Are Dylan Raiola, Dominic Raiola related? What to know of former Lion’s son and Nebraska’s QB

With Michigan football not taking on Fresno State until 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Wolverine fans might bounce around other Big Ten games going on in Week 1 to fill up time before kickoff.

And if they turn into the Nebraska vs. UTEP game specifically in the 3:30 p.m. ET window, Michigan — and Detroit Lions — fans may hear a familiar name come across their television speaker.

Saturday’s game marks the first collegiate start for Cornhuskers’ freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola. Last name sound familiar?

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Here’s what you need to know about whether the Nebraska quarterback is related to Dominic Raiola, a look back at the latter’s NFL career and more:

Is Dylan Raiola related to Dominic Raiola?

Yes; as noted on his Nebraska player bio, Dylan Raiola is related to Dominic Raiola. He is the second oldest child and oldest son to Dominic Raiola, who played at Nebraska and helped the Cornhuskers to the 1997 and 2000 national championship titles before going on to having a career with the Lions in the NFL.

Is Dylan Raiola related to Donovan Raiola?

Yes; as noted by ESPN, Dylan Raiola is related to Donovan Raiola. He is the nephew of Donovan Raiola, who is entering his third season as Nebraska’s offensive line coach. Prior to joining the Cornhuskers coaching staff in 2022, when Scott Frost was then the head coach at Nebraska, Donovan Raiola spent four seasons in the NFL working for the Chicago Bears as assistant offensive line coach.

Who did Dominic Raiola play for in the NFL?

Dominic Raiola played the entirety of his 11 seasons in the NFL with the Lions. He was drafted by the Lions in the second round (50th overall) in the 2001 NFL Draft.

In his time in Detroit, Raiola was an iron man for the Lions as he started every single game that he appeared in from 2002 through 2014. He helped the Lions to two playoff appearances in 11 seasons, both of which resulted in a loss in the wild-card round of the NFL playoffs in 2011 and 2014.

Dylan Raiola flips from Georgia to Nebraska

The five-star recruit was not a Nebraska commit from the jump — perhaps a real look into the ever so changing landscape of college athletics where NIL packages and starting time opportunities are changing recruiting.

He committed to the Cornhuskers on Dec. 18 of last year, flipping his commitment from his hometown team, SEC powerhouse Georgia. In terms of why Dylan Raiola flipped his commitment from the Bulldogs to the Cornhuskers, he told ESPN’s Pete Thamel that Big Red runs deep in his skin and blood.

“I firmly believe that Nebraska is in my blood,” Dylan Raiola told ESPN. “It’s a great opportunity to be part of something bigger than myself. Nebraska is a special place.”

He added: “I believe from my dad being there, I understand the history of the program. I also understand my family legacy there and the fan base and aspirations. I strongly believe in the vision and culture that Coach Rhule has established with his staff.”

Per ESPN, he is Nebraska’s highest-ranked high school recruit since ESPN began tracking rankings in 2006.

The flip from Georgia to Nebraska was the first time that Dylan Raiola re-opened his recruitment. In December 2022, Dylan Raiola de-committed from Ohio State to then commit to Georgia in May 2023. He backed off his commitment to Georgia shortly after Carson Beck announced he was returning for his fifth season, and second as the Bulldogs starting quarterback.

Dylan Raiola 247Sports rankings

Dylan Raiola was listed as a consensus five-star recruit and the No. 7 nationally ranked prospect in the 2023 recruiting class according to his 247Sports Composite ranking page. He was also the No. 2 quarterback in his recruiting class, behind Florida freshman quarterback DJ Lagway.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Are Dylan Raiola, Dominic Raiola related? What to know