Nebraska Cornhuskers Quarterback Dylan Raiola Enters Transfer Portal
It was supposed to be the fairy tale ending Lincoln had been waiting decades for. The prodigal son returns, sporting the Patrick Mahomes haircut, the side-arm release, and the five-star pedigree. In the era of the transfer portal, fairy tales in college football do not last long. Dylan Raiola is leaving Nebraska.
After two seasons that felt like a rollercoaster of “almost back” moments, the Cornhuskers are once again looking for an identity. The news, confirmed by multiple outlets, sends Raiola back into the open market, where he will undoubtedly be the shiniest toy on the shelf for quarterback-needy programs.
The Rise and Sudden Departure Of Raiola
Let’s be honest: the writing was on the wall, even if Head Coach Matt Rhule tried to play it cool. Just weeks ago, Rhule claimed he “didn’t know anything” about rumors of his QB1 jumping ship. But in this sport, where smoke usually indicates a five-alarm fire, the signs were there.
Raiola arrived in Lincoln as a savior. Flipping from Georgia to Nebraska wasn’t just a recruiting win; it was a culture shift. And at times, he looked the part. Despite an injury-shortened sophomore campaign in 2025, Raiola put up video game numbers when he was on the field: 2,000 yards, 18 touchdowns, and a completion percentage north of 72%.
He didn’t just look like a starter; he looked like the guy who could finally drag Nebraska out of the wilderness. But individual brilliance doesn’t always translate to team dominance, and a 7-5 finish clearly wasn’t the ceiling Raiola was looking for.
Football Is a Family Business For the Raiola Clan
You can’t talk about this transfer without looking at the awkward Thanksgiving dinner dynamics at play here. This wasn’t just a business decision; it was personal.
The dominoes started falling when Nebraska fired Offensive Line Coach Donovan Raiola—better known to Dylan as “Uncle Donovan.” In the world of high-stakes recruiting, blood is thicker than Gatorade. Shortly after the uncle was shown the door, Dylan’s younger brother, Dayton Raiola (a 2026 recruit), decommitted from the program.
When the uncle gets fired and the brother bails, you don’t need a degree in rocket science to predict the next move. The family ties that bound Dylan to Lincoln unraveled, and just like that, the “legacy” era was over before it really began.
Where Does Raiola Go From Here?
So, where does a quarterback with 4,800 career yards and an NFL arm go next? The portal is officially the Wild West, but a few spots make too much sense to ignore.
Georgia is the obvious “one that got away.” He was committed there once; maybe he circles back to the SEC powerhouse now that he has experience under his belt. Then there’s the romantic connection to Texas Tech. If you’re going to play like Mahomes and look like Mahomes, why not go play at Mahomes’ alma mater?
For Nebraska fans, it’s another heartbreak in a long line of them. But for Raiola, it is a business trip. He has two years of eligibility left to turn that five-star hype into a legitimate NFL draft stock. The Cornhusker experiment is over; the free agency tour has begun.
