"I did compliment Matt Rhule": Kirk Herbstreit sets the record straight on his role in 5-star QB Dylan Raiola's flip from Georgia to Nebraska

Kirk Herbstreit claims he was on a phone call with Dylan Railoa's dad before the five-star quarterback flipped his recruitment from Georgia to Nebraska.

Raiola's landing with Nebraska was a significant get for Matt Rhule, and rumors were that ESPN analyst Herbstreit played a role in the flip.

However, speaking to Paul Finebeaum, Herbstreit clarified he did talk to Raiola's dad but didn't influence the QB's decision.

"My question to you or anybody is if somebody and I know Dom, we're not great friends," Herbstreit said to Finebaum, "but I know him pretty well. When somebody calls and says, 'What do you think of Matt Rhule? And you like Matt Rhule? Are you supposed to say, Matt Rhules a bad guy?"

"Matt Rhules an idiot, Matt Rhule's a bad coach, or do you say I like Matt Rhule?' I think that Rhule is a good coach. Then the other part of it that he said was that, I think the family legacy, I think he mentioned he had a brother that was an assistant coach at Nebraska."

"Of course, Dom was a great player there himself, All-American. I think it sounded like the family out of respect for their love for Nebraska that they were really torn is what he made it sound like and I just thought I could, you know, being a guy that went to Ohio State and a lot of had to do with my dad."

"I just said, 'Wow, the fact that your son can go to any school, any powerhouse, it's competing for a national title.'"

Herbstreit believes Raiola didn't care about the NFL with his decision. Instead, he wanted to follow in his dad's footsteps and go to Nebraska.

"Because of his respect for his own dad," Herbstreit continued, "he's, he's thinking about maybe going to Nebraska, a place that hasn't competed for national titles in over 20 years that says a lot about who the kid is, as far as what he wants to do."

"It's not just about trying to go to the NFL, you know, he's thinking a little bit more about it because of maybe the way he grew up in that house and the way they love Nebraska."

"So I just said, 'Wow, that's a powerful thing. If he ended up doing that, but I, of course did not sell Nebraska and try to tell anybody not to go to Georgia.' That's the most ridiculous thing that anybody would do. But I did compliment Matt Rhule if I'm guilty of anything. I said that Matt Rhule was a good coach, and he's a good man."

"And I believe he will bring Nebraska back the way he did Temple and Baylor."

Dylan Raiola's high-school career

Dylan Raiola was a five-star recruit out of Buford High School in Georgia.

Raiola played at three different high schools. In his sophomore year at Burleson High School, Raiola passed for 3,341 yards, 32 touchdowns and five interceptions while rushing for nine touchdowns.

Raiola later transferred to Chandler High School in Arizona for his junior season, where he passed for 2,435 yards, 22 touchdowns and had five interceptions.