After finishing with their best record since 2016, the already depleted Nebraska football program anxiously awaited Dylan Raiola's next decision after it was rumored that the star freshman would enter the transfer portal. However, with a simple Instagram post, Raiola rejected the notion and confirmed that he would return to Lincoln in 2025.

Raiola posted a picture of himself on his Instagram story with the caption, “All in! GBR.” The former five-star recruit's “GBR” reference was a nod to Cornhuskers fans' signature phrase, “Go Big Red.”

While Raiola is following in his father's footsteps by attending Nebraska, it was not always a guarantee that he would end up as a Cornhusker. The son of longtime Detroit Lions center Dominic Raiola initially committed to Ohio State before flipping to Georgia, and eventually switching again at the last minute to his father's alma mater.

With a 6-6 regular season record in 2024, Nebraska was selected to face Boston College in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl on Dec. 28. That marked the first time they qualified for a bowl game since the aforementioned 2016 season.

Immediately after securing bowl eligibility, Raiola confirmed that he had long-term plans with Nebraska. The 19-year-old said he had no other goal but to take the team to the College Football Playoffs in 2025 and beyond.

Dylan Raiola and Nebraska to face Boston College in Pinstripe Bowl

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Before Dylan Raiola and Nebraska can set their eyes on the 2025 season, they have one final game left to put a bow on their 2024 campaign. The Cornhuskers will travel to New York shortly after Christmas to face Boston College at Yankee Stadium.

If Nebraska is able to top the 7-5 Eagles, they would secure their first winning season in nearly a decade. It would also be their first bowl game victory since 2015 and Matt Rhule's first since 2018.

However, Nebraska will need to attempt to do so without several key members of their regular season roster. Defensive coordinator and associate head coach Tony White left the program when he was hired by Florida State on Dec. 2, causing a handful of the team's defensive players to hit the transfer portal. Former four-star receiver Malachi Coleman, who decided to redshirt the 2024 season after playing as a true freshman in 2023, also hit the portal.

Boston College will enter the bowl game having won three of their last four games. The Eagles notably started 2024 on a high note with an upset of then-No. 10-ranked Florida State but hit a rough patch in the middle of the year. Head coach Bill O'Brien subsequently benched Thomas Castellanos in favor of Grayson James, who led them to the 3-1 run to end the year. Castellanos has since entered the transfer portal and will not be at the Pinstripe Bowl.