$826,000 NIL-valued Dylan Raiola backs Keisei Tominaga and Nebraska against Ohio State Buckeyes in marquee matchup: "Let's go"
Fresh from his Polynesian Bowl heroics in Honolulu, new Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback commit Dylan Raiola set about getting into the groove of things for his new team.
Raiola showed that he's settling into life in Lincoln with a message for Nebraska basketball on his Instagram stories as the Cornhuskers (14-5) prepare to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes (13-5) on Tuesday.
The talented quarterback captioned his post:
"Let's go!!"
Raiola reposted Nebraska's Instagram poster featuring its Japanese guard Keisei Tominaga. The Big Ten showdown between the Cornhuskers and the Buckeyes will tip off at 7 p.m. EST.
Dylan Raiola slips down the rankings
Dylan Raiola, with an ON3 NIL value of $826,000, was the most hyped prospect in the class of 2024 for many recruiters, and his commitment issues were the stuff of front-page sports news as teams fought for his signature all year.
According to 247Sports, Raiola's ranking slipped from the No. 1 QB prospect in the country at the beginning of last year to his overall ranking of No. 7 and the No. 2 QB prospect behind Ohio State Buckeyes' Julian Sayin.
Cornhuskers coach Matt Rhule detailed how Dylan Raiola flipped his commitment and chose Nebraska and the words that struck him most from the Cornhuskers' highest recruit in the last 25 years.
“Hey coach, my heart keeps telling me to come to Nebraska. My life has greater purpose than just being the top recruit,” Rhule said Dylan Raiola told him. “I know what Nebraska means to my family. I know what it’s meant to me. I’d like to come there.”
Appearing on the "College Football Recruiting Show," Cooper Petagna, a national recruiting analyst, commented on Raiola's talent vis-a-vis his class.
“Best pure passer in this class, I think that’s pretty safe to say; 11-2 at Buford, the competition level kinda upped this year," Petagna said. "Went 65% completion rate, 34 touchdowns, one interception, I love the way he fit in that offense. I think that’s what they need to do at Nebraska in Lincoln as well.
“Here’s the other thing: The flip side of that, four different programs in four years. He needs some continuity, I think he’s going to have to sit a year as well. That’s going to benefit Dylan Raiola.”
Matt Rhule will not care about rankings after passing up on former Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Kyle McCord in favor of Raiola. He heaped praise on his new signal caller in a recent news conference.
“This game comes down to way more than just arm talent,” Rhule said. “To us, it’s about teaching him the way we see things, the way we process things so he can play fast and play free.”
Nebraska Cornhuskers fans will be excited to have such a highly-rated prospect within their ranks regardless of his final rankings within his class.