Fall Practice No. 8 — Quick Hits from offensive line coach Donovan Raiola
The offensive line is one of the most intriguing and important position groups at Nebraska entering the 2023 season.
The Huskers finished their eighth practice of fall camp on Tuesday, and second-year offensive line coach Donovan Raiola met with the media to talk about his room, which returns 120 career starts. Here are the quick hits from Raiola's time with the media.
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During the open portion of Nebraska's practice, run plays were being run out of 22 personnel, with two backs and two tight ends
Raiola wants his offensive line unit to play with the right mindset. And when 22 personnel is being used, there's definitely a certain frame of mind an offensive lineman needs to have.
Raiola is trying to inject that way of thinking with his unit.
"They're learning how to figure it out," the coach said. "When you put that kind of personnel on the field, it's a mentality, right? They're improving at it. They're learning."
Who's working behind starting center Ben Scott?
Raiola, a man of few words in front of the media, said Justin Evans-Jenkins is the main backup to Scott. Raiola added the second-year player from New Jersey is getting better each practice.
Young guys learning to meet Raiola's expectations
The program added four in-state offensive line recruits to the 2023 class, including Gunnar Gottula, Mason Goldman, Brock Knutson and Sam Sledge. Only Gottula was in Lincoln for spring ball, so Goldman, Knutson and Sledge are now getting their feet wet in fall camp.
What's Raiola seen from that group? He didn't name names, but did provide a brief update.
"All those young guys are working really hard to understand the standard that we work at," Raiola said. "As a young guy, you learn a lot of offense. So at times, you're thinking too much and trying to figure things out, but you can see flashes from them, all of them really. They're just getting better and better each day."
Raiola returning for his second season is huge for continuity with the O-line because O-line play is a "process"
Offensive line play is such a process, Raiola said. Much of it involves understanding the technique being used and honing it.
"The way we block is a lot different than most people," Raiola said. "So they worked hard all last year, all offseason and now they're getting more comfortable. Once you believe, it's fun to watch."
The "process" is showing up with Henry Lutovsky, who is seeing action at right guard while Nouredin Nouili is out.
"He's getting a lot of reps right now and is doing a great job," Raiola said. "He's growing, and as a young player it's such a process. This is year three for him, so he's grown a lot from year one, year two now year three."
Teddy Prochazka is working his way back from injury
Raiola provide a brief update on the injured Prochazka, who was seen in a yellow jersey doing light conditioning on Tuesday.
"He's working hard at it, working hard to get back," Raiola said. "He's a great teammate, he's locked in. It's just one of those things, a little bump in the road."
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