Post-spring position recap: Frost likes what he saw from OL this spring, but will it carry over? | Football

Spring ball is in the rearview mirror and Nebraska football now moves into the next phase of the offseason.

There is plenty of movement on the horizon in the transfer portal around the country, so every team is constantly in at least some state of flux. However, it’s a good time to look at the Husker roster and recap spring developments and forecast the coming weeks and months.

We now look at a group that could be poised to make major strides in 2022. 

What we learned this spring: We learned Nebraska fifth-year coach Scott Frost immediately liked what he saw from the offensive line under new assistant coach Donovan Raiola. 

Frost repeatedly praised the work of the group as it adapted to Raiola’s techniques and philosophical approach. 

“The first thing is they’re just coming off the ball,” Frost said during the early stages of spring camp. “That’s been something that I’ve been frustrated with for a long time. Shoot, when I was playing here (during the mid-1990s), guys looked like they were in 40-yard dashes when the ball was snapped. That wasn’t up to the standard that I wanted, that’s the first thing.

“Protection has been better, too, though. I think Donny’s just done a good job with those guys’ mentality and technique, and I can’t wait to watch them keep improving.”

The starting lineup for the April 9 Red-White Spring Game was, left to right: Brant Banks, Nouredin Nouili, Trent Hixson, Broc Bando and Bryce Benhart.

Nouili, a 6-foot-4, 315-pound junior, and Benhart, a 6-9, 330-pound sophomore, were regulars in the starting lineup last season when the line showed promise but was dogged by inconsistency, particularly in pass protection. It should be noted pass protection broke down noticeably at times in the spring game.

By the way, the second-string line on April 9 was Ezra Miller, Kevin Williams, Ian Boerkircher, Henry Lutovsky and Hunter Anthony.

One of the injuries this spring was to No. 2 center Ethan Piper, who had a cast on his left hand at the spring scrimmage, which is why Boerkircher, a 6-6, 280-pound walk-on from Aurora, slid a spot up the depth chart. 

Questions remaining: How different will the line’s overall performance look to the naked eye once the season begins? Frost clearly liked what he saw during spring ball, but how much of it will carry over? 

You also wonder how much the line will be affected once sophomores Turner Corcoran and Teddy Prochazka return from injuries that kept them out of live action for the entire spring. The guess here is Prochazka (left) and Corcoran (right) will be the starting tackles come fall. Corcoran started 10 games last season — eight at left tackle — but never found much of a groove after missing most of preseason camp with an injury. 

How much improvement can Corcoran make in 2022 if he has a clean runway into the season from a health standpoint?  

Can the 6-9, 310-pound Prochazka, coming off knee surgery, develop into the NFL-level player that many seem to anticipate? 

Quotable: “Coach Raiola said it once: As an offense, we’re trying to get better by being mentally tough, being physically tough and by being leaders on the team even if we’re not vocal,” Nouili said. “We’re showing up every day. We’re all wearing the same clothes (for workouts). We’re all going (to workouts) at the same time, and that brings people with us.

“That’s something we haven’t had here.”

Best-case scenario: Nebraska fans mostly want to see an offensive line befitting of a program that during the 1990s became known for powerful and clinical play up front. Penalty flags too often have been an issue. But there have been plenty of other problems as well.