Hiring Dana Holgorsen Could Be the Key to Keeping Dylan Raiola at Nebraska

Nebraska football might have been in danger of losing its star quarterback if Matt Rhule had not made the move to hire Dana Holgorsen.

Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola looks to hand off during the second half against Ohio State on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule surprised a lot of people when he hired Dana Holgorsen to join his offensive staff in an undisclosed role, but that was not the end of the story. Earlier this week, Holgorsen was announced to be the Huskers’ new offensive coordinator, replacing Marcus Satterfield.

It was a surprising development, but one that has brought a lot of excitement to Nebraska's fan base. The Huskers’ offense has a lot of potential and could be taken to new heights by a coach like Holgorsen and his extensive experience. However, there may have been other reasons for the move aside from the offense's struggles.

Robin Washut, a Nebraska analyst, shared some insight on why Rhule may have made the move to hire Holgorsen. He suggested that keeping freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola happy was one reason a move needed to be made.

"My two cents on it, if Matt Rhule didn't make a move, the odds of Dylan Raiola not being here next season go up dramatically,” Washut said. “So I think that they had to do something. Bringing in a coach of Dana Holgorsen's pedigree, his offensive background, the number of quarterbacks that he’s developed and taken to the next level, that is all of a sudden a much more appealing sales pitch for Dylan to stick it out here.”

Washut said other teams will be recruiting Raiola hard, trying to get him to leave Nebraska. He also suggested that the recruiting pitch to Raiola from other teams has already begun.

“I can guarantee you with 100% certainty that he and his camp have received tampering phone calls,” Washut said. “People are checking in to see if he wants to explore his options. I don’t know if they made this move just to appease Dylan, but maximizing Dylan Raiola is at the forefront of why Matt Rhule decided now is the time to do something.”

In this era of college football, it is harder than ever to keep a roster together full of talented players. A quarterback like Raiola is a prime target for other programs to poach from a team like Nebraska that is struggling.

Rhule made a splash hire when he got Holgorsen to sign on, but it sounds like it may have been for more reasons than just because his offense was struggling. Keeping his star freshman quarterback happy is a top priority.

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