Dylan Raiola approaching sophomore campaign with determination

The Nebraska quarterback is the big man on campus after a promising season as a true freshman, and understands that all eyes will be on him throughout fall camp.

Dylan Raiola embraces the spotlight, considering he’s no stranger to adversity, and everything is set in place for the Huskers to make a serious run at a Big Ten Title. After all, it’s year three under Coach Matt Rhule, and Raiola appears to have a grasp of Dana Holgorsen’s offense.

Spending the entire offseason polishing his craft and building chemistry with teammates has Raiola full of confidence. In his eyes the players are faster, stronger, and they continue to push each other.

Although it was nice to carve out a winning season, and end Nebraska’s bowl drought, Raiola still remembers the growing pains too. Which is why past issues like the four-game losing streak, and narrow defeats are fueling the Huskers. Raiola will no longer settle for moral victories, and neither will his teammates.

“We had to ride the highs and lows, but we came out on the high,” Raiola said. “We had to use that to propel ourselves for this offseason, and get ready for what we set out to get in year two and three for Coach Rhule.”

Raiola takes a lot of accountability for not being able to deliver in the clutch, even for some special team blunders. He believes if the offense produces touchdowns, the team wouldn’t need to rely on field goals. So in order for Raiola to take that next step, he has to take full command of the offense, and trust his decision-making. Having a quicker release, and reading defensive coverages will go a long way. The Georgia native takes pride in his ability to push the ball downfield when necessary, and making others around him better.

It’s easy for the outside noise to consume student-athletes these days, but Raiola is focusing on building his legacy in Lincoln instead of the distractions. The former five-star prospect also keeps his family close, especially his father Dominic. The gunslinger always takes his dad’s advice, who happens to be a Husker legend, Rimington Award winner and former NFL offensive lineman. Dealing with adversity, and handling the pressure comes with the territory at Nebraska, and there’s no fans as passionate as Big Red Nation.

“He (Dominic) says to stay true to yourself, there’ll be a lot of people saying different things, but all you have is your teammates, your family and at the end of the day your faith,” the 20-year old said. “My faith carries me through everything, so I’m going to stand on that, and that’s my foundation.”

Raiola has worked hard up to this point, and even trimmed his frame down. Having less weight gives him more mobility, and he can maneuver smoother around the pocket. Blocking is going to be important for Raiola to have enough time in the pocket to distribute the ball, and the offensive line has the potential to be a team strength.

There are weapons around him too, so Raiola doesn’t have to always be the hero. Emmett Johnson is good enough to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark this fall, if he gets enough carries. The receivers are somewhat unknown, but with Raiola behind center there’ll be a couple that’ll emerge from the shadows, and surprise some people. Raiola already has the respect from his teammates, and Rhule expects him to spread his wings in year two.

“What I have seen from him (Raiola), high temperature, his maturity is he now embraces when he is frustrated,” Rhule said. “He embraces when things aren’t going well and he’s the one going back to the ownership.”

Anticipation is high for Nebraska fans, and with games like Cincinnati, Michigan, USC and Penn State on the schedule, Raiola will have plenty of opportunity to showcase improvement from the offense. The month of August is going to be grueling, and full of intense practices, but in the end the cream will rise to the top.

The urgency is there to win big, and the Huskers are long overdue in Raiola’s mind. There’s some hype for the 2025 season, but Nebraska is mainly flying under the radar, and that’s where Raiola likes it. It’s going to make it that much sweeter when the Huskers get back in the national discussion.

“Nebraska deserves to be back on the map, and not because of me, it’s a program ready go win, and one of those programs that’s going to be put back on top.”