In December of 2023, the Georgia Bulldogs were completely stunned as their top recruit in the 2024 class Dylan Raiola flipped his commitment from UGA to Nebraska. Raiola at the time was the No. 1 QB in the 2024 recruiting class and was the most sought after player in the country. With players like Carson Beck and Gunner Stockton projected to be ahead of Raiola, the young quarterback flipped his commitment to be a starter as a true freshman for the Cornhuskers.
This past Saturday however, Raiola unfortunately went down with an apparent leg injury and was out for the remainder of the game in an eventual loss to the USC Trojans. It was announced on Sunday per Pete Thamel of ESPN that Raiola suffered a broken right fibula and will be out the remainder of the season.
Dylan Raiola's impact at Nebraska
In his freshman season at Nebraska, Raiola did not turn heads immediately. Though he had some highlight reel plays, Raiola only threw 13 touchdowns while tossing 11 interceptions. Despite Raiola's struggles, Nebraska was ranked in the AP Poll that year for the first time since 2019 and became bowl eligible for the first time since 2016. The Cornhuskers finished the season 7-6, which was their first winning season since 2016.
Up until Raiola's injury against USC, the true sophomore quarterback was having an amazing season. He had 18 touchdowns to just six interceptions and was closing in on matching his season total in passing yards from last season by week 10. Nebraska is currently 6-3 and already eligible for a bowl game appearance once again.
Georgia Bulldogs since Raiola's commitment flip
The Georgia Bulldogs have not missed the presence of Raiola all that much. The Bulldogs just a season ago won the SEC Championship and made the College Football Playoff to finish the season with an 11-3 record. In 2024, Carson Beck threw for nearly 3,500 yards and had 28 touchdowns. However, Beck also threw 12 interceptions and eventually transferred to Miami.
Taking over for Beck has been Gunner Stockton. Stockton filled in Beck's shoes and has done phenomenal for Georgia. So far, the quarterback has 12 touchdowns passing to just two interceptions. The Bulldogs are currently 7-1 and looking for another SEC Championship game victory.
Despite the shock that happened in 2023, it seems that both Nebraska and Georgia won from the commitment flip. It will be interesting to see how both programs and Raiola progress through his remaining years with the Cornhuskers, but the obvious hope is that he will be back to full health by next season.