Nebraska football just watched a long-standing family connection slip away when Dayton Raiola decommitted from the program. It’s a big deal for quarterback Dylan Raiola, who was carrying the family’s torch through Lincoln. But now that his younger brother has decommitted from the same school where their dad, Donovan, played center and their uncle, Dominic, coaches the offensive line, the real question is: what happens with the Huskers’ QB1?

A Nebraska insider appeared on the Hurrdat Sports Live with Brian Christopheron to answer the burning question. “Dylan himself really loved being coached hard by Glenn Thomas and taking that hard coaching that you were talking about in the previous segments,” he said. “I think that he and that family are built that way, where they like that stuff, but there is kind of a logjam at quarterback.”

Dayton’s decommitment is a significant shake-up for Nebraska, which already has one of the smallest recruiting classes nationally for the 2026 class. Dayton committed to Nebraska in September 2024, choosing the Huskers over Appalachian State and Charlotte. But then his brother Dylan faced an unfortunate season-ending broken fibula. That’s when true freshman TJ Lateef stepped in with a stellar 13-of-15, 205-yard, 3-touchdown performance against UCLA.

At this point, the quarterback situation in Lincoln appears uncertain. Additionally, Nebraska football has also secured the commitment of four-star QB Trae Taylor in the 2027 class. He is most likely to sit behind TJ Lateef. So what Dayton did makes sense to an extent. Moreover, it doesn’t put Dyalan’s future in jeopardy. Dylan has been Nebraska’s guy at quarterback ever since he stepped on campus in 2024.

He has completed 69.1% of his passes for 4,819 yards and 31 touchdowns, and he has led the Huskers to a 13–9 record. That includes their first bowl win in years. Year two under Dana Holgorsen was turning into something huge for him. His completion rate climbed to 72.4%, his touchdowns were up, and he’d cut down the picks. However, the season-ending injury broke the QB’s confidence. So will he jump ship?

For now, it looks unlikely despite the rumors circulating about Miami and Texas Tech. Even those rumors are fan theories rather than anything from either these programs or the quarterback.

The emotional toll of a season lost

Dylan Raiola is stuck in this loop of depression. But can you blame him? A broken fibula ended his sophomore season in early November. It ripped him off the field right when he orchestrated the Cornhuskers’ offense with everything. This was the same guy who made Nebraska look legitimately dangerous every week. Then USC hits him, and suddenly he’s on a scooter instead of under center.

Offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen flat-out said, “It’s killing him” to miss a stage like Penn State. It’s a game Raiola circled as the kind you come to Nebraska to play in. Plus, Matt Rhule sees it too. Rhule called this an “unbelievable opportunity,” but also admitted you can’t compete like Raiola and have a setback. He has even encouraged Dylan to journal through the rehab, trying to turn this experience into the best thing that has ever happened to him.

For a player who’s never really stepped away from football and who even tried to convince his coaches he could move well enough to play after surgery, hearing them say ‘no’ might hurt more than the fracture. That’s why this stretch feels so brutal. At this point, all of Nebraska’s hopes are on TJ Lateef. He surely proved himself against the Bruins. But can Lateef have his way against the Nittany Lions?