It was fitting that the first signature the Nebraska football program officially secured for its 2024 class on the opening day of the early signing period Wednesday morning at 6 a.m. was Dylan Raiola’s.
After all, quarterbacks are the faces of the programs they play at.
The 6-foot-3, 220-pound five-star and No. 2-ranked recruit in the 2024 class out of Buford High School in Georgia joined Nebraska’s National Signing Day live show Wednesday morning to talk about why he signed with the Huskers and much more.
Simply put, Nebraska was always home. And home is where the heart is. That’s what was going through Raiola’s head when deciding to schedule an official visit to Nebraska last weekend.
“With Nebraska, I always believed it was in my blood, it was my in heart, for a long time,” Raiola said. “I just felt that I could be a part of something special, that’s bigger than myself. Lincoln, Nebraska, is a great place and the University of Nebraska is a special place to have a college experience and play sports with some of the best fans.”
But other factors played a role in Raiola flipping from Georgia to Nebraska. A big one was head coach Matt Rhule and the relationship building he did with the family. The Raiolas believe in Rhule and the direction he has the program pointed in.
“I loved what I’ve seen so far,” Raiola said. “The thing that separates coach Rhule from a lot of people is just the way he connects with his players.”
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As everyone who pays attention has seen, Raiola flipping from the Bulldogs to Huskers made national news and sent the Nebraska fan base — and really, the college football community as a whole — into a frenzy.
Raiola understands what his commitment and signing has created from a hype and attention standpoint.
“I think it just goes to show how much they know their sports, not just their football. But volleyball, basketball, women’s basketball, softball,” Raiola said of Husker fans. “I just think it shows you have a great fan base you look forward to playing for. They’re gonna be there and support you through the ups and downs. You’ve seen that since Nebraska came up on the map. They sell out Memorial Stadium every single game. That speaks to the kind of fans. They have a lot of fun coming to Nebraska events.”
Raiola is one of seven legacy recruits — that's if you count Mario Buford, the younger brother of current Husker safety Marques Buford, and Ian Flynt, who's father and sister were once on the Husker track and field teams — in the 2024 class. Dominic Raiola, Dylan's father, was an All-American center for the Huskers who went on to have a stellar career in the NFL.
The history of Nebraska’s program is something Raiola knows is important.
“It means a lot more than just football,” Raiola said. “I think it’s special that you get to wear that N on your helmet with that red stripe down the middle and know you’re representing something more than just that team that year, but all the people who came before you and laid that foundation, like with coach (Tom) Osborne, coach (Frank) Solich and all those coaches who came through to help lead Nebraska to where it’s at right now.”
Dylan is excited to be in the same program and work on the same field as his offensive line coach uncle, Donovan Raiola, who has led an O-line unit that’s shown growth and development since the 2021 season, when Donovan was hired.
Any good quarterback knows how important the O-line in front of him is. Growing up in NFL locker rooms for much of his early life, Raiola understands that better than anyone.
“Family is huge in my culture — the Hawaiian-Polynesian culture,” Raiola said. “Having him (Donovan) on the staff is awesome. But to the O-line’s credit, that’s a special relationship that not a lot of people understand. The O-line, they don’t get a lot of credit, and they get the most hate. So I need to make sure they’re loved up the most and they’re valued and make sure I take care of them.”
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Fair or not, there will be heavy expectations set on Raiola, an 18-year-old who will turn 19 in May. How does he manage all the hype surrounding him?
“I think you try not to pay attention to those expectations,” Raiola said “I believe, from growing up, if you pay attention to expectations, you’re going to miss all those steps and all those memories and all those moments you cherish with your teammates if you’re focused on that end goal rather than focused on every step of that journey. Understanding you have a lot of people who are pulling for you, you have a lot of people who aren’t. So filtering that out and trusting that they have your best interest in mind for you.
“I think the biggest thing is you have to enjoy the journey. If you look too far ahead, you’ll get lost in the mix. If you’re not staying up with what you need to, you’ll get lost as well. Just stay in the journey. Trust the people you trust. Trust the coaching staff.”
Raiola will enter a program with young talent at receiver, like Malachi Coleman, Jaylen Lloyd, Jaidyn Doss and Demitrius Bell. The 2024 class brings in wideouts like Jacory Barney Jr., Isaiah McMorris, Dae'vonn Hall and Quinn Clark. Tight end Thomas Fidone also has strong potential as a pass-catcher.
Raiola is excited to get to work with everyone so chemistry can start being built as soon as possible. The start of spring ball will be here before we know it, and Raiola will be the favorite to win the starting job.
“These guys worked hard, they made a lot of plays, played a lot of football last year,” Raiola said. “I think I’m most excited to get in there and go to work with them. That’s what makes football so great, is you get to go to work with your guys day in and day out, earn their respect that way. They’re gonna want to put a lot of work in, and so am I. It’ll be fun. There are a lot of weapons. They’re ready to go.”
The interview also had some non-serious questions. When asked his favorite athlete, Raiola chose the one who he models his own game after — Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. His favorite cereal is Fruity Pebbles, and he didn’t have to think long about it.
As for his favorite hobby outside of football? Raiola likes to cut hair.
No, seriously.
“I do love cutting hair,” Raiola said with a smile. “I cut my brother’s hair, my dad’s hair. Bunch of my teammate’s hair.”
