rhule said the depth in the secondary is “really strong.”

“We can start six different guys at corner right now,” Rhule said. “We could start four or five different guys at safeties.”

Nebraska defensive back Malcolm Hartzog Jr. celebrates a play against Rutgers.

Nebraska defensive back Malcolm Hartzog Jr. celebrates a play last season against Rutgers. / Amarillo Mullen

Rhule acknowledged that the dynamic of the secondary and depth could change this coming week with the spring transfer portal window. Still, the addition of multiple transfer defensive backs, the return of guys like Marques Buford, Malcolm Hartzog, DeShon Singleton and Ceyair Wright, as well as the development of Jeremiah Charles, Mario Buford, Caleb Benning and more, the secondary is primed for a solid 2025.

“But for the most part, great players love competition,” Rhule said.

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On the front end, Rhule has been impressed with what the pass rush is beginning to look like.

“We have some guys I know can rush. I think we have some really athletic guys. Phil’s doing a great job with those edge guys. (Defensive line coach Terry Bradden) is doing a great job with the other guys and they’re working together. I see a comprehensive rush plan starting to come together,” Rhule said.

You can watch Rhule’s full media availability from Saturday below.

Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.



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Nebraska baseball falls to 16th-ranked Kansas

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Nebraska baseball falls to 16th-ranked Kansas


LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – The Nebraska baseball team lost to Kansas 9-7 on Tuesday in front of a record crowd at Hoglund Park. The Huskers took an early lead on an RBI single by National Freshman of the Week Drew Grego. After giving up three unanswered runs, Nebraska rallied to go back in front on a 3rd-inning single by Will Jesske. Both Grego and Jesske finished with two hits in the game.

Kansas, however, took control in the middle innings. The Jayhawks got home runs from Tyson Owens and Josh Dykoff in the sixth frame. Both round-trippers came off NU relief pitcher Ty Horn. Kansas added insurance in the 7th inning before a late rally by the Huskers.

Nebraska trimmed a five-run deficit to two, but couldn’t complete the comeback on the road.

The Huskers’ loss is their second to the Jayhawks this season. Nebraska’s record drops to 31-10 overall.

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Will Bolt’s team returns to action on Friday at Illinois. Game one is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. in Champaign.

Click here to subscribe to our 10/11 NOW daily digest and breaking news alerts delivered straight to your email inbox.

Copyright 2026 KOLN. All rights reserved.



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Nebraska jumps up to No. 2 in college softball Power 10 rankings

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Nebraska jumps up to No. 2 in college softball Power 10 rankings


Softball

April 21, 2026

Nebraska jumps up to No. 2 in college softball Power 10 rankings

April 21, 2026

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Check out Michella Chester’s updated college softball Power 10 rankings for the week of April 21, which sees Nebraska rise to No. 2 behind an 11-game win streak.



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Mental health by the numbers in Nebraska

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Mental health by the numbers in Nebraska


OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – A deeper look tonight as First Alert 6 continues to dig deeper into the state of mental health care in Nebraska and possible solutions, ever since last week’s two instances involving law enforcement.

A Douglas County sheriff’s deputy was shot responding to a domestic call. Investigators said the suspect, Brian Huggins, had a history of behavioral health issues. Huggins died by suicide.

And then Noemi Guzman, who police say kidnapped a 3-year-old from inside an Omaha Walmart and cut him in the arm and face with a stolen kitchen knife. Omaha police officers shot and killed her before she could strike again.

Guzman had been on a court-ordered mental health treatment plan since last summer for her schizophrenia. According to court records, psychiatrists determined she could live in the community. Remember, this was after she was arrested for setting her father’s house on fire and threatening a priest with a knife.

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Monitoring system

We wanted to know who is part of the system monitoring those who may not be following their mental health treatment plan and are a risk to others or themselves. When that happens, the Board of Mental Health will often notify the local sheriff so a warrant can be issued and deputies can track the individual down.

Here are the numbers since 2023:

In 2023, 842 warrants were issued for those not following their treatment plans according to the Board of Mental Health. In 2024, 756. In 2025, 690. So far in 2026, 190.

But out of these 2,500 warrants, 85% of them didn’t have a second warrant, meaning deputies picked them up, got them back into treatment and the individuals continued to thrive after the one hiccup.

But in 15% of these cases, the individuals messed up again and had another warrant issued by the Board of Mental Health. Twenty-five individuals had five or more issued in Douglas County.

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Sheriff Hanson said there has to be a better way, a more team approach for this.

One model to explore is the way Nebraska’s problem-solving courts work like drug court and veterans’ treatment court where experts from a variety of stakeholders help individuals who are on the fringes to do everything to make them productive citizens.

Copyright 2026 WOWT. All rights reserved.



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