Matt Rhule may have pushed Dylan Raiola into the Transfer Portal

The Nebraska Cornhuskers season ended with a skid to the finish line as Dylan Raiola suffered an injury against USC leading to the team finishing 1-3 over their final 4 games. When Nebraska landed Raiola as a 5-star recruit, the hope was that he'd be the driving force behind returning this team to contention for conference championships and National Championships.

Through two seasons, the results with Dylan Raiola have been mixed as he's shown incredible flashes, bringing this team back-to-back bowl games. Nebraska ties were the reason that Dylan Raiola landed with the Cornhuskers as his dad played there while his uncle Donovan Raiola became the team's offensive line coach in 2021.

Matt Rhule firing Donovan Raiola could affect Dylan's future

On Saturday Afternoon, Matt Rhule made another staff shakeup, firing Offensive Line Coach Donovan Raiola.

The decision felt shocking, especially in a time when the future is uncertain for Matt Rhule's program at quarterback. In November 2026 quarterback recruit Dayton Raiola, the younger brother of Dylan, decommitted from Nebraska, which sparked plenty of speculation that Nebraska's quarterback may enter the Transfer Portal.

Now after firing Donovan Raiola, Nebraska losing Dylan Raiola seems far more likely as it's truly puzzling why Matt Rhule would push out the uncle of his quarterback unless he already knows what Dylan's plans are.

If Dylan Raiola enters the Transfer Portal, Nebraska would need to find a quarterback, whether it's a player on the roster or if the Huskers test the Transfer Portal themselves. Freshman Quarterback TJ Lateef showed encouraging flashes in limited playing time, passing for 722 yards and 4 touchdowns while rushing for 98 yards and 3 touchdowns.

This year, there's only one Transfer Portal window, which opens on January 2nd, making the next few weeks high drama for Matt Rhule and his staff.