Next generation of Nebraska football legacy quarterback officially a Husker

If Nebraska football having one of Dominic Raiola’s kids on campus was a massive positive for the program, imagine what having two of them could do for morale? There is a decent chance we could find that out now that Dylan Raiola’s little brother has officially committed to Matt Rhule and company.

For those that haven’t been closely following the Raiola lineage, Dayton has been following in his father and brother’s footsteps for most of his football career, though these days he’s more closely modeled to Dylan since he’s also a quarterback rather than an offensive lineman. 

Dayton was first in line to follow Dylan as the starting quarterback at their Arizona high school, but then the family picked up and moved to Georgia before Dylan’s senior season. This year, Dayton has taken over the starting job on a kind of rotating basis and now, he intends to one day be under center for Nebraska football just like his older bro.

The younger sibling announced his commitment to the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Sunday night, capping off a wildly successful day for the entire athletic program. And the quarterback’s pledge is a nice pick-me-up after the loss on Friday night.

Nebraska football secures legacy quarterback in Dayton Raiola

Of course, it’s not just about Dylan and Dayton. There’s also offensive line coach Donovan. And that’s not even the end of it.

“I feel like I would be making a mistake if I didn’t go to Nebraska,” Dayton Raiola told Sports Illustrated after the announcement went live. “On top of my brother and uncle being there, my sister works in recruiting there now, and my dad was an All-American there. The coaching staff at Nebraska has shown me real love and I can feel it every time I go up there.”

Few schools have made things a family affair the way the Nebraska football team has made things with the Raiola clan. Now they’ve added the 3-star quarterback to the fold, when the 2026 class can sign on the dotted line.

Meanwhile, Dayton's commitment comes on the same day that the Nebraska basketball team landed 4-star small forward Quentin Rhymes and the Huskers volleyball team swept away fourth-ranked Louisville. Quite the reasons for celebration.