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Nebraska’s quarterback recruiting took a hit Wednesday when three-star 2026 prospect Dayton Raiola backed away from his commitment to the Cornhuskers, according to 247Sports national college football recruiting analyst Tom Loy’s report.
The younger brother of current Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola had been pledged to coach Matt Rhule’s program since September 22nd. His decision to reopen his recruitment comes at a challenging time — just weeks before the early signing period begins. Dayton chose Nebraska over offers from Appalachian State and Charlotte when he initially committed. He’s currently ranked as the No. 76 quarterback in his class by 247Sports.
Nebraska football runs deep in the Raiola bloodline. Dylan and Dayton’s father, Dominic, was a standout for the Huskers in the late ’90s and early 2000s. Their uncle Donovan (Dominic’s brother) currently serves as Nebraska’s offensive line coach.
This decommitment stings even more considering Dylan’s situation.
The older Raiola brother is sidelined for the remainder of the season after breaking his fibula during the November 1st game against USC. Before the injury, Dylan — a former five-star recruit in the 2024 class — was living up to the hype as a sophomore. He’d thrown for 18 touchdowns with just six interceptions while completing an impressive 72.4% of his passes, helping Nebraska jump out to a 6-2 start.
Despite losing both Raiolas (one to injury, one to decommitment), the quarterback room in Lincoln isn’t empty. True freshman TJ Lateef stepped in admirably with three touchdown passes in his first college start, leading the Huskers to a 28-21 win over UCLA. Behind him is Marcos Davila, a former four-star recruit who transferred from Purdue to provide additional depth.
The Huskers are also building for the future with four-star 2027 quarterback Trae Taylor already committed — part of what’s shaping up to be a strong early haul in that recruiting cycle.
Nevertheless, Dayton’s decommitment represents another setback for Rhule’s 2026 recruiting efforts. Nebraska now holds just nine commitments in that class, which currently ranks a disappointing 100th nationally according to 247Sports.
