Former Buckeye Commit Dylan Raiola Happy at Nebraska But Still Has “A Lot of Respect” for Ohio State and Ryan Day
The blistering Nebraska sun beat down on Memorial Stadium as Dylan Raiola jogged off the field, helmet in hand, his white jersey streaked with sweat and turf. In that moment, under the red sea of Cornhusker faithful, it was hard to imagine he had ever belonged anywhere else.
But for a time, Columbus, Ohio had been his future.
“I committed to Ohio State because of the legacy, the coaching staff, and what Ryan Day has built there,” Raiola said, leaning against the locker room wall after a summer practice session. His voice was steady, his eyes reflective. “That hasn’t changed. I still have nothing but respect for Coach Day. He’s one of the best in the country. But Nebraska… it’s home.”
Raiola’s commitment to the Buckeyes in May 2022 was headline news — a five-star quarterback, son of former NFL lineman Dominic Raiola, pledging to a program already teeming with offensive talent. In Ryan Day’s system, Raiola was expected to be the next in a long line of Heisman hopefuls. But as the months wore on, something shifted. The fit, once so natural, began to feel forced. His heart, he admits now, was tugging him west.
By December, Raiola decommitted.
“It wasn’t easy,” he said. “You don’t walk away from Ohio State lightly. But I had to follow what felt right. And that meant going back to my roots.”
Those roots were planted deep in Lincoln, where his father had anchored the offensive line for the Huskers from 1998 to 2000. The legacy was strong, but for Dylan, it was more than nostalgia. It was belief — belief in what head coach Matt Rhule was building, in the opportunity to be a foundational piece of a rebirth, not just another cog in a machine.
Today, Raiola is the face of Nebraska football. His zip on the ball, calm under pressure, and evolving leadership have turned heads at every practice. Offensive coordinator Glenn Thomas calls him “a generational competitor,” while teammates praise his humility and fire.
Still, Raiola hasn’t forgotten the path that nearly was.
“Ohio State gave me a platform when I was still just a high school kid figuring it all out,” he said. “I learned a lot through that process. I’ve kept in touch with a few of the guys there. There’s no bad blood.”
When asked if he watches Buckeye games, he smiles. “Of course. I’ll always be a fan of good football.”
But make no mistake: his blood now runs scarlet and cream. With each rep, each film session, each huddle, Dylan Raiola is writing a new chapter — not as a footnote in Ohio State lore, but as the centerpiece of a Nebraska revival.
And as the echoes of the Tunnel Walk roll through Lincoln this fall, Husker Nation will know one thing for certain: Dylan Raiola didn’t just come home — he came to make history.
