Huskers name freshman QB Raiola as Week 1 starter

LINCOLN, Neb. (WOWT) - Nebraska named true freshman Dylan Raiola the starting quarterback on Wednesday for its season opener Aug. 31 against UTEP.

The Huskers made the announcement on Twitter Wednesday morning—an understated start to the Raiola era.

The announcement comes after a months-long quarterback competition between Raiola, fellow freshman Daniel Kaelin and Heinrich Haarberg. Raiola shined in the Huskers spring game back in April, completing 16 of his 22 passes for 239 yards along with two touchdowns against one interception.

“Dylan is a special talent,” Matt Rhule told Greg Sharpe on the Huskers Radio Network on Wednesday evening. “He’s got a great arm. He’s worked really hard on his timing with his feet. He’s protected the ball, he’s aggressive in the right ways. So we’re excited to see him play. He’s still a rookie, there’s a lot of things he has to learn. But each day, he’ll be better than the last day. So excited for him, and if the opportunity arises, for Heinrich and Danny as well.”

In 10 days, Raiola will become just the second true freshman to start a season opener for Nebraska, joining Adrian Martinez (2018). Only three true freshmen have ever started a game for the Huskers: Martinez, Tommie Frazier (1992), and Cody Green (2009).

Raiola committed to Nebraska in December of 2023, the first five-star QB to choose the Huskers in program history.

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