Going into spring if you asked anyone, Husker fan or not, they would tell you that if healthy Dylan Raiola will be Nebraska’s starting quarterback come fall. With his performance as a true freshman, a season of experience in the B1G under his belt, and the promising potential we’ve already seen, it’s difficult to think otherwise. However, don’t think Raiola doesn’t have room for improvement.
Both offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen and quarterback coach Glenn Thomas have spoken to the media over the last couple weeks, and both had good things to say. But they also didn’t hide the fact there is work to be done in the quarterback room.
As a true freshman the 6’3”, 220lbs Raiola completed 67.1% of his passes for 2,819 yards, 13 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. His yardage and completion percentage were both Nebraska freshman records. Still, the touchdown to interceptions ratio needs to get far better. And as Thomas and Holgorsen both suggested, while Raiola is proficient at reading pass coverages, he needs to become equally proficient at using his legs when the opportunity arises.
Holgorsen had this to say about Raiola, “I’ve seen a tremendous amount of growth with him, with his leadership skills. He’s a good teammate and he understands the importance of leading, and that’s rubbing off on a lot of the guys.”
When Glenn Thomas was asked about Raiola, he answered with, “The things he was able to accomplish were super positive and we think he can build on it in the future. There were some ups and downs obviously, which I thought he handled very well. He’s been humbled to learn from them and get better from them.
So, while there is no question who the starter will be, the question now is who the number two quarterback will be. For some of your doom and gloom Husker fans it’s hard to imagine Raiola getting through a second season unscathed. So, there is much speculation throughout the fan base as to who number two might be.
In my opinion the top two candidates are Jayln Gramstad and Marco Davila. That’s not to say TJ Lateef isn’t capable. It’s just that he doesn’t have the extra year Davila has or the experience Gramstad has. This is what the coaches had to say about Gramstad and Davila.
When asked about Gramstad, Holgorsen commented, “He’s a great leader and has a ton of experience. I was glad he came back. He gives us another guy that knows the offense. He got a lot of reps in December because he was the number two. He throws a good ball, he knows the offense, he knows the terminology, and the kids like him. I feel comfortable with him. Who the backup is going to be, I don’t know. Right now, it would be Jaylen.”
When Glenn Thomas was asked about the importance of having Gramstad in the room, he had this to say. “Well obviously the experience. He’s the old guy in the room. He had success before he came here. But his personality is infectious, you know he’s very humble, very competitive, from the offense to the defense, everybody likes what he’s doing. What he stands for. He stands for competitiveness and wanting to do it right. He’s one of the most competitive guys out there. He includes everybody, very humble, wants to learn, wants to help. He’s the truest form of a teammate I would say.”
It’s easy to imagine both coaches making comments like that when you look at the 6’0”, 200lb Gramstad’s credentials. A graduate transfer from NAIA school Northwestern College in Iowa, in his four seasons he played his first two seasons as a defensive back and his last two at quarterback. As a quarterback he led the Raiders to two NAIA national championship games while completing 438 passes on 647 attempts for 6,237 yards and 60 TD’s. He also rushed for 1,822 yards and 31 TD’s. In 2023 he was the NAIA Player of the Year, the Great Plains Athletic Conference Player of the Year and was a first-team All-American. Yes, it’s the NAIA, but leading a team to two national championships and the experience that comes with that is an asset at any level.
Holgorsen didn’t go into Davila and what he has seen so far this spring. But rest assured, Davila is at Nebraska because of Holgorsen. Davila, at 6’3”, 233lbs, was a four-star recruit who played his high school football at Lagacy High School in Midland, Texas. He has a connection with Holgorsen due to being recruited by him while at Houston. Davila put up big numbers in West Texas’s largest division and was heavily recruited by more than 20 schools. He threw for 9,101 yards and 93 TD’s in his three seasons as a starter, both school records. He led his team to a district title in each of his three seasons as a starter and was named offensive newcomer of the year as a sophomore. He competed in the Austin Regional Elite 11 prior to his senior year.
When asked about Marcos Davila, Thomas had this to say, “Yeah, I think he does have the experience. He comes from a little different system, so there’s some learning curve that way, but just the experience in the room I think has been positive. He’s been humbled. People kind of pick his brain about the things he’s done. But just the depth in the room, I think brings competition.”
After listening to the coaches, I think you have to feel good about Nebraska’s quarterback room. With Raiola as the starter and Gramstad and Davila next up, the talent is there to fill in for Raiola if needed. And it doesn’t hurt for there to be competition. No matter how good Raiola is, he can’t be allowed to become complacent. It sounds like Nebraska has the right guys who are hungry, will support each other, and push themselves and their teammates to their full potential.
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