Nebraska is in the midst of navigating choppy waters. They have a 6-5 record that’s fallen short of expectations, a starting quarterback sidelined with a season-ending broken fibula, and now, a recruiting class that’s hemorrhaging commitments just weeks before Early Signing Day. Matt Rhule stood at the podium during his bye week press conference and delivered a message that was pragmatic and pointed. He addressed the elephant in the room without naming names.

The Cornhuskers’ 2026 class has shrunk to just nine pledges after four decommitments. The most recent and potentially most significant was Dayton Raiola, the younger brother of Nebraska’s injured starting quarterback, Dylan Raiola. Dayton announced his decommitment on Wednesday morning. So, what Rhule said about player retention and roster management carried extra weight, even if he wasn’t about to admit it publicly.​​

“At the end of the day, I think the first priority is retaining the players on your team that you feel like should be here and providing vision for the others,” Rhule said during his Thursday press conference. “It’s gonna be a unique changing time. Last year, we lost some players that I really cared about and liked, but we brought in some really good ones, too. So, for me, first, it’s going to be about our own guys, then the signing class in December, and the portal. It is what it is; we’ll attack it and just try to be the best at it.”

The timing of Rhule’s comments is impossible to ignore, given the swirling speculation around Dylan Raiola’s future in Lincoln. The sophomore quarterback, who arrived as a five-star recruit, suffered a broken fibula against USC on November 1. The injury ended his season prematurely after nine starts.

His brother Dayton’s decommitment has only intensified questions about whether Dylan might explore the transfer portal himself. That too, especially after spending two years watching Nebraska struggle to build a consistently competitive roster around him.

Before committing to Nebraska, Dylan had previously committed to both Ohio State and Georgia. It shows he’s not afraid to change his mind when the fit isn’t right. Some analysts are openly speculating that Dayton’s decision to reopen his recruitment could signal Dylan’s own dissatisfaction, with Bleacher Report suggesting “if Dylan Raiola chooses to transfer, Dayton could follow in his footsteps.”​

That phrase, “it is what it is,” has become something of a mantra for Rhule when discussing the modern realities of college football. In this reality, the roster turnover is constant, and loyalty is increasingly transactional. Last year alone, Nebraska saw significant departures, including wide receiver Malachi Coleman, whom Rhule specifically mentioned with affection before adding, “I bet you some of them wish they could be back here right now, to be quite honest.”

Brother’s decommitment fuels transfer speculation

Dayton Raiola decommitted from the Nebraska Cornhuskers after 14 months. And the decision sent shockwaves through the Cornhuskers’ recruiting class. Dayton is a three-star QB out of Buford High School in Georgia. And he had been committed to Nebraska since September 2024. He chose the Huskers over his only other offers from Appalachian State and Charlotte. My recruitment is 100% open,” Dayton told Rivals’ Chad Simmons. He reopened his recruitment just three weeks before the early signing period begins on December 3.

This decision is the fourth decommitment from Nebraska’s 2026 cycle. It leaves the Huskers’ incoming class with just nine pledges. This is an insanely brutal blow because the Raiola family has pretty deep ties to Lincoln. Dayton’s father, Dominic, was an All-American center for Nebraska in the late 1990s. He spent 14 years in the NFL with the Detroit Lions.

Moreover, his uncle Donovan is the current offensive line coach at Nebraska. The timing and the optics of this decommitment have inevitably fueled the speculations that Dayton’s decision might be directly linked to his brother Dylan’s future with the Cornhuskers.