Every young QB has got that one team circled in their head—the franchise they dream of riding with on Sundays, the place they see themselves torching defenses and living the high life. For Dylan Raiola, it wasn’t just about the league—it was about where in the league. A certain Southern squad with honky-tonk roots, Friday night lights energy, and a whole lot of country soul had him hooked. That dream team? They made their move this year—and it didn’t include waiting around for Nebraska’s golden boy to be draft-ready. Raiola didn’t sugarcoat it. “I’m pissed,” he said. Straight from the heart.

Now that’s QB1 talk right there. And Dylan Raiola’s clearly moving different these days, especially after his favorite NFL team snubbed him. Raiola is entering his God-first Arc.

On May 10th, the Nebraska Cornhuskers’ QB, Dylan Raiola, dropped an IG story with a new fresh tatt—lion (was already existing), stairway, dove—captioned: “Lion: God’s COMMAND and POWER on my life / Stairway: God’s purpose; to bring people to His Kingdom / Dove: Holy Spirit.” That isn’t just ink; that’s a whole mission statement tattooed on his skin. Raiola isn’t just trying to win games—he’s on some higher calling type vibe. Dylan Raiola’s “pissed” after his favorite NFL team said Adios indirectly.

The wound got poked again when Tennessee Titans legends Will Compton and Taylor Lewan rolled into Lincoln for the eventual stop of their Bussin’ Spring Tour. In their May 6 episode of Bussin’ With The Boys, Raiola didn’t hold back. He greeted Compton with a bear hug and some slick shade: “I texted you; I was like ‘Yeah he’s probably slammed right now.’” Then he turned to Lewan and asked, “How about the Titans, man? Cam Ward… I think he’s good. I don’t know football-wise.” The room cracked up, but the disappointment was crystal.

When the Titans picked Cam Ward No. 1 overall, they closed the door on Raiola’s dream. And he owned it: “I was kind of pissed…I wanted to go to Tennessee. I wanted to get drafted by Tennessee or Vegas.” Why Tennessee? “I just love Nashville..I like country music.” That’s it. That was the dream—bumping Morgan Wallen on the way to the stadium, then lighting up defenses on Sundays. Now, it looks like it’s Vegas 2027 for Dylan Raiola unless Cam Ward flops (highly not possible).

Dylan Raiola’s arc season?

But dreams have to wait. Dylan Raiola won’t even be eligible for the draft until 2027, and he’s only just starting to flex his true potential. In 2024, he led Nebraska to their first bowl game since 2016, finishing with 275 completions on 410 attempts, racking up 2,819 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 11 picks in a 7-6 season. Not mind-blowing, but solid for a true freshman in a pressure-cooker environment. And that stat sheet doesn’t even capture how often Raiola had to play Superman behind a shaky O-line. Like, can’t-move-the-ball-consistently kind of shaky.

The Huskers finished the year ranked outside the top 100 in scoring and yards per play, and you could see why—28 sacks allowed, penalties all over the place, and a run game that barely scratched out 3.8 yards a carry. People don’t even look at these metrics before throwing strays at Dylan Raiola. 

Now battle-tested, he’s laser-focused on the next level. Offseason whispers about his weight started swirling, but Raiola wasn’t having it. Dylan Raiola’s prepping for Big 2025 after barely touching .500 in the 2024 regular season. Instead of ducking the noise, he doubled down. 6 a.m. boxing sessions, cardio-heavy spring break, locked into that Kobe mentality.

“Sometimes you don’t see change right away from a physical body standpoint..Doesn’t change in a day, doesn’t change in a week, doesn’t change in two weeks, not even three. It was just the consistency of staying on it,” he said in March. And it’s showing—he’s looking about 10 pounds lighter, more agile, more dialed in.

Even Matt Rhule is buying the hype. “His movement in the pocket, I think, is excellent. His ability to play the next play and move on, his checks, his knowing what he’s seeing coverage wise—we’ve added some more coverages—and he’s able to get through all the coverages,” Rhule said. That’s the kind of praise that catches NFL eyes. So while the Titans might’ve closed the door, Raiola’s building a new one—maybe even knocking one down. Whether it’s Vegas, Tennessee, or some squad that hasn’t even crossed his radar yet, don’t sleep on him. 2027’s a ways away, but Dylan Raiola? He’s already chasing destiny.