2023 Husker Signee Analysis: Offensive Line

Four in-state recruits, two portal additions, and more possibly to come

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Several position groups needed immediate attention from the new Nebraska football staff, though none more than the offensive line. This group has been largely disappointing for several years now, across multiple staffs.

Nebraska added Ben Scott (Arizona State) through the transfer portal, and he's expected to step right in at center. The staff liked where they stood with Baylor guard Micah Mazzccua and were genuinely surprised when he chose Florida. And who can forget the Walter Rouse fiasco? His decision to flip to Oklahoma three days after head coach Matt Rhule and Nebraska thought they had the 39-game Stanford starter in the fold stung. Now fans are wondering what could have been. Had those two ended up in Lincoln, the Huskers would have had one of the conference's better left-sides. Truly a gut-punch.

Earlier installments in Jeremy Pernell’s series: • TE • WR • RB • PK • NU signee rankings • Top 40 classes

Nevertheless, the staff was able to add another portal transfer in Jacob Hood, a redshirt freshman from Georgia who committed in the nick of time to be on campus for spring ball. The former four-star isn't likely to win the right tackle job right away, but he represents a really nice developmental piece for the future.

When the transfer portal window opens back up April 15-30, you can rest assured this staff will remain on the lookout. Rhule said he'd like to carry 16 scholarship O-linemen. Even with 103 scholarship players currently on the roster, the team is still short that number.

The staff took a nice step toward the future by stocking the room with young talent to develop over the next several years. The Huskers are bringing in four O-line recruits - all from the state of Nebraska.

First in the boat was Lincoln Southeast standout Gunnar Gottula, who landed his offer from the previous staff way back on June 4, 2021, after a strong performance at a Friday Night Lights camp. It was his third offer, following Iowa State (Feb. 17) and Kansas State (March 5).

Leading up to the offer, the 6-foot-5, 300-pound lineman had been talking to linebackers coach Barrett Ruud every week for about four months. Ruud told him the staff wanted to get him on campus so that O-line coach Greg Austin could work with him in person.

The FNL camp offered that chance. After doing position-specific drills with Austin and senior offensive analyst Frank Verducci at the Hawks Center, Gottula received his offer and immediately became a priority target for Ruud and Austin.

The staff made sure to get him on campus two more times that June; for the Big Red Barbecue (18th) and an unofficial visit (25th). Gottula grew up a Husker fan, but to his credit, he wanted to check out several other programs during the spring. He camped at four other spots and grabbed an offer from Iowa in the process.

In the end, his heart was in Lincoln. Gottula committed June 26, 2021, the day after his unofficial visit. At the time of his commitment, he was starting to receive heavy interest from Clemson, Notre Dame, Miami, Northwestern and several others. That didn't matter. He shut down his recruitment and even after Austin - and ultimately head coach Scott Frost - were fired, he never wavered.

After committing, Gottula became a fixture in Lincoln. He attended nearly every home game in 2021 and 2022 and was in attendance for Junior Day events on January 22 and March 5, 2022. He was also at the Red-White spring game on April 9.

Gottula took his official visit last June 3-5, using the opportunity to continue building a relationship with new O-line coach Donovan Raiola. He was hosted by Henry Lutovsky and spent a lot of time around fellow in-state recruits Maverick Noonan and Brock Knutson. He also spent plenty of time around the teams other O-linemen, learning more about day-to-day life on the team.

After the coaching change at Nebraska, Matt Rhule made sure to emphasize the in-state commits. On December 2, the first day coaches could go on the road to recruit, Rhule was visiting Gottula at Lincoln Southeast in the morning and conducting an in-home visit with the entire family that evening. Gottula was in attendance for the December 4 in-state recruiting event and was back on campus for his second Husker official visit the weekend of December 9-11.

Gunnar is the son of Lincoln Southeast head coach Ryan Gottula. He's been the starting left tackle for the Knights since his sophomore season, anchoring an O-line that has embraced the power run game for years. Although he was a fixture at tackle, the previous staff didn't rule out any spot on the line for Gottula. They felt he could easily move to guard or even center under the right circumstances. It's unclear where the new staff plans to slot him, but there will be plenty of time to figure that out over the next 2-3 years while he develops.

As a senior, Gottula was named first-team All-Nebraska by the Omaha World-Herald and first-team Super-State by the Lincoln Journal Star. He earned second-team recognition by both publications as a junior. He also earned honorable-mention all-state accolades as a sophomore. Gottula also participates in track, with personal bests of 52' 3" in the shot put and 135' 3" in the discus.

Gottula is regarded as a four-star prospect by Rivals and ranked the No. 4 player in the state by the 247Sports Composite. Gottula graduated early and is already on campus. He'll participate in spring practices.

Sam Sledge is the first known football player in school history to be a four-year starter at Omaha Creighton Prep. Prominent alumni include Zach Potter, Titus Adams, Junior Bryant and Gene Williams, who were all on an NFL roster at one point.

After playing quarterback in middle school, Sledge moved to tight end as a freshman. During the second game of his sophomore season, a teammate on the O-line went down with an injury. Sledge filled in and has been a fixture up-front ever since.

Sam is the son of Bob Sledge, an All-Big Eight lineman in 1988 and a member of the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame. Bob is the O-line coach at Creighton Prep and teaches an old-school, physical style of blocking that mirrors the way Matt Rhule and Donovan Raiola approach teaching the position.

Sledge's recruitment started to pick up steam in the summer of 2021, after the year-plus NCAA recruiting dead period ended. Starting that June, Sledge undertook a whirlwind tour of camps. First up was the Lindenwood Mega Camp in St. Louis on June 4, where a strong showing earned him his first offer from Miami (Ohio). Other stops on the itinerary that month were camps at Iowa (13th), Notre Dame (15th), Northwestern (17th) and Nebraska (19th) for their Pipeline camp.

Sledge was invited to several home games during the 2021 season while the staff kept tabs on his progress as a junior. He received his offer from Nebraska during the team's Junior Day on January 22, 2022. A week later, Lance Leipold and Kansas offered as well.

The lifelong Husker fan didn't wait long to commit. He informed Husker coaches privately on February 9, but wanted to wait until after wrestling season to announce his decision publicly, which he did on February 20, becoming the first person to commit to new O-line coach Donovan Raiola.

At the time of his commitment, Iowa, Kansas State, Iowa State, Minnesota and Northwestern were all showing heavy interest. Had he decided to push his recruitment into the summer and embark on another round of camps, Sledge would have likely garnered several more offers. No need. His heart was always in Lincoln.

Following his commitment, Sledge attended Nebraska's March 5 Junior Day, the Red-White spring game on April 9, and took his official visit June 17-19. Like most in-state commits, he attended almost every home game last season. Like Gottula, Sledge never wavered in his commitment following the coaching change.

Matt Rhule called Sledge multiple times after taking over in late November, and Assistant Director of Player Personnel Keith Williams visited him in person on December 2. Sledge was in attendance for the December 4 in-state recruiting event and hosted Rhule at his home the following day. He was back on campus for his second Husker official visit for the weekend of December 9.

At Creighton Prep, the 6-foot-3, 285-pound Sledge showed off his versatility, playing both guard and tackle. The previous staff viewed him as a center prospect, and I suspect that will be the plan moving forward under Rhule as well. His frame and skillset lend to the position.

Sledge is highly regarded among Nebraska high school coaches. For the past several seasons, most have considered the Bluejays to have the best O-line in the state and Sledge has anchored that unit. Creighton Prep head coach Tim Johnk, a former Husker fullback, has called Sledge "the best interior lineman I have coached in my 30 years of coaching."

Sledge was named first-team All-Nebraska by the Omaha World-Herald and first-team Super-State by the Lincoln Journal Star as both a junior and senior. He earned honorable-mention all-state accolades as a sophomore. Sledge is a multi-sport athlete. He's played baseball and basketball and started wrestling as a sophomore, where he is a two-time state qualifier as a heavyweight.

The new staff is excited by the potential of Brock Knutson, who at 6-foot-7 and 300-pounds is an intriguing tackle prospect. Knutson transferred from Mitchell to Scottsbluff midway through his junior school year and wasn't hearing from any D1 schools until September 1, 2021. Former Husker recruiting staffer Sean Dillon contacted him that day and started the dialog. He was invited to home games against Fordham in September and Northwestern in October but didn't receive much personal attention from the staff.

On October 22, Knutson received his first FBS offer from Kansas. By the spring, Iowa State, Kansas State, Arizona State, Colorado State, Wyoming, Miami (Ohio), North Dakota State and South Dakota State had all offered. He was stuck in a holding pattern with the hometown Huskers, however, as Scott Frost had fired Greg Austin following the 2021 season and new O-line coach Donovan Raiola had yet to evaluate him in person.

Knutson attended Nebraska's Junior Day on January 22, 2022, and although he hit it off with Raiola, the former staff didn't talk to him about an offer or where he stood on their O-line board.

He was back on campus a few months later for the spring game in April. Afterwards, Knutson was hanging out in the players lounge eating Valentino’s Pizza when a Nebraska staff member waved him over to a conversation with Scott Frost. The coach extended an offer and Knutson - a lifelong Husker fan - said he couldn't wipe the smile off his face for half an hour.

The offer came just in time, as Knutson was close to committing to Iowa State, who had been recruiting him extremely hard since offering in November 2021. He was also seriously considering Kansas State.

Nebraska scheduled Knutson's official visit for June 3-5. The coaches wanted to formalize its pitch and attempt to shut down his recruitment, knowing he had plans to see Iowa State a few weeks later. Knutson was hosted by Hunter Anthony who showed him around campus. During the visit, Knutson sat down with Raiola for 30 minutes and listened to what the O-line coach liked about his game and what he would do to make him better.

Knutson committed to the previous staff at the conclusion of his visit but waited until the following day to announce it publicly. He wanted a chance to inform all the other coaches who recruited him to let them know of his decision.

Following his commitment, he attended a few more June events at Nebraska, including a Friday Night Lights camp and the Pipeline Camp. He was also a regular at Husker home games last season.

The coaching change didn't sway his commitment at all. Regardless, on December 3, Matt Rhule was in Scottsbluff conducting an in-home visit with Brock and his family. Knutson was back in Lincoln for his second Husker official visit during the weekend of December 9.

Knutson is one of the most highly recruited players to come out of Western Nebraska is several years. After playing his first three seasons at Class C Mitchell, he continued impressing while stepping up to Class B at Scottsbluff as a senior. For his efforts, he was named first-team Super-State by the Lincoln Journal Star and second-team All-Nebraska by the Omaha World-Herald. He was Class C1 honorable-mention all-state as a sophomore. In July, he was selected to play in the Blue-Grey All-American Bowl.

Knutson comes from a prominent wrestling family. His father was a three-time state champion and his grandfather also won two state titles. He's a multi-sport athlete who along with wrestling, also qualified for state in the shot put as a sophomore. He has personal bests of 47' 11" in the shot put and 118' 2" in the discus.

Ranked among the nation's top 50 offensive tackles by On3, Knutson has the look of a traditional Big Ten tackle and has a frame that could allow him to carry 330 pounds. While he was a man among boys at the Class B and Class C levels, he also stood out during camp performances. He showed well at the Under Armour football showcase in Kansas City last spring. It will take him time to adjust to the speed and strength of the Big Ten, but Knutson is someone who could be a foundational piece at tackle down the road.

The previous staff had earmarked four spots in the 2023 class for O-linemen. With the addition of Knutson in June, they put most of their focus on a handful of national targets they'd gotten some traction with: Cayden Green, Zalance Heard, Bo Hughley and Amir Herring. One by one, Nebraska missed out on each of them.

When Frost was fired, it put the Huskers in a precarious situation. It's not easy to recruit when you don't know who the coach is going to be. Hats off to Mickey Joseph, however, because he did his best during a difficult situation. A month after being named the interim coach, Joseph pivoted toward an in-state lineman that had been on Nebraska's radar for a while.

Gretna High School two-way standout Mason Goldman is someone the previous staff was keeping tabs on. They had him in Lincoln for a Junior Day on March 5 and then again for the April 9 Red-White game. Goldman spent last spring hitting the camp circuit hard, visiting Oklahoma State, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri and Nebraska. In April, he was one of the standouts at the Elite Underclassmen Camp held in Kansas City. He was named O-line MVP out of a group that included multiple highly recruited players. He turned heads after holding his own going against an absolutely stacked D-line group.

He got his first offers from Idaho and South Dakota State on the same day in February 2022. Over the next few months, he accumulated offers from Eastern Michigan, South Dakota, Eastern Illinois, Northern Iowa, Wyoming and Memphis, before Kansas came through with his first Power Five offer in July. From there, Arizona State, Missouri and Kansas State followed.

Mickey Joseph and Nebraska finally offered Goldman on October 13. Up until that point, under the previous staff, the Huskers were looking at Goldman primarily as a D-lineman. Joseph changed course and the team started recruiting him for the offensive side of the ball. The Husker offer was meaningful because Goldman grew up a fan, but they still had a lot of ground to make up.

Joseph was able to get Goldman back to Lincoln for a few home games while he forged a relationship, but with the coaching situation in flux, Goldman made sure to keep his options open. Vanderbilt offered a couple weeks after the Huskers and made a big impression. Iowa, Iowa State and Cal were also showing a lot of interest and were close to offering. Vanderbilt and Kansas State were pushing hard and took the lead in his recruitment.

When Matt Rhule took over, he made sure to prioritize Goldman. On December 2, the first day of the contact period, Marcus Satterfield made the drive over to Gretna High School to meet with Goldman. Two days later, Goldman attended the in-state recruiting event. Then, on December 15, Rhule and Satterfield had an in-home visit with the Goldman family. The following day, Goldman began his official visit weekend. On December 19, he committed to Nebraska.

The 6-foot-5 Goldman starred on both the offensive and defensive lines for Gretna. He has considerable upside and is still developing. He weighed 235 pounds following his junior season and is up to 260 now. He could project as either an interior offensive lineman or a defensive end for the Huskers. Although he admits he'd prefer to play defense, he'll start out on the O-line when he gets on campus.

Goldman helped Gretna to a 24-2 record during his junior and senior seasons. The Dragons lost to Omaha Westside 43-41 in the Class A state title game this year on a last-second 45-yard field goal by Husker signee Tristan Alvano. Gretna defeated Westside 7-3 in the state title game last season, but it was vacated because they used a player deemed ineligible. For his play, Goldman was named first-team All-Nebraska by the Omaha World-Herald and first-team Super-State by the Lincoln Journal Star as both a junior and senior.

Tomorrow I'll make the switch to defense. I'll begin in the trenches and take a look at the defensive line additions.

Related: HuskerMax 2023 recruiting central

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