Donovan Raiola expects to see a big improvement from Nebraska's Turner Corcoran

Nebraska is looking to turn things around in their first year under new head coach Matt Rhule following their disappointing 4-8 finish last season, and to do so, the Cornhuskers must be solid up front on both sides of the ball.

Rhule decided to retain offensive line coach Donovan Raiola from the Cornhuskers’ previous coaching staff, as he battled through various injuries within his position group yet still kept his offensive line fairly productive last season.

One of the key pieces to last year’s offensive line was Turner Corcoran, and in an interview on ‘Huskers Radio Network‘ with Greg Sharpe, Raiola revealed what he expects out of him this upcoming season for Nebraska.

“Turner is a special, special young man,” Raiola said. “He’s really taken on a leadership role being up front and he does it by setting the example and he’ll speak up when he needs to.”

Corcoran was a four-star prospect out of Lawrence Free State high school in Kansas, where he was ranked the No. 1 player in the state, the No. 5 offensive tackle in the country, and the No. 53 overall player of the 2020 recruiting class according to On3’s Industry Ranking.

He played immediately upon his arrival in Lincoln, appearing in three games and making one start as a true freshman in the shortened 2020 COVID season, which made him the first true freshman to ever start at left tackle for Nebraska in program history.

For the next two seasons, he’d really show off his versatility for the Cornhuskers, starting in nine games in 2021 at left tackle and two games at right tackle followed by a season last year where he made three starts at left guard before starting the final nine games at left tackle.

“I’m excited for Turner,” Raiola said. “He’s working on his strength, working on his mobility, all those good things. So, we’ll see a big improvement with Turner as well.”

An improved season out of Corcoran would be huge for the Huskers this year, as injuries across the offensive line last season have already made him a high-value, plug-and-play lineman for the team. He led all Nebraska offensive linemen with 739 snaps last season, allowing just four sacks and seven quarterback hits on the year.

His positional versatility paired with ongoing competitions at various spots on the offensive line makes tabbing where he’ll line up this season for Nebraska a toss-up. But if he’s improved in the way that Raiola expects him to be, he’ll surely make an impact regardless of where he puts his hand in the dirt for Nebraska’s front five in 2023.