Nebraska Football Officially Names Dylan Raiola Week 1 Starter
![Quarterback Dylan Raiola calls signals during a Nebraska football practice on Aug. 13, 2024. Quarterback Dylan Raiola calls signals during a Nebraska football practice on Aug. 13, 2024.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_768,h_432,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/voltaxMediaLibrary/mmsport/all_huskers/01j5tewweeh32tk08mk2.jpg)
The story will officially begin on Aug. 31 for Dylan Raiola.
On Wednesday morning, Nebraska football named the five-star freshman quarterback as the starter for the season-opening contest against UTEP at Memorial Stadium. Raiola beat out returning starter Heinrich Haarberg and fellow freshman Daniel Kaelin.
Dylan Raiola will start at quarterback for the Huskers vs. UTEP#GBR x #WhatsNExt! pic.twitter.com/iNVFEOjSvf
— Nebraska Football (@HuskerFootball) August 21, 2024
Raiola had flipped from his original Georgia commitment to Nebraska in December, prior to leading the spring and fall camp headlines for the Huskers. The freshman has been a significant talking point from national pundits regarding his play style (and hairstyle) and comparison to NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
The 6-3 freshman connected on 16-of-22 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns during the Nebraska Red-White Spring Game, but coach Matt Rhule was reserved in his judgement to name a starter until fall camp. Rhule will speak on the Huskers Radio Network's "Sports Nightly" program Wednesday evening, where Raiola is expected to be a topic of conversation.
Nebraska's offense struggled in 2023 behind three different starters - Haarberg, Jeff Sims, and Chubba Purdy - who combined to throw at a 52% completion rate for 1,631 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions.
Raiola will aim to continue his family's Nebraska legacy, as his father Dominic earned All-America honors while starting at center for the Huskers in 2000. Dominic's jersey is retired by Nebraska while his uncle, Donovan, is the team's offensive line coach.
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