Colorado and Nebraska will feature prime time football ideology clash

The coaching philosophies for Deion Sanders and Matt Rhule will be on display

CU Buffs

The upcoming game between Colorado and Nebraska not only reignites a historic rivalry but also serves as a pivotal moment in the debate over how best to build a college football team in today’s rapidly evolving landscape.

Since both Deion Sanders and Matt Rhule took over their respective programs in late 2022, their approaches to rebuilding their teams have been starkly different, each reflecting broader trends and philosophies within college football. Rhule has embraced a traditional approach rooted in high school recruiting and player development at Nebraska. He has made 486 off-campus contacts with potential recruits, according to USA TODAY Sports, showing his commitment to grassroots recruiting. His 2023 roster includes 48 freshmen among 60 newcomers, a mix heavily tilted toward young, developmental talent. Rhule has also focused on recruiting within Nebraska, with 53 players hailing from the state. His philosophy emphasizes building relationships with local high schools and maintaining a steady pipeline of in-state talent, highlighted by his 108 visits to high schools since his hiring.

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On the other hand, Deion Sanders has taken a drastically different path at Colorado. Instead of focusing on high school recruits, Sanders has leaned heavily into the transfer portal, capitalizing on the NCAA’s relaxed transfer rules to bring experienced players into his program. Sanders brought in 44 transfers out of 65 newcomers, opting to prioritize immediate impact over long-term development. Unlike Rhule, Sanders hasn’t visited high schools or recruits’ homes, focusing instead on players already in the transfer market. His emphasis on out-of-state recruiting is also evident, with more players on his roster from Texas (21) and Florida (18) than from Colorado (14).

This divergence represents a broader philosophical clash in college football today. Rhule’s approach embodies the old-school method of developing talent from within, banking on players who “buy in" to his coaching style and grow over time. Sanders, however, views the transfer portal as a necessary tool for rapid transformation, especially given the dire state of Colorado’s program when he took over. He has argued that relying on high school recruits would take too long and potentially cost him his job, stating, “When you inherit a roster like we inherited, you can’t deal with high school kids that much, because it takes them probably a couple of years to develop (and) you’ll be fired in a couple of years.”

Both approaches come with their own set of risks. Rhule’s developmental model requires patience and a tolerance for growing pains, as evidenced by Nebraska’s 5-7 record last season. Questions loom about how many seasons Rhule will be given to cultivate his recruits before results are demanded. Sanders’ approach, on the other hand, requires the rapid integration of new players and the constant reshuffling of the roster. This strategy proved volatile last year when Colorado started strong at 3-0 but ended the season with eight losses in their last nine games.

The debate over these two models extends to the quarterback position, with Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, a senior transfer and son of Deion Sanders, squaring off against Nebraska’s Dylan Raiola, a freshman. This symbolic matchup highlights the broader clash between immediate impact and long-term development. While Rhule has downplayed the narrative of a “culture clash,” his comments on preferring to “coach my guys” rather than shop the portal suggest a deep-seated belief in his traditional model.

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The game between Colorado and Nebraska may not definitively prove which approach is superior, as both Rhule and Sanders continue to adapt their strategies. Nebraska has started incorporating more transfers into its lineup, while Sanders recently noted that his team featured two true freshmen in their season opener for the first time in school history. As former Colorado coach Gary Barnett aptly put it to USA TODAY, “For me, it’s a little too early to say one way is better than the other.”

Ultimately, the outcome of this game will provide insight into the effectiveness of each approach, but the broader question of how to build a successful college football team in the modern era remains unresolved. As both teams evolve, the clash between tradition and transformation will continue to define their paths forward.