Tommy Rybacki, head football coach at Nicholls State University, is already making history in only his second year as head coach. The Colonels signed a record-setting 45 student-athletes on National Signing Day. Five of the high school recruits have already enrolled in classes, and 18 members of the class are mid-year signees.

Rybacki attributes this historic moment to a cultural shift happening within the sport itself.

“The climate has changed in college football, and I think you’re going to start seeing bigger signing classes both from a transfer standpoint and also going and still recruiting the developmental high school players that you want to build your program around,” Rybacki said.

“ I feel when you combine those two things, you get 44 to 45 people.”

Rybacki understands the new era of college football; he embraces the transfer portal – the good and bad. Accepting when his own players choose to leave and never closing the door on the opportunity to evaluate other players is what enabled him to recruit such a big class.

“Once a guy goes in the portal, you have to operate as if the guy is not coming back because you have to recruit and fill out that spot, you can’t sit and wait on people,” Rybacki said. 

The portal is very useful, and embracing it is essential to advancing the Colonels football program. However, Rybacki understands that his main assets are the local high schools that feed into Nicholls. 

“You’re always looking for where’s the opportunity for us as a program to sign the very best players we can.” 

“With the change in the climate of college football, that opportunity is in the high schools, especially when you’re in such a talent-rich state and talent-rich area where you don’t have to go too far to find some really good football players.”

Rybacki’s ability to strategically navigate both the transfer portal and the high school scene significantly increases his ability to recruit at a high level. This is what allowed Rybacki to add 17 more recruits than he did in his first year. Rybacki’s ability to recruit is growing, and with it so is the Colonel’s program.

2026 Signing Class