The 18-year-old Dylan Raiola, the face of the Huskers, is on his way to Lincoln, where he is expected to become the football team’s future star. When the five-star quarterback in the 2024 recruiting class announced on Monday that he was leaving Georgia, college football went into overdrive. Less than a week before Wednesday’s early signing period opens, Matt Rhule and the staff planned one of the boldest moves of the current cycle. However, the effects extend well beyond that.
The Nebraska supporters were famished for such an occasion. The Huskers are in the midst of their worst run since Bob Devaney took over in the early 1960s. They have lost seven straight seasons and have been left out of the national title discussion for decades. The five-time national winners still have a ways to go before they can return to their former level of success, but Raiola’s acquisition is a significant development that could pave the way for their comeback.
Raiola, the son of Rimington Trophy winner and two-time All-Big 12 offensive tackle for Nebraska, Dominic Raiola, comes into the program as the highest-rated commit in the internet era of recruiting and becomes the team’s front-runner right away. Upon graduating from high school in 2005, Ndamukong Suh’s ranking was not even close to five stars.
“It’s huge for Rhule,” Director of Scouting at 247Sports Andrew Ivins remarked. “Raiola will undoubtedly go down as one of the Huskers’ greatest recruiting successes in program history, but what’s more noteworthy about his pledge and signature is how much he elevates Nebraska’s ceiling at quarterback. And since 2023 was a bit of a fiasco back there, Rhule and his crew really need to work out that situation.”
In 2023, the Huskers’ offense was akin to that of a military institution, with just four teams—Air Force, Army, Iowa, and Navy—averaging less passing yards per contest than the Huskers. It soon became evident that Nebraska needed to improve at quarterback, particularly in light of the fact that its 16 interceptions this season ranked eighth in the FBS. Throughout the season, the Huskers used three different quarterbacks as starters, including Jeff Sims, a former Georgia Tech transfer who returned to Lincoln this week after a one-year absence.
The Huskers’ recent recruiting of quarterbacks has been incredibly attractive, both through the transfer portal and at the high school level. It’s still unclear if Raiola can replace former Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord, who left Nebraska after a visit earlier this week, as a Day 1 starter in Lincoln. But it might signal the beginning of Big Red’s Raiola era if the Huskers are unable to pull a credible veteran out of the portal.
Raiola guided the Buford (Ga.) Wolves to a quarterfinal spot in the state’s top division playoffs during his lone season there. His passing percentage was 63.6% as he gained 2,819 yards and 34 touchdowns. More importantly, Raiola only attempted 250 passes with one interception.
Ball security at quarterback will be greatly appreciated by Nebraska.
“I also think Raiola is exactly what Rhule needs,” Ivins stated. “I assumed that he would implement a more gradual approach rather than a quick turnaround when he took over, mainly because that was his approach at both Temple and Baylor.” The fan base may become nervous when things appear bleak on the field because he will pursue developmental players who meet his developmental needs, even if those players aren’t the five- and four-star players. He now has an NFL arm in the fold and a top-tier signal caller.
That will undoubtedly increase expectations, but it also shows that things are moving in the correct way.”
A superior product is college football when the elite teams are vying for national championships. The Huskers’ 136-113 (.546) overall record since 2004 speaks for itself; they are still among the top-10 most successful programs of all time. This century, Nebraska has won no conference championships. Raiola is but one element in a challenging puzzle. And although the early signing period draws near, it could be too late to add more elite players to the 2024 recruiting class, but doing so might pave the way for future success on the trails in 2025 and beyond as Rhule continues to make progress in the reconstruction.
Is it a lot of pressure to put on the shoulders of a young kid? Yes. But it is impossible to ignore the hype when Raiola brings a high level of talent at quarterback, a position that produced the likes of Heisman Trophy winner Eric Crouch, as well as national champions Tommy Frazier and Scott Frost.
