Dylan Raiola opens up on his 'emotional' reaction to being named Nebraska's starting QB
Dylan Raiola first committed to Ohio State. Then he flipped to Georgia. Even though he was a unanimous five-star prospect in the 2024 class and an Elite 11 finalist, he still probably would have had to sit behind veteran starters at either of those two schools.
That said, when Raiola flipped once more to Nebraska, he opened the door to him starting as a true freshman. He’s now walked through the door, earning the status of QB1 last week in Lincoln.
Raiola reflected on the moment head coach Matt Rhule named him the starter.
“It was emotional, honestly,” Raiola said at the podium Tuesday. “The first thing I did was call my mom, call my dad. Very thankful for them. I wouldn’t be here without them. And then my brother and my sister, made sure I called them and let them know I appreciate them every much. There’s a lot of other people I could thank.”
“… It was a fun competition. I still love Danny (Daniel Kaelin), still love Heinrich [Haarberg]. They pushed me every day, so I can’t thank them enough for what they did and helped me be where I am as well.”
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Raiola said Rhule told him he earned the job after practice last week before meeting with the media. It was a short conversation, but Raiola wasn’t focused on the delivery. He isn’t parading the accomplishment, either.
“It was just quick. It’s about our team. I don’t want to make it about me or what I do,” Raiola said. “I can’t win the game by myself. So it’s going to take all 11 on both sides of the ball. That’s our focus.”
Dylan Raiola, the son of former Nebraska and Detroit Lions center Dominic Raiola, arrived at Nebraska this past winter as the No. 20 overall prospect in the 2024 class, according to the On3 Industry Ranking.
Raiola swiftly emerged as a name to know in his recruiting cycle. Similar to how Raiola committed to three different schools as a prospect, he also spent time at four different high schools, hopping from one to the next. He’s settled at Nebraska now.
Standing 6-foot-3, 230 pounds, Raiola doesn’t look like a true freshman. He’s got the ability to make off-platform throws, and he can do so from multiple arm slots while driving the ball downfield.
“I felt all along like Dylan could be the starter game one,” Rhule said last week. “The problem was I also felt like so could Heinrich. I also felt like so could Danny, and Danny had a really, really, really strong week and a really strong scrimmage too,” Rhule said.
“So why did he win the job, why did Dylan win the job?” he asked. “I think Dylan puts all the pieces in play, and that doesn’t mean the other guys don’t, but I think Dylan has elite arm strength. He understands all the run game checks. He understands the entire RPO game. He understands the situational football.”