Still Rooting Against Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola
Back in 2024, we wrote the borderline mean article: Rooting Against Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola
Why would we root against a poor 19 year old football player, straight out of high school? Because Dylan Raiola, while in high school, committed to play football at Ohio State.
Then Georgia.
Then Nebraska.
Why did he choose finally chose Nebraska? What did the Cornhuskers offer that the Bulldogs or Buckeyes didn't?
Well, according to ESPN, Dylan Raiola chose Nebraska because of......God.
It was one of the most odorous, steamiest piles of cupcake reporting I had ever seen:
Raiola prattled on, almost as if on a bully pulpit, about how his priorities in life are:
God
Family
Football
Our rebuttal, in a nutshell?
"One of the biggest crock-of-shit cliches in American Culture is: God, Family, Football."
Fast forward 2 years-
Yesterday at ESPN:
What does that story have to do with Nebraska Football? After Oregon quarterback Dante Moore was carted off the field after a late hit, backup Oregon quarterback Dylan Raiola came in off the bench.
Wait a second.
Apparently, after being the starter for his first two years at Nebraska, and collecting over $5 million in NIL and endorsement money, Raiola decided to transfer to Oregon. Even though his Uncle worked at Nebraska, and his Dad graduated from Nebraska, Raiola decided to head north to satisfy his "ultimate goal."
Your counter argument is that there was a lot of drama in Lincoln, Nebraska? Listen, if you can't handle Lincoln, Nebraska, you're going to have trouble in places like New York, Philadelphia, or Dallas. Pro franchises with rabid fan bases.
Back to Raiola's ultimate goal though. He doesn't talk about God or Family anymore, he talks about being like Patrick Mahomes. Raiola compares his relationship with Mahomes to "Kobe and Mike's (Jordan)."
Apparently one of Raiola's handlers let him know that being a 4 year starter, but being average, doesn't get you drafted in the first 5 rounds of the NFL Draft. In order to be a first rounder, you need to beat teams like Kent State 73-0 while posting, at minimum, a 10-2 record. He needs to pile up stats against lesser opponents. Raiola already has the physical tools, now he needs the numbers.
Raiola's ultimate goal mirrors Mahomes' career: Play in the NFL, sign a 9-figure contract. Raiola "humbled himself" and went to Oregon to play in an NFL-Style Offense with a track record of producing NFL quarterbacks. How would he humble himself? He'd have to sit for a year until Moore graduated. Technically, its easier to sit on the bench with 7-figures in the bank as a college kid. Well if he didn't like Nebraska, why did he even chose them in the first place? Ohio State and Georgia didn't guarantee him playing time, just an "opportunity" to start later. At Nebraska, Matt Rhule promised Raiola a starting position, at a Division I Power Four Conference, right from the rip, with starting QB NIL money attached.
From the very beginning of the process, it was always about the cash. None of Raiola's goals have anything to do with God.
Just be a man and just say it's about the money.
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