Over a period of three days, Matt Rhule and Nebraska have gained several commitments from prospects on the recruiting trail. The latest to come out of this flurry? A 6-4, 308-pound Colorado offensive lineman named Landen Davidson. As the 14th scholarship commit of the 2024 recruiting class, Davidson committed to the Huskers over offers from Iowa State, Colorado State, and Kansas. But what does this mean for the offensive line room? Let’s take a look and find out.
A Brief Timeline of His Commitment
It’s safe to say that things moved pretty fast for Broomfield (Colorado) lineman Landen Davidson. After a performance at a skills camp hosted by the program on June 11, Rhule and the staff saw enough practice to extend an offer to him. Last weekend, he took an official visit to the campus and committed to the Huskers last week. But what’s the ultimate factor that made him choose the program over other suitors? According to Davidson, it was how the coaches interacted with the players. In his interview with HuskerOnline, he said, “It felt like a family and I loved every second of it.” He also said that he likes the, “Power, pro-style offense that Nebraska is going to run.” This benefits him because he not only fits with their style but has been familiar with playing that way for all of his playing days.
Wow! Thank you Husker Nation for the warm welcome! Huge shout out to the entire staff @HuskerFBNation for my OV last weekend! They are the real deal! Follow my journey on IG LandenDavidson50 #GBR #Committed #24Ours #Pipeline #Huskers #EASports pic.twitter.com/C6KZ3O7lJe
— Landen Davidson (@DavidsonLanden) June 23, 2023
Where Landen Davidson Fits On Nebraska’s Offensive Line
With the new additions of Jake Peters, Gibson Pyle and now Davidson to the Cornhusker offensive line room in 2023, offensive line coach Donovan Raiola has some key decisions to make before the season starts this August. It is even more challenging that he will have to decide with last year’s lack of production. As a left guard in 2022, Bryce Benhart was extremely inconsistent in his appearances. Not only that, but Teddy Prochazka was unavailable after suffering a knee injury against Georgia Southern. Because of this, it left Turner Corcoran to play his position and be assigned to several others along the line. But there has been some good news on that front since that departure. The Huskers have reloaded in the transfer portal with the addition of both Ben Scott and Tyler Knaak to the roster. As two of the most experienced Power Five lineman the roster has, these players provide quality options for Raiola to utilize. However, they don’t have the imposing size that Rhule and the staff would look for in a Big Ten lineman. If Davidson starts as a freshman, he already fits the mold for this recruiting class as someone that can provide better protection for Jeff Sims this season.
Read more about the offensive line here: Nebraska’s Depth at Positions of Need in 2023
Who is The Next To Commit To Donovan Raiola?
With Davidson’s commitment, he joins an open Cornhusker offensive line room in 2023. But who could be the next to commit to the Cornhuskers? The best guess would probably be Nuku Mafi. As a Utah native, he was already offered by programs like BYU, Arizona State, and USC. However, he has not shown any interest in his hometown options. A possibility is that he could like the fact that Raiola has the same Polynesian heritage. This may be the perfect reason for him to wait until he is on his visit to commit to the Cornhuskers. We’ve seen this strategy before when Tony White recruited California defensive lineman Sua Lefotu last year. The question will be if Raiola can make it work with Mafi. Another intriguing option would be Iowa’s Grant Brix. The 4-star offensive lineman has prominent offers from Oklahoma, Alabama, and Oregon. But his most committable offer is from Kansas State. Based on their 7-2 finish and appearance in the Sugar Bowl last season under Chris Klieman, don’t be surprised if he takes this opportunity to learn under offensive line coach Conor Riley.
Photo courtesy: Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports
