LINCOLN, Neb. — The top group of offensive linemen at Nebraska runs about nine players deep, each one of them 310 pounds or heavier, and often hungry. When they step out for pizza and wings, it’s an event.
One night this summer, at the invite of freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola, the O-line gathered at Isles Pub and Pizza, the favorite Lincoln spot of junior left tackle Teddy Prochazka for such fare.
“We kinda ran up the bill a little bit,” Prochazka said.
Raiola, who signed last December as the highest-rated Nebraska football recruit of this century, picked up the tab. After all, upon flipping his commitment last December from Georgia, Raiola secured a lucrative name, image and likeness deal that ranked among the first of its kind in earning power at Nebraska.
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Prochazka ordered a large pizza for himself and contributed to the destruction of 12 baskets of wings. Raiola sat back and enjoyed the budding camaraderie, knowing the importance of a bond with teammates in his bid to guide the Huskers to their first winning season since he was in fifth grade.
Raiola put the finishing touches in recent days on an offseason like no other incoming freshman at Nebraska has experienced. As preseason camp opens Wednesday in Lincoln, he plays the part well of a motivated leader who shoulders heavy expectations to kick off his collegiate career.
“He’s obsessed with trying to be really, really, really good,” Nebraska offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield said Tuesday.
The son of former Nebraska O-line great Dominic Raiola and the nephew of the Huskers’ offensive line coach Donovan Raiola, Dylan Raiola arrived at Nebraska in January amid unusual circumstances. His father played 14 seasons for the Detroit Lions in the NFL, surrounding Dylan and his brother Dayton with quarterbacks from Jon Kitna to Matthew Stafford. Dayton, a left-hander in the 2026 class, has been offered a scholarship by Nebraska.
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After a productive spring semester in Lincoln as an early enrollee, Dylan united this summer with Bobby Stroupe, the founder of the Athlete Performance Enhancement Center. Stroupe, the longtime trainer of Patrick Mahomes, was featured on the Netflix series “Quarterback” with the Kansas City Chiefs QB in 2023, and Stroupe consulted with second-year Nebraska coach Matt Rhule’s staff at Baylor from 2017 to 2019.
Stroupe prescribed for Raiola some of the flexibility and strength drills that have benefited Mahomes — who is the inspiration behind Raiola’s selection of jersey No. 15 at Nebraska.
Raiola worked, too, with quarterbacks coach Jeff Christensen, who has trained Mahomes, Baker Mayfield and others in the NFL.
“We’re on board with that as long as (the coaches and trainers) are reputable people who don’t counteract what we’re doing,” Rhule told The Athletic last week in an interview about Raiola’s offseason ambitions.
The Huskers view Stroupe and Christensen among the best in their business.
“They’re smart enough to know that they’re coaching guys in different offenses, and they’re there to talk about mechanics and health,” Rhule said.
Junior QB Heinrich Haaberg also works with Christensen. Nebraska strength coach Corey Campbell maintains a dialogue with Stroupe to use him as a resource for the Huskers.
“We don’t want it just for Dylan,” Rhule said. “We want it for all the guys. He’s an expert. We’re always going to follow the experts. That’s one of the things, during my time in the NFL, that I learned from Christian McCaffrey. Christian had the best neurologist in the world; he had the best chiropractor in the world.
“You’d be crazy not to tell guys to go chase greatness.”
Raiola flew a group of five Nebraska receivers to north Texas for a weekend early in the summer, another page out of the Mahomes playbook. They threw and ran routes at a facility used by Christensen. The Huskers lounged poolside, watched movies and enjoyed a few meals.
“When he told me he was doing that,” Rhule said, “I told him that was great. We’re always trying to get our guys to spend time together.”
Said fifth-year senior receiver Jahmal Banks: “It wasn’t just all about ball. It was about getting to know each other. It was about having fun. It was about having chemistry.”
Banks transferred to Nebraska last winter from Wake Forest, where he caught 102 passes for 1,289 yards and 13 touchdowns over the past two seasons. He said he appreciated the opportunity to spend time around Raiola this year.
Other teammates feel similarly.
“He’s a likable guy,” sixth-year senior right tackle Bryce Benhart said. “He’s a great dude. He’s doing the right thing. He wants to hang out with us, have a good time. It’s more than football to him.”
Prochazka said the offensive linemen have mingled with Raiola at the Lincoln home of his uncle Donovan. They play EA Sports College Football 25 and UFC 5.
“Getting to know Donnie the past three years, I feel like they’re pretty much the same person, mentality wise, the way they approach the game of football, in-depth,” Prochazka said. “You can tell how much they care about this sport and this team.”
Raiola checked into Selleck Hall on Tuesday with the Huskers to begin a grueling stretch in the summer heat.
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Meanwhile, his work continues to win the starting position.
In the eyes of most who follow the Huskers, Raiola’s ascension to take the first snap against UTEP on Aug. 31 is a foregone conclusion. His 16-for-22 showing for 239 yards and two touchdowns in the April 27 spring game — highlighted by his presence, poise and a rocket-loaded right arm — validated the hype that followed the five-star prospect out of Buford, Ga.
“He’s come in as a freshman, and he’s earned the respect of the guys on the team,” senior safety Isaac Gifford said. “He’s super composed, and he’s smart in the pocket. He’s been great so far. I’m excited by what he could do this year.”
The Nebraska strength staff named Raiola among the elite performers from the final week of summer training. He was one of two true freshmen to make the list.
To persist with a goal, you must treasure the dream more than the cost of sacrifice to attain it.
Summer 2024: 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝟕 𝐄𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭#GBR x #Chasing3 pic.twitter.com/QWaNXAmbsq
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“I think it’s his work ethic, the way he attacks,” Satterfield said. “He’ll stay up all night, rewriting notes and rewriting plays just to make sure he can call them in the proper cadence, in the proper rhythm.”
Raola last met with the media in a formal setting on the day of the spring game. He’s set Friday to participate in interviews alongside Haarberg, the returning eight-game starter, and freshman QB Danny Kaelin.
In one of his closing acts of the summer, Raiola appealed to Nebraska fans with posts on social media last week to welcome visiting five-star prospect David Sanders Jr. A 2025 offensive tackle from the Providence Day School in Charlotte, N.C., Sanders rates No. 2 nationally in the On3 Industry average.
Hosted by Raiola, Sanders arrived Friday outside the Osborne Legacy Complex to cheers from approximately 200 fans. He’s set to announce a decision on Aug. 17 between Nebraska, Tennessee, Ohio State and Georgia.
So now, with a full offseason behind him after three months away from the guidance of Nebraska’s coaching staff, how might Raiola’s progress appear?
Answers start to arrive on Wednesday.
“I’m just anxious to see what it’s going to look like this week,” Satterfield said.
If the next four weeks follow the path set over the past seven months, anxiety may soon give way to excitement.
(Photo: Steven Branscombe / Getty Images)
