Nebraska has been infamous through the transfer portal by getting former Alabama OT Elijah Pritchett and boosting the weapons around QB Dylan Raiola. However, there’s a deeper issue beneath the surface that isn’t easily fixed, even with high-profile transfers. As the Huskers gear up for another season under Matt Rhule, the question remains:
will talent alone be enough to hide Nebraska’s issues inherent to the Big Ten? One of the busiest programs in this year’s transfer portal is Nebraska, which already picked up former Alabama offensive tackle Pritchett. However, beneath the hype, a significant concern may not be solved even with big money deals. As the Huskers gear up for another season under Matt Rhule, the question remains the same. Will talent alone suffice to mask flaws as structural that would allow Nebraska out of the Big Ten?
It’s OFFICIAL 🖊️!! GBR🌽🎈🎈🎈 https://t.co/fCmKqbIytk
— Dylan Raiola (@RaiolaDylan) December 20, 2023
Dylan Raiola, the young quarterback and former five-star recruit, is considered the building block of Nebraska football. Raiola got glimpses of the future of Nebraska late in the previous season, going 5-1 and thrashing Colorado. However, that is as far as it went, as Raiola fizzled in the Big Ten yarding a modest 12 touchdowns and 10 interceptions by the season’s end.
The ability of the Huskers’ offensive line play was a major contributor to Raiola’s up-and-down performance. Damon Benning said on his podcast, Benning Bites, “Quarterbacks like Dylan need time to make plays. It became apparent that the line was not supporting it because there were loopholes in the plan.”
Adding Pritchett is supposed to solve those problems, but the essential question arises again. Is the Cornhuskers’ raw talent over sensible organizational solutions? The excitement around Pritchett and Raiola underscores Nebraska’s ambitious approach. But it also shines a light on the team’s most significant challenge: offensive line development as a team mechanism. Although the Huskers secured the transfer portal class in the Top 10 across the country. The fluctuating form in the conference makes one question the implementation of these reinforcements.
“It’s not just about the names,” said Benning. “We need the whole unit to gel. You can have five-star recruits, but if they don’t play as a team, it won’t matter.” This weakness – the tendency to rely solely on big-name players and not solve overall problems. It remains the main vulnerability of Nebraska. Though Bobinski will increase the efficiency of individual performances may not mean that the team has the depth and cohesiveness of rivals such as Michigan or Ohio State.
For Matt Rhule, however, the issue isn’t just about finding new talent and bringing it into his team. It’s about fostering development. Experts concur that while the likes of Pritchett and wide receiver Nyziah Hunter provide an upgrade. There is still a need for the Cornhuskers to look for long-term answers. ESPN analyst Pete Thamel said that “programs succeed when their foundation is solid.” “It is impossible to construct the winning team relying only on the outcomes of the transfer portal. It’s about generating cohesion within the roster.”
That brings into focus Elijah Pritchett; this man possesses the paper – Ohio tackle, 6’6”, 330 pounds strong with a well-documented background. As a five-star recruit out of high school, he played in 13 games for Alabama. His physical presence adds both experience and size to Nebraska’s team. However, his 46.9 PFF grade last season leaves questions about his ability to maintain such great performance, though fans expect that the move to a new team might help him to improve his performance.
Pritchett joins the Nebraska team that had a finished year last season, going 6-6 with a stellar start of 5-1 but a poor showing in the Big 12 conference. “This is a big move for us,” said head coach Matt Rhule. “Elijah has the tools to improve our offensive line, and we’re excited to see how he contributes to our future,” he added.
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