
via Imago
NCAA, College League, USA Football: Pinstripe Bowl-Boston College at Nebraska Dec 28, 2024 Bronx, NY, USA Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Dylan Raiola 15 looks on before the game against the Boston College Eagles at Yankee Stadium. Bronx Yankee Stadium NY USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xVincentxCarchiettax 20241228_vtc_cb6_0514

via Imago
NCAA, College League, USA Football: Pinstripe Bowl-Boston College at Nebraska Dec 28, 2024 Bronx, NY, USA Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Dylan Raiola 15 looks on before the game against the Boston College Eagles at Yankee Stadium. Bronx Yankee Stadium NY USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xVincentxCarchiettax 20241228_vtc_cb6_0514
From roaming the serene beaches of Hawaii to slinging that pigskin for 3,341 yards at Burleson High School, Texas. And then in showing his prowess at Chandler High in Arizona, and Buford High, Georgia. The journey that Dylan Raiola took to finally lead Nebraska to its first bowl game since 2016 is truly incredible. It has unexpected stops, unexplored roads, and promises that never came to fruition. One such promise was his commitment to Ohio State. An explored avenue on which Raiola reflects thoughtfully.
Born in Hawaii in 2005, Raiola enrolled at Burleson High School as a freshman in Texas and excelled there, throwing for 3,341 yards and 323 touchdowns. But Raiola’s talent was unmatched for his age as he moved to Arizona at Chandler High School for his sophomore and junior years, producing 2,435 yards as a junior. It was at Chandler High that Dylan Raiola’s talent got advertised to much of the CFB world, including OSU, as he lived with his grandparents there. Meanwhile, Raiola, being a ‘wanderer’ for all the good reasons, explored a different avenue.
Moving to Buford High, Georgia, wasn’t easy, but the school’s legacy and prospects like Khalil Bolden and Eddrick Houston made it the right one. “Let’s get him in a program because you can say he is moving to another high school, this, that, and the other. But I think people would rather see Dylan play than sit,” said Dylan’s father as he switched high school for a final time. The combination of Dylan and the school’s team was unmatched. Raiola led the team to an 11-2 record and solidified his position as a consensus top-10 recruit and No. 3 QB nationally. And in all this time, Ohio State also came calling.
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“BUCKEYE NATION!!! LET’S G⭕️⭕️⭕️⭕️🌰🌰🌰🌰🌰,” wrote Dylan Raiola on X as he announced his commitment. The prospect of joining the Buckeyes at the time felt too tempting to refuse, as the team had roped in prospects like Jeremiah Smith and Garett Stover. However, Raiola’s commitment was short-lived as he announced his decommitment in just 6 months and, after exploring the Georgia Bulldogs team, finally landed in Nebraska. Now, more than 3 years later, after the commitment, Raiola reflects on the decision.
“It was just a decision that myself and my family made. I’m not gonna go too deep into that, just because I’m just gonna be present where I’m at now,” said Raiola. Still, for Raiola, it was an unworldly experience playing in Columbus last year, and he has utmost respect for head coach Ryan Day, as he spoke to elevenwarriors.com. “It was a great environment, everything I expected. From the hype to how loud they were to how hard Ohio State was gonna play, we knew exactly what we were getting into, and I’m proud of our team for that and how we fought…I still have a lot of respect for Coach Day and his program, but yeah, I’m happy at Nebraska,” concluded Raiola.
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The Ohio State game last year probably was the toughest that Nebraska faced, and yet, they fought well even if they lost 17-21. For Raiola, it surely must have been a learning experience since he passed for 152 yards and completed 21 of the 32 passes. Now, last year was the season when Dylan Raiola was probably learning the intricacies of the offense and was still showing some of the freshman players’ mistakes. But this year? According to Dana Holgorsen, the QB looks confident.
What’s your perspective on:
Did Dylan Raiola make the right call leaving Ohio State for Nebraska? What's your take?
Have an interesting take?
Dana Holgorsen gives an optimistic verdict for Raiola’s 2025 season
Last year, under Nebraska’s initial offensive coordinator, Marcus Satterfield, the offense regressed greatly and became worse than some bottom rung G-5 teams. For instance, Nebraska was ranked 103rd nationally in total offense and 96th in rushing offense. Moreover, the offensive schemes weren’t fully tailored to Dylan’s abilities as the OC turned to a run-heavy approach. But now with Dana Holgorsen? Dylan Raiola is finding his true self.
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“We’ve gone through our offense three different times with the guys since the season ended. With OTAs in the winter, with spring football, then with summer, we’ve communicated what we’re going to do three separate times. So, Dylan’s in a very good headspace in terms of what the offense is. He looks good. He feels good. He’s leading at an elite level. I just think Year 2 for him is going to be a little bit different,” said Dana Holgorsen.
Some of the offensive production we did get to see with Holgorsen as he led Nebraska to an unexpected win against Wisconsin last year. In that game, Raiola passed for 293 yards and completed 28 of the 38 passes, showing resurgence with a change of offensive philosophy. And now with a whole offseason to learn and perfect his game under Holgorsen’s offense? It seems Raiola is ready to take a massive step up.
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"Did Dylan Raiola make the right call leaving Ohio State for Nebraska? What's your take?"