Dylan Raiola definitely had his moments in 2024, but by the end of last season, the Huskers quarterback’s weakness was exposed. Even when Nebraska took down the Buffs 28-10, avenging their 14-36 defeat from the 2023 season, Coach Prime was full of praise for QB Raiola. “I love what he showed,” Deion Sanders said at the time. Three wins out of the first three games, Nebraska was off to a flying start last year. So was Raiola. Unfortunately, the Huskers’ QB never truly played to his full potential ever again, as Nebraska ended its season with a poor 7-6 finish.

Even in his debut against UTEP, Raiola looked solid, going 19-of-27 for 238 yards and two touchdowns in under three quarters. From a distance, that’s impressive. But once you zoom in, the cracks showed. The freshman QB was sacked 27 times over the season—proof that the transition wasn’t exactly smooth. Still, Coach Rhule remains optimistic. He’s standing by his young quarterback, pointing to moments of growth. Especially in their 28-10 road win at Purdue, as signs of what Raiola could become. Raiola’s still got believers.

Earlier this year, when discussing Raiola’s Nebraska future, Rhule confirmed his stance on the Huskers’ QB1. “He is ten steps ahead of where he was, and where he was was pretty cool,” Nebraska head coach said. Yes, the 20-year-old did lack consistency throughout the season. But Patrick Mahomes’ doppleganger still managed to set Nebraska freshman records for passing yards [2,819] and completion percentage [67.1%]. And recently, when Coach Rhule sat for a podcast ahead of the 2025 regular season, he only doubled down on his Raiola take.

On the May 27th episode of the Big Ten Football podcast, host Rick Pizzo asked the head coach about how Raiola reached that ceiling. Matt Rhule then shared a glimpse of his quarterback’s growth. “I think the first step was playing him as a freshman; that’s not really the way of college football nowadays. You have to be willing as a young player to live, be resilient, and live through the highs and lows, the ups and downs, take criticism.”

Freshman Raiola, in that game against Purdue, turned in an efficient outing, completing 17-of-27 pass attempts for 257 yards, which included a touchdown pass to Jahmal Banks in the third quarter. In the meantime, social media has also changed. Fans found Rhule’s quarterback copying Mahomes’ pregame ritual. The quarterback faced the packed stands, raising his arms and gesturing for the crowd to cheer louder. That’s when trolls started to pour in. Ultimately, how you cope is what truly matters.

Matt Rhule shared, “He was resilient, he was tough, he earned his teammates’ respect. I think coming into year two, he knows better what college football is all about.” To the head coach, Raiola has been impressive lately with his physical development and hard work during practices.

Raiola credited his physical breakthrough to weeks of effort, which culminated during spring break. “Went on spring break, came back about nine or 10 pounds lighter,” he shared. Even though Nebraska did not have the picture-perfect ending to the 2024 season, they broke a seven-year drought….

How has Matt Rhule built a winning culture?

In just his second season, Rhule did something that has become foreign to thousands of Nebraska fans—win a bowl game. Yankee Stadium was filled with “Go Big Red” chants as Raiola and co. steamrolled the Boston College Eagles with a 20-15 Pinstripe Bowl victory. The Eagles clawed back from being down three scores to make the game interesting; however, Nebraska held on.

Nebraska’s trip to the Pinstripe Bowl marked the 54th bowl trip in school history and the Huskers’ first since the 2016 postseason. It was indeed a big victory, but it had cost Matt Rhule’s blood, sweat, and tears to inject a winner’s mentality within the boys.

As he shared, “I think when you come into a program that hasn’t been there in a long time, you’re trying to teach the guys amongst anything how to be positive, how to work so hard and believe.” This victory could not have happened without the all-around effort from the Huskers’ defense. Thanks to Rhule’s Blackshirts, they limited Boston College to a measly 1.8 yards per carry and recorded three sacks. Plus, Rhule’s team had 10 different receivers catch a pass and were constantly switching personnel to strain Boston College’s defense.

The head coach continued, “While it’s not the ultimate step, it’s a really positive step that the guys had a chance to accomplish something go experience something that’s part of college football.” Unfortunately, as Matt Rhule and co. are riding high with confidence entering the 2025 season, Nebraska got battered in the spring transfer portal. This offseason, they have lost a number of rising defensive players like Dwight Bootle II. Let’s hope Rhule plugs the leaks just in time to set sail toward a successful third campaign.