Dylan Raiola will be fine wherever he lands, and so will Georgia football
The rumors are swirling around that 5-star quarterback Dylan Raiola is flipping his commitment from Georgia to Nebraska, and neither party should really be concerned.
Dylan Raiola is a great player, one of the best high school players in the nation. When he committed to Georgia over Nebraska in May (after de-committing from Ohio State), it looked like the seemingly ever-crowded Georgia quarterback room was going to stay full.
Nebraska fans were lamenting that they had likely lost out on the player who would raise their quarterback woes from lethargy and who could spark the Matt Rhule era for the Huskers.
But the new world of college football is even more chaotic and unpredictable, especially when it comes to recruits. A commitment means less than nothing, and even signing a National Letter of Intent (NLI, not to be confused with NIL) means very little, as the gravitational pull of the transfer portal can grasp players in an instant.
So when the news started circulating that Dylan Raiola was going on an official visit to Nebraska a little over a week before the Early Signing Period and would potentially be flipping his commitment to become a Husker, no one should have been surprised.
After all, we’re talking about a player who has suited up for three different high schools in as many years, and who has strong ties to both Nebraska and Georgia. There’s no reason to expect deep commitment or loyalty.
Bottom line, Raiola and other players of his caliber look for two things. Money, via NIL endorsements, and the opportunity to play now. Not next year. Not after another quarterback moves on. But now.
Will that tilt things in Nebraska’s favor? Short answer, probably.
Getting Raiola to flip would be a dual-kill for Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule – he’d get the quarterback he needs and he’d have a splash recruit to attract even more talent to Lincoln.
It would be great for the Huskers and Raiola, but how about Georgia?
Georgia will be just fine with or without Dylan Raiola
The speculation at Georgia is that Carson Beck will be returning for one more season. Even with Brock Vandagriff moving on to Kentucky, that still leaves a very talented Gunner Stockton as well as probable incoming freshman Ryan Puglisi for Raiola to contend with. There’s also always a chance that another upperclassman QB will come to Georgia via the transfer portal.
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Right now, former Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord is committed to Nebraska via the portal, but if Raiola does flip, he might turn his sites elsewhere. Maybe not Georgia, but you never know.
Knowing how Kirby Smart works, evaluates, and expects of his quarterbacks, the idea that Dylan Raiola could start in 2024 is a highly unlikely proposition. At best, he’d be battling for a starting job in 2025, and even then it wouldn’t be guaranteed.
At Nebraska, Raiola would most likely be tabbed the starter right away, given the Cornhuskers’ struggles at quarterback the last couple of years. In 2023, the Huskers finished 129th out of 133 FBS teams in passing offense and were 82nd in 2022.
They need a quarterback, desperately, Georgia does not.
Would losing Dylan Raiola be a black mark against Georgia’s recruiting efforts?
The college football recruiting game is not — and never will be — the same as it once was. Commits have always flipped, and now with big dollars potentially involved, that likelihood increases exponentially.
If Raiola flips, no one will look at Georgia and say “Kirby Smart is losing his touch” or “Georgia can’t attract and keep the big-time players anymore”. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The transfer portal created a virtual college sports free agency, and that has now spilled over into recruiting. Georgia’s embarrassment of riches at quarterback is the primary reason why Raiola would flip, not because he doesn’t believe Georgia will continue to compete.
Georgia had Jacob Eason, Jake Fromm, Brice Ramsey, an incoming Justin Fields, and a little-known guy named Stetson Bennett all crammed together at one time, and despite Fields (who was the nation’s Raiola at that time) choosing to move on to Ohio State, and Eason heading off to Washington, things turned out just fine.
Georgia won two titles, and the quarterback room is still as crowded as ever.
Would it be great to see Dylan Raiola spinning that ball while wearing Georgia Red and Black? Absolutely. But if he chooses Nebraska then no hard feelings and no worries. Both he and the Dawgs will be in good places.