The NCAA transfer portal window does not officially open until Jan. 2, but players across college football have already begun announcing their intentions to enter once the new year begins.
One of the most prominent names to do so is Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Dylan Raiola, the highest-rated recruit in program history, who spent the past two seasons playing under head coach Matt Rhule.
Raiola’s decision represents a significant loss for Rhule and the Cornhuskers, who have been steadily working to rebuild the once-proud program into a competitive force in the Big Ten. With Raiola departing, Nebraska will now turn its attention to finding a replacement, whether internally or by dipping into the transfer portal themselves.
Rhule addressed the news this week, offering a professional and measured response. While wishing Raiola success, he made it clear his focus remains on the players committed to staying in Lincoln.
“The portal will giveth and the portal will taketh away,” Rhule said. “It’s just the new normal and we have to embrace it. Dylan made his decision. He did a great job for us. He was really the first five-star to come here and signal to everyone that it is cool to come to Nebraska, and you saw some players follow suit. He did a great job for us, getting us to back-to-back bowl games. We’re really grateful for all he did, and if he needs a fresh start, I’ll pray that he finds the right place and has a lot of success.
“With that being said, there are a lot of great quarterbacks out there, and a lot of them want to play at Nebraska.”
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Late in the season, Raiola suffered a season-ending injury, forcing the Cornhuskers to turn to freshman quarterback TJ Lateef, who has stepped in and played well. Nebraska finished the regular season with a 7–5 record and is now preparing for the upcoming Las Vegas Bowl against Utah on Dec. 31, a game Lateef is set to start.
“We have a great QB in TJ Lateef,” Rhule said. “There isn’t a guy on our roster who doesn’t believe TJ is a starting quarterback, and the sky is the limit.”
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