5 things to know about Oregon Ducks' new QB Dylan Raiola

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The Oregon Ducks have reeled in a big commitment via the transfer portal, as the No. 5-ranked portal quarterback, Nebraska’s Dylan Raiola, is going to be a Duck.

The commitment comes at an interesting time at the quarterback position for Oregon, as 2025 starter Dante Moore still has a massive decision to make regarding returning to Eugene for one more season of development or declaring for the 2026 NFL draft, where he’s widely expected to be a top-five pick or higher.

Two quarterback reserves, Austin Novosad and Luke Moga, have already entered the portal, with the latter likely seeing the writing on the wall of Raiola’s visit and eventual commitment, as he announced his decision to enter the transfer portal on Sunday.

But now Raiola, who’s already started a majority of two seasons for the Cornhuskers in the Big Ten, will join the quarterback room, adding immense talent but with the need to refine his skills in order to play clean, winning football.

Though the 6-foot-3, 230-pound passer has been in the spotlight as Nebraska’s starter the past two years, here’s five things to know about the Ducks‘ new quarterback commit.

No. 2 QB in 2024 Class

To get a grasp on just how talented Raiola is, consider his five-star rating and No. 2 quarterback ranking in the 2024 class as that barometer. In his class, he ranked just behind Florida transfer portal standout DJ Lagway and ahead of the following: Ohio State’s Julian Sayin, Notre Dame’s CJ Carr, Washington’s Demond Williams Jr. and NC State’s CJ Bailey.

That’s an extremely talented group of passers, and Raiola was considered better than them coming out of high school. And despite being raw, his talent shone in big ways as a Cornhusker.

Along with being the No. 2 quarterback, he was also the No. 7 player overall in the 2024 class, ranking above a number of true sophomores making impacts with their teams.

The Ducks didn’t get just another quarterback via the portal — they got one with a very high ceiling if he can refine his skills under Dan Lanning and the Ducks’ new offensive coordinator.

Recovering from Broken Fibula

Unfortunately for Raiola, his career as at Nebraska was cut short because of a broken fibula that he suffered on Nov. 1 against the USC Trojans. Heading into that game, the Cornhuskers held a 6-2 record before eventually falling to the Trojans without Raiola and finishing the season on a 1-4 skid.

Now in recovery, Raiola is expected to be back in time for spring ball — a huge developmental opportunity for him.

May Not Start Right Away, Needs to Develop

With his transfer to Oregon, Raiola more than likely knew that there was a possibility that he wouldn’t start, with the most likely scenario in that case being that Moore would return for one more season. And if Moore doesn’t return, there remains a possibility that Lanning adds another veteran via the portal to compete with Raiola.

But the bottom line is that Raiola understands that he needs more development. It’s not easy on anyone to start right away at the college level, which is exactly what the true freshman Raiola did at Nebraska.

His first season was rocky, as expected, as he threw 13 touchdowns to 11 interceptions and made a number of ill-advised decisions with the football. He improved as a true sophomore, throwing 16 touchdowns to just six interceptions in eight full games, but still struggled at certain points.

Sure, developing and improving comes at a very fast rate when actually playing, but Moore showed that a season behind the scenes can do wonders, a blueprint that Raiola will likely emulate.

Runs in the Family

Football is in the genes of Raiola, who’s father, Dominic, played 14 seasons in the NFL for the Detroit Lions after a standout career at Nebraska in which he claimed the Rimington Trophy, awarded to the nation’s best center.

His uncle, Donovan, played college football at Wisconsin before spending time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and newly-named Washington Commanders. After his playing days were over, Donovan coached, most recently as the offensive line coach at Nebraska.

Raiola also has a brother, Dayton, who is a three-star passer in the 2026 recruiting class. He recently decommitted from Nebraska and is looking for a new home.

At the end of the day, football excellence isn’t new for the Raiola family — it’s expected.

Patrick Mahomes Persona

From his pregame routine to his number to his style, Raiola has garnered a significant amount of social media attention for his affinity to Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

Raiola’s throwing motion and play style even leads to comparisons of Mahomes, as the new Duck isn’t shy to drop his arm angle and throw sidearm or off platform, a la Mahomes.

Some people think it’s weird, some think it’s corny — but hey, if it works on the field, there’s nothing wrong with trying to emulate a three-time Super Bowl winner.

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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Five things to know about Oregon Ducks’ new QB Dylan Raiola

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