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By Matthew Couden
Contributing Writer
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The Nebraska Cornhuskers lost quarterback Dylan Raiola to the college football transfer portal on Monday, giving them a situation to ponder heading into next season.
He was a former five-star recruit and spent his past two seasons as the team's QB. A day after the shocking news, offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen spoke about the transfer portal situation and addressed media questions about Raiola.
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“I’m not gonna speak on any of that,” he said when asked about why things didn’t work out.
“I really loved working with Dylan. He’s a great kid and gave a lot to this place for two years. Just look at what’s going on across the landscape in college football, how many quarterbacks have popped in the portal that were starting at their school,” Holgorsen said.
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Nebraska's OC called the quarterback-portal situation "the new norm," mentioning he couldn't speak for Raiola, but "wished him the best."
He called Raiola a "great player" and thought they were headed in a great direction with him as quarterback. He referenced the team's loss to USC as playing a significant part in how the rest of their season went and ended.
Amid the huge news about Raiola's exit, the Cornhuskers are heading to the Las Vegas Bowl to face the Utah Utes on Dec. 31.
"At the end of the day, my job's not done here," Holgorsen said, adding, "Coach [Matt] Rhule hired me to come in and get us as good as we can on offense. We gotta continue to improve, whether that's replacing coaches, replacing players, [or] actively recruiting."
Raiola was one of several quarterbacks to enter the transfer portal after the college football season. Other notable departures included Sam Leavitt from Arizona State, Brendan Sorsby from Cincinnati, and DJ Lagway from the Florida Gators.
Holgorsen mentioned they would want to “get the best available” to replace Raiola. The sophomore QB threw for 2,000 yards and 18 touchdowns with six interceptions this season, with Nebraska going 7-5.
“Is it a pocket guy? Is it a dual-threat guy? Is it more of a runner? You look at the overall body of work where it’s just so different now, where we’re actively watching quarterbacks to try to make those decisions,” he said, reiterating he was working with the players they have to prepare for their bowl game.
With other quarterbacks entering the transfer portal, Nebraska could have a great shot at landing another key contributor to its offense in the 2026 season. However, they'll first look to close things out with a win in Las Vegas.
Read more: Clemson’s Dabo Swinney Reveals Roster Issues for Penn State Game
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