If there is one aspect about the Nebraska football team that will be interesting, it has to be the quarterback room that will go through an old fashioned competition to see who the stater will be by the start of the upcoming season. Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule was on “The Pat McAfee Show” on ESPN to talk about the incoming battle between the signal-callers as he might have revealed who is leading the race at the current moment.
While the Nebraska football team's quarterback room consists of Heinrich Haarberg, who started eight games for the program last season, Rhule would hone on quarterback Dylan Raiola, a five-star recruit they got to flip from the University of Georgia. Rhule sung his praises to McAfee saying that ever since he got to the Cornhuskers, he has “done everything right since he's been here.”
“What I’ll say is Dylan’s done everything right since he’s been here,” Rhule said. “This isn’t just coach speak, I think again if you truly believe you eat what you kill, Dylan’s competing with a guy who went 5 – 3 as a starting quarterback, runs 4.5, that got thrust into action last year, now he’s had another year or so.”
Raiola was a huge get for the Nebraska football team as he originally was heading to Athens, but as said before, the five-star player went to the team as there are deep roots as his father Dominic is an alum and was a productive NFL offensive lineman. However, Dylan is still a freshman and will compete against Haarberg and Danny Kaelin who the team signed during the offseason.
“My job is to get as many good guys as possible, we signed Danny Kaelin, who’s another Elite 11 quarterback,” Rhule said. “I want those guys to compete.”
Rhule on how Raiola has impressed so far with Nebraska football team
Raiola might have a leg up on the competition though as besides the talent being a five-star player and recruited by the top universities in the nation, he also knows the characteristics needed from an NFL type player because of his father. Some of those traits that his father had, who was in the NFL for 14 years, was being “selfless” and further understanding the game as Rhule said.
“What I’ll say about Dylan is since he’s been there, he’s done everything right,” Rhule said. “You get a highly recruited kid, he comes from a great family. His dad played 14 years in the league and was an offensive lineman, so the concept of being selfless, of understanding the game, like Dylan has it coursing through his veins. He’s not just a quarterback, he’s a football player who plays quarterback and I think the guys respect him.”
Despite Raiola being someone to look out for, there is no doubt that there are long-term plans for the 19-year old to be the face of the school. Looking at the short term, the team could opt for Haarenberg again since he has the college football experience needed to win games as the Nebraska football team is looking to improve after a 5-7 record last season where they went 3-6 in Big 10 conference play.
The Cornhuskers starts the season at home against UTEP on Saturday, August 31.
Follow Us
Subscribe
