What is Matt Rhule referring to on Twitter? It’s anyone’s guess

The former Temple coach has made his Twitter an emoji-only guessing game when it comes to the business of college football.

Former Temple coach Matt Rhule, now the head coach at Nebraska, has taken to Twitter with a series of cryptic tweets regarding moves within his program and college football.Read moreRebecca S. Gratz / AP

by Kerith Gabriel

Published Dec. 21, 2022, 12:58 p.m. ET

You need a decoder to understand what former Temple football coach Matt Rhule is saying these days on social media.

Rhule signed an eight-year deal to become the head coach at Nebraska in November. He has become a bit of a viral sensation on Twitter with a series of cryptic, emoji-only tweets that have created more speculation than actual news.

One of his latest emoji-only series appears to be taking potshots at the universities of Oregon and Miami, showcasing signature logos of both programs followed by a bag of money and the ghost emoji.

Needless to say, the tweet, which arrived on the eve of college football’s early signing day, caused a guessing-game firestorm about what Rhule was referring to.

The consensus guess — at least among the Twitterverse — is that Rhule might be able to snag a couple of top recruits who originally committed to those programs. Or that schools are splashing the cash for top recruits over concerns that they might lose them to other programs.

It could also be the fact that schools can’t hold on to top recruits fast enough: Considering the free-for-all that name, image, and likeness deals have become, it’s now the athlete and not the coaches holding all of the power.

In the heat of the early signing day on Wednesday, Rhule was at it again with another cryptic tweet that left followers guessing:

It’s a confusing way to get a message across, but it shouldn’t be a surprise considering the confusing and multitiered landscape that college athletics has become. More and more, recruits are committing to schools, only to pull their commitment at the 11th hour to announce their commitment to another program.

However, recruits don’t have all the power thanks to the NCAA’s transfer portal, which gives college athletes the opportunity to transfer to another program without having to redshirt for a season. It also has given coaches carte blanche to scope out the best free agents in their sport before offering scholarships to a potential incoming freshman.

Perhaps that’s what Rhule is referring to, albeit cryptically. The pendulum has shifted on national signing day. Schools can offer kids big money, but there’s never a guarantee the deal is in the bag.