Ever since the end of Bo Pelini's time at Nebraska, the program has been trying anything it could to return to the National spotlight. The Mike Riley era was filled with 3 win seasons before the Huskers turned to a program hero in Scott Frost, hoping he could be the fix. The Frost era was just as big a disaster, leading to the hiring of Matt Rhule, and when he landed Dylan Raiola, it looked like Nebraska might have a path back.
Dylan Raiola was a highly regarded 5-star quarterback that almost every program in the country was after. Nebraska was able to beat out Georgia and Ohio State thanks to family ties landing a 5-star quarterback to rebuild the program under Matt Rhule.
Losing Dylan Raiola signals a missed opportunity for Nebraska
On Monday Afternoon, Nebraska lost its starting quarterback as Dylan Raiola announced his intention to enter the Transfer Portal.
Sources: Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola intends to enter the NCAA transfer portal. He’s a true sophomore who has two years of eligibility remaining. He threw for 18 touchdowns, 2000 yards and completed 72.4% of his passes this year. pic.twitter.com/Frt7QgFN57
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 15, 2025
While Dylan Raiola wasn't the perfect quarterback, Nebraska didn't do all that it could to but him in a position to reach his full potential. In Raiola's first season, Offensive Coordinator Marcus Satterfield had to be replaced by Dana Holgorsen. In the Transfer Portal following that first season, Nebraska made additions in the Transfer Portal, but it wasn't the all-in effort you would've expected.
This season, Raiola was clearly a better player, but an injury ended his season early, leading the team to finish 7-5. One of the issues with Raiola and Nebraska was the fact that the offensive line wasn't nearly good enough. The problem was that Dylan Raiola's uncle, Donovan Raiola, was the offensive line coach, and when his uncle was fired, it felt like the last straw.
Nebraska may end up going out and upgrading at the quarterback position this offseason as Raiola was far from a perfect player. In the end, it's more disappointing for Nebraska that Raiola couldn't be the driving force for this team's success as the two sides now head their separate ways.