Similar to Sanders brothers’ popularity, Dylan Raiola has been a sensation in Matt Rhule’s Nebraska camp. Similarly, his brother, Dayton Raiola, the 2026 class quarterback, committed to big brother’s squad last year in July. While there’s still some time left for the Buford (Ga.) High senior Dayton runs side by side with Dylan, the older sibling, never misses a chance to hype his lil brother. Right now, there are too many things on Dylan’s plate, with him dropping in rankings by USA Today Sports. But that did not stop Dylan from sparing some time to be there for Dayton before his special day.   

When it comes to using his legs, Dayton’s numbers at Buford tell the story of a meteoric rise. Having 11 touchdowns and 707 passing yards, Dayton’s massive progress speaks volumes about the talent brewing in Raiola’s camp. You can already feel the energy. Dylan chose to rev it up. But he wasn’t alone on the hype train.

On October 3, Dylan and Dayton’s sister, Taylor, posted an IG story. The clip captured the Buford High School 3-star senior as their team was gearing up for the Georgia high school football rivalry matchup against Collins Hill. The caption read, “#10 WITH THE WHEELS!! @DAYTONRAIOLA.” To the bottom right, Taylor also tagged Dylan, meaning the brother-sister duo was at the stands to cheer up their youngest sibling.

Looks like the young chap is ready to play shoulder to shoulder with Dylan in Lincoln. In June, the high school star shared on the Huskers Online podcast, “So, I mean, I think we both have pretty strong arms, humbly speaking. We both like to throw the deep ball. I think the difference between me and him is that I like to use my legs a little bit more. I mean. I wouldn’t say Dylan’s afraid of contact, but I think I like contact just a little bit more, like early on in games.”

Well, following brother Dylan’s footsteps, Dayton has already been making waves at one of the top prep programs in the Southeast. He dominated last time out. Last year in October, the 3-star recruit from Buford High School led them to a record of 5-1. His highlight moment was a commanding 34-7 win over Collins High School. This time, the Wolves rolled to a 65-21 victory over Roswell to stay unbeaten at 3-0, and quarterback Dayton ensured to put an exclamation point on the night. 

The 2026 Nebraska commit was sharp, hitting 15 of 23 for 210 yards and four scores, highlighted by a jaw-dropping 60-yard bomb in the third quarter that showed off his big-time arm and lit up the crowd. So, before his brother’s big day, how could Dylan not be in the stands, filling the stadium with the loudest cheers? However, the Rhule’s quarterback now has too many things to handle.  

Dylan Raiola taps into full power mode

After two weeks to review its first loss of the season, Dylan must be feeling the pressure to bounce back. When facing off against Michigan State, the quarterback has the wind at his back. After all, Dylan put forth an impressive outing against the Wolverines and should easily do the same against Michigan State. And after the 27-30 loss to Michigan, Dylan made the most of the bye week.

As Sam McKewon tweeted, “Nebraska TE Luke Lindenmeyer says QB Dylan Raiola ‘took charge’ during the bye week. Made his opinion heard. He’s got a fire inside him that he wants to ignite in us.” Well, he had to. Dylan can’t afford any dud moments this time around, after being an embarrassment for only being Patrick Mahomes‘ doppleganger and not materializing things on the gridiron. 

So, this time, Dylan is the one willing to go to great lengths to stop the bridge from burning. During their rough outing vs. Michigan, Nebraska’s O-line got exposed as they surrendered 7 sacks in total. Defensively, they couldn’t stop the run, giving up 286 yards, while their own backs averaged just 1.4 yards on 31 carries. The only bright spot was the quarterback in action. Dylan Raiola hit 30 of 41 completions for 308 yards and three touchdowns. And with this, he hit a record, becoming the only player to throw for 300 yards against Michigan since 2021.

Yet something must be of significant concern during their face off against Michigan State. The Cornhuskers are now handicapped without a weapon in their passing attack. Matt Rhule confirmed that WR Demetrius Bell underwent a hamstring injury that will delay his return. Will Dylan panic without his go-to WR, or will he stay cool and hand Nebraska a win?