Nebraska Football's Corey Campbell Talks How Players are 'Defending the Process'

Now that the standard is in place, Campbell says it’s about intentionality. With NCAA rules limiting coach involvement during much of July, the staff is trusting players to stay locked in without constant oversight.

Campbell’s message to the team?

“Make sure you guys understand what you’re working towards,” Campbell said. “Be intentional in the work that you do.”

With that in mind, the team appears fully bought in. Campbell says the expectations remain constant, whether it’s June or August. Winning habits don’t happen by accident, and this group is earning theirs through consistency and hard work.

The sweat equity being invested now will pay off when it matters most. As Campbell put it, “By the time it hits fall camp, it’s going to be engrained in them and be second nature.”

As Nebraska transitions into a critical phase of summer workouts, the foundation being laid behind the scenes will be just as important as anything that happens on Saturdays this fall. Matt Rhule and the coaching staff may be stepping back per NCAA rules, but the culture they’ve built continues to take root, and thrive, because of the players themselves.

That player-driven accountability is what gives this team a real chance to take a leap forward in 2025. With leadership developing from within and the daily standard now being upheld by the locker room itself, Nebraska is starting to look like a program that knows who it wants to be.

Fall camp is coming, and this team intends to show that all the behind-the-scenes work wasn’t just talk, it was transformation.

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