Dylan Raiola Named Nebraska QB1 for CFB Season Opener vs. UTEP

After an offseason of hype, Dylan Raiola will show off his skill for Nebraska in the season opener against UTEP.

Head coach Matt Rhule announced on Wednesday that Raiola will be the Cornhuskers' starting quarterback for the Aug. 31 matchup with UTEP.

Raiola went through multiple commitments during his recruiting before landing on Nebraska. He originally committed to Ohio State way back in 2022 before flipping to Georgia in May 2023.

Seven months later, Raiola told ESPN's Pete Thamel he would be going to Nebraska.

"I firmly believe that Nebraska is in my blood," Raiola said. "It's a great opportunity to be part of something bigger than myself. Nebraska is a special place."

The Raiola family has ties to Nebraska. Dylan's father, Dominic, was an offensive lineman for the Cornhuskers from 1997 to 2000 before being selected by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 2001 NFL draft.

Dylan is a 5-star prospect and No. 3 quarterback recruit in the 2024 class, per 247Sports' composite rankings. He became the first 5-star recruit to sign with the program during the 247Sports' era, which dates back to 2010.

The decision to go with Raiola as the starting quarterback doesn't come as much of a surprise. In addition to his recruiting pedigree, there were no other obvious challengers on the roster.

Redshirt junior Heinrich Haarberg was the team's primary starter last season. He threw for 967 yards with a 49.6 completion percentage, seven touchdowns and seven interceptions in 10 games.

Rhule went 5-7 in his first season as Cornhuskers head coach in 2023. The program has recorded seven consecutive losing seasons dating back to 2017. It's the longest streak without a winning season since a nine-year run from 1941 to '49.