Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola is still early in his college football career. He completed his freshman year this past season, emerging as one of the best young QBs in college football. As a result, he has earned many NIL deals, including one with Adidas. On Wednesday, Raiola reacted on his Instagram story as $4.2 NIL-valued Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith joined the Adidas club.
“Welcome to the fam,” Dylan Raiola wrote.
Like Dylan Raiola, Jeremiah Smith is one of the best young stars in college football. As a freshman, he emerged as one of the best wide receivers in the NCAA. He was one of the driving offensive forces on the Buckeyes as they won the national championship. He made 76 receptions for 1315 yards and 15 TDs last season. In the national championship game, he had one of his best performances, making five receptions for 88 yards and one TD.
Nebraska Head Coach Matt Rhule Praises Dylan Raiola for His Loyalty
As a freshman, Dylan Raiola immediately established himself as one of the top QBs in the Big Ten. He completed 275 of 410 passing attempts for 2819 yards and 13 TDs. His biggest problem was turnovers, as he threw 11 interceptions. Despite that, Raiola showed more in his freshman year than the average first-time starter. As a result, there are many teams that would have been interested if Raiola opted to enter the transfer portal.
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Despite several teams reaching out to him, Raiola stayed loyal to head coach Matt Rhule and the Cornhuskers. In early June, Rhule appeared on “The Jim Rome Show” and spoke about his loyalty.
“Everyone reached out to him,” Rhule said. “He could have taken the easy way out and left and gone into the portal and gone to someplace where he could start over, maybe where he doesn’t have to do as much himself. But he chose to stick it out and fight.”
Rhule also spoke about Raiola’s ability to bounce back and handle the pressure after a difficult stretch in the middle of last season.
“He’s got so many eyes on him,” Rhule said. “He has the weight and pressure of an entire fanbase, of an entire state, of a blue blood like Nebraska. First year, you come in, to me, if you’re a big-time recruit, it’s about learning how to handle the pressure. Learning how to handle the frustrating moments. I think he did that really well. Highs and lows. We finished the year on a real uptick.”
Raiola now enters his sophomore season with even bigger expectations.
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