Amid news that Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola will hit the portal on January 2, a post on Christmas Day has added another layer to an already complicated situation. The story quickly shifted from “portal watch” to “is that a Nebraska softball player?” as screenshots began to circulate.

The reveal came quietly in an IG post, but it landed just as loud. The Nebraska quarterback decided to hard-launch his relationship with Skarlett Jones on Christmas Day, ten days after rumors began to circulate that he intended to enter the transfer portal. In the middle of portal chaos, when every move is scrutinized, that caption instantly reframed the conversation from where he is going to what leaving would actually cost.

And that’s where the complexity arises. As she prepares for her first college season in February, Skarlett Jones, the 5-foot-9 true freshman on Nebraska’s softball team, is just getting used to life in Lincoln.

The Omaha native has been one of Nebraska’s most polished prep athletes, starring at Gretna High and with Nebraska Gold National-Singleton on the national travel-ball circuit. She is a versatile player who can play both middle infield and outfield positions. Jones helped her club finish fifth at the PGF 18U Premier Nationals and has been a steady presence at the plate, hitting .400 in Summer 2024 and following it up with a .380 average and .524 OBP in Summer 2025.

These are two athletes connected to the same program, the same city, and the same daily struggle. Indeed, long-distance relationships are quite common in college sports, particularly in the NIL era when flights are more affordable. However, anyone who has experienced that life understands that money cannot compensate for lost opportunities, schedules, or distance. And suddenly, staying close feels easier.

This twist is intriguing since nothing is final. No bridges have been burnt by Raiola. Nebraska has not closed the door. Players enter the portal all the time and quietly pull their names back out.  There are already rumors that he may return in 2026, and the Huskers would be happy to have him back. That open-ended reality is precisely why the reaction has been so raw. 

Dylan Raiola’s silent exit sparks anger

The silence is what’s bothering fans the most. Husker fans have seen this before, so it’s not the portal entry itself, but rather Dylan Raiola’s silent exit. After two years of patience, faith, and emotional support, all of a sudden no gratitude. Not a word. That silent leaving felt personal to fans who had bonded with him through growing pains, injuries, and rebuilds. Loyalty gets questioned when communication disappears, and in Lincoln, that kind of quiet rarely goes unnoticed.

Zoom out, though, and the picture gets messier. When Dylan’s uncle and the team’s offensive coordinator, Donovan Raiola, was dismissed by Matt Rhule, the dominoes began to fall. The family ties that initially bonded Raiola to Nebraska were cut off by that action. The decommitment of his brother, Dayton, before that started the whole thing.

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The gateway seems more like self-preservation when you include Dylan’s season ending early due to a broken fibula and a looming quarterback battle. What stings even more is the contrast in tone. Rhule made a special effort to express his gratitude to the Raiola family in public, emphasizing their close bonds and special times together. He even congratulated Dayton on winning a state championship.

But Raiola’s silence rekindled old scars. Fans are already drawing parallels to his 2023 exit, when a poetic post stirred more confusion than closure. And for Husker fans at the moment, this feels more like a deja vu moment.