Last year, Dylan Raiola’s first season with the Nebraska Cornhuskers felt like a wild rollercoaster through Memorial Stadium. He opened hot with a 3–0 start and handed Colorado an icy 28–10 beatdown. But by the end of the season, Raiola’s stat line read like a gritty freshman trying to survive the Big Ten jungle: 12 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, and a Pinstripe Bowl win that felt more like a narrow escape from Boston College than a coronation. Still, anyone with a working pair of eyes could see the kid had juice. Raiola was slinging it behind an offensive line that barely existed, and he still led the Huskers to a 7–6 record. Respect.

Now, heading into Year 2, Raiola’s body is leaner, his game is sharper, and his hype is louder. On3 already has him as a Top 3 quarterback in the Big Ten. And while Matt Rhule and Raiola cook up something big for 2025, his future successor just stepped on campus—and he’s got nothing but praise for the guy he’s expected to follow.

Four-star quarterback Trae Taylor from Carmel Catholic (IL) is Nebraska’s golden ticket for the 2027 class. And on June 1, he made his presence felt in Lincoln—not for hype, but for work. Taylor showed out at the Huskers’ football camp, flashing his dual-threat skills and building connections with future teammates. Even though he’s already committed, Trae stayed the whole week to soak it all in. And he didn’t just keep to himself either.

“If you see me around Lincoln, please introduce yourself,” Taylor said. Translation: This kid’s already trying to be the face of the program, two years before he even suits up. He’s got the numbers to back it up too: over 3,000 passing yards, 20 TDs, 7 picks as a sophomore, plus over 300 rushing yards. The arm is real. The legs are live. And the IQ? Coaches at the camp were already gushing.

But what really got people talking was Trae Taylor’s appearance on the HuskerOnline podcast on June 3, where he made his thoughts clear about Raiola. No rivalry. No backhanded comments. Just respect. “So when I first met him, kinda felt like he was a little shy,” Taylor said. “Then when I recently—I mean, since I came up for spring practice—it’s been a lot different. Like, just high energy, always smiling, moving around, always constantly thinking… just overall a great leader, and he’s gonna do huge things this year.”

Taylor got to see Raiola live against Rutgers and Wisconsin last year. Now, in spring ball and camp settings, he’s getting coached up by Raiola himself. That mentorship isn’t something you fake. “Even on the field, he’s just a great leader.”

Taylor continued. “I mean, he came in and played as a true freshman. Like, if that says anything about it—that means you’re working your butt off to learn the offense, become a leader of the team as a true freshman—I mean that’s just… that’s quite amazing. And then also coming into the Big Ten, and for him to do what he did last year, I mean, it’s just impressive. I mean, everybody kinda knows the Big Ten is notorious for the type of defenses that they have.” He’s not wrong. The Big Ten doesn’t hand out passes. You walk in soft, you leave bruised. Raiola took the lumps and still walked out with his team’s respect. That’s rare.

Nebraska’s offense wasn’t exactly lighting up scoreboards in 2024. They scored 20 or fewer in seven of their last eight games. But with Dana Holgorsen stepping in to call plays, the Huskers led the Big Ten in time of possession and finally looked like they had a pulse. Now, with Jahmal Banks and Isaiah Neyor gone, the WR room is quietly dangerous. Jacory Barney returns after a breakout 55-catch season, and Kentucky transfer Dane Key is the new safety blanket with 126 catches and 14 TDs to his name. No alpha, but the depth? Solid. Enough weapons to make Raiola dangerous.

And behind the scenes, his future successor is already watching, learning, and—most importantly—believing.

Special recruiting agent Trae Taylor on duty?

The thing about recruits—it’s a chain reaction. Once you lock in the top guy, the rest usually start falling into place. That’s exactly what happened with Michigan and Bryce Underwood. After they flipped him, a bunch of others followed, all thanks to Bryce’s name and the way he helped recruit. Now in Lincoln, Trae Taylor’s looking to do the same thing at Nebraska.

“I’m gonna stay active,” Taylor said. “Like yesterday—I’m sure you saw a lot—of me just going around, getting with receivers, throwing with as many kids as I can. But you know, obviously prioritizing the kids that we—they’re looking at more so. And then also I’ve been in contact with almost every single recruit that I can find that is even interested in Nebraska. So I mean, peer recruiting-wise, that’s—that’s my majority of my job right now.” Trae Taylor is turning into Nebraska’s top peer recruiter. Straight up.

Taylor even laid out his recruiting strategy: “I would say it’s more so just building relationships with people. Like, that’s all—it’s really all it is. A lot of kids you kinda meet through the 7-on-7 circuit, camp circuit, everything else. So you [already have] a little bit of a good relationship. But it’s also the type of thing where—you know—I’m not gonna be on you 24/7 about it. Like I’m gonna text you and hit you up, and you know, when you start text—when you start to text me, is when it’s like, ‘Alright’, like, ‘I know we’re really in a groove’, where, you know, you’re interested now. You’re really looking into Nebraska and everything. So I’ve definitely got kids like that. And then, you know, there’s also kids that you’re just like, ‘Alright, we gotta fight for him, go get him’. And you know, just hope for the best.”

Trae already got company too. Nebraska just offered 2027 RB Xavier Bala after Sunday’s camp. Bala had 1,000+ yards and 8 touchdowns as a sophomore last year. A straight-up bruiser with soft hands and a nasty cut-back. Add him to Taylor? That’s the start of something serious. And here’s the wild part: Taylor is still just a sophomore. He’s 6’2”, 180, with 3,000+ passing yards and a slick dual-threat game that mirrors early Raiola. 20 touchdowns in the air, 4 on the ground. Only 7 picks. And now he’s doing media, playing ambassador, and recruiting cats like he’s on staff.

Because the last time Nebraska had this kinda forward-thinking QB pipeline, they were wrecking teams weekly. Now, with Raiola focused, Holgorsen scheming, and Taylor already moving pawns on the board two years early, Matt Rhule might’ve finally found his perfect successor for Dylan Raiola.