Dylan Raiola was the big great hope for Nebraska but the No. 1 recruit in 2024 is taking his college football career to Athens with the Georgia Bulldogs.
Once Dylan Raiola decommitted from Ohio State in December, the No. 1 overall recruit in college football for the 2024 cycle appeared to have three leading contenders to land the Arizona-based quarterback: the Georgia Bulldogs, Nebraska Cornhuskers, and USC Trojans.
Nebraska was, perhaps, the most desperate of the group to find an answer. Under new head coach Matt Rhule, the Cornhuskers are looking to change the direction of the program in a big way. Landing the top-ranked quarterback and overall recruit for the 2024 class, and the son of a Nebraska legacy, would've been dropping the hammer.
Instead, Dylan Raiola will not be the face of the beginning of the Rhule era in Lincoln. On Monday, the quarterback committed to making the rich richer as he's landing with Kirby Smart and the back-to-back national champion Georgia Bulldogs, as reported by Hayes Fawcett of On3.
Dylan Raiola commits to Georgia, leaves Nebraska in tears
For Georgia, though business has been booming in Athens under Smart, they have done so without a multitude of high-end quarterback recruits leading the offense. Case in point, of course, is Stetson Bennett IV leading the Dawgs to two straight natty wins. With the level that UGA has been recruiting overall, though, getting Raiola in the building is a massive victory that could only make the Bulldogs more dangerous.
Nebraska, however, might feel a bit more desperate with Raiola not landing with the Huskers. That, however, should not totally be the sentiment. If Rhule is going to turn around things in Lincoln, their geography on the recruiting trail ultimately limits the number of elite recruits that are going to be interested. Raiola was largely an exception because of his familial ties.
Having said that, Rhule has earned the benefit of the doubt with his culture-building and success in college football at his previous stops, Temple and Baylor, that would lend fans to believe that he can still work his magic. There are other options for Nebraska at quarterback to help set the stage for success in the near future and, subsequently, beyond.
Even still, this one stings. Having a Husker legacy go elsewhere, especially one of Raiola's caliber, is not going to be an easy pill to swallow. Amid the heartbreak, though, there is still hope as there is plenty of work in the 2024 recruiting cycle that can help Nebraska get things rolling under Rhule.
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