Nebraska puts faith in 19-year-old freshman QB as starter

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule named true freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola the starter for the Cornhuskers' Week 1 matchup against UTEP on Aug. 31.

Raiola, the No. 3-ranked quarterback and No. 11 overall on ESPN's Top 300 recruiting list , beat out junior Heinrich Haarberg and freshman Daniel Kaelin.

Originally headed to Georgia, Raiola flipped his commitment to his father's alma mater in December 2023, telling ESPN , "I truly believe that Nebraska is in my blood."

After reporting to Nebraska's camp, Raiola went viral online for his resemblance to Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

Whether he can play like the three-time Super Bowl winner is yet to be determined. The 19-year-old steps into a role in which he must seemingly back up Rhule's statements about the strength of the Big Ten and the role of Nebraska's new QB.

"There'll be a day you look up... those two freshmen are playing in the National Football League," Rhule said about Raiola and Kaelin in an Aug. 17 news conference.

Raiola has his work cut out for him with the Cornhuskers, who have not won more than five games in a season since 2016. Nebraska's 2024 schedule, however, offers the perfect opportunity to move the program forward.

Nebraska's first major test will be hosting Deion Sanders and Colorado on Sept. 7. A win in that game will set up Rhule and Raiola for a potential 4-0 start and perhaps put Nebraska in the College Football Playoff conversation.

Sustained success will be the mission as Nebraska has a high probability of losing at least three games at Big Ten powers Ohio State (Oct. 26), USC (Nov. 16) and Iowa (Nov. 29).

But anything better than five wins — Rhule's benchmark from his 2023 debut — should be enough to put Nebraska back on the college football radar.