Nebraska's Matt Rhule gives thoughts on Dylan Raiola's opportunity at Oregon

Dylan Raiola was at one point a massive sign of hope for the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

He was a five-star recruit, ranked as a top-10 player in the class of 2024. He was originally going to play for the Georgia Bulldogs but ended up committing to Matt Rhule and the Huskers.

It was a big moment. People were hyped.

Speaking of moments, Raiola had some with the Cornhuskers, but his two years in Lincoln didn't do much in terms of big wins. He was 13-9 as the starting quarterback and his 2025 season was cut short due to injury.

Raiola transferred to play for the Oregon Ducks and essentially take a redshirt season behind established starting quarterback Dante Moore. He transferred to learn from more and, specifically, Oregon head coach Dan Lanning, but there was always the chance for an opportunity to open up due to injury.

That happened in Week 4 against the USC Trojans when Moore suffered a concussion that sent him to the hospital. Raiola was asked to come in and finish out the game for the Ducks, and he played brilliantly in what ended up being a huge win for Oregon.

He completed 19-of-25 passes for 289 yards and two touchdowns in two-and-a-half quarters of play, helping Oregon come away with a 41-27 victory.

On Monday, Rhule told the media in Lincoln that he's happy for his former quarterback.

“I love Dylan. Great, great, great kid. Great family. Played here for me,” Rhule said (h/t On3). “Everyone that played for me, I’ll root for. I know you saw at the end of the (Michigan State) game, guys hugging [former Nebraska RB Kenneth Williams]. Any kid that says to me, ‘hey, I need a fresh start,’ I’m going to root for them."