Matt Rhule might be committed to Nebraska for the long term, but that doesn’t mean former five star quarterback Dylan Raiola is set to stay in Lincoln. Nebraska fired Donovan Raiola, the team’s offensive line coach and Dylan’s uncle, per On3. To make matters worse, Dayton Raiola, Dylan’s brother, de-committed from Nebraska. None of this means Raiola is out on Nebraska, but it does make things interesting with the transfer portal window set to open.
BREAKING: Nebraska has fired offensive line coach Donovan Raiola, @GregSmithRivals & @PeteNakos report❌https://t.co/k6gLpjyyUt pic.twitter.com/zMbRiWgNF1
— On3 (@On3sports) December 6, 2025
Raiola has spent the last two seasons with the Cornhuskers with this past season getting cut short after he broke his fibula earlier this year. With the uncertainty around whether he is planning to return to Nebraska or not, let’s look at some possible suitors and transfer destinations.
5 destinations Dylan Raiola could land after latest Nebraska smoke signal
Texas Tech Red Raiders
This is just way too obvious. Raiola idolizes Patrick Mahomes so of course he’ll go to the same college as him, right? Behren Morton is a senior and though Will Hammond makes a strong case to take over next season, Raiola’s possible availability could throw a wrench in that. Texas Tech would give Raiola something he won’t get at Nebraska and that’s a shot to win a national championship.
Joey McGuire has transformed Texas Tech into a Big 12 power as well as a national one and adding Raiola in the mix would certainly be a win-win situation for both sides. McGuire will have SEC level, NIL funds to work with so luring Raiola away won’t be a tough task at all. Raiola seemed Nebraska through and through with the lineage of his dad playing there. Now that seems less likely and now his focus should be about landing somewhere he could win.
Indiana Hoosiers
So Fernando Mendoza technically has another year of eligibility, but if Indiana goes on a deep playoff run, he could be swayed to declare for the NFL Draft. If he does so, that would mean Curt Cignetti would need to turn to the portal for the third-straight season for a quarterback. Enter Raiola.
Cignetti wouldn’t have much to sell to Raiola other than what we all know: Cignett wins. If Cignetti can turn his last two quarterbacks into draftees, there’s no reason Raiola can’t fall into that category as well. Indiana is an attractive landing spot with what Cignetti has done. You can win there, you can get drafted there and you are just as relevant as any of the top teams in the country.
If Raiola darts for the portal, it would make a lot of sense to seriously consider Indiana. There’s not a better school for him to go to that would be perfect for what he needs. On top of that, he gets to stay in the Big Ten.
LSU Tigers
Garrett Nussmeier is done after the season is officially over and I’m sure Lane Kiffin would want nothing more than a reputable quarterback to build his LSU legacy on. I don’t know if Raiola is ready for the SEC gauntlet, but if Kiffin can turn Matt Corral into an NFL Draft prospect, he’d certainly be able to build with Raiola. This is probably a long shot more than any as Kiffin is probably going to want a sexier move. But it’s something to think about.
Raiola is good and has shown signs of promise, I just don’t think he had the best weapons when he was at Nebraska. There would be no excuses at LSU who has access to some of the best athletes. It’s something to think about and something that could be fun if it actually comes to fruition.
Tennessee Volunteers
One thing Josh Heupel can do is make quarterbacks look a lot better than they actually are. He did it with Nico Iamaleava and even Joey Aguilar to an extent. Raiola could be his next project. Transitioning from a Big Ten schedule to an SEC one that could feature Alabama and Florida is a tall task but Heupel could give him a strong enough system to grow.
If Raiola wants to look like a real NFL quarterback, playing in the SEC is probably his best chance. Those are the best defenses and would give him his biggest test. Tennessee could be a solid chance for him to do that, while also giving him a system where he doesn’t have to do too much.
Miami Hurricanes
Mario Cristobal will be in the market for a quarterback yet again after this season and Raiola could be his answer. The ACC isn’t the strongest competition by any means, but Miami is usually in the College Football Playoff conversation so it’s not too farfetched to think he could land with the Hurricanes.
The jury is still out on whether Carson Beck will be NFL bound, but Cam Ward was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft so Raiola could see value in landing with a team that has a track record of sending players to the NFL.