Nebraska’s football team, reset under Matt Rhule, has gone from painful losses to painful decisions. After closing a 7-5 season with back-to-back blowout defeats to Penn State and Iowa, Rhule already fired defensive coordinator John Butler and handed the bowl game to interim Phil Snow while searching for a new long-term defensive voice.
All of this comes with Rhule freshly extended through 2032 and trying to steady a program that just watched its year collapse and lost quarterback Dylan Raiola to a season-ending leg injury.
Now the changes are about to hit much closer to Dylan. Nebraska is set to fire offensive line coach Donovan Raiola, per Rivals’ Greg Smith and On3’s Pete Nakos. Donovan has coached the Cornhuskers’ line since 2022 and is also Dylan’s uncle, which makes this more than just a standard staff move.
It immediately raises the question of how the quarterback, already sidelined and surrounded by rumors, will process one of his closest on-staff ties being pushed out.
Those rumors have been simmering for weeks. CBS Sports reported there is “doubt” about Dylan’s future in Lincoln, with Nebraska said to be bracing for him to at least explore his options.
His younger brother, Dayton, a three-star 2026 quarterback, recently decommitted from Nebraska, and their father, former Huskers center Dominic Raiola, has declined to publicly address the speculation.
On the field, Dylan’s situation only adds weight. The former five-star broke his fibula on Nov. 1 against USC and was ruled out for the rest of 2025. Before the injury, he had thrown for 2,000 yards with 18 touchdowns and six interceptions, bringing his Nebraska career totals to 4,819 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 17 picks in 22 games. He originally committed to Georgia before flipping to the school where his father once starred.
Rhule, speaking to On3, has framed this stretch as a mental battle as much as a physical one, saying he urges Raiola to journal daily about what he is feeling and learning through rehab.
For now, the quarterback is focused on surgery recovery and a 2026 return. But with Donovan Raiola on his way out and Nebraska already preparing for possible transfer drama, every move in Lincoln will be viewed through the lens of how it lands with Dylan Raiola.
