Matt Rhule is drawing strong reviews from at least 1 ESPN analyst for his work so far this offseason.

On Thursday morning, ESPN’s Tom VanHaaren published an analysis of every first-year head coaches’ performance on the recruiting trail so far.

It’s early, but Rhule has excelled in both high school recruiting and in the transfer portal so far. Quarterback Jeff Sims and defensive end MJ Sherman headline a transfer portal class that’s projected to be impactful in 2023.

Rhule also helped Nebraska close with a near-top-25 recruiting class for the 2023 cycle. The Huskers currently have 6 commitments in the class of 2024 with more expected in the coming weeks.

Here’s some analysis from VanHaaren on Rhule’s outlook:

Rhule is off to a good start at rebuilding the roster the way he wants. He will need more playmakers on offense, and one of the 2024 recruits he is targeting is speedy receiver Gatlin Bair out of Idaho, who has seen his recruitment take off almost as fast as his 10.15 100-meter dash time. If Rhule can develop players on the field, land highly sought-after prospects and find some stability under center, he can use his blueprint to turn the Nebraska program around quickly.

Nebraska will be hoping to take a step forward in 2023. The Huskers went 4-8 last season and have not reached bowl eligibility since 2016.