Matt Rhule sets offseason goals for Dylan Raiola to make Nebraska ‘his team’

Dylan Raiola passed his trial run with flying colors this past season but now, it’s time to take the next step. On Saturday, Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule revealed his offseason goals for the Cornhuskers’ QB1.

“Before he can make it his team, I think he has to make it his offense. Before he makes it his offense, I think he has to make it his receiving corps,” Rhule said. “I went to the Supernova game last night, and he’s over there with Heinrich [Haarberg], and they’re sitting courtside, which is great, as long as you’re in the building this morning, throwing, which I know they were.

“That’s what I mean by gratitude. Like, ‘I’m grateful to be here, so because I’m grateful, it’s not that I say thank you. It’s that I work my tail off each and every day because I’m trying to get better.'”

The work Raiola put in last offseason paid dividends. He started all 13 games for the Cornhuskers during his debut campaign, completing 67.1% of his pass attempts for 2,595 yards and 12 touchdowns while throwing 10 interceptions.

Raiola was particularly spectacular through the first half of the season, helping Nebraska to win five of its first six games. Alas, the Cornhuskers sputtered in the back stretch of the year and lost five of their final six regular-season games.

On a positive note, Raiola finished the season strong, completing 22-of-his-30 pass attempts for 224 yards and a touchdown in Nebraska’s 20-15 win over Boston College in the Pinstripe Bowl.

For his efforts, Raiola was a one-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week and a semifinalist for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award. Matt Rhule believes even brighter days are ahead for Raiola.

“Dylan’s got to get the receivers there every day. Year 1, he’s like, ‘I asked them. Five guys showed up.’ Well, that’s not leadership,” Rhule said. “That’s trying to be a leader. Leadership is when you get everybody there.

“I think he’ll do a great job of that, at the same time, mastering himself, getting quicker, getting his weight to a proper weight, continue to learn the offense, mastering his fundamentals.”

Dylan Raiola will have several new receivers to lead this season. After the 2024 campaign concluded, the Cornhuskers added Kentucky wide receivers Dane Key and Hardley Gilmore, along with California wideout Nyziah Hunter, via the NCAA Transfer Portal.