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Drillin’ for Dylan
Husker Pride Worldwide knows who the top high school player is on Nebraska's '24 recruiting class wish list. It's quarterback Dylan Raiola from Chandler, Arizona.
He's not just any ol' quarterback. He's the top high school player in the nation.
Will Nebraska be able to lure him to Lincoln? What are some of the challenges Nebraska faces in its quest to land this young QB?
The best example I can think of is: picture a beautiful woman who is being courted by three bachelors: The first two are dressed in tuxes and both have slicked-back hair. One drives a Porche 911; the other, a Mercedes Benz Maybach GLS SUV. The third bachelor is handsome but doesn't wear a tux or have slicked-back hair. Instead, he wears Levi's, a blue denim shirt and a pair of Tecovas Cartwright boots. Instead of a fancy sports car, he drives a pickup truck.
The first two can't understand why the beautiful lady pays any attention to the third guy.
The attraction of course is not a lady, but a high school football player whose name is Dylan Raiola.
Bachelor No. 1 is Georgia, winner of the past two national championships.
Picking the 'Dogs seems like a no-brainer. Stetson Bennett, who is the first QB to lead the Bulldogs to two consecutive national championships, is gone. The three remaining QBs are junior Carson Beck, sophomores Brock Vandagriff and Gunner Stockton. The three of them have a total of zero starts. If Dylan decides to commit to Georgia, he might be the starter his freshman year. That's a big plus for Georgia.
Bachelor No. 2 is Southern California.
Signing with the Trojans also seems like another no-brainer. Why? Because of the sun, the beaches, the babes, the mountains, the ocean and all the glitter that comes with living in southern California.
Throw in the fact that the Trojans' second-year coach, Lincoln Riley, has already helped mold three Heisman winners: Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray (both at Oklahoma) and last year's winner Caleb Williams at USC. Those are three good reasons for Dylan to be a Trojan.
NIL money at USC could be insane, too. Turning down either of those two schools is going to be a tough call.
This brings us to No. 3 Nebraska.
Why would Dylan turn down the first two and opt to play for the Huskers? And why would Nebraska even be in the running for his services?
There must be some compelling reasons Nebraska is still on his list.
Let's take a look at some.
- Scott Frost is no longer the head coach.
- Matt Rhule is.
- Rhule knows the value of recruiting. Getting great players to commit to Nebraska is essential not only to protect his future as a head coach, but to ensure the long term success of the Husker football program. Rhule may be one of the reasons Dylan decommitted from Ohio State and put Nebraska on his list.
- At Georgia, Dylan is going to be playing in the shadow of Georgia's recent national championships. If Dylan doesn't get the 'Dogs back into the NC picture soon, fans may not be patient with him.
If he goes to Southern California, he's going to run into a similar shadow. Will Trojan fans expect Dylan to win a Heisman, too? And Caleb Williams has two more years of eligibility. If he stays at USC for his third year, Dylan would have to redshirt his first year. If not, Raiola could be the starter.
Some have said Rhule's main task is to rebuild the Husker football program. There is some truth to that. But I don't think the '23 season is going to be a rebuilding year. Instead, think of it as a restoration process. The foundation is already there: The fan support is second to none. The facilities are first class and there is virtually no football competition in the state. In the fall, it's 100% Husker football.
Dylan could be a huge part of the Husker turnaround. Win a bowl game, have a winning season and maybe take the Huskers to the College Football Playoffs. And who knows? Maybe buildings, babies and streets will be named after him!
His dad, Dominic, was an All America center at Nebraska from 1998-2000. Dylan's uncle, Donovan, is the current Husker O-line coach.
Dylan is a devout Christian. Would playing for Matt Rhule (a preacher's son) influence Dylan's decision?
History: Nebraska has won 46 conference championships, 22 College Football Hall of Fame inductees, 5 national championships, 3 Heisman trophies, 8 Outland Trophy awards and a Rimington Trophy (Dominic Raiola 2000). Throw in the fact that every home game at Memorial Stadium has been sold out since 1962 and there are many compelling reasons for Dylan to play for the Scarlet and Cream.
As it now stands, Dylan is scheduled to visit Georgia on June 2. It's probably safe to say he won't announce his decision before that time. My sense is he'll decide sometime this summer, before his high school career begins in Arizona.
To sum things up, there might be some things the University of Nebraska lacks, but it does have something the other schools don't have: a chance to be part of an enormous football turnaround.
That's worthy of consideration.
How ’Bout Them Huskers
Grandson Will and I discuss a number of Husker sports in our latest podcast episode: Husker baseball, volleyball, women's basketball, the upcoming Jet Award and Husker spring football practice. We also talk about some of the recruits Matt Rhule and his staff hosted this past weekend.
