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Pete Thamel, ESPN
Dylan Raiola, ESPN’s top pocket-passing quarterback in the 2024 recruiting class, told ESPN on Monday he’s switching his college commitment to Nebraska from Georgia.
The decision marks a potential seismic shift in fortunes for Nebraska football, as Raiola’s commitment makes him the highest-ranked high school recruit to pick the Cornhuskers since ESPN began tracking rankings in 2006, per ESPN Stats & Information.
Raiola is ranked No. 8 overall in the 2024 ESPN 300.
In a phone interview Monday, Raiola detailed how a lifetime of being intertwined with Nebraska football played into his decision. His father, Dominic, was an All-American offensive lineman there, and his uncle Donovan is the school’s offensive line coach.
“I firmly believe that Nebraska is in my blood,” Raiola told ESPN. “It’s a great opportunity to be part of something bigger than myself. Nebraska is a special place.”
Nebraska marks the third school Raiola has been tied to in his recruitment. He committed to Ohio State early in May 2022, only to decommit and choose Georgia in May 2023.
The Bulldogs on Monday learned that quarterback Carson Beck, who had a 12-1 record in his first season as a starter, will return in 2024 for his senior season.
Raiola said there’s allure to potentially restoring glory to the Cornhuskers amid the program’s seven-year bowl drought spanning three head coaches. Nebraska’s history includes five national championships and three Heisman Trophy winners.
“I think it’ll mean a lot to bring it back,” Raiola said. “Just because of the legacy of so many great players that have walked through that locker room that’s been established there — to keep doing what they established.
“… Just the history of the Nebraska football program. It’s not just another program.”
The flip to Nebraska marks a major touchstone early in the tenure of Matt Rhule, who finished with a 5-7 mark in his first season. Nebraska had inconsistent quarterback play this year, with the country’s No. 126 passing offense and No. 120 scoring offense. The Cornhuskers had top-20 finishes in scoring defense, rush defense and total defense.
Rhule previously found success as the coach at Temple and Baylor, and he spent three seasons as an NFL coach before returning to Nebraska. He made a strong impression on Raiola.
“I believe from my dad being there, I understand the history of the program,” Raiola said. “I also understand my family legacy there and the fan base and aspirations. I strongly believe in the vision and culture that Coach Rhule has established with his staff.”
Raiola played high school football in both Texas and Arizona before he transferred to Buford (Georgia) High School this past summer. He threw for 2,666 yards, 34 touchdowns and just 1 interception in his final season.
Raiola plans to enroll early at Nebraska and be on campus in January. He visited over the weekend, with the outside expectation that he planned to eventually commit there.
“I went up there with an open mind,” Raiola said. “I think it was just another opportunity to be around the whole coaching staff and understand really Coach Rhule’s vision and culture and what he intends for Nebraska to be. He understands that himself. That’s huge. He can implement that into his coaching style and the way he interacts with his players.
“… I noticed the way that his players gravitate to him. He really cares about the person and the man that you are becoming. He uses the football platform to help develop you as a man. That’s what makes him the most special. He gets the most out of them, because he’s built strong relationships.”
Raiola has spent his whole life rooting for the Cornhuskers, as his dad won the Remington Award in 2000 as the top center in college football and earned first-team All-America honors. He was also a finalist for the Lombardi (top lineman) and Outland Awards (top interior lineman).
When asked who his favorite Cornhusker player growing up was, Dylan Raiola said he “rooted for the whole team.”
“That speaks a lot on how much it meant for my dad. My dad instilled that legacy in me,” Raiola said. “What he’s instilled in me and all that he’s taught me growing up is that he learned a lot of that from his time at Nebraska.”
While there’s no definitive starter at quarterback for 2024, Nebraska has avoided taking a high-profile quarterback from the NCAA transfer portal. Raiola said he’s eager to compete this spring and knows nothing will be handed to him.
“You have to go in and earn your stripes and compete and fall in line with what guys established last year,” Raiola said. “You’re still a freshman. You have to listen to everyone ahead of you. That’s the beautiful thing about it.”
When asked to write the perfect script of his career at Nebraska, Raiola acknowledged that it won’t be linear but said he’s looking forward to the adventure.
“I don’t think there’s a perfect vision of what it’s going to be,” he said. “There’s going to be ups and downs. … I can’t tell you what it’s going to be, but it’s going to be a lot of fun.”