Well, it looks like Dylan Raiola’s weight has turned into the elephant in the room for Nebraska’s future. At 6’3, 230 pounds, he’s not exactly carved out of granite, and that even got head coach Matt Rhule’s attention. He knows, his second-year signal caller needs to be in perfect shape for 2025. Previously, he said the one thing Raiola really needed to work on was “getting his weight to the proper weight.” That quote lit the match, and plenty jumped on the bandwagon. But now? Raiola’s all over fixing this, and Rhule isn’t taking any chances.

Now that the Huskers football campaign is gearing up for spring practice ahead of the 2025 campaign, Dylan Raiola will be a major player holding up the team’s future. As every Nebraska fan expects, he is taking their fate to the next level after leading them through a 7-win season. And Matt Rhule is all in for this. He can’t risk anything messing up their season, so he’s making sure Raiola stays in good shape. During a press conference on March 11, Coach Rhule said:

“He’s really working on his body composition. He won’t be a great quarterback at 240 lbs, right? So getting his body composition to where he can be fleet of foot, slide nimbly, and move within the pocket—where he can convert third downs with his feet—that’s something we’re all bought into, and he has to continue to do.” The weight concerns mainly started after a video of Dylan Raiola went viral, wearing a jersey that was a little too tight. This led fans to speculate that he might be heavier than listed on the roster.

Let’s not forget, Dylan Raiola is not the only quarterback with a big frame. In his prime, Cam Newton stood at 6’5″ and 245 lbs, and that never hindered his performance. If anything, he played like a wrecking ball, overpowering defenders and excelling as a physical anomaly. However, Rhule envisions a different trajectory for his 19-year-old quarterback, believing he will perform best around 225 pounds. The encouraging news is that Raiola is on board with this plan to make that transition.

But if Nebraska had finished strong, the fitness concern wouldn’t have gotten so crazy. But when you are at 7-6, people get an open pass to throw jabs at you. Even a CFB insider, Wilson Dittman, backed Rhule’s concerns, saying, “Dylan Raiola is going to slim down this summer. But it’s interesting that Matt Rhule mentioned that he needs to go to his proper weight because it is probably the right idea again. I think him slimming down a little bit better is going to be good for his mobility, good for his elusiveness, and good for him to get outside the pocket, so that should be mentioned.”

While Dylan Raiola’s freshman season had its ups and downs—2,819 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions—all eyes are now on Year 2. Fans have identified a new target in Matt Rhule and Raiola, and the pressure continues to build as Nebraska’s future hangs on their young quarterback.

Huskers fate hangs on thin thread under Dylan Raiola

Matt Rhule is not shying away from the pressure. Whether it’s the spring game cancellation that stirred controversy or Nebraska scaling back its non-conference schedule, he is facing all challenges head-on. Despite a record of 12-13 over two seasons, Rhule understands that it is not enough. And as he defends those calls, all eyes lock onto Dylan Raiola to prove the gamble was worth it.

It all comes down to Dylan Raiola if Nebraska wants to make a splash in the Big Ten. On a March 9 On3 episode, J.D. PicKell laid down the challenge for the Huskers’ second-year QB saying, “This is Dylan Raiola’s team,” he began. “We go as he goes. He’s the leader. He’s the QB1. That’s our guy. We follow 15. The reason why I feel that way is that’s what you brought Dylan Raiola to do at Nebraska. You brought him here to be a team that can go compete for the Big Ten championship and make the college playoff.” After all, Rhule didn’t just bring a 5-star recruit to sit on the sidelines.

But Matt Rhule is not taking it lightly. He has high expectations for his quarterback to excel under the guidance of OC Dana Holgorsen. Holgorsen, who led West Virginia for eight seasons from 2011 to 2018, accumulated a 61-41 (.589) record but faced challenges in bowl games, ending with a 2-5 record. Following an 8-4 season in 2018, he moved to Houston where he achieved a 31-28 record over five years and improved his bowl game performance to 2-1.

Now, here’s the kicker: Nebraska will be without key defensive players like Ty Robinson, Nash Hutmacher, Isaac Gifford, and John Bullock. In their place, eight new defensive transfers, including LB Marques Watson-Trent and edge rusher Williams Nwaneri, will step up. This puts more pressure on quarterback Dylan Raiola, especially considering the tough competition in the Big Ten where he was sacked 27 times last season. Rhule and his coaching staff are determined to prevent a repeat of last season’s struggles. While Raiola faces scrutiny, Rhule is also under fire as criticism continues to come his way.