After just two years with the Cornhuskers and a season-ending injury, Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola announced he planned on entering the transfer portal when it opened at the beginning of January.
As Raiola stuck one foot out the door, people turned to Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule to see what he had to say. It wasn't until half a week later that he decided to speak his mind.
"If he needs a fresh start, I’m going to pray that he finds the right place and that he has so much success," Rhule said. "With that being said, there’s a lot of great quarterbacks out there, and a lot of guys want to play at Nebraska."
Matt Rhule knows Nebraska is the prize, not a certain player
Well, just like that, it seems like Rhule is ready to move on to his next man up, while still hoping for the best for Raiola as a young athlete.
Raiola, who was originally recruited to come to Nebraska by Rhule and his staff, was named the starting quarterback for the Cornhuskers as a true freshman in 2024. Since then, he amassed 4,819 passing yards for 31 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.
While he improved in every stat column through the air during his sophomore season, despite it ending early due to injury, he struggled even more with his ground game. Over his two seasons in Lincoln, Raiola lost 152 total yards on the ground and never scored a rushing touchdown.
Simply put, he was far from a dual-threat quarterback behind the Nebraska offensive line, and Rhule is seemingly confident that his team can find a quarterback who will be an even better fit for the program.
Furthermore, Raiola's departure didn't come as a huge surprise for anyone paying attention, as the program had fired his uncle, Donovan Raiola, just a few weeks before his announcement, and his younger brother Dayton Raiola had decommitted from the Cornhuskers earlier in the year.