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Nebraska HC Matt Rhule checks in on 2026 QB commit Dayton Raiola

hunterby:Hunter Shelton•about 9 hours•

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2026 QB Dayton Raiola (Photo credit: Casey Fritton/HuskerOnline)

Nebraska is quite familiar with the Raiola family at this point. Star quarterback Dylan Raiola, the son of offensive line coach Donovan Raiola, led the Cornhuskers to a bowl game in his freshman season and is primed to break out further as a sophomore in 2025.

He isn’t the only gunslinger sporting that last name on the back of his jersey, however. Back in Georgia, Buford High QB Dayton Raiola is now heading into his senior season of high school football. The 6-foot-1, 205-pounder has been pledged to Nebraska since Sept. 22.

Set to continue the family legacy in Lincoln, Dayton is looking to rise in the recruiting rankings as he mans the offense of one of the top football powers in the Peach State. On Thursday, he was visited by Huskers head coach Matt Rhule:

“All the coaching changes have been positive, and I’m excited for what’s to come,” the younger Raiola recently said of Nebraska when speaking with Husker Online.

After losing its first game of the season to eventual state champs Milton, Buford and Raiola went on a 12-game winning streak that saw the Wolves reach the 6A state semifinals. They fell 30-17 to Julian Lewis and Carrollton, but still finished as the No. 4 team in the state and No. 24 team in the nation, per the On3 Composite Rankings.

“I learned a lot over my junior year, and the thing I learned the most is you just have to be a student of the game,” Raiola said. “There is always more to learn, no matter how confident you feel.”

Raiola is the No. 737 overall prospect and No. 62 QB in the 2026 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He’s also ranked as the No. 74 player in Georgia.

The Huskers signed the nation’s No. 21 recruiting class last cycle, per the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. So far in 2026, Raiola is one of three pledges for Rhule and Co. alongside Winter Garden (Fla.) Windermere three-star cornerback CJ Bronaugh and Sioux Falls (S.D.) Washington three-star wide receiver Dveyoun Bonwell-Witte.

“In talking to all of the coaches at Nebraska, I really love the community, coaches, culture, and the area,” Bronaugh told Husker Online. “I know they can coach me good and get me ready for the future. I know that they can help me develop into a better person.”