Nebraska Cornhuskers Football Star Unveils New NIL Merch Ahead of Colorado Game

A Nebraska Cornhuskers star football player is looking to cash in with a new NIL merchandise deal ahead of a huge game against Colorado.

Aug 31, 2024; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Dylan Raiola (15) throws a pass against the UTEP Miners during the first quarter at Memorial Stadium. / Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports

The Nebraska Cornhuskers, led by star freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola, had a successful start to the 2024 college football season when they dismantled UTEP 41-7 in the season opener.

A five-star recruit who comes from a strong football background, his father Dominic Raiola stared at Nebraska before a 14-year NFL career and got his career off on the right foot. His uncle is also an offensive line coach for the program, who he flipped his commitment to from Georgia last winter.

He completed 19-of-27 passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns, showing excellent chemistry with wide receiver Isaiah Neyor, who caught six passes for 121 yards and a touchdown.

That was a nice warmup for the Cornhuskers, who are set for a huge rivalry game against the Colorado Buffaloes in Week 2. Raiola has caught the attention of the Buffaloes, as head Deion Sanders was complimentary of him.

“The kid made some darn good throws and pretty good plays,” Sanders said ahead of the highly anticipated matchup. “They did some consistent things that we knew they would do within their offense. … I love what he showed in his first college game ever. I loved what he showed.”

While Raiola is making an impact on the field for Nebraska, he is also making an impact off of it in the NIL sphere. He is already No. 24 in the On3 NIL valuation top 100 including all athletes and No. 14 among college football players.

His $988,000 valuation is only going to go up as another venture has been announced ahead of the matchup with Colorado.

He is partnering with Campus Ink and The NIL Store to release some new merchandise. As part of the deal, Raiola and his family were able to come up with ideas for the merchandise along with his agent, Parker Cain of Excel Sports.

Several ideas are going live, including a shirt with Raiola and his father. A Hawaiian button-up shirt with a corn theme is also going to be available. A Shaka t-shirt drop will also be featured.

As part of the deal, Raiola will pocket between $6 and $15, depending on the item. You can be sure that Cornhusker fans will be buying these and wearing them proudly ahead of the rivalry game this weekend.

“When you look at the addition of Dylan, he is without a doubt the biggest addition Nebraska has added in the NIL Era,” Sean Callahan with HuskerOnline previously said. “They have never had a player of this type of market value, as he checks off so many boxes playing the quarterback position, carrying a five-star ranking and being the son of a Husker legend. His presence alone now will have a driving impact on the NIL market at Nebraska.”

Among his other NIL ventures are a deal with Panini America and being featured in the EA Sports College Football 25 video game.