Pat McAfee predicts Dylan Raiola is 'going to be a star' in 2025

Pat McAfee got a chance to meet with Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola, as well as Matt Rhule and RB Emmett Johnson, while at Monday Night RAW with the WWE in Lincoln earlier this week. Based on that conversation, he’s expecting the Cornhuskers to have a young star in him come kickoff next season.

‘The Pat McAfee Show’ had on ESPN’s Pete Thamel on Friday and, in a discussion about quarterbacks, Thamel noted Raiola as an example of true freshman quarterbacks not necessarily leading to success. McAfee circled back to Raiola when he was done and brought up how impressed he was with him having seen him on Monday.

“I love that you brought up Dylan Raiola, who’s a son of a coach, okay, so he, you know, works his ass off. I’ve seen him at RAW the other day in Omaha. Looking good,” McAfee said. “I’m high on the Nebraska Cornhuskers after getting a chance to meet these boys and chit chat with them one-on-one post-Monday Night RAW in the back…I did think about the conversation we were having while sitting in traffic in Omaha for a good bit there after the program and I would like to let the Nebraska Cornhusker boys know – I said, worth it. It was cool to meet them.

“That Dylan kid was, it was great. Like, he was, I enjoyed the way he was operating. Like, I enjoyed, he just has like a star kind of vibe about him. I think Dylan Raiola is going to be a star next year. Freshman last year? (Thamel) said, straight up, didn’t do well. Guys playing for Nebraska as a freshman!”

Raiola, a former five-star and the third-best quarterback in his recruiting class, showed signs of that as a true freshman last season as Nebraska’s QB1. He completed 67.1% of his throws for 2,819 passing yards, good for 216.8 per game, with 13 touchdowns but 11 interceptions. It wasn’t all good, especially from October on, but there’s still a lot of promise there going into his sophomore season this next year.

There’s a lot of talent there, and now a year of experience, with Raiola. He just has to put more of that together in his second year as a starter, which McAfee believes that he will.

McAfee makes bold statement amid Rhule, Cornhuskers’ appearance on WWE Monday Night Raw

WWE Monday Night Raw was live in Omaha, Nebraska this week. Naturally, Nebraska’s football team was invited ringside to watch the action first-hand.

This included Matt Rhule, Dylan Raiola, and Emmett Johnson, who were all shown on the broadcast, Pat McAfee, who does color commentary for the WWE, made a bold proclamation before the camera panned back to the ring.

.@CoachMattRhule and the Nebraska football team are here tonight 👏 #WWERaw pic.twitter.com/flhoEeSMK3

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 6, 2025

“We’re in Omaha, Nebraska and we’re thankful for this man, coach Matt Rhule, college football icon,” McAfee said. “Dylan Raiola and Emmett Johnson of the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team are here tonight. The boys are beloved. They got hot in the second half of the season…It feels like they’re all the way back.”