Dylan Raiola did not say goodbye to Nebraska after he transferred to Oregon. That made his first public comments as a member of the Ducks sound a lot worse than they are intended.
The former five-star quarterback did not say anything that is not accurate. It is what he didn’t say that creates poor optics.
Seeing that Raiola likely will not play during the 2026 college football season, we won’t find out whether or not he is right until 2027. Are the Ducks really that much better than the Conrhuskers?
Dylan Raiola did not say goodbye to Nebraska.
As one of the top-ranked players in the recruiting Class of 2024, Dylan Raiola originally committed to Ohio State. He later flipped to Georgia and then to Nebraska. It was a huge get for the Cornhuskers. They were expected to finally return to national relevance.
That is not what happened.
Raiola threw 11 interceptions to only 13 touchdowns as a true freshman in 2024. Nebraska finished at 7-6. Although it was not the year that they had hoped, the Cornhuskers showed sign of improvement after seven-straight losing seasons.
Unfortunately, 2025 was not much better. Raiola took a big step forward in terms of completion percentage and his touchdown-to-interception ratio but Nebraska started at 6-3. And then he suffered a broken fibula that ended his sophomore campaign early.
Although the Cornhuskers would’ve liked him back in 2026, Raiola decided to enter the transfer portal. Oregon ultimately received his commitment. He will spend this fall as the backup to Dante Moore while he continues to recover from his injury.
Most high-profile athletes who enter the transfer portal choose to thank their former school for the memories on social media. Especially quarterbacks. It’s not always the most profound statement. It is more of a courtesy than anything.
Railo never said goodbye to Nebraska but he did return to Lincoln in the spring to watch his girlfriend.
Raiola might be frustrated with his former school’s decision to fire his uncle as the offensive line coach or the decision to rescind his brother’s scholarship offer. He might also be disappointed with the program’s lack of interest in a bidding war to keep him around. I don’t know. Whatever the reason, the five-star quarterback did not even mention Nebraska over the last seven months.
Oregon’s backup quarterback took a shot at his former college football program.
Dylan Raiola made his first public statement since January at Oregon football media day. It was a direct shot at his former program. Kind of.
Raiola spoke first about the campus and surrounding areas. Eugene is very different from Lincoln.
“There’s not cornfields here. There’s mountains and trees, and I love the nature.
He also compared the roster at Oregon to the roster at Nebraska. One is better than the other.
As far as football, it’s different, you know, with coaches and players, we have a lot more talent than we did at Nebraska. And I don’t say that to knock on them, but I think everybody will know that.
The rising junior signal-caller also addressed the coaching staff.
“But I’m very grateful for my time there. Learned a lot from my coaches, teammates — still have those relationships — but I think that I’m really excited for what Oregon’s going to bring.”
What Raiola said is not untrue. He only spoke facts.
However, his lack of goodbye to Nebraska makes any negative words about the Cornhuskers come across as an insult. The fanbase in Lincoln has a sour taste in its mouth from how things went down at the end of last season. Raiola did not acknowledge them then, which makes his first public statement at Oregon sounds like an insult. Maybe it is?