When the Dylan Raiola era ended at Nebraska, it was also the official end of the Raiola era for the Huskers in general. Just weeks earlier, NU had fired his uncle, Donovan, and his brother Dayton decommitted. As it turns out, the hostage situation that was the Raiola era is still creating aftershocks for the future of the program.
The younger Raiola was very obviously a package deal with his brother, as the 2026 quarterback's only Power 4 offer was from the Cornhuskers. That was underlined when predictions arose that he would join Dylan at Oregon as a walk-on who might even change his position to tight end.
The big problem with Nebraska putting all its eggs in the Dylan Raiola basket is that it couldn't pursue any other quarterbacks in Dayton's class until a week before signing day, when he pulled back on his pledge.
Jett Thomalla’s Alabama rise spotlights Nebraska’s QB recruiting gap during Dylan Raiola era
Among the quarterbacks the Huskers didn't pursue because of Dayton being locked in from an early date was Millard South signal caller Jett Thomalla. Not really recruited at all by Matt Rhule and his staff, Thomalla initially committed to Iowa State and then flipped to Alabama.
Since joining the Crimson Tide, the young signal caller has impressed and had a meteoric rise that included a reclassification to a 5-star quarterback by Rivals.
Considering how small and how low-ranked the Nebraska football team's 2026 class is, adding Jett Thomalla would undoubtedly have been attractive. Especially since the Huskers have had some issues locking down the state due to various recruiting strategies and more Power 4 teams coming to call at local high schools.
Obviously, there's no guarantee that Nebraska would have won the recruiting battle for Thomalla, who threw for 58 touchdowns in his senior season. However, the Huskers didn't even get in the fight for what Rivals now ranks as the No. 3 quarterback in the class.
That Nebraska didn't get in the fight because of the Raiola family connection is one that's going to sting for a while, especially if Thomalla ends up starting for the SEC power in the next few years.