Nebraska Oct 6, 2018; Madison, WI, USA; A Nebraska Cornhuskers helmet sits on the sidelines during the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

The Nebraska Cornhuskers made the easy decision to tab 5-star quarterback Dylan Raiola as the team’s starter this season. The true freshman has a ton of expectations coming into Lincoln and hopes to live up to them. Head coach Matt Rhule decided on Raiola over two other talented quarterbacks in a move that, once again, many expected.

The Nebraska head coach discussed his decision to pick Raiola as the Huskers’ starter last week.

“I felt all along like Dylan could be the starter game one,” Rhule told reporters on Friday via On3. “The problem was I also felt like so could Heinrich [Haarberg]. I also felt like so could Danny [Daniel Kaelin], and Danny had a really, really, really strong week and a really strong scrimmage, too.”

In the end, though, Rhule says Raiola distinguished himself enough to get the nod.

“So why did he win the job, why did Dylan win the job? I think Dylan puts all the pieces in play,” Rhule said via On3. “And that doesn’t mean the other guys don’t, but I think Dylan has elite arm strength. He understands all the run game checks. He understands the entire RPO game. He understands the situational football.”

Raiola and Nebraska will begin the 2024 college football season this weekend in Lincoln against UTEP.

[On3]

About Chris Novak

Chris Novak has been talking and writing about sports ever since he can remember. Previously, Novak wrote for and managed sites in the SB Nation network for nearly a decade from 2013-2022