Dylan Raiola had his flashes in 2024, but by the end of the season, Nebraska’s freshman QB had clearly hit some bumps. Sure, the Huskers opened hot, going 3-0 and even getting sweet revenge on Colorado with a 28-10 win after 2023’s 14-36 embarrassment. Raiola looked the part early. But as the season wore on, Nebraska stumbled to a 7-6 finish, and Raiola’s flaws got harder to ignore. But there’s no denying the growth. After that tough loss to Illinois—where he threw a pick and missed a wide-open touchdown—Raiola stood tall. He owned up to it, saying all the right things at a somber postgame presser. A true field general in the making for Matt Rhule.

“He is ten steps ahead of where he was, and where he was was pretty cool,” Matt Rhule said of Raiola. This offseason, Raiola dropped extra weight and fine-tuned his game. He didn’t just learn—he leveled up. Rhule has doubled down on him, placing trust in the now-seasoned sophomore who fought through adversity and came out sharper. Last year, he still managed to throw for 2,819 yards, 13 touchdowns, and completed 67.1% of his passes.

He’s not the same freshman anymore. And now, after all the ups and downs, Dylan Raiola’s getting some Heisman buzz. And Fox Sports analyst RJ Young is totally buying that hype.

On his Adapt & Respond show, Young said, “We’re already having these real fringe conversations about who could be an unexpected member of the Heisman Trophy race come, say, week five, and Dylan Raiola continues to pop up because he’s a quarterback because he started as a true freshman; he’s going into year two. Dana Holgorsen seems to have something with him, and Holgorsen’s offenses historically have been really, really good.” 

Sports Illustrated reported that Vegas Insider places Dylan Raiola’s odds to win the Heisman this year at +5000, making him the 16th favored contender. Meanwhile, QBs like Arch Manning (+700) and Garrett Nussmeier (+900) are currently leading the pack. What really sharpens his chances is offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen, who will further push Raiola’s Heisman hopes even higher. Holgorsen’s proven success and offensive system perfectly complement Raiola’s skills, setting the stage for a stellar season.

Under Holgorsen, Nebraska’s offense exploded in the final four games of 2024, culminating in a 44-25 victory over Wisconsin on November 23rd. They achieved their highest point total since 2021, racking up 473 total yards (180 rushing, 293 passing)—their second-best offensive performance of the season. Holgorsen brings 13 years of head coaching experience at West Virginia and Houston to Nebraska, boasting a 92-69 collegiate record. He’s second in all-time wins at West Virginia and fifth at Houston, demonstrating his ability to build winning offenses.

It’s not just Holgorsen; RJ Young is also a big believer in Matt Rhule. “Matt Rule we know that man is a program builder; that’s his trade, but you’re going to have a new defense coordinator with Tony White going to Florida State, new offensive coordinator, and you expect to give a couple more pieces to Dylan Raiola,” Young said. But Raiola’s Heisman hype isn’t the only thing that’s turning heads in Lincoln.

Matt Rhule’s team might actually get a 9-win season?

This year looks pretty solid for Matt Rhule’s team, not just because the team has some strong playmakers like Dylan Raiola or key transfers like WR Dane Key and Nyziah Hunter, but also because of their home game stretch this year. Look, the Huskers could be primed to make the leap in Rhule’s 3rd year, and the schedule sets up perfectly for that to happen.

Aside from a challenging November road trip to Penn State, Matt Rhule’s team is going to have their home game matchups against teams like Iowa, Michigan, and USC, giving them a chance to capitalize on home-field advantage. That’s exactly what RJ Young is saying. “And if you’re looking at nine wins at Nebraska, you’re going to take that. That’s foul money. I think this is a year where you take advantage of those seven home games you’re going to have.”

Nebraska got a lucky break with their 2025 schedule. After starting the season in Kansas City against Cincinnati, they get to play four home games in a row. Michigan will visit during this stretch, which will be their toughest test before late November. However, the final road games against Penn State and a home game against Iowa will be even harder. But here’s the big advantage…

Six of their nine Big Ten opponents had losing records last season. This means Nebraska has a more manageable schedule. If they can use their home-field advantage, they could have a surprisingly good season.

Now that the schedule is working in Matt Rhule’s favor, their victory relies heavily on Dylan Raiola’s consistency. He absolutely can’t afford to throw 11 interceptions again this year. “You take advantage of that tremendous Nebraska home-field advantage, and you stay healthy. You get some really equal but bordering on elite play from Dylan Raiola, and we’re not talking about nine wins here, guys. Like, that’s not hard for me to look at this way. It’s also Nebraska—we want Nebraska to be good. College football is better when Nebraska’s good,” Young said. This could be it for Matt Rhule: A strong signal-caller and Dana Holgorsen’s offense might just deliver the championship run he’s been chasing for the past two years.