Following in his father's footsteps with the Cornhuskers, the highly touted phenom is looking for a signature win in only his second career start this weekend.
Nebraska coach breaks down the good and the bad from quarterback Dylan Raiola in the Cornhuskers' 40-7 win over UTEP.
In an era in which 80 college football teams found their quarterbacks in the transfer portal, Raiola was the lone true freshman starting QB for a Power 4 team in Week 1. The 19-year-old doesn't look, act or play like one. He's a 6-foot-3, 230-pound passer with rare gifts, an uncommon work ethic and all of the pedigree as the son of a Husker Hall of Famer and NFL great. He's beenfor months.
Dominic's name and number are on the walls of this 100-year-old stadium, just below the scoreboard alongside all-time greats Will Shields, Grant Wistrom and Eric Crouch. He took immense pride in playing for Nebraska, arriving from Hawaii during the program's heyday and devoting himself to maintaining the standard of excellence.
In their household, faith and family came before football."Family is everything for us," said Nebraska offensive line coach Donovan Raiola, Dylan's uncle. The extended Raiola clan is a tight-knit unit, their support for one another unyielding. Dominic likens the loyalty and brotherhood ingrained in their family heritage to the line from"Lilo & Stitch": Ohana means family, and family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten.
He flashed it in the first quarter against UTEP, converting on a third-and-11 by side-arming a dart in a tight window to receiverfor a 16-yard gain. It was the kind of conversion Mahomes has delivered time and time again and evoked instant comps to the three-time Super Bowl champ. In the final weeks of a two-and-a-half-year recruiting process, Dylan came to appreciate what the opportunity truly meant.
"How we had always recruited him was I said to him: 'I made the decision to come here. I show up here and I see a program that's down, but I see a program that's been at the top,'" Rhule said."'I see an opportunity for me to come make a difference at a place that matters. So why don't you come here and make a difference at a place that matters? The easy thing would be to go to the place that's already winning.
"I'll tell you what changed in his heart," Dominic said."He knew he had a different kind of talent. He told us: 'God has bigger plans for me than just going to Georgia and being the next five-star and being in line to win the national title. God has different plans for me.' And those plans were to go to Nebraska and do something hard.
Jahmal Banks said Dylan Raiola's"killer mentality" was on full display in his debut."He's been having that in his eyes since he got on campus," Banks said."Like, 'I'm humble, but I'm him.'" Satterfield, his offensive coordinator, calls him a young pro. He was purposeful throughout the process of installing Nebraska's offense and instilling confidence.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Nebraska names touted true freshman Dylan Raiola starting QBNebraska has named touted true freshman Dylan Raiola its starting quarterback for its season opener against UTEP on Aug. 31.
Read more »
Nebraska Football Quarterback Dylan Raiola Earns First Big Ten Freshman HonorThe first-year signal caller for Nebraska Dylan Raiola claimed his first accolade of his young career, earning the Big Ten's weekly freshman award. Raiola had a strong performance in his season-opening win over UTEP.
Read more »
CU Buffs coach Deion Sanders on Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola: “I love what he showed”CU Buffs coach Deion Sanders “loves” what he saw from Nebraska freshman QB Dylan Raiola.
Read more »
Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes Celebrates Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola's Touchdown PassKansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has approved of freshman Dylan Raiola's success - even before his two touchdown performance on Saturday.
Read more »
Nebraska LB Says ‘Don’t Compare’ Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders to Dylan RaiolaSaturday's Buffaloes-Cornhuskers matchup is going to be must-see TV.
Read more »
Nebraska Football's Dylan Raiola Era Begins with Methodical Touchdown DriveNebraska football had a perfect start with Dylan Raiola at quarterback, taking nearly six minutes off the clock and finishing in the end zone.
Read more »