The future of Nebraska Cornhuskers football is in an important spot in the rebuild, especially with the offensive line. Coach Matt Rhule and the Huskers let go of one of their longest-tenured assistant, who was one of the last leftovers from the past regime. Let’s dive into the weeds of what this staff change means for the future of the Nebraska offense.
The Future of the Offensive Line and Potential Consequences
What was the Donovan Raiola Tenure?
Donovan Raiola was brought in by then-Huskers coach Scott Frost before the 2022 season to take over as the offensive line coach. At the time, the offensive line unit was one of the worst for Nebraska, and Raiola had his work cut out for him. The 2022 season wasn’t the greatest season for the Huskers, with Frost being fired and finishing the season with a 4-8 record. The offensive line played a big role in the disappointment as Nebraska quarterbacks were sacked 33 times.
Despite that, Raiola was retained to coach Rhule’s offensive staff when he was hired. Development has been key for the Huskers in general, especially on the offensive line. The hope was that the former Wisconsin and NFL lineman could do that in Lincoln.
Fast forward through the past three seasons, and Nebraska’s offensive line has let up 88 total sacks. However, there was some improvement throughout his tenure, especially in run blocking. The 2025 season saw this the most, where standout junior running back Emmett Johnson thrived in the system.
Even with the success seen in the run game, pass protection still struggled, and it led to the firing of Raiola.
What Does This Mean for Former 5 Star Quarterback Dylan Raiola?
One of the most interesting impacts of this move for the Huskers is with sophomore quarterback Dylan Raiola. Donovan, who is Dylan’s uncle, obviously played a huge role in Dylan’s recruitment and eventual signing to Nebraska a few years ago. Now the question is, how does this affect Dylan and the future of the quarterback position in Lincoln?
The sophomore quarterback has been what coach Rhule and his staff have built the future of the program around. Dylan went down with a season-ending fibula injury against USC, and the Huskers finished losing two of the final three games of the season. Instantly, rumors that the quarterback was planning on entering the portal emerged on social media, especially when Dylan’s younger brother and current three-star quarterback Dayton Raiola decommited from Nebraska.
The answer to the question of Donovan’s firing being the cause of the decommitment and rumors has yet to come. Rhule has said in his past few media availabilities that it isn’t his place to talk about the matter.
“You guys know that I’m not going to talk about any player’s future,” he said on Tuesday. “That’s their job. It’s each player’s job. They have to announce their own thing because I would never want to misspeak.”
Speculations and rumors of the future of Dylan continue as the Transfer Portal window opens up on January 2, 2026.
How Does Geep Wade Project to Change the Outlook of the Unit
On the same day of firing Donovan, the Huskers hired Geep Wade, former Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets offensive line coach, to take over. Wade spent three seasons in Atlanta and has led the Yellow Jackets to the lead in the ACC in rushing offense in 2023, second in 2024, and 2025. On top of that, Georgia Tech’s offensive line only allowed nine total sacks in 2025.
The question is, can Wade help fix the offensive line? His work in Atlanta keeps hopes high that there will be some development on the line. Nebraska does lose three former starters on the offensive line, but Wade will most likely have junior tackle Elijah Pritchett back. Pritchett is a good player to build the line off of and help develop the underclassmen in the unit.
Ultimately, Rhule has his work cut out for him, and the success of the rebuild now hinges on improvement all around, especially with a tough schedule in 2026.
Despite that, the future in Lincoln still looks bright for the Huskers to get back to national relevance.
Main Image: Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports
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