Dylan Raiola could’ve taken the easy route. After an up-and-down first season at Nebraska — being the only true freshman quarterback to start every game for a Power Four team last year — the former five-star recruit had plenty of suitors waiting if he chose to enter the transfer portal, coach Matt Rhule said on The Jim Rome Show this week. But Raiola never wavered.
“Everyone reached out to him,” Rhule said. “He could have taken the easy way out and left and gone into the portal and gone to someplace where he could start over, maybe where he doesn’t have to do as much himself. But he chose to stick it out and fight. He came back and I’ve been excited to see where he’s at.”
The Huskers ended an eight-year postseason drought with their first bowl game since 2016, finishing with a 7–6 overall record. While that’s certainly not the standard the tradition-rich blue blood aims to uphold, it marked a meaningful step in Rhule’s rebuild — and in Raiola’s development.
Raiola won five of his first six starts as a college quarterback, throwing nine touchdowns to just three interceptions on 169 attempts during that stretch. But a freshman slump followed, with Nebraska dropping four straight games from mid-October to mid-November. Still, Raiola finished the season on a high note, winning two of his final three starts — including a Pinstripe Bowl victory — while completing 72% of his passes down the stretch.
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It was a sign, Rhule said, of Raiola learning to manage the weight of expectations that come with leading a program desperately trying to return to its glory years.
“He’s got so many eyes on him,” Rhule said. “He has the weight and pressure of an entire fanbase — of an entire state — of a blue blood like Nebraska. First year, you come in, to me, if you’re a big-time recruit, it’s about learning how to handle the pressure. Learning how to handle the frustrating moments. I think he did that really well. Highs and lows. We finished the year on a real uptick.”
The projected regular-season win total for Nebraska in 2025 is 7.5, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. The Huskers have won more than seven games just once in the past decade. Still, with the offensive upgrades Rhule made — including retaining Dana Holgorsen as coordinator and an incoming transfer portal haul ranked No. 13 nationally with plenty of talent — there’s cautious optimism heading into the 2025 season.
Raiola’s natural talent is clear, but continued growth and adaptation to the college level demands remain key. Returning to Nebraska gives him the chance to sharpen those skills and mature as a leader.
“Mentally from a football perspective, it comes really easy to him,” Rhule said. “But he’s worked so hard at it. He knows everything inside and out. His body looks great. Tremendous shape. Where I see him growing is in the phases of leadership and the phases of mental toughness, handling adversity. And I think he’s going to have a great year.”
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