Nebraska freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola has reaffirmed his commitment to the Huskers, choosing to forgo the opportunity to enter the transfer portal for a fresh start elsewhere. Despite an up-and-down 2024 season, the highly touted former five-star recruit opted for perseverance, a decision highly praised by head coach Matt Rhule this week on The Jim Rome Show.
According to Rhule, Raiola, who was the only true freshman quarterback to start every game for a Power Four team last season, «could have taken the easy way out and left and gone into the portal and gone to someplace where he could start over, maybe where he doesn’t have to do as much himself. But he chose to stick it out and fight. He came back and I’ve been excited to see where he’s at.»
The Huskers ended an eight-year postseason drought with their first bowl game since 2016, finishing the 2024 season with a 7-6 overall record. While certainly not the standard the tradition-rich program aims to uphold, this marked a meaningful step in Rhule’s rebuild and in Raiola’s development.
Raiola won five of his first six starts as a college quarterback, throwing nine touchdowns to just three interceptions on 169 attempts during that early stretch. However, a freshman slump followed, with Nebraska dropping four straight games from mid-October to mid-November. Still, Raiola finished the season on a high note, winning two of his final three starts – including a Pinstripe Bowl victory – while completing 72% of his passes down the stretch.
For Coach Rhule, this resilience is a sign of Raiola learning to manage the weight of expectations that come with leading a program desperately trying to return to its glory years. «He’s got so many eyes on him,» Rhule said. «He has the weight and pressure of an entire fanbase — of an entire state — of a blue blood like Nebraska. First year, you come in, to me, if you’re a big-time recruit, it’s about learning how to handle the pressure. Learning how to handle the frustrating moments. I think he did that really well. Highs and lows. We finished the year on a real uptick.»
With a projected regular-season win total for Nebraska in 2025 set at 7.5 by FanDuel Sportsbook (the Huskers have won more than seven games just once in the past decade), optimism is cautious but palpable. Offensive upgrades made by Rhule, including retaining Dana Holgorsen as coordinator and a significant incoming transfer portal haul (ranked No. 13 nationally), promise a compelling 2025 season. While Raiola’s natural talent is clear, continued growth and adaptation to the college level demands remain key.
«Mentally from a football perspective, it comes really easy to him,» Rhule stated. «But he’s worked so hard at it. He knows everything inside and out. His body looks great. Tremendous shape. Where I see him growing is in the phases of leadership and the phases of mental toughness, handling adversity. And I think he’s going to have a great year.»