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Eli Lederman
Dayton Raiola, a three-star passer in the 2026 class and the younger brother of Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola, announced his decommitment from the Cornhuskers on Wednesday morning, reopening his recruitment weeks before the early signing period.
Raiola is ESPN’s No. 76 pocket passer in the 2026 recruiting cycle. A two-year starter at Georgia’s Buford High School, Raiola had been committed to Nebraska since September 2024, when he picked the Huskers over Appalachian State and Charlotte.
Upon pulling his pledge from Nebraska, he now stands as the seventh-ranked uncommitted pocket passer in the cycle.
Raiola’s decommitment marks a late blow to one of the smallest recruiting classes across the FBS in the 2026 cycle. The Huskers’ incoming class now holds just nine pledges with three weeks remaining before the early signing period, which runs Dec. 3-5, led by a pair of SC NEXT 300 commits in offensive tackle Claude Mpouma (No. 244 overall) and cornerback Danny Odem (No. 248). Raiola’s move marks Nebraska’s fourth decommitment in the cycle.
Dylan Raiola returned for his second season as the program’s starting quarterback this fall and made nine starts before he suffered a broken fibula in the Huskers’ Nov. 1 loss to USC, requiring season-ending surgery. True freshman quarterback TJ Lateef started in place of Raiola at UCLA on Nov. 8, completing 13 of 15 passes for 205 yards and three touchdowns in a 28-21 win.
The younger Raiola’s decommitment leaves Nebraska without a 2026 quarterback commit. The Huskers already hold a pledge from 2027 passer Trae Taylor, the No. 4 pocket passer and No. 94 overall prospect in the ESPN Junior 300.
