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Did Kirk Herbstreit play a key role in the immediate future of college football?
That’s what some fans are alleging, but Herbstreit himself is vehemently denying.
The question stems from the idea that College GameDay star steered five-star quarterback recruit Dylan Raiola from Georgia to Nebraska where he eventually signed.
“I’ll bring up one guy’s name – his name’s Kirk Herbstreit,” Raiola’s father Dominic said. “When he saw the smoke about Dylan entertaining Nebraska, he called me and was like, ‘Is this true? ‘He’s got to do it!
“’…For a guy like that to get behind it…I knew he needed to do it, but I wasn’t going to say, ‘You need to change that place or be a part of that place.’ When Kirk said this, I was like, ‘Man… this place is special.’”
Herbstreit denied that version of the interaction between he and elder Raiola.
“If somebody calls me and says, ‘What do you think of Matt Rhule?’ and you like Matt Rhule, are you supposed to say Matt Rhule is a bad guy? Matt Rhule is an idiot? Matt Rhule is a bad coach? Or do you say ‘I like Matt Rhule. I think Matt Rhule is a good coach?’
““Of course, I did not try to sell Nebraska and try to tell anybody not to go to Georgia. That’s the most ridiculous thing that anybody would try to do. But I did compliment Matt Rhule. If I’m guilty of anything, I said that Matt Rhule is a good coach and he’s a good man.”
Now he’s clarifying things even further thanks to Pat Forde of Sports Illustrated.
Got some clarification from @KirkHerbstreit on his conversation with Dominic Raiola about Dylan’s college choice, which ultimately became a flip from Kirby Smart and Georgia to Matt Rhule and Nebraska. Per Kirk, this is what transpired: pic.twitter.com/OK1hIjKhPY
— Pat Forde (@ByPatForde) February 9, 2024
“All I did was compliment who Matt (Rhule) is when Dom (Raiola) asked me what I thought of his ability to build a program,” Herbstreit said in a text to Forde. “Had no idea before or after what he was thinking or what he might do. Just simply answered a question. Respect Matt and what he will build but obviously would never turn anyone away from Kirby and UGA.”
So there you have it. He may have steered to Raiola to Nebraska. But it doesn’t appear that was the intent.
Raiola was the second-ranked quarterback in the 2024 class and No. 7 player overall according to 247Sports.