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Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola is not in the transfer portal, which officially opened up this week. He has, however, been linked to a new destination with the Cornhuskers‘ regular season coming to an end.
Whispers about a move to Miami are surfacing in South Florida. Could the ‘Canes land yet another high-profile passer?
Last season, Mario Cristobal was able to nab Washington State signal caller Cam Ward. That move paid immediate dividends as the Hurricanes finished the year at 10-2.
Ward will be off to the NFL in 2025, leaving a void under center for Miami moving forward. The program signed three-star passer Luke Nickel in its most recent class, but it could be looking for an immediate impact player at the position.
Insert Dylan Raiola. As a high school recruit, he was rated as one of the top players in the ’24 cycle. He ultimately signed with his father’s alma mater, Nebraska, after flipping twice in the recruiting process from Ohio State and Georgia.
Raiola started every game for the Cornhuskers as a freshman, throwing for 2,595 yards and 12 touchdowns. While he’s expected to return to that starting role next season, uncertainty in Lincoln has some speculating a departure.
Offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield ceded his duties to Dana Holgorsen midway through the season. Raiola defended his former play caller amid the turmoil.
“I know Coach Satt is getting a lot of heat right now on his plays that he’s calling, and I think that’s unfair to him. He can’t go out there and make plays and do everything that he’s coaching us to do. As players and as the quarterback of this offense, I take the responsibility for that and for us to go out there and execute. That’s not his fault.”
-Dylan Raiola
That defense didn’t change the fact that the Cornhuskers struggled mightily on the offensive side of the ball in 2024. Nebraska ranked 98th in the nation in scoring at just 23.8 points per game. They ranked 66th in passing yardage.
Dylan Raiola is a championship hungry player. It was one of the reasons he’d given those previous pledges to Ohio State and Georgia on the recruiting trail. This year, he vowed to lead the Cornhuskers to a bowl game. He cashed in on that promise by winning six games.
Next year, he’s looking for more. “Playoffs next year,” he said in his final postgame interview. “It’s as simple as that.”
Those postseason ambitions, at least with Nebraska, are now a bit fuzzier!
Dylan Raiola has been linked to the Miami Hurricanes.
Chris Hummer of 247 Sports speculates that things are heating up between Raiola and the ‘Canes. That rumor was touched on by the guys at the Cover 3 Podcast on Monday.
“Dylan Raiola on the front page of 247 Sports,” said host Bud Elliott. “If you want the hot rumor in Florida, it’s Raiola to Miami. We’ll see if that comes to fruition… Hummer wrote, ‘Raiola is someone several teams are keeping an eye on as a portal candidate, per multiple sources across various fronts. There’s been some worry around Nebraska he may depart… His camp wants him to compete for a national contender rather than it being a decision motivated by money.'”
Miami would certainly fit that bill after narrowly missing out on the College Football Playoff in 2024. There’s a family link, too.
Raiola currently plays for his father’s program in Nebraska. His grandfather, though, was also a college football player who played for the Hurricanes. Making things all the more intriguing is the passer’s history of swapping schools.
As a high schooler, he played for multiple programs before finishing at Buford in Georgia. We already mentioned his three college commitments. He can’t seem to sit still!
Again, Dylan Raiola is not in the transfer portal. He is, however, rumored to be listening to suitors outside of Nebraska. We’ll see if he ends up making the move this offseason.