Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule had a hard time with one Raiola last season. His quarterback, Dylan Raiola, even after spreading fear carrying off a Patrick Mahomes’ doppleganger look, failed to carry the Mahomesque fear to the gridiron. While the senior Raiola is spending extra time in the gym to bolster himself physically, his brother, Dayton Raiola, is now coming off as the hot favorite. If Rhule must have thought of spreading fear among his rivals yet again, Dayton is doing the honors. His latest interview leaves Lincoln Riley and the USC Trojans with a wake-up call. Not just them, Dayton comes off as a threat to all 132 FBS programs. While Rhule can now get a sound sleep, something is still keeping him awake. 

As Rhule was recruiting for the 2026 class, he kept the family factor in mind. Back in September 2024, Dayton was the first one to commit to Nebraska’s 2026 class. Talking about his resume? Dayton already is worth all the hype. The 3-star recruit from Buford High School led them to a record of 5-1 in October. However, Dylan’s brother’s highlight moment came with a 34-7 win over Collins High School. In that game, Rhule’s quarterback commit threw a 60+ yard pass to Louisville wide receiver commit Jordan Allen for a touchdown. This, in turn, extended Buford’s lead to 20-7. Keeping all these stats aside, Rhule must be blowing a kiss to himself for bringing Dayton in. Along with the gridiron talents, the young chap has some serious skills as he plays a vital role in Nebraska’s recruiting drive.

On the Husker Online podcast, the hosts Sean Callahan and Steven Sipple had Dylan’s brother as their guest of the evening. Sipple asked, “Why was it important for you to be in Lincoln this week this weekend?” That’s when Dayton revealed the job that he has taken up as a part-time in Lincoln. He said, “I just think some of the recruits that are here, specifically Luke [Sorenson]. He’s a tight end from California. I think me and him have got to know each other pretty well. And I saw him at the airport, and I was like, ‘Oh! What’s up man?’ Like ‘Good to see you.’ So me and him we kind of created a pretty good relationship.” So, the very first impression of Rhule’s camp for Luke Sorensen has been responsibly set up by Dayton.  

He continued, “And then everybody else that’s here, like Rex Waterman, he’s an offensive lineman, CJ he’s a DB from Florida. It’s just I’m trying to get all those guys. When I come here, I want guys to come and play here with me who are elite, and those are the type of guys that we need. So I wanted to come up here and show them [that] it means something to me [and] for them to be up here.” This admission must be enough to keep Riley wide-awake. The 3-star recruit Sorensen had high praise for the Trojans’ coaching staff after his unofficial visit to USC in April.

The No. 33 tight end in the 2026 recruiting class said, “The offer is huge for me. I grew up a USC fan, and my mom and uncle are alumni of the school. The offensive talent and the offensive coaching staff that they have are hard to pass up. The offer puts USC near or at the top for me, for sure. They will be hard to beat.” Now that he has met someone as warm as Dayton, will Rhule’s Cornhuskers win his heart? While it’s to be seen, the Nebraska fans must already be in panic mode seeing Rhule’s slow pace on the recruiting trail. But Dayton proved that they should not be the ones panicking when he is around.

Dayton Raiola’s hint at a recruiting turnaround leaves the FBS teams on their toes 

Coach Rhule has hit a recruiting slump when it comes to the 2026 class and stands at No. 57. Taking a look at On3’s 2026 Industry Ranking football Team Recruiting Rankings gives an idea of how late Nebraska is to the party. Riley’s Trojans rank at No.1 with 27 recruits in total (one 5-star, sixteen 4-stars, ten 3-stars). They are followed by Notre Dame, which has locked in 16 recruits as of now. Panning the focus to Rhule’s squad, till now, they have only four commits- cornerback CJ Bronaugh, WR Dveyoun Bonwell-Witte, linebacker Jase Reynolds, and Dayton. That’s what the podcast host inquired Dylan’s brother about the message he has for the fans who are worrying about slow recruiting.

“Recruiting is a process, like if somebody commits to another school, they’re committed, but it’s a long process all the way until signing day, whenever that is in December. So, just you got to be patient because we’re doing everything that we can, and even if somebody does decide to go to another school, that doesn’t mean we’re going to stop pursuing them. There’s one person I have in mind, I won’t say his name, but I know it’s a receiver that I really really like and okay, I’m still working on him getting back out here,” Raiola. Earlier, it was only Riley who needed to be aware of Dayton, the recruiter. Turns out that the quarterback is not going to spare the other FBS teams’ commits.  

While Dayton Raiola is teaming up with coaches, prepping himself up to get reps, he is committed to his duty to kickstart Nebraska’s recruiting train. If managing so many things at the same time, he runs looking for motivation, he knows where to look for it. Dylan is in full revamp mode. Rhule shared a big update on the Triple Option podcast. “His weight, making sure that he’s a guy that can extend plays, making sure that he’s a guy who’s nimble, and making sure that he’s a guy who can run.” The Raiola brothers are the pulse that keeps Nebraska football alive and kicking.