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Dylan Raiola flips commitment to Nebraska

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Dylan Raiola flips commitment to Nebraska


LINCOLN, Neb. — The drama is over. Dylan Raiola, a five-star quarterback who was ranked as the top prospect for much of the 2024 recruiting cycle, has flipped his commitment from Georgia to Nebraska, he announced Monday. Raiola informed the Nebraska coaching staff of his decision while on an official visit to Lincoln from Friday to Sunday. Here is what you need to know:

  • Raiola is ranked as the No. 6 player nationally and the No. 2 QB by the 247 Sports Composite. He committed to Georgia in May after five months back on the market following his de-commitment from Ohio State a year ago.
  • His father, Dominic, was an All-American center at Nebraska whose career ended in 2000 before he played 14 seasons for the Detroit Lions. Dominic’s brother and Dylan’s uncle, Donovan, is set to enter his third season in 2024 as the Nebraska offensive line coach. He was the only full-time assistant retained last year by new coach Matt Rhule.
  • Raiola, set to sign Wednesday at the start of the early signing period, would go down as the highest-rated recruit to sign with Nebraska in the Internet era. The Huskers have not signed a five-star prospect since defensive tackle Baker Steinkuhler in the Class of 2008.

Backstory

Raiola, at 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds, spent longer than a year as the consensus No. 1 player in the 2024 class. He emerged as a top prospect after his freshman year in Burleson, Texas. Raiola played at Chandler (Ariz.) High School as a junior. He transferred to Pinnacle High in Phoenix early this year and moved to Buford, Ga., after his pledge to the Bulldogs.

Raiola threw for 2,666 yards with 34 touchdowns and one interception as a senior, completing 63.2 percent of his throws. He is seen as a refined prospect, having benefited from mentorship by several of his father’s former quarterbacks, including Matthew Stafford. Raiola has been connected this year with Jeff Christensen, the personal coach of Patrick Mahomes, and he learned from the likes of Drew Stanton and Jon Kitna.

The QB visited Nebraska seven times between June 2021 and March 2023. He saw the campus again last weekend for an official visit, traveling from Atlanta with his father and uncle, who had been with the family in Georgia. Limitations for recruiting contact do not apply to Donovan Raiola, who also spent time with Dylan and Dominic in Lincoln during a dead period.

What does this mean for Nebraska?

It’s massive. The Huskers fielded a defense in Rhule’s first season that ranked 13th nationally in yards allowed per game. They surrendered just 18.3 points per game. But the offense, with three quarterbacks who struggled with turnovers, could not keep up. Nebraska lost its final four games by a total of 16 points and missed a bowl game for the seventh consecutive season.

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GO DEEPER

Wasserman: Dylan Raiola finally chose home, and that’s great for college football

QB Jeff Sims, the starter to begin this year, entered the portal. Nebraska, after hosting potential transfer Kyle McCord for a visit, turned its attention to Raiola when interest rekindled this month from the longtime target. While committed QB Daniel Kaelin remains on track to sign with Nebraska, too, Raiola looks set to enter as the favorite to start as a true freshman — even if juniors Heinrich Haarberg and Chubba Purdy, who teamed to start 10 games in 2023, return.

Raiola could help Nebraska land a bonus offensive piece or two in finishing work on the 2024 class. His presence would generate increased excitement during the spring and in the lead-up to the opener next season against UTEP. — Sherman

What does it mean for Georgia?

Maybe a flip attitude about Raiola bailing on Georgia will, down the line, prove laughable. Maybe Raiola will end up being a great quarterback whose absence dearly costs the Bulldogs. Maybe this will become part of a worrisome trend, the month the would-be Georgia dynasty turned, on and then off the field.

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But right now it seems like a bigger recruiting story than it is a Georgia story.

Of course, Georgia wanted to keep Raiola, and losing any big-time prospect, especially a quarterback, will sting. But it’s hard to think of this as a major, program-changing event.

Not when Georgia just won two national championships with a former walk-on at quarterback.

Not when the same program just had another unbeaten regular season with a former four-star recruit, who ranked No. 250 in the 2020 class.

Since Smart became head coach, he has seen four other five-star quarterbacks — Jacob Eason, Justin Fields, JT Daniels and Brock Vandagriff — transfer after being beat out by Jake Fromm, Fromm again, Stetson Bennett and Carson Beck, none of whom were consensus five-stars. Fromm was the closest.

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Georgia is a program that keeps trying to win with the elite quarterback recruit, then keeps winding up with the underdog and winning anyway. — Seth Emerson, Georgia beat writer

Required reading

(Photo: Megan Mendoza / USA Today)





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Badgers Wire staff predictions for Wisconsin vs. Nebraska

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Badgers Wire staff predictions for Wisconsin vs. Nebraska


Nov 16, 2024; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Will Pauling (6) celebrates with quarterback Braedyn Locke (18) after scoring a touchdown during the second quarter against the Oregon Ducks at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Both programs enter play Saturday trying to figure out who they are and what they have left in the tank.

Wisconsin will be working with a new play-caller on offense, attempting to reestablish their strong form from earlier in the season. If the Badgers are to get back on track, it will be as a result of the reemergence of Tawee Walker in the backfield. Braedyn Locke is more suited for a rush-heavy attack on offense, sprinkling in passes when needed.

On the other side, after being a top 25 team, Nebraska fell back into the program’s old ways, losing several consecutive one-score games. Losers of four straight and at home for the last time in 2024, Matt Rhule’s squad will be itching to snap the 10-game skid versus Wisconsin. I’m inclined to go with history here.

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Prediction: Wisconsin 24, Nebraska 20



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'This is actually a cool place': Tourists spent record $4.6 billion in Nebraska last year

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'This is actually a cool place': Tourists spent record .6 billion in Nebraska last year


LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Is Nebraska a new tourism hot spot?

A new report from Visit Nebraska shows a major increase in travel, providing an economic boost.

Last year, out-of-state visitors spent $4.6 billion in Nebraska, an all-time record.

And since 2019, the number of overnight hotel guests has doubled, with 76% of them coming from out of state.

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What happened in 2019? Visit Nebraska began a new marketing strategy that included ideas such as finding out what locations it should be promoting and focusing on attracting out of state visitors.

“Truly it’s just because people have been invited to the state in a way they understand, in a way that makes sense,” said John Ricks, executive director of Visit Nebraska, also known as the Nebraska Tourism Commission.

SEE ALSO: Nebraska tourism slogan is no more. ‘Everything has a shelf life,’ official says

Ricks says the preconceived notion of Nebraska being a flyover state isn’t true. The commission just had to let people know what the state offers.

After talking with out-of-state visitors, it learned what barriers were keeping people from the Cornhusker State.

“There’s just a simple awareness problem and a familiarity problem,” Ricks said.

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SEE ALSO: Nebraska Tourism receives second national award for ‘not for everyone’ campaign

We asked users of the Now Local News App, some who live here and some who don’t, what their favorite spots are in Nebraska.

“I think that going out to western Nebraska is my family’s favorite place to go,” Melanie Dawkins said. “I don’t think enough Nebraskans make it all the way out there, like to the Panhandle.”

Kimberly Grace, who lives out of state, said she likes visiting the Stuhr Museum at Grand Island.

“You can learn about the pioneer days, and they have houses that they put on the land where you can go to visit.”

SEE ALSO: Rooms fill up in Lincoln, one of Airbnb renters’ top college football destinations

Ricks says to keep this growth going, it’s always going to be about getting the word out.

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“The more people we make aware, the more people who are discovering that, ‘Hey, whatever I heard in the past isn’t true, and this is actually a cool place.’”

According to Ricks, despite the 2023 numbers just getting released, this year’s numbers are already beating last year’s by over 10%.





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Wisconsin and Nebraska are both seeking bowl eligibility and an end to their losing streaks

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Wisconsin and Nebraska are both seeking bowl eligibility and an end to their losing streaks


WHAT’S AT STAKE?

Bowl eligibility goes to the winner. Wisconsin is looking to extend its bowl streak to 22 seasons, third-longest in the nation. Nebraska has lost four straight after a 5-1 start and is looking to go to a bowl for the first time since 2016, the longest drought in the Power Four. The Badgers, losers of three straight, have clinched bowl eligibility the last two years with wins over Nebraska.

KEY MATCHUP

Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola vs. Wisconsin pass defense. Raiola will be playing his second game with new offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen as the play-caller. The freshman has struggled against Big Ten opponents. He’s thrown just three touchdown passes and been intercepted eight times over the last six games. Wisconsin has one of the best pass defenses in the conference and has allowed just three TD passes in six games.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Wisconsin: QB Braedyn Locke, like Raiola, has struggled and will have a new offensive coordinator following the firing of Phil Longo. The Badgers have scored a combined 33 points during their three-game losing streak, with Locke completing 49.4% of his passes (49 of 99) with two TDs and four interceptions.

Nebraska: DE Ty Robinson, a sixth-year player, will need to be his best in his final home game going against a Wisconsin offensive line that has allowed just 11 sacks. He’s one of the most disruptive defensive linemen in the Big Ten, with 10 tackles for loss and six sacks.

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FACTS & FIGURES

Wisconsin has won 10 straight meetings with Nebraska, including all nine since the Freedom Trophy was introduced in 2014. The Badgers are 11-1 against Nebraska since the Huskers joined the Big Ten in 2011. … Nebraska is 0-8 under second-year coach Matt Rhule when trying to win a sixth game to become bowl-eligible. … Badgers have allowed only two plays of 40-plus yards, tied with Ohio State for fewest in the country. … Wisconsin’s Tawee Walker is averaging 97.3 rushing yards per game in his six Big Ten starts.





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