Landon Keopple has spent enough time around productive offenses to know how to build one, even if his name hasn’t always been the one getting the spotlight. That’s part of what makes the Texas State offensive coordinator such an interesting fit in Nebraska’s search to replace Dana Holgorsen.
Keopple’s résumé stretches well beyond his work with GJ Kinne. Before arriving in that orbit, he spent nine seasons running the offense at Division II Southern Arkansas from 2011 through 2019. From there, he followed Kinne to Hawaii, then to Incarnate Word, and eventually to Texas State.
His path with the Bobcats started in a supporting role for two seasons before he was elevated to offensive coordinator in January 2025 after Mack Leftwich left to join Joey McGuire’s staff at Texas Tech. Since then, Keopple has been calling plays in an offense that Kinne largely built, while also taking on more responsibility and helping shape its evolution.
The results have been strong. Texas State ranked fifth nationally in total offense in 2025 at 472.8 yards per game and 12th in scoring at 36.5 points per game. The Bobcats also finished 10th in rushing at 222.1 yards per game.
This season, the production has climbed even higher. Now competing in the Pac-12, Texas State ranks fourth nationally in total offense at 517 yards per game and 11th in scoring at 38.6 points. The ground game is the part that should really catch Matt Rhule’s attention: the Bobcats are fifth nationally with 265.8 rushing yards per game, while also averaging 251.2 passing yards, which ranks 37th.
Keopple’s system carries some of the same DNA as a veer-and-shoot offense. It uses wide receiver alignments to stretch defenses and open up running lanes. Pre-snap motion is another key piece of the puzzle, with players shifting around to force defenders to tip their hand, alter the count near the line of scrimmage and create matchups without changing the play itself.
That kind of structure would make sense for a Nebraska offense that needs to get more inventive about creating advantages.
Keopple has also shown he can develop quarterbacks. At Southern Arkansas, he coached Tyler Sykora, who picked up multiple all-conference honors, and Barrett Renner, who was the Great American Conference Freshman of the Year in 2015. His 2014 offense averaged 505.4 yards per game, good for 10th in Division II.
Last season at Texas State, quarterback Brad Jackson earned third-team All-Sun Belt honors while setting school records for completion percentage and passing efficiency. Receiver Beau Sparks also made first-team all-conference after hauling in 84 catches for 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns.
That background matters because Keopple’s track record with quarterbacks and personnel goes back before his time with Kinne. The bigger question for Nebraska would be how much freedom he’d have to put his own stamp on the offense, which concepts are truly his, and how he’d handle the different defensive fronts he’d see in the Big Ten.
Still, the appeal is obvious. Nebraska would give Keopple a much larger platform, more resources and a chance to prove himself at the Power Four level. With his experience, recent production and rising profile, he belongs on the list.
In Other News...
Nebraska May Have Found A Sneaky Coordinator Fit For Matt Rhule
Nebraskas search for a new offensive coordinator has already started to take on a familiar Matt Rhule flavor, with the Huskers looking for someone who can pair structure with flexibility and help steady the offense after Dana Holgorsens firing. One name that fits that profile is Landon Keopple, who has been running the offense at Texas State since January 2025 and has helped produce a unit that has shown up near the top of national rushing categories.
Keopples appeal goes beyond the numbers. He has coordinated offenses before at Southern Arkansas and has spent multiple stops working alongside GJ Kinne, giving him a background in systems that ask quarterbacks to operate efficiently while keeping the run game central. For Nebraska, that kind of rsum makes him a sneaky fit on paper, especially if Rhule wants a coordinator who can bring some continuity, development and a clear identity to the offense. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska's Next OC Hire Feels Bigger Than Fans Expected
Nebraskas upcoming offensive coordinator search already feels like more than a routine staff move, because it is tied directly to the larger uncertainty around Matt Rhules future in Lincoln. The program still has the kind of resources and financial backing that can make a real splash, and recent contract business, including defensive coordinator Rob Aurichs extension, only underscores that the Huskers are willing to invest where they think it matters.
The search itself is shaping up to be a meaningful test of what Nebraska wants its offense to look like next, with six potential candidates identified who fit Rhules preferred philosophy. That gives the Huskers a real pool to work from, but it also raises the stakes, since the next hire will have to navigate both the expectations that come with the job and the uncertainty hanging over the programs direction. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Just Got A Huge Break In A Game Matt Rhule Needs
Rutgers took a major hit this week with wide receiver KJ Duff going under the knife for season-ending high-ankle surgery, a loss that changes the look of its offense heading into a matchup Nebraska has been circling. Duff had already established himself as one of the more dangerous pieces in the Rutgers passing game this season, and his rise had even put him on the radar as a potential first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.
For Nebraska, the timing matters. Matt Rhules team needs every edge it can find in a game that could shape the conversation around the Huskers, and facing Rutgers without one of its top playmakers is a meaningful break. The Scarlet Knights still have enough talent to make things interesting, but losing a receiver with Duffs production and upside removes a layer of danger Nebraska would have had to account for. [Read more 🡒]