Gunnar Gottula Looks to Turn Experience, Rehab Into Another Starting Role at Nebraska

After missing nearly half of the 2025 season with a knee injury, Gunnar Gottula is back on the field and looking to turn his experience into another starting role at Nebraska.

The 6-foot-6, 320-pound junior from Lincoln Southeast has already shown what it takes to earn a starting job at Nebraska. After playing in four games as a redshirt in 2023, Gottula broke into the starting lineup in 2024, making nine starts at left tackle while playing in 11 games.

As a third-year sophomore in 2025, Gottula continued to establish himself before missing the final six games with a knee injury, which was described as a cartilage/meniscus issue. He missed spring ball as well while rehabbing from surgery, but the time away from the field allowed him to focus on improving his body and his technique.

It's all been paying off during fall camp.

Gunnar Gottula suited up for the Huskers' 2025 game against Northwestern but did not play. Five more missed games would follow because of his injured knee. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

Turning Rehab Into Development

“I focus a lot on my strength, just getting stronger, building my body, gaining good weight,” Gottula told reporters Tuesday after practice. “That's kind of been my big focus. And then, you know, just trying to refine all my techniques and fix different things here and there once I've got back to playing in camp.”

Instead of letting the injury keep him away from football, Gottula used the time to improve the areas of his game he could control. That work has carried over into fall camp, where Gottula said he feels stronger and bigger than he did a year ago

“I feel good out there,” Gottula said. “Kind of bigger than I was last year. So, it feels good to have a little more weight, a little more strength from the offseason.”

A Familiar Position, A New Competition

Now back on the field, Gottula has been primarily working at right tackle as he competes with South Carolina transfer Tree Babalade for the starting job.

Babalade brings plenty of experience of his own, making 15 career starts at South Carolina while playing both tackle positions. He also started five games at right tackle in 2025, giving Nebraska two experienced options competing for the position.

For Gottula, though, the competition hasn't changed the way he approaches his return.

“I think my biggest sense of motivation was just coming back healthy from my injury and getting back to playing football,” Gottula said. “I think the biggest thing with everyone on our team is we kind of have a mindset of you're competing against yourself every single day to be better every single day.”

That mindset has allowed Gottula to focus less on who is lined up next to him and more on becoming a better player.

Experience That Matters

He has made nine starts at left tackle and gained experience on both sides of the offensive line. That experience could be especially valuable as the Huskers continue to figure out their best combination up front.

While right tackle has been his primary position during camp, he has also been willing to take reps elsewhere, including guard.

“I know things will happen in football,” Gottula said. “So, I mean, I'm ready to play whatever position is needed.”

That versatility gives position coach Geep Wade another option as he works through his offensive line, but Gottula's main focus remains earning a role and being prepared wherever the Huskers need him.

Offensive line coach Geep Wade on the sideline during the 2026 Nebraska spring game | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

Building a Better Offensive Line

Gottula's experience isn't only something that can help him individually.

Nebraska's offensive line has several players with significant Power Four experience, giving the group an opportunity to learn from one another and build chemistry.

“When a whole unit has seen a lot of different things from different conferences or different teams just in general, I think it helps,” Gottula said. “We can pick each other's brains by what we see on film or just when we're out on the field, so we can really mesh together and kind of use that to our advantage.”

For a player returning from an injury, being part of an experienced group can make the transition back to the field easier. But Gottula has also had to put in the work himself to get back to where he was before the injury and potentially become an even better player.

Another Opportunity

Gottula still has to earn the right tackle job, but he isn't entering the competition as the same player who started his first game at Nebraska two years ago.

He has nine starts at left tackle, experience on both sides of the line, another offseason of development, and now the experience of working his way back from a significant injury. Whether that is enough to earn the starting spot over Babalade remains to be seen.

But after spending the offseason focused on becoming a better version of himself, Gottula has put himself in a position to make another push for a starting role on Nebraska's offensive line.

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