Going from being compared to Patrick Mahomes to being labeled as “washed up” is quite a steep decline. Simply mimicking the hairstyle won’t be enough, kiddo. Dylan Raiola has felt immense pressure, which was especially evident back in October when Brady Quinn noted that as a true freshman, Raiola automatically faced skepticism on the field. He had to prove himself, and for a while, he did. The Huskers began the season with a three-game winning streak, and Raiola was making headlines. His confidence in the pocket was so impressive that he didn’t seem like a freshman.
Now, though, the situation has changed drastically. With Matt Rhule at the helm, the team is struggling to compete, with their hopes for bowl eligibility fading. This raises questions about Raiola’s future at Nebraska. During a discussion on 937 The Ticket, the host expressed, “If we just make it to a bowl, he gonna feel proud and he out.” That may sound extreme, but there’s some logic behind it. If Rhule and the Huskers were on a successful run with around 7-8 wins, Raiola likely would have remained committed to the team. Given the current state of affairs and the slim chances of even qualifying for a bowl game, it seems Raiola won’t be sticking around much longer.
“To me, he wants to be playing in championships, he wants to be on that stage,” the host clears. Again, this brings up a whole different set of conversations. If Raiola does want to make it big and play at the championships or something, then how do you explain this fall-off?
It’s understandable that a true freshman like this player could struggle when facing seniors and more experienced opponents, which can negatively impact performance. However, consistently poor play over four consecutive games, along with having as many interceptions as touchdowns, is concerning.
On the other hand, this situation has raised some doubts among Huskers fans. Poor performances happen, and that’s acceptable; however, the significant changes in how Raiola delivers throws and operates from the pocket suggest a deeper problem.
Is Dylan Raiola injured? While reports are not definitive, that hasn’t stopped users on Reddit from making interesting observations. One commenter on the Huskers subreddit noted that Raiola’s recent performance seems indicative of a potential shoulder injury or a similar issue.
“We all see the lack of confidence in the pocket, lack of decision making with downfield throws, almost inexplicable loss of arm strength & accuracy,” the user mentioned. This added to the fact that for some wild reason, Rhule always plays Raiola despite the problems, leading to the conclusion that the staff have no idea what they are even doing.
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