Year 2 of the Nebraska football program under Matt Rhule is expected to be a big one. One of the biggest reasons it's thought to be a big year is because of new quarterback signee Dylan Raiola. His commitment and signing has created a ton of excitement.
However, one college football analyst wants people in Lincoln to take a breath. He also wants Rhule to make sure and be careful. Rock Westfall of Mike Farrell Sports wants everyone to know that job one of the Huskers coaches is to make sure that Raiola doesn't turn into the last true freshman who started for Nebraska.
"Adrian Martinez was a sad case of too much too soon. He was named the starter for the Big Red as a true freshman," Westfall wrote. "At Nebraska, the starting quarterback faces the heat of a spotlight and media attention unlike anywhere else. It is difficult enough to be a Power Five starting QB in the. But at Nebraska, that is magnified to an unimaginable level."
The good news here is that the analyst is right in claiming that Rhule seems to have learned the lesson of Scott Frost and Adrian Martinez. One way he's proven that is the hiring of Glen Thomas. Rhule's first year didn't have a real, dedicated quarterback coach. That's not true now that Raiola is in the fold.
Analyst warns Nebraska football about Dylan Raiola becoming Adrian Martinez
For his part, Westfall is convinced that so far, Rhule has taken the steps that are needed to make sure that Dylan Raiola can wake the sleeping giant. And that things are going to be different in the Nebraska football program.
"Dylan Raiola will get better coaching and a stronger supporting cast around him than Adrian Martinez ever hoped to have in his Nebraska career. Thus, it is likely that Raiola won’t suffer the same tragic fate of a wasted Big Red career."