Merry Flipmas to all that celebrate. Ahead of the Early Signing Period, college football rumors are in full swing and they don’t come much bigger than five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola.
Reportedly keeping his options open, there is a real possibility that Raiola flips his commitment from the Georgia Bulldogs to the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
Update: Raiola has indeed flipped from Georgia to Nebraska, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
College Football Rumors: Will Dylan Raiola Flip Commitment to Nebraska?
Just a few months ago, it appeared like the No. 1 quarterback in the 2024 recruiting class was set on his collegiate destination. Having already committed and decommitted from the Ohio State Buckeyes, Raiola pledged his allegiance to Georgia following a trip to Athens.
However, it appears there could be a twist in the tale late in the day for the five-star quarterback prospect.
College football rumors began swirling Monday, when 247Sports Director of Recruiting reported, via social media, that he was flipping his Crystal Ball — 247Sports’ recruiting prediction tool — to Nebraska for highly-rated quarterback Raiola.
One hour later, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that sources indicate that Nebraska coaches have been in contact with their current 2024 quarterback commit — Daniel Kaelin — making them aware that the program is once again in contention for Raiola. It is understood that Kaelin was told that his scholarship offer would be honored regardless of the developing situation.
Adding further intrigue to one of the fastest-developing college football rumors, Hayes Fawcett of On3.com reported one hour later that Raiola would take an official visit to Lincoln this coming weekend.
While National Signing Day isn’t until April, Dec. 20 marks the start of the Early Signing Period, with potential fireworks coming despite the QB holding his UGA commitment.
There are a lot of factors at play for Raiola and his upcoming commitment decision. It is well documented that his father played there and the young quarterback attended games at Memorial Stadium. Furthermore, his uncle Donovan Raiola is Nebraska’s offensive line coach and recently received a contract extension after a year of solid offensive line play.
While the family element may be a factor in Raiola’s decision, his uncle isn’t the only coach at Nebraska, with the young quarterback having an affinity. When asked about coach relationships by CBS Sports Network’s Tom Lemming, the number one quarterback in the nation provide an intriguing insight into his mindset ahead of the biggest decision of his life.
MORE: Class of 2024 QB Rankings
“Coach Rhule from Nebraska stood out,” Raiola began. “Really just hearing him and his visions for Nebraska.”
Those visions clearly include landing the number one quarterback in the nation. After a year of inconsistent quarterback play from Jeff Sims, Heinrich Haarberg, and Chubba Purdy, establishing a more solid foundation at the position has clearly been a point of emphasis for the Cornhuskers. As such, former Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord has been on campus this week.
That situation provides some college football poetry. McCord and Raiola were originally meant to be teammates at Ohio State following the five-star quarterback’s initial commitment to the Buckeyes. Now, they are set to join forces at a different Big Ten school. It is understood that Raiola’s impending visit will not impact the decision to welcome McCord to Lincoln for 2024.
MORE: Kyle McCord Transfer Portal Landing Spots
Instead, it is likely that McCord would become the starter in 2024, allowing Raiola to take a redshirt season and fully acclimate himself mentally and physically to the rigors of college football before taking over the reins of the program as a redshirt freshman in 2025.
However, that acclimation period might not be necessary, especially if Raiola has a strong spring camp as a true freshman. He already boasts NFL size at 6’3″, 228 pounds, with the requisite arm talent to match. His pocket presence and general field awareness are already well-developed.
If the college football rumors prove to be well-founded, they’re both physical and mental attributes that Nebraska fans can be very excited about. After missing out on bowl eligibility during the first season under Rhule, this is exactly the boost the Cornhuskers need as the former Temple and Baylor head coach tries to bring the program back to national relevance.
