Husker Nation was left stunned as news broke that QB Dylan Raiola is entering the transfer portal. Speculation had been swirling ever since the quarterback went down with a broken fibula, but the move is now official. The 20-year-old is preparing for a fresh start. And guess what? Within minutes of announcing his decision, the former Nebraska quarterback had already dropped the first choice about his future school.

“Sources have mentioned Oregon as an early school of interest for Dylan Raiola and his camp,” CFB writer Chris Hummer posted on X.

Right now, Raiola has shown interest in the Ducks, but the program hasn’t shown any public interest in him. Even so, his college production makes him a highly sought-after option and one of the hottest names in the transfer portal. Raiola came into college as one of the highest-rated quarterback prospects in the 2024 high school class and carries plenty of pedigree as the son of former NFL standout Dominic Raiola.

He started for two full seasons at Nebraska, which is pretty rare for someone that young in a Power 4 conference. With two years of eligibility still left and plenty of real game experience under his belt, Raiola has the tools to step right in and start for a top program with championship aspirations.

However, with Oregon, a starting role won’t be handed out to him like a cupcake. The Ducks rolled through a dominant season under Dan Lanning, with their only loss coming against the undefeated Indiana Hoosiers. They finished third in a loaded Big Ten, trailing only unbeaten Indiana and one-loss Ohio State. Oregon will host James Madison in the first round of the playoffs.

At quarterback, Dante Moore took over the offense in 2025 after spending 2024 learning the system behind Dillon Gabriel. While Raiola may have a slight edge over Moore in completion percentage, nothing would be handed to him. He’d still have to earn the starting job through competition. Additionally, Moore may not go pro. He certainly can enter the 2026 NFL Draft and is a possible first-round pick, but he could also return to Eugene and enter 2026-27 as a viable candidate to go No. 1 overall.

Interestingly, another program dropped out of the race very early. “Do not expect Texas Tech to be a factor in Dylan Raiola’s portal recruitment, sources tell @On3sports.” With this early report from Pete Nakos, the Ducks find themselves in a suitable position to pursue the 20-year-old.

End of the Raiola rule at Lincoln?

Dylan Raiola’s decision to enter the transfer portal wasn’t random. It was a calculated move after a tough stretch of events in Lincoln. It all started with his season-ending injury against USC. Late in the third quarter, a defender brought Raiola down from behind on a passing play and trapped his leg underneath him. The injury ended his season, and he underwent surgery shortly after. Even though Raiola wanted to get back into the game, head coach Matt Rhule didn’t want to risk making things worse. But another blow was on the way.

Dylan’s younger brother Dayton decommitted from Nebraska. Why? The Cornhuskers loaded their quarterback room with Raiola, true freshman TJ Lateef, who stepped in after the injury and made an immediate impact, and four-star 2027 commit Trae Taylor, all competing for spots. So, as a talented high school prospect, Dayton was likely looking for a clearer path to playing time. Thus, given the situation, decommitting made sense. The final turning point was the firing of Dylan and Dayton’s uncle, Donovan Raiola.

Nebraska has deep ties to the Raiola family. Father Dominic played center for the Cornhuskers from 1997 to 2000. And those connections played a big role in both brothers’ choosing the program. But results ultimately mattered. Donovan oversaw an offensive line that struggled year after year. This season, Dylan was sacked nine times in a single game against Minnesota. Then, despite bringing in multiple four-star linemen, none of the players coached by Donovan earned All–Big Ten honors or made it to an NFL roster. In the end, Rhule felt he had no choice but to make a change.

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