How often is it seen that when a quarterback suffers an injury that puts them out for the season, it leads them to transfer the following offseason? Carson Beck did last year, Dillon Gabriel did so many years ago when he left UCF, and Jalen Hurts did before that.
Nebraska could be in trouble when it comes to the quarterback position next season, as Raiola is now out for the year, and after there was a lot of speculation about him transferring last season, there could be even more this year.
Backup quarterback TJ Lateef looked pretty good in his first start with Nebraska against UCLA, especially as a young quarterback who really hasn't seen a lot of action in his career. Lateef impressed with his poise and ability to run an offense that is catered to work for Raiola.
With the talent of both Lateef and Raiola, one or both could decide to take their talents elsewhere, leaving Nebraska in a tough spot when it comes to the quarterback position.
What will Nebraska's quarterback room look like next season?
The injury to quarterback Dylan Raiola certainly wasn't great for Nebraska, but it came when the Cornhuskers already had two losses on the season, and a College Football Playoff spot was already out of reach.
Having Raiola right now wouldn't change much for the Cornhuskers, but his injury might. SI's Jack Mitchell and Josh Peterson talked about Nebraska's quarterback situation and who will be in the room next season. There are four options right now: Raiola and Lateef both stay, Raiola leaves and Lateef stays, Raiola stays and Lateef leaves, and Raiola and Lateef leave.
The most logical option is that Raiola will stay, while Lateef leaves, as with some great film of his play, he could have a real chance at earning a starting spot somewhere. While fans will be so happy to keep Raiola, Nebraska would be left with a question mark at the backup QB position.
Having a solid backup quarterback is more crucial than some would think as some would think. If Raiola were to go down again, but Nebraska is still in contention for a playoff spot, they need someone they can trust to take over and secure wins until Raiola can come back.
With the transfer portal season just around the corner, Nebraska will have to assess the damage of players choosing to leave.