What if we told you that the best Raiola hasn’t even played for the Huskers yet? Sounds crazy, right? When Dylan Raiola committed to Nebraska, it felt like the start of a new era. The five-star phenom turned down college football royalty to play for Matt Rhule’s program. Dylan is expected to take Nebraska to the mountaintop. He took some steps toward the job last season, and now, he would like to complete the job in the upcoming season.

But there’s a twist in the script no one saw coming. Enter the younger brother. Dayton Raiola, who is quietly rewriting the future. You haven’t even seen his name splashing across headlines yet. But behind the scenes, the picture is different. Dayton is grinding, growing, and gaining serious attention. The star QB is still a year away from donning Nebraska red but is already making a lot of noise.

“I remember talking to him in the spring, and he just kind of gave me the rundown of everything he was doing.” Huskers’ insider Bryan Munson said on 93.7 The Ticket. “He was doing team workouts into a track workout. Then he would go do some sort of personal workout. Then he had to go meet with his trainer. And then he was doing something else, like late at night, whether that was like just going with the yoga person or doing something else. I mean, he was so busy and working with a nutritionalist, too,” he said. The dedication is already so high, even though he still has a lot of time. There’s no doubt why everyone is already rating Dayton to be the next big thing at Nebraska, even though his brother, Dylan, is still there.

Standing at 6 feet 3 inches and weighing 230 pounds, Dylan racked up 2,819 passing yards, 13 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions in his first season with Nebraska last year. Although the program didn’t have a great 2024 season with only seven wins and six losses, there’s something to celebrate as they won the Pinstripe Bowl, beating Boston College 20-15. In the upcoming fall, both Nebraska and Dylan will have another chance to make more improvements to their game.

If, somehow, things don’t go well for Dylan, then it won’t be wrong to say that his place could be in danger in 2026. And the replacement option is already there, his own brother. Standing at 6 feet and weighing 210 pounds, Dayton is working hard on his fitness and physique. If he manages to get a better frame than his brother, even without playing a single season, then Matt Rhule might change his mind in 2026. However, in the end, both are carrying their father’s legacy forward.

Can the Raiola brothers carry their father’s legacy?

Just like Dylan performed in his debut college football season, his brother Dayton also had a great junior season at Buford High School. The young QB recorded 1,953 yards, 19 touchdowns, and just three interceptions, leading his school to a 5-1 mark. Both brothers are on the right path to prove that the game runs in their veins. Their father, Dominic Raiola, who used to play center, was a Nebraska legend. He continued his dominance in the NFL as well for the Detroit Lions.

93.7 The Ticket’s host talked about how the brothers need to become what their father was. “Matt Rule had been asked about, you know, Dylan Raiola’s body composition throughout the year. I think there’s something to the fact that their dad was a starting center in the NFL for the better part of a decade. So maybe that’s something that they need to, you know, make sure they focus on and take seriously,” he said. Being 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighing around 310 pounds, Dominic was built huge. Matt Rhule knows that both brothers have speed and quick reflexes, but the only thing missing is a huge frame.

If things stay on track, don’t be surprised if you get to see both Raiola brothers sharing the same dugout for Nebraska. And who knows, they both might get their hands on the national championship title together. However, for that, they need to keep doing what they are doing right now: grinding.