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Eli Lederman, ESPN Staff Writer
Dayton Raiola, a quarterback in the 2026 class and the younger brother of Nebraska freshman phenom Dylan Raiola, announced his commitment to Matt Rhule and the Cornhuskers on Sunday night.
Raiola, a 5-foot-11, 215-pound junior, is Nebraska’s first pledge in the 2026 cycle and is not currently in ESPN’s high school prospect rankings for the class.
The younger Raiola replaced Dylan as the starting quarterback at Georgia’s Buford High School after he left for college and has led the Wolves to a 4-1 start this fall.
With his commitment, Raiola becomes the latest member of the family to land at Nebraska. The Raiolas’ father, Dominic, was a two-time All-Big 12 selection with the Huskers from 1997 to 2000 before spending 14 seasons in the NFL with the Detroit Lions.
Donovan Raiola, Dominic’s brother, has spent the past three seasons as Nebraska’s offensive line coach following four years coaching with the Chicago Bears, and Raiola’s older sister, Taylor, is a graduate manager in Nebraska’s recruiting department.
“THE LEGACY CONTINUES #OHANA #COMMITTED,” Dayton Raiola wrote in an announcement on social media.
Dylan Raiola was ESPN’s No. 1 pocket passer and the No. 11 overall prospect in the 2024 class. He initially committed to Ohio State in May 2022 before he reopened his recruitment later that year.
On May 15, 2023, Dylan Raiola committed to Georgia, and he held his pledge to the Bulldogs until his late flip to Nebraska days before the early signing period opened.
Dylan Raiola, the top prospect in the Huskers’ 2024 class, was officially named the program’s starting quarterback Aug. 21. He led Nebraska to its first 3-0 start since 2016 prior to Friday’s 31-24 overtime defeat to Illinois.
Through four games, he has completed 72.2% of his passes for 967 yards with eight touchdowns and two interceptions.
Unlike his brother, Dayton Raiola is left-handed. He has made frequent visits to Nebraska since his brother committed to the program, including trips to campus for the spring game and the Huskers’ win over Colorado in Week 2.
Rhule’s incoming 2025 class includes top-100 outside linebacker Christian Jones and four other ESPN 300 commits. As of Sunday, Nebraska’s 2025 class ranks 23rd in ESPN’s latest team rankings for the cycle. Nebraska (4-1) visits Purdue in Week 5 after falling out of the AP Top 25 on Sunday.
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