Nebraska’s quarterback room took another hit recently, and not just on the field. Starting QB Dylan Raiola is already done for the year after suffering a broken fibula against USC, an injury that turned a promising season into a scramble for bowl positioning.
Nebraska’s offense stalled the moment Raiola left that late-October game, and backup TJ Lateef has been tasked with holding things together down the stretch.
Now, the ripple effects of the program are being felt in recruiting. After more than a year on board, three-star 2026 quarterback Dayton Raiola, Dylan’s younger brother, has decommitted from Nebraska just weeks before the early signing period.
Per On3, the Buford (Ga.) product is reopening his recruitment after originally choosing the Huskers over Charlotte and Appalachian State.
Dayton, listed at 6-foot-1 and 225 pounds, immediately becomes one of the more intriguing uncommitted passers in his class. The Rivals Industry Ranking slots him outside the blue-chip tier nationally but still labels him as one of Georgia’s deeper quarterback talents, with solid production at a powerhouse program.
Over the last two seasons at Buford, he has thrown for more than 3,600 yards and 43 touchdowns while completing 58 percent of his passes and leading the Wolves on deep playoff runs.
For Nebraska, the optics are harsh: the current starter is rehabbing a serious leg injury, and his younger brother no longer views Lincoln as a sure long-term fit. It puts even more pressure on Matt Rhule and his staff to stabilize both the depth chart and the 2026 class in a hurry.
Rhule has made clear, though, how highly he values Dylan himself. After that USC loss, he said trainers advised against sending Raiola back in and told his quarterback, in his words, that he loved him too much to risk further damage by letting him play hurt.
Between Dylan’s rehab, Dayton’s decommitment, and a tough closing schedule, Nebraska is suddenly juggling its present and future at the most important position on the field, with little margin for error heading into 2026.
