Elijah Pritchett’s Rise at Nebraska: From Waiting His Turn to Owning the Moment
Elijah Pritchett didn’t start the season as a headliner, but by the end of Nebraska’s 2025 campaign, the former Alabama transfer had carved out a meaningful role-and maybe even a future anchor spot-on the Cornhuskers’ offensive line.
The journey wasn’t linear. In fact, Pritchett himself summed it up best: “A lot of ups and downs.”
But the trend line was clear. As the season progressed, so did his confidence, his reps, and his impact on the field.
“For the most part, I feel like I made tremendous improvement on and off the field,” Pritchett said. “Whether it’s film study or extra work.
Just putting my all into it and taking it day by day. I feel like it’s been going good.”
That growth wasn’t just talk-it showed up in the snap count. After logging only 69 snaps through the first four games, Pritchett started the final eight contests and finished with 485 snaps on the year. That’s not just a jump in playing time-it’s a sign of trust earned and potential realized.
And that trust didn’t come easy.
Pritchett acknowledged early struggles, particularly with the mental side of the game. “I obviously started off with a couple false starts in fall camp and kind of worried about it going into the season,” he said.
“Just feel like they couldn’t trust me all the way. So I essentially had to just earn that trust not only from Coach Rhule but the offensive line room.”
That’s a telling quote-not just about his development, but about the culture Matt Rhule is building in Lincoln. It’s not just about physical tools (which Pritchett clearly has); it’s about accountability, consistency, and buy-in.
And Pritchett bought in.
He credited his improvement to reps-plain and simple. “If you do something for a long period of time, you’re going to get better at it regardless,” he said. “I feel like me getting all those reps will really help me.”
That kind of self-awareness is what coaches love to hear. And speaking of coaches, Pritchett had plenty of praise for the new faces guiding the Huskers’ offensive line-Geep Wade and Lonnie Teasley.
“They push us to our limits and even though they just got in, it’s like we’ve known them for months,” he said.
Teasley’s connection to Pritchett actually runs deeper than most might realize. Back when Pritchett was a high school sophomore, Teasley-then at South Carolina-was the first coach to offer him a scholarship. Now, years later, they’re reunited in Lincoln, working together to shape a promising offensive front.
While fans are already thinking about what Pritchett could bring to the Huskers in 2026, he’s keeping his focus on the here and now.
“I’m very excited for this game especially because the next game is the most important,” he said. “That’s just my mindset.
I don’t really think too far into the future. Just like what’s next and what’s at hand and just how do we attack that process.”
That mindset-one rep, one game at a time-has fueled his turnaround. And it’s clear he’s not taking any of it for granted.
“I attacked every practice like it was my last almost because football, you’re not going to be playing football forever,” Pritchett said. “I kind of just realized that throughout the season and gave it my all and just put my heart into it.”
It’s been a season of growth for Elijah Pritchett. And if his upward trajectory continues, Nebraska might just have a future cornerstone on their hands.