Examining Dylan Raiola’s Devotion with Dave Feit
A five-star quarterback and a legacy of Huskers Dylan Raiola has made the Nebraska team his home. Following a protracted, on-again, off-again recruiting period, Nebraska managed to finalize the signing.
One of the biggest recruiting successes in school history has emerged from something that, just seven months ago, appeared to be a moral victory.
As we rejoice and look forward, let us examine a few responses and unanswered questions:
There is no easy story about why he is here. It is tempting in our world of 280 characters or less to try to explain why a five-star quarterback recruit, who has his pick of elite programs, would choose to attend a school that has not played in a bowl game since Barack Obama’s departure from office.
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This is where his father played. With the largest NIL deal was Nebraska. Here is where he could begin his first day. He is helping his uncle, the O-line coach, out by doing this. He feared being in a competitive environment. And so forth. Pick your favorite team and carry on with your day, rival supporters (and spurned Georgia Bulldogs).
However, the truth is that Dylan Raiola is visiting Nebraska for a variety of reasons. With prior commitments to Georgia and Ohio State, I imagine Dylan learned a lot about himself and elite college football during his protracted recruitment. He discovered what counts and, more significantly, what doesn’t.
Matt Rhule probably sold Nebraska’s close-knit fraternity culture. He outlined his plan for revitalizing the once-great show and demonstrated how Dylan could play a key role in it. Rhule probably discussed how Dylan could both carry on Dom’s legacy* and perhaps even achieve more.
*According to the commitment video, Raiola will wear #15 at NU, which is a nice symmetry to his father’s NFL number, 51.
In summary, Dylan and his family’s decision made sense for a variety of reasons.
How does this affect the QB room, and why? I am going to assume that Raiola was not promised the starting position for 2024 until I hear differently. This means that in the spring, Raiola, fellow true freshman Daniel Kaelin, returners Heinrich Haarberg and Chubba Purdy, and anyone else who joins the QB room between now and the commencement of spring ball*, will play each other in an open competition.
*I believe there is some merit to the rumors surrounding the Casey Thompson Redemption Tour, which state that the 2022 starter will return from Florida Atlantic (along with a knee injury) to serve as Raiola’s mentor and supporter. Theoretically, Thompson would be Raiola’s Patrick Mahomes’ Chad Henne. However, similar to Raiola’s dedication to Nebraska, I will trust it when I see it.
All of the quarterbacks should stay and compete in a legitimate open competition in the spring, in my opinion. The room will probably thin out after the spring, either via a position shift or the portal.
Who will be the quarterback room manager? As of right now, Nebraska does not have a formal quarterbacks coach. Although Marcus Satterfield’s bio on Huskers.com indicates that he “tutors” NU’s quarterbacks, his official title is simply “Offensive Coordinator.”
I am not sure the top quarterback in the 2024 recruiting class is coming to Nebraska to learn from Satt, who worked with former five-star quarterback Spencer Rattler at South Carolina.
If Satterfield continues to work with the O.C. title but switches to a different position group, I would not be surprised. Satterfield coached running backs at Temple and tight ends at Baylor under Rhule. Observing the fallout from an offensive staff change would be fascinating.
There have been some rumors floating around regarding possible candidates for Nebraska’s next quarterbacks coach. Nothing is official yet; at least one of those names is an NFL coach right now. Give it a month or two.
Regarding Nebraska’s potential for NIL, what does the Raiola commitment say? Pete Nakos, a reporter for On3, covering college sports business, stated that Raiola’s choice was “definitely not influenced.” The number of zeros in his deal may never be known in full, but one thing is certain: Nebraska’s NIL collective(s) made a difference.
I thought it was great that the 1890 Initiative, which is currently Nebraska’s main NIL collective, asked fans to “Make an Impact” in a direct tweet when the Raiola rumors first surfaced last Monday. I compared it to passing around the collection plate following Reverend Rhule’s powerful sermon.
Matt Rhule and Dylan Raiola
This tweet from 1890 is a part of a month-long media campaign to educate fans about the goals and methods of the organization, as well as to raise awareness and funds.
*Or, to use the words of cynics, deal with some of the grievances, mistrust, and other perceived baggage that has prevented 1890 from moving forward.
Former Husker Matt Davison, the president of 1890, has discussed the collective and its “Countdown to Signing Day” drive on two local radio shows in addition to participating in a live chat with Husker Online so far this month.
There is also a noticeable 1890 surge on social media. 1890 has published 43 tweets in December as of this writing. Between August 1 and November 30, they sent out 41 tweets, nearly 40 percent of which were advertisements for their vodka and beer under the “Cornhead” brand.
It is common knowledge that NIL will play a significant role in Nebraska’s ability to draw and keep players in the future. It pleases me to see the 1890 Initiative becoming more active.
Uncle Donnie or Dylan is under more pressure? Painting Dylan as the hero who will restore Nebraska to prominence on the national stage is a fairly simple task. However, what about Donovan Raiola, the offensive line coach and uncle*, who is responsible for keeping the quarterback upright?
*Let us all agree to drop the story that Uncle Donovan was hired, kept on, and/or given a big raise just to get Dylan to commit. A sensible coach—or coaches, in this case—would never act in such a way. I am not here to persuade you that Donovan Raiola is the Milt Tenopir of the twenty-first century, but it is clear that Matt Rhule thinks highly of him as an offensive line coach.
Dylan will most likely need some time to get used to the fast-paced nature of college football if he plays as a true freshman. His early success will depend greatly on an offensive line that can allow him time to get comfortable, read the defense, and make patient throws. Thus, even though the QB will be the center of attention, the line is under pressure.
I expressed my optimism about the offensive line’s potential for 2023 in August. The Huskers did place second in the Big Ten in rushing despite a plethora of injuries.
I am still hopeful that the line will get better after another season in the strength-and-conditioning program and another year under Donovan’s direction. Veteran tackle Bryce Benhart’s return ought to be very beneficial.
Will Dylan Raiola lead to a rebirth of poetry? Dylan included a brief poem explaining his choice to move from Georgia to Nebraska in his announcement tweet.
I am not here to criticize the young person or his ability to write poetry. Rather, I applaud him for being transparent about his decision and putting himself out there in a novel way. Hopefully, his high school English class will give him credit for the poem as well.
I am more of a prose guy, but I would really love it if Raiola popularized poetry. A fan shared on Twitter the tale of a friend who would be game for a haiku tattoo in the event that Raiola wins the title. That’d be a wise place to start.
