LINCOLN, Neb. — Make no mistake, Nebraska recruited five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola to start. And to start early in his career, quite possibly as soon as Aug. 31, when UTEP visits Memorial Stadium.
But five practices into this spring, the Huskers have put the hype on hold. There is no talk, outwardly from Memorial Stadium at least, of a plan to distinguish any of the three scholarship QBs in camp above another. No stated timetable to identify QB1 exists.
There’s no singling out of Raiola, the 6-foot-3, 220-pound true freshman out of Buford, Ga., for the immense arm talent that led him to rise to a level of prominence as a recruit higher than any to sign with Nebraska in the past 25 years.
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Maybe this tactic stems from a lesson learned in 2023 when Nebraska signaled early in the offseason that Jeff Sims would take control of the offense. He committed six turnovers in the first two games of the season, both Nebraska losses, and never started again. Sims resurfaced against Maryland in November to throw two more picks.
The Huskers have to be sure before they move forward behind a quarterback. Nebraska finished 116th nationally in yards per passing attempt in 2023. It threw 10 touchdowns and 16 interceptions, a ratio worse than all but one Power 5 team.
The mess of a QB situation simply must improve.
“We’re going to throw the ball,” offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield said. “We have to be able to throw the ball. We’re always going to run the ball. But as you saw last year, you can run the ball, but when it comes time to win a game, you have to be able to throw the ball.”
In five of the Huskers’ seven losses last season, they had possession late with a chance to win or tie. Four times, the final offensive play for Nebraska resulted in an interception.
Enter Raiola. Once committed to Ohio State and Georgia, he pumped life into the Nebraska offseason in December with his flip from the Bulldogs.
Thursday, Nebraska featured Raiola in an interview session for the first time in his three months at the school. He followed Satterfield, first-year quarterbacks coach Glenn Thomas, junior QB Heinrich Haarberg and fellow true freshman Daniel Kaelin to the podium.
Credit to the school for making the freshmen available to take questions. Many programs do not. Coach Matt Rhule places high expectations on freshmen. He said he wants both of the young quarterbacks, along with Haarberg, prepared to start by the end of spring practice in three weeks.
Facing the media comes with the territory for a QB who’s needed to diagnose a zone blitz in the Big Ten.
Alas, it’s April 5. The media session was likely the easiest challenge of Raiola’s day. In five months, the spotlight figures to shine brighter.
For Raiola and Kaelin, a three-star prospect and Elite 11 finalist like his rookie teammate in Lincoln, the speed of the game rates as the most significant adjustment.
“The players are moving a lot faster,” Raiola said.
Said Kaelin, 6-3 and 210 pounds out of Bellevue (Neb.) West: “I have a lot of confidence in myself. Obviously, Dylan does as well. He’s a great player.”
Nebraska split its spring roster into three teams, with one scholarship QB on each.
𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 𝐍𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐚 𝐒𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 🏈🌽
Which #NSL team are you repping?? #GBR x #WhatsNExt! https://t.co/4mQqVe9o3I pic.twitter.com/8LlE160v4T
— Nebraska Football (@HuskerFootball) April 3, 2024
A part of every practice includes competition between the teams. The team that wins the highest number of reps wins the day. Haarberg’s team, which includes a version of the projected No. 1 offensive line, won the first day of competition.
Haarberg has worked to reshape his passing mechanics. He completed 49 percent of 157 passes last season while starting all five of Nebraska’s victories. Sims entered the transfer portal in early December. QB Chubba Purdy, who started the final two games for the Huskers in November, left via the portal after Raiola and Kaelin signed.
So far in the spring, Nebraska is no worse for the wear, largely because of progress made by the newcomers.
“It’s amazing,” Satterfield said Thursday, “we’re watching them two days ago, completing a bunch of balls. You forget sometimes that was Dylan and Danny’s fourth practice in college. And they’re able to have a voice and the footwork and the timing in their brains and the knowledge of the system to get completions.
“That’s hard to do, especially against our defense.”
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Raiola said he’s working to find his voice as he follows the lead of older players. Rhule praised Raiola recently for his work leading passing drills at 6 a.m. on winter days before he lifted weights and reported for mat drills.
The final night of those drills early this month left an impression on Raiola. The name of his father, former All-American center Dominic Raiola, adorns inside Memorial Stadium, where those drills were conducted.
“It’s kind of surreal,” he said. “I have a lot of gratitude to be at this university. … Being a recruit and watching a game isn’t really the same as being in the stadium yourself.”
Nebraska coaches are not pushing him to take command of the offense or to live up to his lofty billing. They expect the same from him as they do from other quarterbacks on the roster — to play to his strengths and help the Huskers meet their objectives.
For Raiola and Kaelin, it means remaining coachable, Thomas said, throwing an easy-to-catch ball and continuing to hone their natural passing skills.
Satterfield has his list for the offense, too.
“Take care of the football, No. 1, first priority,” Satterfield said. “Don’t beat ourselves before the ball is snapped. Play as hard as we possibly can. Know and do your job.”
If accomplished, the Huskers figure only to rise offensively. Even better if they place a prodigy at quarterback.
(Photo of Marcus Satterfield: Dylan Widger / USA Today)
