Highest-rated quarterbacks of decade battle in Big Ten matchup Saturday

Saturday's Big Ten slate includes a surprising facet worth watching-- the two highest-rated QB recruits to battle in this decade. When Michigan and Nebraska kick off, the game will pit the two highest-rated QB recruits to face each other since at least 2019. Bryce Underwood and Dylan Raiola are the respective No. 1 and No. 2 recruits in their classes.

Underwood's rise

True freshman Underwood was not only the top QB prospect, he was the top overall recruit in 247sports' 2025 prep rankings. Underwood was the subject of a LeBron James-like hype run and his recruitment was a down-to-the-wire battle. Underwood had committed to LSU and Brian Kelly, but the home state Wolverines refused to give up on him.

With UM backer Dave Portnoy among many banging the drum to keep the nation's No. 1 prospect in his home state, the Wolverines flipped Underwood two weeks before early Signing Day. The move was significant as Michigan came off a season of passing for just 129 yards per game. Underwood was recruited to play and not to sit.

After three games, Underwood has passed for 628 yards with just two touchdowns and a single interception. He has rushed for another 108 yards and two more scores. The Wolverine offense occasionally has to live with some freshman inconsistency (Underwood was 9 for 24 for 142 yards against Oklahoma), but Underwood's promise is clear.

Raiola's Run

Dylan Raiola was the No. 2 QB prospect in the 2024 recruiting cycle, per 247. He joined DJ Lagway and Julian Sayin as the only five-star QB recruits in 247's final rankings. Raiola picked Nebraska, where he immediately was pressed into service trying to end a shocking seven-year span of consecutive losing seasons.

Raiola was uneven in 2024, throwing for 2,819 yards with 13 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. But he did get Nebraska to a winning season, and is off to a 3-0 start in 2025, with 829 yards, eight touchdowns and no interceptions. Raiola draws attention for his on-field emulation of Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes.

With two such highly-ranked passers, it's the first time in the 2020s that the Big Ten has pitted two such highly-ranked QBs in a head-to-head battle.