Matt Rhule sheds light on Dylan Raiola's weight issues going into third year at Nebraska

Nebraska coach Matt Rhule believes quarterback Dylan Raiola is the best version of himself at 225 pounds. Rhule was interviewed on "The Triple Option" podcast earlier on Wednesday, where he talked on a wide variety of topics.

One of those topics was the season his freshman quarterback just wrapped up for the program. Raiola, who stands at 6-foot-3 and is recorded at 230 pounds, started at quarterback as a freshman for the Nebraska program. Raiola passed for 2,819 yards, 13 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

When discussing Raiola, Rhule noted that he wants to see his signal-caller keep his weight down to around 225 pounds. He feels that, at this weight, Raiola is a "much different" quarterback who can extend plays and run with the football more effectively.

"His weight. Making sure he's a guy that can extend plays, making sure he's a guy that's nimble, make sure he's a guy who can run. He's a much different quarterback at 225 than he will be at 245.

"So, he is buying into that. He comes in every morning and does cardio before he throws. So, he understands that he's a big man and wants to keep his movement skills."

Raiola's freshman campaign was good enough to lead the Cornhuskers to an overall record of 7-6. When the team takes the field for Raiola's sophomore campaign, they are hoping they can put on a season worthy of getting back into playoff contention when it's all said and done.

Matt Rhule hoping to turn things around at Nebraska in 2025

NCAA Football: Pinstripe Bowl-Boston College at Nebraska - Source: Imagn

Rhule has strung together a rather extensive head coaching resume for himself. He previously served as the coach for Temple's college football program.

After leading the program to a conference title in 2016, Rhule became the coach for Baylor. There, he spent three seasons, coaching the team to an 11-3 record and bowl game appearance in his final season with them.

In 2020, Rhule became the coach for the NFL's Carolina Panthers. Unfortunately for him, his run with Carolina didn't go according to plan, and he was fired in 2022 after a 1-4 start to the season.

Now, Rhule leads the Nebraska Cornhuskers, coaching the team to a losing record of 5-7 in his first season with them in 2023.

Year 2024 saw a significant improvement to their winning record of 7-6, which included a bowl game victory over Boston College. Now, Rhule is hoping to improve the program even further in 2025, and that all starts with making sure Raiola is in a position to help himself and the team succeed.