Big Ten Contender Loses Projected Starter Ahead Of 2024 College Football Season

The Big Ten is as competitive as ever after adding four new members from what used to be the Pac-12. With traditional powerhouses like the Ohio State Buckeyes, Michigan Wolverines, and Penn State Nittany Lions still vying for a College Football Playoff berth, there’s little margin of error for other teams in the conference looking to break through.

One of the top candidates to shake up the Big Ten comes from one of its relatively newer members, the Nebraska Cornhuskers. There’s a lot of optimism in Lincoln for Matt Rhule’s 2024 squad that features one of the most highly anticipated freshman quarterbacks Dylan Raiola.

Raiola was one of the top overall recruits in the 2024 class, having previously pledged commitments to the Buckeyes and the Georgia Bulldogs before ultimately sticking with the Huskers. The team unfortunately received some bad news in the effort to protect their star recruit.

“Nebraska coach Matt Rhule is here after practice. Teddy Prochazka suffered a torn ACL on Monday in practice. He's out for the season. Was a primary contender to start at left tackle,” Nebraska football writer Mitch Sherman posted on X.

Prochazka was in line for the starting job after suffering season-ending knee injuries two out of the past three seasons. Injuries sadly continue to be an issue for him.

“For Teddy, this is going on four surgeries for him,” Rhule told members of the media. “It’s a really difficult time for him. He was right there at the team meeting last night with an unbelievable attitude.”

The Cornhuskers don’t necessarily have an easy start to the season with the Colorado Buffaloes heading to Lincoln for a 7:30 p.m. (ET) kickoff on Sept. 7. Their season starts with a matchup against the UTEP Miners on Aug. 31. Kickoff is slated for 3:30 p.m. (ET).

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