LINCOLN, Neb – Going into the 2023 season, the offensive line was the only position group that enjoyed some continuity from the previous season. After a disastrous 2022 campaign, many thought that new head coach Matt Rhule would not retain OL coach Donovan Raiola, but Raiola was the only position coach from the previous staff who was retained.
“And we interviewed several candidates, and we talked to several guys and to Donovan’s credit, we interviewed him, I said, Hey, I’ll let you know,” Rhule said. “He showed up every day to work. He worked. He just kept being there. You know, half of life is just showing up.
“And I kind of liked his vibe and I liked his energy but most importantly to me, he had been trained in the same system that I’m trained in. I want us to play that way. And so it was just a natural fit. He’s a great, great guy, got a chance to meet his wife, wonderful family and we’re excited.”
-Head Coach Matt Rhule on retaining Donovan Raiola
In 2023 we did see the offensive line take a step forward. Transfer Ben Scott proved to be an immediate upgrade at center, Bryce Benhart had his best season as a Husker, and the Huskers were able to find a solid rotation, getting players like Gunnar Gottula and Sam Sledge valuable experience into the two-deep. Nebraska also finished the season ranked second in the Big Ten in rushing and although they gave up 30 sacks, that number actually improved over the 2022 season.
Nebraska Cornhuskers’ 2024 Offensive Line
Nebraska has nine players from the two deep rotation returning for the 2024 season. Success for this group will be determined by how their numbers improve from the 2023 season. With Dylan Raiola at quarterback, I believe we will see a lot less loading the box by opposing defenses, which will take a ton of pressure off of the running game, but can this group keep the pocket clean enough for a young QB like Dylan to make his reads and make his throws? If they can, this offense could be pretty dangerous.
With Ethan Piper officially retiring from football after a devastating injury midway through the season, and Nouredin Nouili graduating, only two players from the 2023 two deep are gone.
Unless Turner Corcoran, who suffered a season ending injury against Northwestern last season that is expected to keep him out until fall camp, can’t recover.
With a combined 3046 snaps under their belt playing together last year, the Huskers return: Henry Lutovsky, Justin Evans, Teddy Prochazka, Gunnar Gottula, Ben Scott, Bryce Benhart, and Tyler Knaak. That kind of experience is valuable in getting the new arrivals up to speed quickly in spring and fall camp.
New Arrivals
Xander Ruggeroli: A surprise late commit to Nebraska’s 2024 recruiting class out of elite Nevada high school, Bishop Gorman, Ruggeroli has all of the intangibles that make a great offensive tackle.
Grant Brix: Hailing from Iowa, Brix was a big recruiting win over Oklahoma, Iowa, and Kansas State. A four-star lineman, Brix is an early enrollee and is projected to be a tackle for the Huskers.
Gibson Pyle: Pyle played in the All-American Bowl in January and enrolled at Nebraska for the spring. Pyle is projected to play offensive guard.
Preston Taumua: The No. 1 player in his home state of Hawaii in 2024 chose the Huskers over offers from Oregon, Auburn, and others. Taumua is flexible enough to play either guard or tackle.
Landen Davidson: Earning an offer after a strong performance at its June football camp, the Colorado lineman visited the following weekend and committed to Nebraska in a big recruiting win over Coach Sander’s and the Colorado Buffaloes. Davidson is projected to play interior offensive line.
Jake Peters: Peters, like Davidson, earned an offer from the Huskers at a June camp, visited officially the following weekend and quickly committed to join the Huskers. Peters, who will enroll in May, will begin his career at interior offensive line.
Micah Mazzccua: On campus this spring, the former Florida and Baylor guard committed to Nebraska this offseason. A starter at both previous school, Mazzccua officially visited Nebraska last winter before choosing Florida. He gives Nebraska even more experience at the guard spot.
With the experience returning and a huge influx of talent coming in, the Husker offensive line looks to be in great shape going forward. Give Matt Rhule and Donovan Raiola a lot of credit for what looks to be a fast turnaround at the position. The quicker Nebraska can get back to being dominant among the offensive line, the quicker the Huskers become a contender again.
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