As Donovan Raiola left his first press conference of Nebraska's spring period, he repeated a saying he told media members multiple times while answering questions about his offensive line unit.

"Water the bamboo," Raiola said. "Water the bamboo."

A quick Google search of that brings up a book written by Greg Bell titled, "Water The Bamboo: Unleashing The Potential Of Teams And Individuals."

Was Raiola referencing the book? The O-line coach, who's a big reader, didn't say exactly, but the point is clear anyway.

Keep watering the bamboo seeds, even if you don't see anything pop up in a day, a week, a month, a year or two years. Patience is needed. In time, you'll see progress. As giant timber bamboo grows, it will shoot up to about 90 feet tall in only 60 days — but not until at least three years of consistent watering.

Yes, it's a metaphor that fits an offensive lineman in the Big Ten. Patience, and development, is where it's at with those guys.

That was Raiola's message when asked if any of the untested second- and third-year linemen in Nebraska's program have impressed enough this spring to make him think they could challenge for snaps this fall.

"It just takes time, right? The physical piece in the weight room," Raiola said. "The Big Ten is hard. It's a bunch of big, grown men. You look at defenses, a lot of those defenses have fourth- and fifth-year seniors out there. So it's just a progression. Like I said earlier, we just got to keep watering the bamboo, watering in the bamboo, and when they're ready to play, they'll be out there."

Raiola is tasked with piecing together the best offensive line Nebraska's room can provide.

Currently, the situation at left and right tackle is full of question marks. Veterans Teddy Prochazka and Turner Corcoran both return, but they're coming off season-ending injuries.

Prochazka suffered a torn ACL last fall camp, his third season-ender of his Nebraska career. Corcoran is coming off back-to-back season-ending injuries as well, the latest being a hamstring injury that didn't heal well and needed surgery that will keep him out of spring ball.

On Thursday, Raiola said Prochazka is doing everything at practice except contact. Corcoran is completely out as he rehabs, but is in a player-coach role, especially with Alabama transfer Elijah Pritchett, who sure looks the part at 6-foot-6, 310 pounds, but is in need of a fresh start after a poor season as the Crimson Tide's right tackle.

Gunner Gottula, who stepped up at left tackle as a redshirt freshman, returns, too. But he's currently rehabbing offseason shoulder surgery. Once healthy and available for fall camp, Gottula will be an option at both left or right tackle. Pritchett was a left tackle in high school and early in his Alabama career before being moved to the right side to make room for left tackle Kadyn Proctor.

Along with the questions at offensive tackle, Raiola will work to find the best replacement for departing center Ben Scott, the starter at the position the past two seasons who exhausted his eligibility.

"That's such a specialty position," Raiola said of centers. "Everyone talks about, yeah, you can put this guy in at center, this guy in the center, but it takes a certain kind of individual to go in there."

Justin Evans has been a popular choice in the fan base as Scott's replacement. Evans is entering his fourth year in the program and has played in 25 career games with 18 starts under his belt: 16 at left guard, one at center, which came in 2023 but only for a few plays before Scott came in, and another as the sixth offensive lineman.

The players who starts at center needs to be smart, Raiola said. They're the quarterback of the entire O-line, after all. They do things on the field fans watching at home don't realize they're doing.

"You're responsible to make all the calls. You're responsible to make adjustments to calls if there are certain situations that come up with defenses," Raiola said. "So you need a guy that's comfortable being vocal, a guy that's gonna prepare, prepare, prepare. Usually, the center prepares more than the other guys because they're in charge of so much of everything."

Another player who's in the mix to start at center is in-state Creighton Prep product Sam Sledge. The 6-4, 295-pounder redshirted in 2023 and played in four games in 2024.

"Sledge is doing a great job," Raiola said. "Obviously, having two years of experience with the offense and understanding the expectations, he's steadily improving. As a young high school guy coming in, that's the progression you go on, right? You just gotta keep watering the bamboo."

Earlier this offseason, head coach Matt Rhule said Evans, Sledge and third-year lineman Jason Maciejczak have been repping at center.

"Building a unit of five guys is not always the best five," Raiola said. "It's a group of five men that's going to work together. And sometimes, it might be six, seven, eight guys. I'm not against rotating guys."

Raiola entered this offseason knowing he needed to add to his room through the transfer portal. Raiola was able to get a handful of talented transfers to visit Nebraska, but it proved difficult to land them.

Highly-touted Nevada transfer Isaiah World ended up at Oregon. Fa’alili Fa’amoe was a tough one as his old head coach at Washington State, Jake Dickert, took the Wake Forest head coaching job, so Fa’amoe is now a Demon Deacon. New Mexico State transfer Shiyazh Pete picked Kentucky.

"It's crazy, right? Like, you have all these people and you don't know what's really gonna happen with every guy in there," Raiola said of the transfer portal window. "And you go after a few guys and see what happens and hope for the best, right? You know, for the team, right?"

Pritchett was an important pick-up considering the situation at both tackle spots, and the availability concerns of Prochazka and Corcoran.

Then there's offensive lineman Tyler Knaak, a former Utah transfer who is entering his third season at Nebraska. He's finally healthy after a stress fracture in his right tibia ended his season around the UCLA and USC games.

On Thursday, the 6-6, 325-pound Knaak said he spent all last season at right guard, but has since moved to right tackle for this spring.

"I played right tackle in high school," Knaak said. "I just feel more free out there, a little more open. Long arms, big wingspan. A little more fun to play out there, be on the edge."

Knaak said Henry Lutovsky has been with the right tackles and helping coach while he rehabs from offseason surgery. Others who have been on the field actually taking reps at right tackle include Grant Brix and Brock Knutson.

Raiola praised Knaak for his ability to connect with his teammates and be a vocal leader while he tries to push for a role on game days.

"He's such a great asset for the team, first, offensively and with the unit," Knaak said. "Just his presence, his ability to communicate with everybody. He understands how to hold guys accountable, and he's not worried about how people think when he does hold them accountable."

But there was also Rocco Spindler, the Notre Dame transfer who played in 40 career games with 23 starts for the Fighting Irish, all at right guard, including 13 starts in 2024 when he replaced starter Billy Schrauth, who went down with an injury against Purdue in September.

"We got two guys that came in and took to the standard," Raiola said. "Obviously, Rocco played for my mentor, coach (Harry) Hiestand, for one year. So he understands the expectations just from playing for coach Hiestand, so he's been a great, great addition. And obviously, Elijah as well."

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