Nebraska offensive line coach Geep Wade isn’t tiptoeing around the goal for his room. He’s talking about building a group that can “go win the Big Ten,” and that means more than finding five starters. It means stockpiling enough reliable bodies that the Huskers can keep rolling no matter who’s in the game.
That’s why the conversation around the line this fall has centered on depth, versatility and mentality. Nebraska added three transfer portal linemen this offseason in Brendan Black, Paul Mubenga and Tree Babalade, but the room also brings back multiple players with starting experience from last season. Wade said he wants flexibility across the board, not just a neat pecking order.
“I don’t look at it as a battle,” Wade said. “I look at it as like I’m trying to get eight guys to go win the Big Ten and play them anywhere.
Black has played some center, Gottula’s played right guard. I’m trying to get the best five out there at all times for Nebraska.
That’s my job.”
Gunnar Gottula is one of the veterans Wade has in mind. Rather than framing things as a straight competition, Wade is focused on assembling a deeper, more adaptable unit.
Justin Evans is another key piece. The 6-foot-2, 315-pound lineman has appeared in 35 games in his career and has worked at both center and guard. He’s also being asked to take on a bigger leadership role this fall, including building a connection with transfer quarterback Anthony Colandrea.
“With Justin, he’s trying to be the leader now,” Wade said. “I’ve challenged him. Being the leader, you’ve got to upset people at times, and that’s what I want him to work on … to really be more of a vocal leader in the good and in the bad.”
Evans has started 31 games, and Nebraska’s offensive line as a whole is nearing 150 collegiate starts. Wade made it clear he sees that experience as one of the group’s biggest strengths.
“Experience matters at this level,” he said. “It’s valuable … We talk about ego strength.
To have confidence in yourself but the humility to understand that we’ve got to get better. That’s something these kids will take.
You can coach them hard; you can get on them, because they are grown men.”
That veteran presence runs through the room. Tyler Knaak, Evans, Pritchett, Gottula, Black, Babalade and Mubenga all enter 2026 with starting experience, giving Nebraska a seasoned collection to work with up front.
Still, Wade isn’t just looking at technique and snaps. He wants the group to sharpen its approach mentally, especially with an updated offense being installed in 2026.
“The mentality,” he said. “The discipline to fight through adversity. There’s going to be adversity every day in something … Let’s get that mentality started that we cannot waste a day … That is where we’ll win and lose football games.”
One player who has stood out in that setting is Gibson Pyle. Now in his third season of college football, the 6-foot-5, 310-pound lineman is back after an injury ended his 2025 season early, and Wade said the first-year position coach has liked what he has seen so far.
“Gibson Pyle has had a great couple of days,” Wade said. “When you don’t talk about somebody in the film room, that’s a good thing.
Very, very excited about Gibby. Going to challenge him to take his game to another level, because we’re going to need some guys like that during the season.”
Pyle has played in just one game, but Wade’s praise suggests a bigger role could be coming in 2026.
The line’s development also matters because Nebraska is expected to lean on a running back group that is still light on experience. Wade said he likes what he’s seeing from that position room, pointing to both attitude and depth.
“They’ve got a chip on their shoulder,” he said. “I think the whole offense does, but I think that those guys have really worked hard … I’m excited about that group.
(Mekhi) Nelson, (Isaiah) Mozee, and Jamal (Rule); (Vincent) Genatone had a good day today. There’s some value with having that many backs, because we’re going to need them.”
For Wade, the bigger picture is simple: the offensive line can’t carry the load alone. The backs will need to be ready, the line has to stay connected, and the whole offense has to move with urgency. That’s the standard he’s pushing in camp, and he’s making no secret of how high he wants Nebraska’s ceiling to be.
In Other News...
Nebraskas NIL Standing In The Big Ten Raises A Bigger Question
Nebraskas place in the Big Tens NIL landscape offers a useful snapshot of where the program stands as college footballs money race keeps escalating. According to estimates from NIL Standard, the Cornhuskers rank ninth in the conference for projected football spending in 2026 at about $23.7 million, a figure that puts them in the middle of a crowded arms race rather than near the top tier.
Oregon leads the Big Ten at an estimated $42.2 million, and the gap helps frame the bigger question around Nebraskas roster-building ceiling. The Huskers do have two players projected to clear the $1 million mark in quarterback Anthony Colandrea and left tackle Elijah Pritchett, but the broader challenge is whether that level of investment is enough to keep pace with the leagues biggest spenders. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraskas Offense Faces One Big Test As Holgorsen Keeps Adjusting
Dana Holgorsen keeps describing Nebraskas offense as a work in progress, and that is not necessarily a bad thing in August. The offensive coordinator pointed to the new coaching staff and the different skill sets at quarterback as the biggest reasons the unit has continued to evolve, with the line and the skill players forcing him to keep adjusting what the Huskers want to be.
A big part of that adjustment centers on depth, especially up front, where Holgorsen has praised the talent he sees on the offensive line. He mentioned Justin Evans, Gunnar Gottula and Elijah Pritchett as part of that group, and made clear that Nebraskas ceiling on offense will be tied to how well that line performs while the staff settles on the right mix around a quarterback room that brings Power Four experience. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska May Have Found An Unexpected Answer In Mac Markway
Mac Markways path at Nebraska has already taken a sharp turn, and it has the kind of backstory that tends to grab attention in fall camp. The former LSU tight end arrived after recovering from two ACL injuries, then made the move to defensive end, a switch that came from Markway himself as he looked for a new way to fit into the program and keep his career moving forward.
Matt Rhule has liked what he has seen so far, pointing to Markways athleticism and motor as the traits that stand out on the edge. It is still early in the process, but Nebraska appears to have found a player with a chance to become more than just a depth piece, especially if the transition keeps trending the way the staff believes it can. [Read more 🡒]