Expectations are high for the Nebraska Cornhuskers going into the 2025 season. Much of that is going to fall on the shoulders of quarterback Dylan Raiola, but for him to succeed, head coach Matt Rhule knows he needs the protection from a strong offensive line.
With that in mind, there has been a battle for left tackle underway during Fall Camp for Nebraska. Elijah Pritchett and Gunnar Gotulla are widely seen as the two tackles battling for that job. However, as Matt Rhule recently shared, there are two tackle spots and plenty of Cornhuskers impressing him so far.
“I don’t think we’re close to being settled,” Matt Rhule said. “I don’t think we’re close to being settled at any point. This is like the first assessment. Right? This is like your midterm. Really, next week’s scrimmage is kind of your final, and you go from there. Pritchett is doing a really nice job. Gunnar is doing a really nice job. As you know, if they’re the two best tackles, we’ll slide one over to right. It’s really a four-way tackle battle with some other guys fighting to get in too.”
Elijah Pritchett was a four-star recruit in the Class of 2022. He was the 34th-ranked player overall and the fourth-ranked offensive tackle in that recruiting cycle, initially going to Alabama. He also has played in 29 games and made 12 starts with the Crimson Tide. Then, Gunnar Gotulla was a three-star recruit in the Class of 2023 who has spent his entire career with Nebraska. He played in 11 games for the Cornhuskers last season.
While those two are regarded as the favorites, Nebraska does have some depth at tackle. Turner Corcoran started four games at left tackle in 2024 before an injury ended his season. Those injuries are adding up now for him, but going into his sixth season, he has plenty of experience. Teddy Prochazka, similarly, started three games at left tackle in 2022. However, he suffered three season-ending injuries in four college seasons. Then, Tyler Knaak has played in 17 games over two seasons at Nebraska, but dealt with an injury last season.
“Turner is getting more and more cleared every day. He couldn’t scrimmage with the most amount of reps yesterday that he could do,” Rhule said. “In terms of some of the things he could get involved in. Teddy Prochazka is looking healthy, and he’s out there and doing a nice job. Tyler Knaak is doing a nice job.”
Matt Rhule still has some time in Fall Camp before he needs to decide on his starting left tackle, or any other starter for that matter. The Cornhuskers don’t open until August 28th when they take on Cincinnati. Still, for those position battles, it’s a pivotal time in the schedule.
“I think this week is a really pivotal week. So, I’ll have to watch this tape to see,” Rhule said. “But I think, you know, heading into this week, it’s a really important time for all four of those tackles.”
