Huskers Guard Henry Lutovsky Expects Big Things from Offensive Line
‘I want nothing more than to bring this place back to what it once was’
Nebraska Coach Matt Rhule – 2025 Big Ten Football Media Days
The importance of a great offensive line was on vivid display at the Super Bowl as a worldwide television audience watched, some in horror.
Nebraska senior guard Henry Lutovsky, who attended the Chiefs-Bills AFC Championship Game two weeks before the Super Bowl, knows better than most what a great offensive line can mean to a football team.
The Super Bowl featured the defending champion Chiefs vs. the Eagles. The Chiefs’ offensive line was powerless against the Eagles’ relentless pressure. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, an all-time great, spent most of the game running for his life.
Mahomes was sacked six times. He was hit nearly every time he dropped back to pass. He threw two interceptions and ended the game with an 11.4 quarterback rating.
Mahomes had never been so overwhelmed.
The Eagles advanced to the Super Bowl largely because of 2,000-yard rusher Saquon Barkley. Those yards came courtesy of Barkley’s talent, but also the Eagles’ top-ranked offensive line opening holes for Barkley to burst through.
The Eagles won in a rout, 40-22. Offensive line enthusiasts rejoiced. Football people took notice, and they also took notes.
Lutovsky’s amazing stat
Nebraska’s offensive success in 2025 likely will live or die in the meaty hands of its offensive line. Sure, quarterback Dylan Raiola gets all of the attention. It’s how football works. But it’s the offensive line that ultimately will make everything work.
Lutovsky was one of four Huskers players who joined coach Matt Rhule at Big Ten Media Days this week in Las Vegas. The 6-foot-6, 320-pounder had an amazing stat during Nebraska’s 7-6 season in 2024.
According to the Big Ten Network, Lutovsky allowed zero sacks on 429 pass-block attempts, a remarkable achievement in the highly competitive Big Ten.
Lutovsky brings more than athletic prowess to the football field. He was an Academic All-Big Ten in 2023 and 2024. He was an eight-time Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll recipient. He also was on the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team in 2024 and 2025.
Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola fires a pass while receiving protection from offensive linemen Henry Lutovsky and Ben Scott
Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola fires a pass while receiving protection from offensive lineman Henry Lutovsky against Wisconsin in 2024. / Kenny Larabee, KLIN
Lutovsky, whom Rhule called one of the team’s leaders, has high expectations for 2025.
“I’m expecting us to be a very good offensive line,” Lutovsky said on Big Ten Network. He also said he’s been working at left guard. “We know the sky’s the limit for our group. It really just comes down to how consistent can we be.
“How many plays can we have all five guys on the same page. It’s never going to work if we have one guy off. So we’re just fighting to become the most consistent unit in college football.”
Raiola knows importance of offensive line
Raiola knows the offensive line’s success had a direct connection to his success. “Our O-line, they’re doing great,” Raiola said on BTN. “They’re fighting, they’re scratching and clawing.”
Lutovsky says his job is easier because of how Raiola conducts his business.
“Dylan’s great,” Lutovsky said. “He kinda has an offensive line-mind, so to speak, his dad played center.
“He really does a great job of understanding what makes our job easier and what makes it harder. He fights every single day to trying to make our lives easier.”
Lutovsky’s work ethic and attitude are what helps endear him to Rhule and his teammates. Lutovsky works to improve his game.
“When you get to the offseason you can have the mindset of ‘I’m a really good player but I need to improve everything and not beat yourself up about it,’ ” he said. “So you can attack each day with the mindset of I’m going to improve.”
Lutovsky and Huskers history
Lutovsky knows about the Huskers’ football history and wants to part of a team that restores Nebraska to that past glory before he moves on, likely to the NFL.
“From the moment I stepped on campus, I fell in love with the place and fell in love with the people,” he said. “Just being a fan of the sport, you’d always heard about the great offensive lines Nebraska’s had, all the national championships and because of that I fell in love with the idea of bringing it back.
Offensive linemen Gunnar Gottula (77) and Henry Lutovsky (59) celebrate after a Nebraska touchdown in the 2024 Pinstripe Bowl
Offensive linemen Henry Lutovsky (right) and Gunnar Gottula celebrate after a Nebraska touchdown in the 2024 Pinstripe Bowl. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
“I want nothing more than to bring this place back to what it was,” Lutovsky said.
Lutovsky is from Crawfordsville, Iowa, population 280. “Just about,” he said on the Big Ten Network. Lutovsky will see upwards of 50,000 Nebraska fans in Arrowhead Stadium on Aug. 28 when the Huskers open the season against Cincinnati.
Arrowhead Stadium, of course, is the home of the Chiefs, the home of Patrick Mahomes. In case the Huskers’ offensive linemen needed a reminder how important their jobs are
