Nebraska football officially announced the hiring of Donovan Raiola as the program’s offensive line coach, per a tweet from the football program.
Raiola came over to the Nebraska football program last season. He oversaw a unit that ranked 92nd in the country with just over two sacks allowed per game (2.7). The unit struggled and allowed opposing defenses to get to quarterback Casey Thompson quite easily. Nebraska football also ranked 102nd in the country with an 8.57% quarterback sacked percentage per statistics from TeamRankings.com.
The offensive line had struggles throughout the season. Nouredin Nouli did not play last season. Teddy Prochazka was hurt in week three of the season. Nebraska football had to make due with quick fixes on the line. They did not have a complete group for the entirety of the season.
Previously, Raiola was with the Chicago Bears, and came to Lincoln as part of Scott Frost’s staff. He is a former all-Big Ten selection, receiving the honor three times at Wisconsin. He played six seasons in the NFL as well.
It will be intriguing to see what he can do with a coaching staff that is focused heavily on the line. Head coach Matt Rhule has offensive line experience. That has been one of his calling cards throughout the course of his career. One has to wonder if that will lead to better results from this group.
Raiola was put in a difficult position last season, as he did not have all the pieces to work with on the line. This is a crucial second year for him, as Nebraska football will look to get more protection for the quarterback under center. A healthy line would undoubtedly help the position develop.
