Matt Rhule plans no training wheels for Dylan Raiola

Nebraska coach Matt Rhule got a request, last week, from his new starting quarterback to break curfew.

Dylan Raiola was still in the Osborne Legacy Complex, working on his craft. Another time, Rhule said, he went into NU’s new football building to get in an “old man workout.” Raiola was already there on an exercise bike.

The five-star signee will be the second true freshman quarterback to start a season opener at Nebraska.

Rhule said Monday he has no plans to put training wheels on Raiola, who will be coached through whatever mistakes he makes.

“We’re not going to ease into it,” Rhule said at his regular Monday press conference. “We’re going to play … Dylan’s going to play. He’s going to play the plays. When we call dropback (passes), he’s going to go back there, take his drop, work his progression. How we want him to play as a junior, we’re going to start Day 1 that way.”

Rhule said “it’s a good thing” that he feels that way. He wouldn’t speculate if some other quarterback on NU’s roster would prompt that.

Raiola officially won the job Aug. 21. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound son of former Husker All-American center Dominic Raiola is likely to speak Tuesday to the media. He beat out Heinrich Haarberg and Danny Kaelin for the starting job and comes to NU with the reputation of making hard throws look easy.

And Rhule said Raiola understands, thanks to his dad, how to work for the starting job, too. Various coaches have told stories of Raiola’s willingness to put in long hours in pursuit of the starting job.

Raiola will also need, Rhule said, a level head.

“When you’re the quarterback at the University of Nebraska, you’d better be ready to ride the highs and lows,” Rhule said of Raiola. “Your life better not be what other people think about you…I think he and his family have instilled that in him. And he’s a good teammate. He does what he can with the fellas to help them get ready as well.”

Nebraska’s coaches – offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield will be in the press box while quarterbacks coach Glenn Thomas remains on the field – will coach Raiola through whatever mistakes he might make.

NU wants to improve its pass offense in 2024 after finishing 129th nationally in yards per game.

“We’d like to run it and throw it — not just run it,” Rhule said. “But we want to run the football…we want to play complementary football. We want to win the turnover battle, we want to be physical, we want to have a culture of execution.”

* Four running backs — Emmett Johnson, Rahmir Johnson, Gabe Ervin and Dante Dowdell — will play in Saturday’s game. Rhule said he believes in all four, though he’d prefer to be more “dialed in” to a top two at the position relatively soon. 

* Offensive linemen Gunnar Gottula (ankle) and Henry Lutovsky are likely a week away from playing. The same is true for corner Blye Hill, who is still recovering from a knee injury. Hill appeared on the season-opening depth chart.

* UTEP coach Scotty Walden — at 34, the second-youngest in FBS — will call an aggressive game.

“Sometimes you play people and it’s like ‘hey, you know, let’s play it close to the vest,'” Rhule said. “These guys? They’re coming to win.”

The Miners will run a defense similar to NU defensive coordinator Tony White’s system and on offense, move with quick tempo while mixing both quick passes and deep throws. 

* Nebraska receivers Jahmal Banks and Isaiah Neyor have brought “a sense of professionalism” to their room. Banks, a transfer from Wake Forest, has been “the most amazing addition” in terms of his willingness to impact NU’s culture and his pursuit of nonprofit and charity work in Lincoln. 

* Redshirt freshman Rahmir Stewart did not make Nebraska’s initial 120-man roster list to start training camp, but he’s now a backup safety on the depth chart. Rhule said as long as Stewart stays at 205 pounds, he’s an effective safety.