The Dylan Raiola effect on Nebraska football is more than just hopefully winning games with improved quarterback play. Since he first committed to the Huskers, there was lots of talk about the potential talent that might follow him to Lincoln.
This weekend, the Dylan Raiola effect could potentially manifest as the Cornhuskers strive to secure the top-ranked offensive line target for the 2025 class. The former 5-star quarterback prospect is hopeful that David Sanders’ official visit will be a game-changer.
To be perfectly clear, the Nebraska football program is still very much the darkhorse in this race. However, that Sanders announced on Thursday that he is taking an official visit to the Huskers is a big deal. Even if Matt Rhule and company aren’t able to land him, other recruits pay attention to where guys like Sanders are looking.
Peer recruiting is a nuanced process that goes beyond a simple “come play with me” approach. It often translates to “this school is a great option if you’re not joining me.” These implications are often understood without being explicitly stated.
Sanders’s visit, who is the number one offensive tackle in the class and the number two player overall, according to 247Sports, has long been considered a lean toward Clemson. But the Nebraska football team is the little engine that could in this scenario.
Rhule offered Sanders not long after he announced a March Top 6 of Alabama, South Carolina, Clemson, Georgia, Tennessee, and Ohio State.
Georgia is where the relationship between Raiola and Sanders formed. The quarterback worked hard to get Sanders to commit to the Bulldogs when he himself had pledged to the powerhouse in Athens. Now, he’s hoping to show Sanders that the Nebraska football program is the better choice.
The Dylan Raiola effect has manifested at least once for Nebraksa since he’s been in Lincoln. When the Huskers landed running back Dante Dowdell from the transfer portal, the former Oregon Duck made it clear one big reason he looked towards Lincoln was because of who was under center.
It’s a safe bet that David Sanders will hear about why Dowdell committed. He’ll also hear about what the Nebraska football program is planning and how they expect to be back with the “big boys” in the sport.
There’s zero chance this visit will lead to a commit but it’s possible a foundation could get laid.\\
Dylan Raiola was one of the biggest stories of this past college football recruiting cycle after flipping his commitment from Georgia to Nebraska. The five-star quarterback surprised many by turning down a current power like the Bulldogs for a rebuilding team like the Cornhuskers.
However, there is more to the story. Raiola’s father, Dominic, is a former Nebraska center who was a redshirt freshman on the 1997 national championship team. He won the Rimington Trophy as the nation’s top center in 2000 and has his No. 54 jersey retired by the school.
Although the Huskers have not had a winning season since 2016, Raiola understand the rich history and tradition of the program. He decided that he wanted to be a part of restoring it.
“I wanted to do something different,” the QB said on the Bussin’ With The Boys podcast. “I think it’s normal for the five-star guys to go to Alabama, Georgia, Clemson — which they can do all that. But I think having the legacy my dad left here. Name’s in the stadium, so much history in this place. I was like, ‘Lincoln, Nebraska is a special place.’ They just need to have winners in the program and go make it happen.”
Nebraska is coming off of a 5-7 finish in the inaugural season for coach Matt Rhule. However, Raiola could see signs of growth as the year went on.
The Huskers lost all but two games this past year by double digits, giving him faith that they truly were just a few pieces away from competing. He hopes no he can be one of those cogs as he aims to compete for the starting job this season.
“Coach Rhule always preached to me what he wanted to do for this program, but for me I needed to see it,” he said. “Even though they went 5-7, I think there’s a lot of things that happened that they could have been 11-1 and just lose to Michigan. So I took that as a positive and I actually was here for the Michigan game. I felt a different vibe than when I came before, so I felt like, ‘let’s do it.’”
Dylan Raiola, the No. 3 quarterback in the 2024 cycle according to the On3 Industry Ranking, will compete with returning starter Heinrich Haarberg to start this fall. He’ll have a few more months to prove himself before Nebraska opens the season on Aug. 31 against UTEP.
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