If you thought Dylan Raiola was just another five-star name tossed into the college football chaos, think again. The true freshman phenom didn’t just dip his toes into the firestorm of Big Ten football—he dove headfirst. And while 2024 didn’t end in storybook fashion for Nebraska, it might have lit the fuse for something explosive in 2025.
Let’s rewind. Nebraska came out swinging last season—3-0, including a headline-snatching 28-10 demolition of Deion Sanders’ Colorado squad, a satisfying payback for the humiliation served up in 2023. Raiola, still finding his footing, looked like the real deal: smooth in the pocket, surgical with his throws, confident beyond his years. But as the grind of the season wore on, cracks began to show. The team sputtered to a 7-6 finish. Raiola tossed 11 interceptions. A rough loss to Illinois exposed inexperience—a missed wide-open touchdown here, a costly pick there. It wasn’t pretty.
But here’s where it gets interesting. Raiola didn’t duck the spotlight or blame the system. He owned it. After the Illinois loss, he stood at the podium like a seasoned veteran, shouldering the blame, speaking with poise, humility, and hunger. That’s not something you teach. That’s leadership material in the making.
“He’s ten steps ahead of where he was,” head coach Matt Rhule said recently, and coming from a guy known for turning struggling programs into disciplined winners, that’s not just fluff—it’s a declaration. This offseason, Raiola shredded some of that freshman bulk, sharpened his footwork, deepened his reads, and transformed himself into a far more dangerous version of the quarterback we saw last fall.
Let’s talk numbers. Nearly 2,820 yards. 13 touchdowns. A completion rate north of 67%. And that was just year one. Raiola wasn’t perfect—but he was raw brilliance waiting for polish. Now, with a full offseason under offensive wizard Dana Holgorsen, the sophomore gunslinger is no longer an unknown commodity. He’s a dark horse for the Heisman Trophy. And the buzz? It’s deafening.
FOX Sports analyst RJ Young is all-in. On his Adapt & Respond show, Young didn’t mince words: “We’re already having these fringe Heisman conversations, and Raiola’s name keeps popping up. He started as a true freshman. Now he’s in year two. And Dana Holgorsen? That man knows how to build fireworks on offense.”
RJ isn’t spitting in the wind either. Vegas Insider currently lists Raiola’s Heisman odds at +5000—16th overall. He’s nestled behind marquee names like Arch Manning and Garrett Nussmeier, but he’s coming up fast in the rearview. Why? Because Holgorsen’s system is tailor-made for Raiola’s game. Holgorsen brings over a decade of head coaching experience, with track records at West Virginia and Houston that scream offensive explosion. This guy eats, sleeps, and breathes scoring drives. Just ask Wisconsin—they were torched for 44 points and 473 total yards by Nebraska in the season finale last year. That was Holgorsen’s system coming to life.
But Holgorsen isn’t the only key in Nebraska’s potential breakout. Matt Rhule has finally built a foundation that’s sturdy—and he’s starting to decorate the house. He’s added weapons like Kentucky transfer Dane Key and speedster Nyziah Hunter. And while the departure of DC Tony White to Florida State leaves a void, Rhule has always been a master of adaptation. RJ Young hammered it home: “Matt Rhule’s a builder. A rebuilder. And with the right pieces in place, nine wins in Lincoln isn’t just possible—it’s probable.”
And let’s not overlook the schedule. The 2025 slate looks like it was engineered for a Cinderella climb. After an opener in Kansas City against Cincinnati, Nebraska gets a juicy four-game homestand—featuring Michigan. Yes, that Michigan. The Wolverines are still a powerhouse, but catching them early in Lincoln? That’s a trap game waiting to happen. USC and Iowa also have to make the cold trip to Memorial Stadium later in the season. And here’s the kicker—six of Nebraska’s nine Big Ten opponents had losing records last year. This isn’t a gauntlet. It’s an opportunity.
Make no mistake—there are still landmines. Penn State looms in November. And Raiola can’t afford another 11-interception season. But if he cleans that up—and with Holgorsen fine-tuning his mechanics and decision-making, he absolutely can—Nebraska becomes a legitimate Big Ten contender.
“You take advantage of the best home-field advantage in college football,” Young said, “and you stay healthy. You get elite—or near-elite—play from Dylan Raiola, and we’re not talking about nine wins anymore. We’re talking about something more.”
The college football world is starving for a Nebraska revival. The blackshirts. The Sea of Red. The Big Red Machine rolling again. When Nebraska’s good, the sport is electric. And now, with a Heisman-hopeful quarterback, a masterful offensive coordinator, and a builder in Matt Rhule ready to cash in on two years of grind—it’s not just hype.
It’s a warning.
The Cornhuskers are coming.
And Dylan Raiola might just be the storm.
