If you listen to 93.7 Early Break each morning like I do, then you are familiar with former Nebraska coach Bill Busch’s saying, “Mass kicks ass.” It’s something he often refers to when talking about offensive lineman. Yes, size matters.
But don’t make the mistake of thinking, all you need is size. There are four critical elements when talking about offensive lineman, mass, athleticism, willingness to be coached, and heart. If you have five players who have these essential skills and two or three more in the wings, then you have something special. In my estimation, behind the coaching of Donavan Raiola and the play calling of Dana Holgorsen, Nebraska is on the verge of having the next reiteration of Nebraska’s famed ‘Pipeline’.
Slow down, I said verge, we may only get a preview this season, but Donavan Raiola is building something special in Lincoln. Is it the next ‘Pipeline’? No. There will never be another ‘Pipeline’, just as there will never be another Tom Osborne, Johnny Rodgers or Ndamukong Suh. But the bamboo coach Raiola talks about watering today, will be the backbone of Husker football for years to come.
Donavan Raiola returns for his fourth year as Nebraska’s offensive line coach and his third under Matt Rhule. Between the two they have recruited size and talent and are instilling the traits that defined Husker football for years.
Raiola creates starters by building a team within the team through camaraderie, commitment to one another, and having each other’s back. The O-Line group considers themselves one body and operates as such. There is not a single lineman on the team who is for himself. Each one of them is pushing and rooting for the guy next to him as he competes for a starting spot. Each one aware coming in that two to three years of hard work would be required before being ready for a starting position.
You don’t commit yourself to the journey, work your tail off, and put all your trust in something without your heart being involved. And because of that, there is no other position group on this Husker team with more heart. Years of sacrifice and commitment are where the heart comes from.
So, who are the players that will make up the Husker offensive line this coming season? A pre-fall two-deep should look as follows:
Right Tackle – (75) Tyler Knack (RsJr) 0 starts, played in 9 games. (65) Teddy Prochazka (RsSr) 11 starts, played in 18 games. RT total starts 11. Games played 27
Right Guard – (50) Rocco Spindler (RsSr) 23 starts, played in 40 games at Notre Dame. (66) Grant Brix (RsFr) 0 starts, played in 1 game. RG total starts 23. Games played 41
Center – (51) Justin Evans (RsJr) 18 starts, played in 25 games. (62) Sam Sledge (RsSo) 0 starts, played in 4 games. C total starts18. Games played 29
Left Guard – (57) Henry Lutovsky (RsSr) 13 starts, played in 48 games. (69) Turner Corcoran (RsSr) 34 starts, played in 41. LG total starts 47. Games played 89
Left Tackle – (57) Ilijah Pritchett (Jr) 11 starts, played in 29 games at Alabama. (77) Gunnar Gottula (RsSo) 9 starts, played in 15. LT total starts 20. Games played 38
Of the ten players on the two-deep, they’ve totaled 119 career starts and played a total of 224 games. The five starters average 6’5” and 319lbs. Making this one of the most experienced and biggest offensive lines Nebraska has had in years. A portion of those numbers can be attributed to Teddy Prochazka and Turner Corcoran. However, Prochazka missed the 2024 season due to injury and Corcoran missed 13 games over the last two seasons due to injury. If the pair can remain healthy throughout the season the added depth will be noticeable.
Much to the chagrin of Husker fans Rhule made a good move when he retained Donavan Raiola. The offensive line will dictate this 2025 Husker team’s success. They are the heart of this team. And by seasons end fans will shake their heads in disbelief that they ever doubted a Raiola when talking offensive line.
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