It’s the most wonderful time of the year: transfer portal season. Well, depending on which head coaches you ask. Perhaps Nebraska’s Matt Rhule isn’t enjoying the holiday season all that much right now.
On December 15, On3’s Pete Nakos reported that Cornhuskers quarterback Dylan Raiola was expected to enter the transfer portal. The former five-star out of Georgia spent the last two seasons at Nebraska, becoming one of Rhule’s top recruits. The results, however, have been inconsistent.
In 22 games, Raiola has thrown for 4,819 yards and 17 touchdowns, completing 69.1 percent of his passes. But Nebraska hasn’t come close to returning to the relevance many believed Raiola could help restore. The Cornhuskers are 14-11 over the last two seasons, though Raiola has missed time during that stretch.
In 2025, Raiola played in just nine games after suffering a broken right fibula in the third quarter against USC on Nov. 1. Speculation about a possible transfer began shortly after, though Rhule denied knowing anything about it at the time.
“I haven’t seen that report,” Rhule said. “I haven’t seen that, so I don’t know anything about that. I would never get up here and talk about a player. I love Dylan like I love all my guys. He’s in there doing treatment right now. So I don’t know about that.”
Rhule has likely seen the latest regarding his soon-to-be former quarterback by now.
Where Does Dylan Raiola Transfer To?
Now that Matt Rhule has to face the reality of finding another quarterback, other programs will be lining up to land Dylan Raiola.
There are always quarterback-needy teams every portal cycle. Miami, Baylor, Tennessee, and several others could be in the mix. A return to Georgia seems unlikely, especially with Gunner Stockton potentially returning. Raiola originally flipped from the Bulldogs to Nebraska in 2024.
One school Nakos quickly ruled out — whether partly in jest or not — was Texas Tech.
“Do not expect Texas Tech to be a factor in Dylan Raiola’s portal recruitment, sources tell On3,” Nakos said.
Why rule out Texas Tech? Probably because both the school and Raiola would prefer he stop being compared to Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Mahomes, of course, played at Texas Tech from 2014-16 and has remained heavily involved with the program through NIL support. If Raiola even hinted at Texas Tech as a destination, the comparisons — and criticism — would only intensify.
Dylan Raiola Wants To Rid Himself of “Baby Mahomes” Label
Raiola — often labeled “Baby Mahomes” — has already faced criticism for his hairstyle, wardrobe, jersey number, and mannerisms, all of which mirror Mahomes.
“Everybody be like, ‘Oh, he wants to be like him,’ and all this stuff,” Raiola said on CBS Sports Confidential Conversations. “It just so happens he played baseball, I played baseball. He plays quarterback, I play quarterback. … I can’t get mad at God for making me look like him.”
Raiola and Mahomes have reportedly developed a personal relationship. Perhaps now they can help each other cope with season-ending injuries, after Mahomes suffered an ACL tear in Week 15 against the Los Angeles Chargers.
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