Nebraska Huskers Football

Matt Rhule and Nebraska have once again landed a star quarterback recruit.

Trae Taylor announced his commitment to the Cornhuskers on Thursday, per 247Sports' Allen Trieu. The 4-star quarterback out of the Class of 2027 is considered to be the No. 35 player overall and the No. 3 quarterback in his class by 247Sports' Composite rankings. The Mundelein, Illinois, native is the No. 2 player in his state. As a sophomore, he threw for 3,061 yards with 20 touchdowns and 7 interceptions

Taylor is the first commit for the Huskers out of the Class of 2027. He picked Nebraska over Michigan, LSU, Texas A&M and other top programs.

The commitment followed a recent visit to Lincoln, where he got to spend time with Huskers' quarterback Dylan Raiola and quarterbacks coach Glenn Thomas.

"Sitting down with Coach Thomas and getting into the offense, seeing how he coaches Dylan and how he can prepare me for the next level -- I really just can't wait," Taylor told ESPN's Eli Lederman. "For me, it's kind of hard committing too early because I have to wait so long to get there."

After Taylor visited Nebraska, he went to College Station for a visit at Texas A&M. He said Rhule and the staff's pursuit of him in the weeks after helped sway him to the Cornhuskers.

"The day after I got home from A&M, I was in contact with one of Coach Rhule, Coach Thomas and Dylan [Raiola] every day for the next two weeks before I decided this was where I needed to be," he said, per Lederman. "Everybody in that building has made it clear that they want me. Their offense fits me the best -- very pro-style. Any quarterback who wants to go to the NFL can be successful there."

Taylor, who won't be able to sign with Nebraska for nearly two years, said that while he won't take any more visits, he will keep in contact with other schools.

Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola is joining Patrick Mahomes on the Adidas football roster.

Raiola, who bore a striking resemblance to Mahomes during his first season with the Cornhuskers, officially signed with the apparel company on Tuesday.

Nebraska's Dylan Raiola has officially signed with Adidas ✍️

He joins Adidas' growing roster of football players including the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Tua Tagovailoa, Trevor Lawrence and more. pic.twitter.com/JIYAGOCbyC

— B/R Kicks (@brkicks) April 29, 2025

Adidas said in a statement that Raiola would wear Adidas on the field and participate in "a variety of brand marketing campaigns."

Raiola ranks No. 21 on On3's top 100 NIL valuations with an estimated NIL portfolio value of $2.3 million.

He has previously announced deals with companies including Panini America, EA Sports and Campus Ink, according to On3.

Adidas has worked with Mahomes since before he joined the Chiefs with the No. 10 pick in the 2017 draft.

The apparel brand recently announced the signings of multiple players selected in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft, including the Jacksonville Jaguars' Travis Hunter, New York Giants' Abdul Carter, Atlanta Falcons' Jalon Walker, Cincinnati Bengals' Shemar Stewart and Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Emeka Egbuka.

Raiola will now look to up his own future NFL draft stock with a strong second season for Nebraska.

The quarterback completed 67.1 percent of his passes and set a program freshman record with 2,819 passing yards. He finished the campaign with 13 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, the latter of which was tied for the most among Big Ten signal-callers.

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule recently said that Raiola has improved "everything" since last season's training camp, praising in particular his pocket mobility and his situational awareness.

Raiola and the Cornhuskers will begin the 2025 season on Aug. 28 against Cincinnati.

Nebraska's spring game will likely be canceled moving forward due to transfer portal concerns, according to head coach Matt Rhule.

"The word 'tampering' doesn't exist anymore," Rhule said Saturday, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN). "It's just an absolute free open common market. I don't necessarily want to open up to the outside world and have people watch our guys and say, 'He looks like a pretty good player. Let's go get him.'"

In the week following the Cornhuskers' 2024 spring game, six players entered the portal (via ESPN).

Nebraska's spring game has always drawn one of the largest crowds in the country. Despite coming off a 5-7 season in 2023, 60,452 fans showed up to Memorial Stadium and watched the Huskers' 2024 spring game.

While injuries in the contest are also a concern, Rhule confirmed that he's primarily focused on potentially exposing his players to other schools.

"I dealt with a lot of people offering our players a lot of opportunities after that," Rhule said, via ESPN. "So you go out and bring in a bunch of new players and showcase them for all the other schools to watch? Doesn't make a lot of sense to me."

Nebraska athletic director Troy Dannen confirmed that the school will still have an event to celebrate the players and prepare for the fall season on April 26, but it won't have the format of a traditional game.

"I am not going to call it a spring game," Dannen said during his radio show on Husker Sports Network (h/t On3.com's Sean Callahan). "And do not call it a spring game because I do not expect it to be a game. I don't know what it's going to be just yet. Really, that's going to be Matt [Rhule's] call."

"I expect something that's not going to be televised, but something that will be a celebration of our athletes and get to see some skills and see what they got, and go from there," he added.

The Huskers are coming off a 2024 campaign in which they finished with a 7-5 record and defeated Boston College in the Pinstripe Bowl.

They started the year by winning five of their first six games, but they faltered down the stretch of the season. Before Nebraska's bowl victory, the team had dropped five of its prior six contests.

As the Huskers attempt to take another step forward in 2025, Rhule doesn't want to risk other schools trying to land his players in the transfer portal following another spring game.

HEIGHT: 6'0"

WEIGHT: 213

HAND: 9"

ARM: 33⅜"

WINGSPAN: 79½"

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POSITIVES

— Ultra competitor with good length and filled-out frame.

— Shows ball skills to read and react to the quarterback. Plays with instincts and vision in coverage.

— Physical defender who isn't afraid to get in the mix. Wrap tackler who often drags down ball-carriers for minimal extra yards.

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NEGATIVES

— Inconsistent in the run game. Willing tackler but drops his head at times, which limits his tackling security. Can also get walled off at times on the edge, struggling to defeat blocks.

— Lacks twitch and burst out of breaks. Slow to close his cushions and hasn't shown to be overly sticky in coverage.

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NOTES

— Born March 21, 2002

— 19 career starts

— 4-star recruit in the 2021 class, per 247Sports

— 2024: Battled a foot injury throughout the season

— 2023: Honorable Mention All-Big Ten

— Senior Bowl invite

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OVERALL

Tommi Hill is a physical and instinctual cornerback whose 2024 season was hampered by a lingering foot injury.

Standing at 6'0" and 210 pounds, Hill has a filled-out frame and the competitive mindset to compete in the NFL. He showed flashes of his potential in previous seasons, but his 2024 performance raised questions about his consistency, explosiveness and overall competitiveness, likely due to his injury.

Hill is an active and willing tackler who embraces physicality in the run game. He demonstrates the ability to wrap up ball-carriers and limit extra yards, often dragging them down with solid technique. However, his consistency in the run game is a concern.

Hill occasionally drops his head on tackles, which reduces his security, and he struggles to shed blocks against stronger or more technically sound opponents. His ability to maintain outside leverage is inconsistent, as he can get walled off at times when taking on blockers.

Hill's ball skills and instincts stand out when he's reading the quarterback in zone coverage. He does a good job reacting to passes and making plays on the ball. However, his coverage has been plagued by a lack of twitch and burst, especially when closing his cushion or breaking on the ball.

In man coverage, Hill struggles to stay sticky with receivers, particularly on sharp routes or quick-breaking patterns. The foot injury he battled in 2024 appeared to sap some of his fluidity and competitiveness, which were strengths of his in prior seasons. His performance in press coverage and ability to react to double moves was also inconsistent, raising concerns about his ability to match up with quicker NFL receivers.

Hill projects as a late-round draft pick or priority undrafted free agent who will need to prove himself as a backup cornerback and special teams contributor early in his NFL career. While his size, physicality and ball skills offer intriguing potential, his lack of twitch and concerns about his run defense make him a developmental prospect.

If Hill regains his prior explosiveness and competitiveness, he could carve out a role in specific defensive schemes that prioritize zone coverage and physicality.

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GRADE: 5.9 (Backup/Draftable— 6th-7th Round)

OVERALL RANK: 232

POSITION RANK: CB27

PRO COMPARISON: Myles Bryant

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Cory Giddings

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Prospect workout numbers, measurables (40-yard dash, hand size, etc.) and 2024 statistics will be added at a later date.

Jack Hoffman, who helped inspire millions of dollars of donations to aid pediatric brain cancer research as a seven-year-old Nebraska fan who ran for a touchdown in the 2013 spring game, died Wednesday at the age of 19.

ESPN's Elizabeth Merrill reported he was first diagnosed with a cancerous glioma 14 years ago at the age of five.

Jack Hoffman embodied what it means to be a Husker every day through his courage, fight, and inspiration.

We are heartbroken by his loss and send all our love to the Hoffman family. pic.twitter.com/dBbmwPEEBC

— Nebraska Huskers (@Huskers) January 15, 2025

He was a massive Cornhuskers fan and became friends with his favorite player, Rex Burkhead, after his family reached out to the school. Nebraska also put Jack in for a play during that 2013 spring game, and he ran for a 69-yard touchdown in front of a raucous crowd.

Hoffman won an ESPY for that run and met President Barack Obama. What's more, his father Andy Hoffman—who found a doctor in Boston who extracted more than 90 percent of Jack's tumor when he was a child—then launched the Team Jack Foundation.

According to Merrill, the Team Jack Foundation has raised more than $14 million in the aftermath of Hoffman's appearance at the 2013 spring game with the money benefitting pediatric brain cancer research.

Andy Hoffman died in 2021 less than a year after he was diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme, which is an aggressive brain cancer.

As for Jack, he eventually played high school football despite his diagnosis and started his freshman year at the University of Nebraska's pre-law program this past fall. He earned a spot on the dean's list in the past semester.

However, he underwent a tumor resection surgery in summer 2024 after brain scans revealed tumor progression. He also underwent 30 radiation treatments prior to starting at Nebraska.

"Jack was widely admired across Nebraska and beyond for his courageous spirit and dedication to raising awareness about childhood cancer through the Team Jack Foundation," the school's statement read. "We extend our heartfelt condolences to Jack's family, friends and all those whose lives he touched. His connection to the UNK community was meaningful, and his impact will not be forgotten. We are grateful for the time he shared with us."

The Nebraska Cornhuskers concluded their 2024 season in impressive fashion Saturday, beating the Boston College Eagles 20-15 in the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York.

Playing in their first bowl game since 2016, the Huskers secured their first winning record since that same season and won a bowl game for the first time since 2015.

In Matt Rhule's second season as head coach, Nebraska finished 7-6, providing fans with plenty of reason for optimism in 2025 and beyond.

The biggest factor in Nebraska's progression will likely be quarterback Dylan Raiola, who finished with 224 yards, one touchdown and one interception on 22-of-30 passing in Saturday's victory.

Raiola had plenty of ups and downs during his true freshman season, but 247Sports' No. 2 quarterback in the 2024 recruiting class made history Saturday, surpassing Adrian Martinez for the most passing yards in a season by a freshman in Nebraska football history:

HISTORY. Dylan Raiola is now the record holder at Nebraska for most passing yards in a season by a freshman QB. ‼️🌽

He surpasses the mark of 2,617 set by Adrian Martinez in 2018. pic.twitter.com/5TJ0nd8mqe

— Blackshirts (@blvckshirts) December 28, 2024

In addition to surpassing the previous record of 2,617 yards, Raiola threw 13 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions on the year.

Although Raiola clearly has to make some improvements in his game to reach the next level, plenty of fans expressed their belief Saturday on social media that Raiola has the chance to be a special player in the future:

Raiola from Nebraska is going to be a great QB for them

— Carl with a C (@donkinmonez) December 28, 2024

Dylan raiola is special

— Austin Parks (@austin_parks29) December 28, 2024

Agree with Bill O'Brien's assessment of Dylan Raiola. He does have some "Mahomes-type qualities." Obviously a lot of room to grow, but the kid can ball.

— Trevor Hass (@TrevorHass) December 28, 2024

Raiola getting better ngl 😂

— #7thBurg🤩 (@4getit_) December 28, 2024

Dylan Raiola has such an NFL future ahead of him

— Mike 🇺🇸 (@OkBohmer) December 28, 2024

Deep ball accuracy was one of Raiola’s best traits out of HS. Hasn’t been there consistently this year, you hope a full offseason with Holgorsen, Barney, Nelson, Lloyd + additions of Key and Hunter settles him and sees that accuracy return consistently

— Tim Verghese (@TimVerghese) December 28, 2024

I’ve been saying it all season. A freshman Raiola overthrows his receivers this season, but I’ll bet as a Junior those passes won’t be overthrown.

Similarly, I expect our receivers to upgrade over the offseason and see those numbers of drops drop off.

— Kevin McClure (@KevinTMcClure) December 28, 2024

Raiola showed some maturity and veteran leadership in Saturday's contest, which could bode well for next season.

On the opening drive of the game, he was intercepted by Boston College defensive back KP Price, ending a promising foray down the field:

THIS TOE TAP INT 🤯 @BCFootball pic.twitter.com/ggk1dLpoAT

— ACC Network (@accnetwork) December 28, 2024

While it would have been easy to let things snowball, Raiola led touchdown drives on two of Nebraska's next three possessions, plus he threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to running back Emmett Johnson in the third quarter to extend the lead to 20-2.

Although much of the focus during the Pinstripe Bowl was on Raiola, the Cornhuskers proved to be a complete team under Rhule.

Defense was perhaps the biggest factor in Nebraska's victory, as the Eagles turned the ball over once and turned the ball over on downs four times.

Even in defeat, Boston College finished the 2024 campaign 7-6, giving it a second consecutive winning season, and its first under head coach Bill O'Brien.

As for Nebraska, the hope and expectation among fans will be that the Huskers will find a way to parlay the Pinstripe Bowl win into being a legitimate factor in the Big Ten in 2025.

One year after landing a potential cornerstone quarterback, Nebraska has given Dylan Raiola a big-time playmaker at wide receiver for the 2025 season.

Kentucky transfer Dane Key announced on Tuesday he has committed to the Cornhuskers.

Per 247Sports.com, Key is the No. 4 wide receiver and 10th-ranked player overall in the 2025 transfer portal.

Key announced on Dec. 4 he was entering the transfer portal after spending the past three seasons at Kentucky.

The 21-year-old has been a standout member of the Wildcats since he arrived on campus. He has led the team in receiving yards each of the past two seasons, including a career-high 715 yards in 2024.

Key has averaged at least 14.0 yards per reception in all three years at Kentucky. His 15.2 yards per catch in 2024 ranked 10th among all SEC receivers with at least 40 receptions.

ESPN's Billy Tucker praised Key for having a "big frame and great hands" to go along with being a "polished route runner" and an ability to separate from coverage.

Nebraska badly needed to add playmakers to its group of skill position players next season. Raiola, a 5-star recruit and No. 3 quarterback in the 2024 class, flipped a commitment from Georgia to play for the Cornhuskers.

Raiola's first season was a mixed bag with 2,595 passing yards, 12 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 12 games. The offense ranked in the bottom half of the Big Ten in rushing yards per game (130.6). Jahmal Banks led the team in receiving yards with 508.

Building a stronger support system around Raiola should allow him to tap into his full potential. It will also help the Huskers improve their scoring output after ranking 98th in FBS with 23.8 points per game.

Key is a great starting addition for Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule going into 2025. The transfer portal is already producing great results for the program. They currently rank 10th nationally with 10 total commits, per 247Sports.

Nebraska will wrap up the 2024 season against Boston College in the Pinstripe Bowl on Dec. 28. A win would give the Huskers a 7-6 record, marking their first winning season since 2016 (9-4).

Dylan Raiola isn't going anywhere.

The Nebraska quarterback posted that he is "all in" with the Cornhuskers on his Instagram page Monday:

QB Dylan Raiola says 🛑 all them Rumors!

ALL IN! #GBR @RaiolaDylan pic.twitter.com/TEseWfMvXx

— Huskers Talk | 𝙉𝙚𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙨𝙠𝙖 𝙎𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙨 (@HuskersTalk) December 10, 2024

There was some speculation that Raiola would transfer to Miami this offseason and take the place of Cam Ward with the Hurricanes' signal-caller graduating. Yet the Nebraska quarterback put an end to those rumors, which is welcome news for the Big Ten program.

Raiola was the No. 3 overall quarterback in the 2024 recruiting class, per 247Sports' composite rankings, which suggests he has a bright future ahead.

Still, he was inconsistent as a freshman while completing 66.6 percent of his passes for 2,595 yards, 12 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He flashed his potential at times, although he also made a number of critical mistakes that cost his team, including when he threw a combined seven interceptions in four straight losses to Indiana, Ohio State, UCLA and USC.

Yet Raiola didn't throw a pick in either of the final two games against Wisconsin and Iowa.

Nebraska can build on that heading into the 2025 season, and now it doesn't have to worry about the signal-caller leaving before his sophomore campaign.

Former West Virginia and Houston head coach Dana Holgorsen is remaining with the Nebraska Cornhuskers as the team's offensive coordinator.

Nebraska announced Monday it signed Holgorsen to a two-year, $2.4 million contract to officially move into the OC role on head coach Matt Rhule's staff. He initially joined the Cornhuskers in November as an offensive consultant before he called plays as a coordinator for the final three games of the campaign.

"We are excited that Dana Holgorsen has agreed to be our offensive coordinator moving forward," Rhule said. "Dana is one of the elite offensive minds in football, and the progress we made in our final three games provides a glimpse of the potential of our offense under his direction. We look forward to Dana leading our offense into the bowl game and building for the 2025 season."

While Nebraska went just 1-2 in those three games with losses against USC and Iowa, its offense did impress in the Nov. 23 win over Wisconsin.

The Cornhuskers exploded for 44 points as quarterback Dylan Raiola threw for 293 yards, one touchdown and zero interceptions while running back Emmett Johnson ran for 113 yards. Running back Dante Dowdell scored three times on the ground as well.

If that was a hint of what's to come for Nebraska with Holgorsen as its offensive coordinator, perhaps it can return to the program's past standards.

Despite a long history of success in the Big 12 and Big 8, things have mostly been disappointing since switching to the Big Ten prior to the 2011 season. The Cornhuskers have eight losing seasons since the move and have won double-digit games just once.

They also haven't finished with a winning record since 2016.

Rhule was brought in before the 2023 season to change that, and this is a major addition to his staff. After all, Holgorsen was the head coach of West Virginia for eight seasons from 2011 to 2018 and then led Houston for five seasons from 2019 to 2023.

He went 92-69 overall during those 13 years and led his teams to 10 bowl games.

Holgorsen also has plenty of experience as an offensive coordinator for Texas Tech (2005-07), Houston (2008-09) and Oklahoma State (2010). Nebraska's announcement noted those offenses had an average national finish of second in passing, third in total offense and sixth in scoring offense.

There will also be defensive changes for the Cornhuskers, as ESPN's Pete Thamel reported Monday that defensive coordinator Tony White is moving to the same role at Florida State.

The rivalry between Nebraska and Iowa added another chapter on Friday night when Hawkeyes players were snubbed during the pregame coin toss before they earned a 13-10 comeback victory.

When the captains for both teams met at midfield, the Nebraska quartet refused to extend their hands to the Iowa players who were seeking a handshake.

Video taken before disaster...#Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/uCa3MRXGp4

— Curtis Feder (@CurtisFeder_) November 30, 2024

Iowa linebacker Jay Higgins explained after the game that they sensed something was up when Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule walked through the Hawkeyes' pregame warmups.

"Our guys are warming up, doing our pregame and their head coach walked through the warmup," Higgins said. "So we immediately knew what type of game this was."

There was plenty of gamesmanship long before kickoff. The Athletic's Mitch Sherman noted the Cornhuskers arrived at Kinnick Stadium early in the day and were prepared to go through their pregame prayer at the center of the field, but they were blocked from doing so by security.

There will be no meeting on 50 yd line. Odd how this has become a thing. pic.twitter.com/fFnhloycx0

— Damon Benning (@damonbenning) November 29, 2024

Iowa wound up getting the last laugh on Friday after erasing a 10-point deficit by scoring 13 unanswered points in the second half. Drew Stevens hit a 53-yard field goal as time expired to give the Hawkeyes a 13-10 win.

The field goal was set up by Max Llewellyn's strip sack of Dylan Raiola when the Huskers were trying to drive into Iowa territory.

Higgins took advantage of the moment by running up to Rhule, shaking his hand, and saying "good game."

Jay Higgins made sure he got his handshakes after the game. https://t.co/f5zRIqoiy0 pic.twitter.com/Mgqf2TtUXR

— Mitch Fick (@MCFick) November 30, 2024

Friday marked the 55th all-time meeting between Iowa and Nebraska. The Cornhuskers lead the series 30-22-3, but Iowa has dominated the rivalry for most of the past decade.

Since the Cornhuskers joined the Big Ten in 2011, these two teams have played 14 times. Iowa has won 10 of those games, including a 9-1 record since 2015.

Iowa improved to 8-4 overall this season and will be headed to a bowl game for the fourth consecutive year. Nebraska fell to 6-6 but will be eligible for a bowl for the first time since 2016.