One of the most consequential recruiting coups of the 2024 cycle took place in December, when five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola flipped his commitment from Georgia to Nebraska . Comments made by Raiola’s father, former Cornhuskers and Detroit Lions standout offensive lineman Dominic Raiola, about the decision made waves during National Signing Day on Wednesday.
During an interview with Rivals , the former Nebraska All-American said he spoke to Kirk Herbstreit while his son was mulling his options, and the ESPN analyst was very supportive of Dylan’s move to join Matt Rhule in rebuilding the Huskers program.
“When this was happening, I will bring up one guy’s name: Kirk Herbstreit. He saw the smoke about Dylan entertaining Nebraska, he was like … ‘Is this true? He gotta do it,’” Raiola said.
Unsurprisingly, Georgia fans have not taken kindly to the news, with some accusing Herbstreit of trying to influence a major quarterback’s recruitment. Herbstreit has not yet publicly addressed the issue, but On3 ‘s Andy Staples says he spoke with the ESPN analyst, who provided more context about the conversation he had with Dominic Raiola.