'Gotta beat the other man': How Nebraska's offensive line enjoyed a big spring evolution

LINCOLN Somewhere during the 40 yards of Elijah Pritchett pulling a tractor across the Memorial Stadium turf Saturday, part of his harness broke.

Suddenly he was moving farm equipment while trying not to choke.

But he kept pushing forward.

This was the football-adjacent Husker Games in front of a few thousand fans in April, not a televised Big Ten showdown in October.

The transfer offensive lineman whos been with Nebraska for a matter of months didnt see a difference.

I gotta beat the other man, said Pritchett, who teamed with fellow O-lineman Justin Evans to win the race.

I was not losing no matter what the circumstances were.

The 6-foot-6, 310-pound Pritchett was speaking publicly for the first time since arriving from Alabama in January.

After a winter of grueling mat drills and 15 spring practice, the former five-star prospect talks and competes like a position leader hes already becoming.

The biggest lesson after some time with The Pipeline? Pritchett calls it O-line pride.

Blockers are always together on the field, in the facility and even around campus.

The standard is a group effort.

If one person messes up, everybody messes up, Pritchett said.

If youre not playing to where the whole unit is playing or where we feel like we should be playing, theyre going to bring you along whether you like it or not.

Nebraskas offensive line confirmed this spring it added a pair of surefire starters in Pritchett and Notre Dame transfer Rocco Spindler even as injuries to returning veterans prevented a full preview of what the starting five could look like in late August.

While those older players healed and helped coach, a wave of younger linemen continued to take repetitions in a process that may only start to bear fruit next season.

Among the biggest developments was the emergence of Evans a longtime interior starter as the clear next Husker center.

The junior still isnt talkative, but hes no longer silent either.

His performance has been good enough for unbridled optimism from offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen He can be as good a center as exists in college football I firmly believe that, Holgorsen said.

Really happy with his progress.

Nebraskas line will have 67 career starts between Pritchett (left tackle), Henry Lutovsky (left guard), Evans (center) and Spindler (right guard).

Its top group could exceed 100 if sixth-year Husker Turner Corcoran who spent the spring rehabbing an injury claims right tackle.

Teddy Prochazka (11 starts) and Gunnar Gottula (nine) are also experienced edge blockers who have been limited during offseason workouts.

Lutovsky on Saturday blew through 25 bench-press reps of 225 pounds as part of the Strongest Man contest with a singular goal of helping his team win.

The Huskers overall and certainly the linemen have approached the grind differently, he said.

They no longer must run or lift they get to.

The new guys, too.

Theyve been doing a great job of just accepting that and wanting to come along with us, said Lutovsky, a senior now fully looking the part himself at 6-6 and 320 pounds.

Spindler and Pritchett both part of past College Football Playoff teams have navigated shorter learning curves than many.

Spindler was coached by former Notre Dame O-line assistant Harry Hiestand, who mentored current NU line coach Donovan Raiola when both were staffers with the Irish and the Chicago Bears.

Spindler a clear vocal leader the likes of which Nebraska hasnt had on the line since perhaps Tanner Farmer in 2018 was notably among the first players to talk with media members in the spring.

Weve got to be an O-line-driven program, Spindler said in March.

Thats where Im coming from.

We have to handle our business and it will correlate to the rest of the team.

The rest of the O-line depth chart will come from younger and former celebrated recruiting wins like redshirt freshmen Grant Brix, Preston Taumua and others in the 2024 class along with 2023s including Sam Sledge and Jason Maciejzcak.

Junior tackle Tyler Knaak is in the mix too.

Sophomore Grant Seagren, who had drawn spring praise for his work as a tackle from coach Matt Rhule, entered the transfer portal.

Raiola said each underclassman showed flashes of greatness.

The position coach isnt against rotating as many as eight linemen in a game if theres no drop-off in production.

Just gotta keep watering the bamboo, watering the bamboo, Raiola said.

And when theyre ready to play, theyll be out there.

The difference from last years offense to now, Lutovsky said, is Nebraska consistently executing the simple, mundane plays.

The day-one install stuff.

That starts with the line.

Pritchett said the months ahead will be about finishing school and keeping the physical gains made.

Some linemen are planning summer training together where theres one, there better be many.

No more tractor pulls.

But the same motivation to plow ahead.

I feel like we have a really, really, really good team, Pritchett said.

Just excited for it to get started..

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