Raiola— Reason for Hope

Every offseason of Nebraska football seems to start with a sort of guarded anticipation. The recent memory of the year past is still fresh in our minds, and we say things like, “I’ll believe it when I see it”. The caution that exists never lasts very long, and as the months pass by we begin to slowly let that guard diminish. It’s the kool aid every Nebraska fan knows too well. 

In a weird way it’s almost like the hope of Husker football has gotten in touch with Mother Nature herself. 

The grayness of winter finally fades, the trees turn green, and a familiar feeling of hope awakens from its slumber. That hope is not instant, it is timid and wavering. Doubts linger. From experience we know snow will fall again. 

For a few months we teeter-totter between belief and disbelief; optimism and pessimism, that brighter days are here to stay. Inevitably, after some time to speculate, summer arrives, and the flowers, like our hope, are in full bloom.

While this analogy of heightening hope for Nebraska football and the changing of the seasons rings true each offseason, there is a stark contrast we’ve been avoiding to recognize.

Seasons change for a reason. Our hope has been changing for nothing.

But this year is different. Nebraska has a reason.

That reason— Dylan Raiola. 

Raiola is the #1 ranked passer coming out of highschool, a legacy player, and the most highly ranked player Nebraska has signed in the modern recruiting era (2002-present). He will also be the quarterback commanding the offense in its first drive against the University of Texas El-Paso (UTEP) this coming Saturday. 

UTEP is coming off a 3-9 season, but they bring in brand new head coach Scotty Walden. Walden previously coached at Austin Peay for the past four seasons and last year led the Governors to a stellar 9-3 mark and 6-0 in conference play. With him he brings a plethora of transfers, including veteran safety Kory Chapman and wide receiver Trey Goodman who both followed Walden from Austin Peay. 

Nebraska will be going into this game having not won a season opener since beating South Alabama in 2019, and with Colorado looming right around the corner, the Blackshirts would be remiss to look past week one. 

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule knows UTEP won’t be an easy out. During Monday’s press conference Rhule said, “they’re coming to win.”

There are storylines to be followed for each team going into this game, but nothing can compare to the hype that is Dylan Raiola. We could talk about Nebraska’s question marks at kicker or the lack of separation inside the running back room, but when 2:30 PM rolls around on Saturday afternoon, you better believe all eyes will be on number fifteen in red. 

Husker nation wants to see what a Raiola run offense paired with a strong Tony White defense has the potential to be. With the additions of Jahmal Banks, who was awarded a single digit just last week, and Isaiah Neyor who is a big time play waiting to happen, there are reasons to believe Raiola, even as a true freshman, is in a position to succeed. Last year, quarterback play was the bane of Nebraska football’s existence. This year, it has a real chance to be the reason we find those three points we’ve been so desperately searching for. 

Score Prediction: Nebraska by a million