Nebraska fans have lived this situation before. Only last year, the Huskers stared down QB Dylan Raiola transfer whispers and somehow kept things together. This time, the cracks look wider. His younger brother Dayton Raiola’s decommitment was the first real ripple. And suddenly, the portal watch has become a portal alarm. But if the domino falls, the question becomes urgent. 

Who fits HC Matt Rhule’s offense if Dylan Raiola leaves? There are three names whose portal decisions could lead them to Nebraska.

Taron Dickens 

Matt Rhule needs efficiency without neutering explosiveness and Taron Dickens offers both in bulk. When Pete Nakos reported that the Western Carolina star is set to enter the portal, the nation saw the numbers and did a double-take. He averaged 425.4 yards per game, leading all levels of NCAA football. He threw 38 touchdowns to just two interceptions, and set NCAA records with 50 straight completions.

In nine starts, Taron Dickens surpassed 300 yards seven times, crossed 400 four times, and casually delivered 582 yards against Samford, the best passing game in FCS this season. His 3,508 passing yards led the subdivision. His two picks on 365 attempts speaks for itself. If Matt Rhule wants the cleanest stat sheet and the quickest confidence boost, this redshirt sophomore is the smartest target on the board.

Drew Mestemaker

North Texas QB Drew Mestemaker isn’t a hidden gem anymore. The redshirt freshman leads the entire FBS in passing, lighting up defenses with 3,469 yards, 26 touchdowns, and a 70% completion rate. If Nebraska wants an NFL-caliber arm with multiple years of eligibility, this is the swing.

Drew Mestemaker’s rise borders on cinematic. He never started a varsity high school game, yet now commands the nation’s top offense with 503 yards and 46.3 points per game. He even dropped 609 yards at Charlotte, breaking both school and conference records. But the wild card is that outgoing HC Eric Morris is headed to Oklahoma State, and some insiders already wonder if his QB follows him. Nebraska, however, offers something OSU can’t. A secure QB1 seat and national attention if Dylan Raiola leaves.

Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele

Cal firing HC Justin Wilcox sent tremors through the portal landscape. The biggest flight risk is freshman phenom Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, a Hawaiian QB who already looks like a future power program star. He’s the most natural Dylan Raiola replacement with calm feet, easy velocity, and a readiness far beyond his age.

Sagapolutele threw for 234 yards and three touchdowns in his first start, won the job over Ohio State transfer Devin Brown, and finished the year with 2,787 passing yards, the most among all true freshmen. He capped his debut season with 323 yards in an upset win over Louisville. With Cal in coaching limbo and momentum slipping, the window is open. The QB is already used to flipping commitments when he flipped from Oregon to Cal, hit the portal, then went to Cal again. So another move wouldn’t shock anyone.

And the truth is simple. Every one of these QB conversations exists for one reason which is the growing belief that Dylan Raiola might actually test the portal this time.

Dylan Raiola’s portal rumors 

“Nebraska is again wondering about the future of its starting quarterback Dylan Raiola,” CBS Sports’ Chris Hummer reported. 

That’s the line that ignited a week of anxiety in Lincoln and forced Matt Rhule into the spotlight. The HC didn’t entertain the speculation, but his response only fueled the intrigue.
“I haven’t seen that report,” he said. “I haven’t seen that, so I don’t know anything about that. I would never get up here and talk about a player. I love Dylan like I love all my guys. He’s in there doing treatment right now. So I don’t know about that.”

Still, if Dylan Raiola enters the portal, it won’t be for NIL reasons. He made $3.5 million in 2025, and Nebraska plans to boost revenue-share payouts next season. His decision would be about timing and trajectory. Like Carson Beck, Dillon Gabriel, or Jalen Hurts, he could use 2026 as a final proving-ground before declaring for the NFL.

Across two seasons, he’s produced nearly 5,000 yards, 31 touchdowns, and improved nearly every major stat this year before his broken fibula ended his season. Completion rate jumped to 72.4%, touchdowns rose to 18, and interceptions dropped dramatically.

This is the same QB who flipped from Ohio State and Georgia. And with Dayton Raiola decommitting, the smoke is real. And if he were to hit the portal, Miami, Arizona State, and Penn State could be ready to pounce. So the concern is real inside the building. And that’s why Nebraska must be ready because if Dylan Raiola walks, Matt Rhule better have a backup plan.