Stewart Mandel said the quiet part out loud over Dylan Raiola bailing on Nebraska

When Penn State started sniffing around Lincoln, seeing if they could lure head coach Matt Rhule away from the Cornhuskers, Nebraska was quick to put together a new deal for their beloved head coach. However, after that deal, Nebraska went 2-4 for the rest of the season and lost starting quarterback Dylan Raiola to a season-ending leg injury.

Now, Nebraska is tied to Rhule even more, and his prized quarterback, who was meant to bring Nebraska back, is planning to leave the program, so what does Nebraska do now?

Well, right now, there is hope that the players Rhule is bringing in through the 2026 recruiting class will pan out. Rhule could turn to TJ Lateef as the Cornhuskers' next quarterback. After a full offseason of working with the ones and knowing he has the chance to lead this team could turn into a much different player.

Lateef was just a true freshman when he took over for Raiola, and he was practically thrown into the deep end and told to swim. The other option is that Rhule could turn to the transfer portal and see what experienced player he could pull from there.

Did Nebraska make a mistake with Matt Rhule's new deal?

This is a question that many asked right after Rhule's deal was official, and then the Cornhuskers lost to Minnesota just days later. Now, Nebraska is getting ready to play in the Las Vegas Bowl against No. 15 Utah, and who knows how that is going to go, especially with injuries and players choosing to enter the transfer portal.

Nebraska gave Rhule a two-year extension that keeps him in Lincoln through 2032 now, and while it doesn't increase his salary, it has incentives for College Football Playoff appearances, and worst of all, a higher buyout.

With Raiola gone, fans are asking themselves, was it all worth it now that the prized quarterback is leaving? A lot of those questions will be answered in the offseason and into the 2026 season.