Nebraska’s Jett Thomalla miss looks different after Dylan Raiola family fallout

When Jett Thomalla committed to Alabama, there were plenty of fans and analysts who believed the 5-star quarterback could be the biggest recruiting miss of Matt Rhule's career at Nebraska. However, as On3 analyst Tim Verghese pointed out, the Huskers' decision not to recruit Thomalla wasn't all Rhule's. NU had already locked itself into taking Dayton Raiola as its 2026 quarterback. By the time the relationship with the Raiola family fell apart, it was far too late to go back and get the in-state superstar to come to Lincoln.

"In retrospect, if they didn't have Dayton committed, if. Dylan wasn't around, or if they knew Dylan was leaving, I think there probably would have been a different approach to that recruitment," Verghese told Hurrdat Sports' Damon Benning and Ravi Lulla. "But, yeah, that's a world where, again, a lot of the certainties we had at the time didn't exist."

Not long after Dayton Raiola decommitted from Nebraska, his older brother, who had been the starting quarterback in Lincoln for two years, transferred to Oregon. Dayton followed Dylan but is now committed to the Ducks as a tight end, further underlining how hamstrung the Huskers were by the entire Raiola clan. The fallout began after Rhule fired their uncle, Donovan Raiola, from his offensive line coaching position at the start of the offseason.

For anyone still holding animus for the Raiola clan because the Big Red didn't manage to land (or even try to land) Thomalla, Verghese doesn't think the Huskers are all that worse for wear, thanks to 2027 quarterback commit Trae Taylor.

Trae Taylor could make Nebraska football’s Jett Thomalla miss far easier to stomach

"Trae's a guy who can come in. Again, now granted a year later, but Trae's a guy who can come in and compete for a job in year one." Verghese added.

"Jett, I thought, may have been capable of it, but needed some additional development. I think it's better for Jett's development that he gets a year or two to sit down and develop. And so for that reason, I mean, it, like, from a math standpoint, when you look at the timelines moving forward, I don't know how much sense it would have made for Nebraska [to go after Thomalla late].

It is worth noting that Thomalla has impressed coaches, fans, and teammates this spring, his first in Tuscaloosa. However, he's not really in the conversation when it comes to starting quarterback for Alabama this fall. As Verghese pointed out, it's more likely he'll compete for the Crimson Tide's QB1 spot in 2027 or 2028 (should he still be there).

There's also the thought that if Nebraska had realized what was going down with the Raiolas and pushed for Thomalla, they wouldn't have gotten Taylor at all. He might read the writing on the wall and realize that Thomalla had the inside track to a starting job the year Taylor is due to arrive on campus.

If Verghese is correct that Taylor has more upside and can compete for a starting job right away, then Nebraska got what it needed in a roundabout way. And of course, with NIL and the Transfer Portal, there's no guarantee Thomalla won't eventually be a Cornhusker at some point in his career.

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