Nebraska Football: Dead period visit by Dylan Raiola is a good sign

It’s a dead period for college football recruiting but because of family ties, five-star QB Dylan Raiola is able to visit Nebraska football this weekend.

There have always been ties between Dylan Raiola and Nebraska football that go beyond anything other schools can offer.

Nebraska football is where Dylan Raiola’s father, Dominic, played college football and won the Rimington Award. He became a Nebraska football Hall-of-Famer. Beyond that, his brother and Dylan Raiola’s uncle, Donovan Raiola, is the offensive line coach for Nebraska.

While that doesn’t necessarily mean the five-star quarterback ranked No. 1 overall in the 2024 college football recruiting class is going to pick Nebraska, it does give the Huskers some built-in advantages and we are seeing that this weekend.

Nebraska football hosting Dylan Raiola for dead period visit

It’s a dead period right now for college football recruiting. That means that recruits aren’t allowed in-person visits with head coaches. They can only communicate electronically.

However, there has also been an exception to that rule for Dylan Raiola and Nebraska football and because Donovan is on the staff, Raiola is allowed to visit because of that family tie.

Sean Callahan of Husker Online reported that the five-star is visiting this weekend and said it has been confirmed, which is huge for the Huskers.

We don’t know how much of this is tied to the recruitment of Dylan Raiola, but you’d have to think this is more than just a family visit, especially since it’s right in the most important stretch of the five-star quarterbacks’ recruitment.

"“It’s a dead period for most, but I’ve got family there,” Dominic Raiola told HuskerOnline recently. “It’s not really a dead period for me.”"

Whether a decision comes in the spring or the summer, it’s coming relatively soon and Nebraska football has been trending up. The Huskers recently got a crystal ball projection and this visit, along with an expected one in March, should only bolster their chances.

Matt Rhule visited Raiola in Arizona during the evaluation period. He also sent every single one of his assistant coaches to visit Raiola — a move that made an impression.

While there were different reports about the other visits Raiola will take in March, it sounds like he will see Georgia again and USC at some point. It’s clear that the Bulldogs and Trojans are in the top three with the Huskers.

However, it feels like Nebraska football has a slight edge and that advantage seems to only be growing. Of course, that’s just based on visits and the recent crystal ball.

This recruitment is far from over and as we all know, you can never count out Kirby Smart or Lincoln Riley on the recruiting trail.