Five-star quarterback prospect Dylan Raiola is set to visit the Nebraska Cornhuskers this weekend despite being committed to the Georgia Bulldogs for nearly seven months.
With the early signing period set to start in a week, a flip at this point would be a big change at the top of the 2024 ESPN 300.
Raiola, the No. 8 overall prospect in the class and the top-ranked pocket-passer, has been committed to Georgia, which has the top-ranked recruiting class, since May and was previously committed to the Ohio State Buckeyes. But, the 6-foot-3, 220-pound prospect has family ties to Nebraska, where his father, Dominic, was a star offensive lineman.
The commitment would be huge for coach Matt Rhule and the Huskers and kickstart what could be a flip-filled week before the signing period. ESPN’s college football and recruiting experts look at what the move could mean.
What makes Raiola such a high-ranked recruit?
The five-star QB draws some similarities to former ESPN 300 QB Andrew Luck, in that Raiola grew up in the sport, has a big pocket passer build with excellent arm talent, but is also mobile for his size. Between his father, former Nebraska standout and long-time NFL offensive lineman Dominic Raiola, and his uncle Donovan, who is currently the offensive line coach at Nebraska, Dylan has grown up around the Huskers. His coach at Buford High School called Raiola a “student of the game” who always had his notebook from meetings with him and would regularly come up to the school on Sundays to sit with the coaches as they prepared for the coming opponent.
During in-person evaluations the last two seasons, he has displayed the arm strength to make all the throws while being able to change ball speeds and he throws a catchable ball. He has also displayed an even-keeled demeanor, even when offensive execution wasn’t always operating as desired.
A big body at 6-foot-4, he can stand in the pocket and deliver but also move around when he needs to. He possesses very good body control and that, combined with his size, allows him to break free of pass rushers and be able to get outside the pocket and extend plays.
He has played for four different high schools and this would be his third different commitment. That amount of movement could raise concerns and only time will tell if he can settle into one spot for an extended period of time.
Physically, Raiola has excellent traits. He would give the Cornhuskers their most impactful QB signing in the ESPN 300 era. — Craig Haubert
What would this mean for Nebraska?
Raiola would be the highest-ranked commitment for Nebraska since ESPN started its rankings in 2006, so that in itself is a big deal. Matt Rhule saw what the Nebraska quarterback room looked like this season and knew he needed to restock it with talent.
If Kyle McCord transfers in from Ohio State and Raiola signs with the Huskers, Rhule has two great options at the position for the 2024 season. It would be ideal to allow McCord to start and play out his remaining year of eligibility and let Raiola learn the system before taking over.
Outside of the quarterback depth, more importantly, it shows that Rhule can recruit. Yes, there are family ties to Nebraska, but that wasn’t enough to get him to commit the first time around when he chose Ohio State and then Georgia.
Recruiting against Georgia is difficult no matter who it is, and Rhule didn’t give up on Raiola. Getting a high-profile flip like this will help on the field, but it could also help on the trail and getting other prospects interested. Quarterbacks can often help attract other recruits, especially receivers and running backs.
If Nebraska does indeed sign him, it can build off of the momentum of landing Raiola. This could possibly be a monster win for the future of the Nebraska roster. — Tom VanHaaren
What would this mean for Georgia?
There’s no question that losing a five-star quarterback, especially this late in the game, will sting the Bulldogs. Georgia coach Kirby Smart doesn’t lose too many recruiting battles, but it’s the second time in as many years that he and his staff invested a lot of time and resources in courting a highly regarded passer, only to lose out in the end. Georgia’s loss of eventual Texas signee Arch Manning probably didn’t hurt quite as much because he was never committed, but both would have been big-time additions to the program.
As long as starting quarterback Carson Beck returns to the team for 2024, Georgia is going to be just fine on offense. Beck was one of the most efficient and effective passers in the FBS in his first season as a starter, throwing for 3,738 yards with 22 touchdowns and six interceptions. He nearly led the two-time defending national champions back to the College Football Playoff, but the Bulldogs lost to Alabama 27-24 in the SEC championship and fell out of the top four.
Beck’s backup this past season, former four-star recruit Brock Vandagriff, is transferring to Kentucky. Redshirt freshman Gunner Stockton, who attempted nine passes in 2023, will probably go into next season as the No. 2 quarterback. He was the No. 4 dual-threat quarterback prospect in the Class of 2022. He set Georgia high school state records with 13,562 passing yards, 177 passing touchdowns and 77 rushing scores at Rabun County High.
The Bulldogs also have a commitment from Ryan Puglisi, the No. 7 pocket passer in the 2024 ESPN 300. A 6-foot-3, 205-pound native of Avon, Connecticut, Puglisi has been committed to the Bulldogs since October 2022. The former Elite 11 competitor had scholarship offers from Alabama, Michigan, Ohio State and others before choosing Georgia. — Mark Schlabach
Are there other potential QB dominoes after this?
Nebraska has a commitment from three-star in-state quarterback Daniel Kaelin. The Huskers’ coaches said they would still honor Kaelin’s commitment and Kaelin has not said what his plans are.
He could open up his recruitment, but it wouldn’t be a major factor in the quarterback market.
On Georgia’s end, it’s late in the process to try to fill his spot with a highly touted quarterback, unless the staff wanted to flip someone themselves. As noted, the Bulldogs have a QB committed in this class and signed another in the 2022 class.
If Beck does leave, it puts the coaches in a situation where they might want to add more depth through the portal or recruiting, but it’s not a dire situation and Raiola’s move doesn’t seem likely to make a shockwave in quarterback recruiting. — VanHaaren