The Nebraska football team added another impressive commit in the form of 4-star offensive lineman Preston Taumua on Sunday night.
Not today, Saban! That’s what interior offensive line prospect said in what was the middle of the night, Nebraska football time. Instead or Alabama, or Oregon, or Arizona, Preston Taumua picked Matt Rhule and the Huskers. The decision at 1:00 am central time on Monday morning gives the Cornhuskers yet another big “W” for the 2024 recruiting class.
Make no mistake about it, this is a massive get not just for the Nebraska football team but also for Donovan Raiola. There are few coaches on the current staff more maligned than the second-year offensive line coach.
Raiola was the only coach held over from the Scott Frost/Mickey Joseph era and when it was announced he was staying, more than a few Nebraska football fans scratched their heads in confusion and rolled their eyes in frustration. His being retained was pointed to by some as the first sign that Rhule didn’t get it.
There was added frustration when retaining Donovan didn’t lead to the Huskers reeling in the top quarterback prospect in the 2024 class, who just happened to be the coach’s nephew. People thought the elder Raiola was kept almost entirely get bring in Dylan Raiola. And he couldn’t do it.
Nebraska football lands a big one
Slowly but surely, it appears the offensive line coach is showing that maybe it wasn’t a terrible idea to keep him. Over the offseason, the offensive line commits and transfers have looked better. They’ve looked impressive. And Preston Taumua is the cherry on the sundae.
“Coach Raiola was a big part of it for me and he’s from out here, so I could see myself playing for him,” Taumua 247Sports after his commitment announcement. “He’s a down to earth guy and really treated me like I was a part of his family when we were out there for the visit. Coach Rhule is great too and I think he can really turn around the program. He told me I could be a part of the class that switches the program around.”