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During a redshirt season in 2023, Gottula was limited to special teams opportunities across four games, which provided “a ton of great reps,� he said Tuesday.

And despite starting this season's fall camp buried on the depth chart behind Teddy Prochazka and Turner Cocoran at left tackle, Gottula said he was always prepared to step in.

Following a preseason injury to Prochazka and a hamstring injury that has caused Corcoran to miss NU’s last four games, the Huskers truly needed Gottula — and the redshirt freshman offensive lineman has risen to the occasion.

“It’s been a great opportunity just being able to work on improving each and every week and getting better with the unit,� Gottula said.

The Lincoln native was one of the Huskers’ top 2023 recruits after a standout prep career with Lincoln Southeast. While there, Gottula got the unique opportunity to play for his father and Southeast head coach Ryan Gottula, an experience the redshirt freshman feels has led him to this point.

“Growing up as a kid, I played a lot of different sports, but in high school, once I got the opportunity to play for my dad, that was just amazing,� Gottula said. “Being able to play for him just really grew my love for the game.�

There is no doubting Gottula’s love for the game now considering the motor he shows on Saturdays. Having started Nebraska’s last four games at left tackle, Gottula has played over 280 snaps this season and continues to progress with every ensuing week.

Gottula notably held his own against a talented Ohio State pass rush last week, a situation he said he was prepared for due to the challenges of facing players such as Jimari Butler and MJ Sherman in practice over the last two seasons.

Very few redshirt freshmen are capable of playing the challenging left tackle position and protecting a quarterback’s blindside, but Gottula is — and he credits his veteran teammates for helping him reach that point early in his career.

“Those older guys are a huge help for me since I got here; they’re basically like big brothers for me,� Gottula said. “Just being able to follow their lead and follow the standard that they’ve set here (lets me) just step in and do my job.�