Nebraska 5-star freshman Raiola wins starting QB job

Freshman Dylan Raiola will be Nebraska's starting quarterback when its 2024 season kicks off against UTEP on Aug. 31, the program announced Wednesday.

Raiola became the highest-rated Cornhuskers commit in December 2023 since ESPN started tracking recruits in 2006. He was the top-ranked pocket passer in the 2024 recruiting cycle by ESPN. Georgia initially had Raiola's commitment before Nebraska flipped him.

Raiola has brought excitement to a Cornhuskers program that hasn't posted a winning record since 2016. Nebraska has cycled through four coaches since then, with Mike Riley, Scott Frost, and Mickey Joseph serving in the role before Matt Rhule took over in 2023.

The Cornhuskers went 5-7 in Rhule's first season, though his offense took a step back. Nebraska averaged just 18 points per game, down from its 22.6 average in 2022.

Raiola beat Heinrich Haarberg to win the starting job. Haarberg threw seven touchdowns and seven interceptions last season in eight starts for the Cornhuskers as a sophomore. He owned a 5-3 record.