Matt Rhule calls Dylan Raiola "tremendous worker" as Nebraska HC shares spring football update for 2025

Matt Rhule has been quite ambitious about Nebraska’s upcoming 2025 season, where he will have sophomore quarterback Dylan Raiola to make a mark in the Big Ten. It has been quite a tumultuous ride for the team last season, where they managed to rack up a 7-6 record and secure a postseason Bowl game win.

But the bar is quite high this year. While speaking to Greg McElroy of ESPN, Rhule mentioned that his quarterback is in good shape and expects to get back stronger this year.

He also reflected on the hard conversation he had with Raiola, especially about last season’s fumbles that cost them crucial games. The UCLA game, for instance, appeared to be a cakewalk for the Cornhuskers with a 13-7 lead at halftime, but everything suddenly changed in the second half with Raiola’s pick six.

“He's always been a tremendous worker," Rhule said Monday (10:40). "I think, you know, when you're a young player, you know you can be emotional and things are great, you're great, but when things get bad. Sometimes you get quiet, introverted, you start to get frustrated.” “Actually, he and I got in the cafeteria," Rhule added. "We actually had this exact conversation. We had the UCLA game on TV, he was like 'Man, it was 13-7 at the half, and then we came out and we threw pick six. He threw a pick six and we talked about how far he's come. "To me, it's not about his highs being any higher. It's about his lows not being so low. It's the same for our whole team. And so what I loved about dealing is the consistency that he's got bought into."

Matt Rhule expects Dana Holgorsen to be a great addition with Dylan Raiola

Matt Rhule mentioned Nebraska offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen's part in the overall development of the QB and the program. After serving as the head coach at Houston and other schools, Holgersen's expertise has tremendously improved Nebraska’s offense. Rhule calls him a genius for his unique training methods and ability to carry forward the team.

He mentioned that Raiola’s game was significantly improved under Holgorsen and things are expected to be better in 2025.

Last season, the QB racked up 2,819 passing yards and scored 13 touchdowns while throwing 11 interceptions.

Edited by Krutik Jain