Competitive nature of Dylan Raiola is ‘contagious’ for Nebraska football

Nebraska football head coach Matt Rhule did an interview with Zach Gelb of Infinity Sports, which was posted on Tuesday and of course, one of the topics of conversation was quarterback Dylan Raiola.

Raiola is a constant topic of conversation around Nebraska football and he’s a huge reason why pundits across the country are drinking the Kool-Aid. Joel Klatt ranked the Huskers 23rd in his preseason top 25 and he’s said that a 7-0 start isn’t impossible.

It’s not, especially if Dylan Raiola is the kind of quarterback we think he is. He looked the part once again on Saturday night in the Big Red Preview and it’s clear that Rhule believes in his starting quarterback (we all know it to be true).

“He’s a winner,” Rhule said. “He understands the game. He’s thinking about the game all the time. If a receiver lines up wrong, he knows it. A lot of guys that are playing this early are not that clear-minded. But Dylan knows what every player on the field is supposed to do because he’s put the work in. He loves to compete — he loves playing and loves practicing and that’s contagious.

“(Dylan) didn’t come here to make himself a household name. He came here to restore Nebraska to its glory — to be part of Nebraska restoring its glory.”

Nebraska football QB impressing his teammates too

Raiola hasn’t just won over his head coach, but he’s winning over other players too. Here’s what DeShon Singleton, a starting safety, said about Raiola Tuesday:

“Raiola’s great. The receivers are great. They give us work in practice. I’m not gonna lie to you, they give us work. Raiola, he’s smart. He’s not gonna force anything. He’s very particular about where he puts the ball.”

After the past few seasons and all the turnovers, that would be welcome and if you still have any doubt about who will be the starting quarterback for Nebraska football Week 1, you shouldn’t.

It’s Dylan Raiola.

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