Will Dylan Raiola start for Nebraska? A look at Matt Rhule's plan for the star freshman

Freshmen hardly start in college, but Dylan Raiola isn't your average freshman. The Nebraska Cornhuskers phenom was a five-star recruit out of Buford High School.

Raiola had offers from the pick of college football powerhouses, initially committing to the Ohio State Buckeyes and then the Georgia Bulldogs before flipping to the Nebraska Cornhuskers. It's no wonder why his recruitment generated significant fanfare in Nebraska. Ahead of his freshman season, let's see whether Raiola can be a day-one starter.

Will Dylan Raiola start for the Nebraska Cornhuskers?

Dylan Raiola will probably start for the Nebraska Cornhuskers in his freshman season. Cornhuskers coach Matt Rhule talked at preseason camp about the possibility of Raiola beginning as a freshman,

"If he goes out there on Day 1, he will be ready," Rhule said. "But you must be willing to ride the highs and lows with a freshman so he doesn't play afraid."

Speaking on his ability to thrive despite adversity, Rhule said:

"His maturity has allowed him to do that, making him viable and ready to grace the gridiron as a freshman."

While Matt Rhule wasn't equivocal, he certainly didn't dispel the chances of Raiola starting for the Cornhuskers as a freshman. The former NFL head coach has seen his fair share of elite passers, and he's impressed enough by Raiola to keep the door open for him as a freshman.

What to expect from Nebraska in 2024?

The Nebraska Cornhuskers started the 2023 college football season decently.

After eight weeks, the program was 5-3 and looked poised to appear in their first bowl game in ages. However, it all went south after that eighth game, as they lost four games in a row to close out the season with a 5-7 record. College football is an unforgiving sport, and Matt Rhule's team suffered from the effects of falling into a rut at the worst time possible: the business end of the season.

The Cornhuskers have since added Dylan Raiola to solve their quarterback conundrum potentially. It'll be interesting to see whether Matt Rhule trusts the collegiate rookie or gives him time to observe from the bench. One thing's for sure: Cornhuskers fans will expect much better from Matt Rhule and Co. in 2024 and moving forward.