Before his commitment announcement on August 17, five-star offensive tackle David Sanders is making a return visit to Nebraska. Wide receivers Isaiah Mozee and Michael Terry are in town as well. However, the most important priority for the program seems to be Sanders. According to On3 recruiting analyst Steve Wiltfong, the Big Red has become a “real contender” for his services. But can the program hope to compete against Tennessee and Ohio State? The program has a legitimate shot, but the program has to use these people to land him.
Dylan Raiola
From the very beginning of his recruitment, the five-star quarterback has urged Sanders to join him at the college level. This relationship started to form in Athens. Throughout 2023, Raiola was all in on the Georgia Bulldogs. However since he flipped to Nebraska, he’s been actively recruiting him to join him in Lincoln. And it seems to be paying off. In his other visit to the program in the spring, Sanders was able to hit it off with the former top prospect. And on Friday, he doubled down on his efforts when he took to social media. His message aimed to rally Nebraska fans to greet the offensive lineman on his way into Lincoln. Surprisingly, this bold strategy seems to have paid off. The freshman signal caller claimed, “He knew people were coming, but I don’t think he understood it was going to be like this.” Nebraska’s fanbase could lead him to join the Big Red. Or is he a silent commit to Tennessee? The Volunteers have talent at the offensive line position. The top-ranked offensive line prospect would fit in well with freshman Douglas Utu. He could blaze his own path with Michael Terry III.
🌽🏟️🕔 pic.twitter.com/n4qJioJc5l
— Dylan Raiola (@RaiolaDylan) July 26, 2024
Ben Scott
If there’s anyone who knows what it means to be an offensive lineman, it’s Ben Scott. The Huskers Big Ten Media Days representative helped Arizona State to finish with the seventh-ranked rushing offense as a redshirt freshman in 2020. He would experience similar growth in his time as a redshirt sophomore. Former ASU quarterback Jayden Daniels was only sacked 21 times. He helped the team average over 200 rushing yards per game. In addition to his time at ASU, his time at Nebraska he would team up with right tackle Bryce Benhart to give the Huskers the second-ranked rushing offense last year. This type of production should help push Sanders into joining the Huskers. However, Scott won’t be on the roster in 2025. It’s worth noting that he could be a mentor in his career going forward. Of course, he still needs to commit to the Cornhuskers.
Donovan Raiola
The 42-year-old has remained silent on the nation’s top offensive tackle. Instead, he’s focused on the 2025 cycle. Over the summer months, he has helped Nebraska gain three offensive line pledges. Houston-Kaahaaina Torres and Brian Tapu come from his ability to leverage connections from programs in Utah and Hawaii. And South Dakota’s Sean Hammerbeck provides the Huskers with a routine recruiting win inside the 500-mile radius. However, the head coach will do anything to make the team better in his second year with the program. In this case, Sanders is the perfect candidate. His ranking as a top offensive line prospect speaks for itself. And he is already in the ideal frame as a freshman. Does Raiola make him add weight to compete with the upperclassmen? Or will he build him up by slimming him down? It’s a question that the former Wisconsin offensive lineman will have to address with strength coach Corey Campbell.
Glenn Thomas
The former Pittsburgh Steelers assistant is set to bring new ideas to Nebraska’s offense in year two of the Rhule era. He’s also tasked with pushing Raiola to new heights as a freshman. This is what he provides contributions as the program’s offensive coordinator. He also is a valuable recruiting asset when it comes to Sanders. And the pitch is simple. Raiola already has weapons around him. Tight end Thomas Fidone and Jaylen Lloyd highlight this explosion, while Isaiah Neyor and Jahmal Banks are quality depth pieces. In this regard, Sanders would be the missing ingredient on the Husker’s offensive line to tie it all together.
Read more about Glenn Thomas and his new offense in Spring Game Standouts: Nebraska’s Offense
