The rumor has been building for weeks, and on Monday, it became official. Well, as official as it can be before the transfer portal opens on January 2: Dylan Raiola is leaving Nebraska. The 2023 five-star will enter his name into the portal, joining a loaded group of QBs looking for new homes.
So, where will the former Nebraska QB be heading? Well, it’s still incredibly early in the process, but there are a few suitors that stick out, and that’s not including Texas Tech.
Fans immediately make the connection between the Patrick Mahomes superfan and Lubbock, but according to Pete Nakos of On3, Texas Tech is not expected to be a factor in his market this offseason.
Do not expect Texas Tech to be a factor in Dylan Raiola's portal recruitment, sources tell @On3sports. https://t.co/F4W4iMVmnv
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos) December 15, 2025
Just because he’s not following in Mahomes’s footsteps to Texas Tech, doesn’t mean he won’t have a chance to compete for championships at his next stop. These 3 contenders should be in the market for Raiola’s services this winter.
Mario Cristobal will need a replacement for Carson Beck after the Hurricanes’ College Football Playoff run comes to an end, and it’s clear that the program is confident going into the transfer portal to find its quarterback. From Cam Ward to Beck, Cristobal is two-for-two in the portal, and Raiola is a fairly safe bet for his third go-round.
As for Raiola, the Georgia native would have a big stage in Miami and a clearer path to the College Football Playoff in the ACC. Plus, Cristobal consistently builds some of the best offensive lines in the country, which is important for a quarterback who is pressure-sensitive and doesn’t evade sacks particularly well.
Josh Heupel is no stranger to a highly-touted former five-star quarterback. He may feel burned after the Nico Iamaleava debacle, but that doesn’t mean he won’t touch the stove again with Raiola. It’s hard to win without elite talent at quarterback, so it’s worth the risk to attempt to acquire it.
Heupel got a serviceable year out of Joey Aguilar, especially considering how late he arrived in Knoxville after Iamaleava’s unexpected departure. However, he’ll want a clear upgrade, and Raiola represents that. Raiola would excel in his QB-friendly system, and the SEC would be quite the proving ground before an eventual NFL career.
Oregon has quickly emerged as a potential contender for Raiola, according to CBS Sports’ Chris Hummer. Dante Moore will almost certainly enter the NFL Draft and be a top-five pick this year, and with offensive coordinator Will Stein leaving to become the head coach at Kentucky, Moore’s backup, Austin Novosad, won’t have the advantage of being familiar with the system.
It’s a perfect chance for a championship contender with deep pockets to land a proven difference-maker at QB.