Nebraska football’s savior might never make it to Lincoln

Nebraska football is hoping that 5-star QB Dylan Raiola will be the savior of the Huskers as a legacy recruit, but he might not ever get to Lincoln. 

Matt Rhule has already come to help save Nebraska football as the Cornhuskers had hoped that program legend Scott Frost would be able to do but was obviously — and painfully — unsuccessful. Rhule, however, is much more well-equipped for the job given his track record at Temple and Baylor.

And for a while, it has looked like, after reshaping the roster a bit in the 2023 offseason, Rhule would make his biggest move yet in helping the Huskers return to anything close to their former glory in the 2024 recruiting cycle. Specifically, it seemed like Nebraska football was in line to land 5-star quarterback and former Ohio State commit Dylan Raiola.

Given his prodigious talent and the Huskers’ need for a savior, or at least a figurehead for their return to prominence, Raiola fit the bill. Unfortunately, the latest recruiting expert predictions indicate that the quarterback might not be Nebraska’s savior for the simple fact that he might never touch down in Lincoln at all for his college football career.

Nebraska football: Dylan Railoa Crystal Ball is bad news for the Huskers

Georgia insider for On3 Rusty Mansell logged his prediction for Raiola this week, saying that the quarterback would join Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs, noting that he’s “comfortable” at this point in the recruitment with what he knows making that call.

Mansell is in line with every 247Sports Crystal Ball prediction for Raiola as well, all five of whom have predicted that the 5-star will sign with Georgia over Nebraska and USC. That list includes Nebraska insider Mike Schaefer and, notably, recruiting czar Steve Wiltfong.

Missing out on Dylan Raiola would undeniably be a tough pill to swallow for Nebraska football given that his dad, Dominic Raiola, was a star offensive lineman for the Huskers once upon a time.

With that being said, not landing the 5-star quarterback would not necessarily be the end of the world for Rhule and the Cornhuskers. The new head coach has shown his ability to build a culture and a program up and do so quickly, and he did so without necessarily landing elite 5-star type of talent at his previous college stops too.

So don’t lose hope if the predictions prove true and Raiola ends up in Athens over Lincoln. The rich will get richer, as they often do in this sport. But things are still looking up for Nebraska as they turn the page to a new chapter, even if Dylan Raiola isn’t part of the story.

For more College Football news, analysis, opinion and unique coverage by FanSided, including Heisman Trophy and College Football Playoff rankings, be sure to bookmark these pages.