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.

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.

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.

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)