Nebraska coaches adapt to weather; younger Raiola throws

Water stations, tackling dummies, cones and passing nets all laid untouched on the Memorial Stadium turf for two-plus hours as a string of thunderstorms swept through Lincoln and forced the Friday Night Lights camp inside.

With all the indoor stations manned by Nebraska coaches and staffers wearing neon green shirts, this year’s Friday Night Lights camp mirrored the rest of the camps Nebraska hosted this month. The sheer number of campers packed into Hawks Championship Center was hardly typical, though.

With campers forced indoors, dozens of campers had to wait their turn in the end zone while others cycled through stations that included standing broad jumps, 40-yard dashes and three-cone drills.

With Memorial Stadium out of the picture for the time being, space — and instruction — was limited. NU staffers quickly sprang into action, finding alternate accommodations that would allow the camp to continue. Breaking into three groups solved the problem, with offensive and defensive linemen heading into NU’s strength center.

Quarterbacks, wide receivers and defensive backs remained inside the Hawks Championship Center for the time being, while the rest of the campers — and their parents — braved the rain by heading to the Cook Pavilion for their instruction.

After the skies had cleared, campers finally moved inside Memorial Stadium for the final 45 minutes of the evening. The wide receiver-defensive back drills on NU’s home field resembled the intense competition usually present in Friday Night Lights camps of the past. This year’s event was not officially opened to the public, and it also featured fewer of the notable out-of-state participants that had traveled to Lincoln in years past.

One major exception to that change was 2026 quarterback recruit Dayton Raiola. His older brother, Dylan Raiola, turned heads when he made an appearance at one of NU’s Friday Night Lights camps in 2021.

NU coaches looked on as the younger Raiola stood out above many other quarterbacks with the accuracy of his throws. Dayton Raiola attended Nebraska’s home game against Illinois in October and already holds an NU scholarship offer.

Even amidst the weather-related chaos, Nebraska coaches still ran the campers through the planned drills. Special teams coordinator Ed Foley gathered the whole group together early in the night, offering advice on how they should approach the camp.

“You’re here to work!” Foley instructed the campers. “You’ve gotta compete and go hard, but we’re all teammates here.”

The vast majority of the Nebraska football team was also present at the camp. Husker quarterbacks Heinrich Haarberg, Jeff Sims and Jack Woche all led drills with players of their respective position, while tight end Thomas Fidone and punter Brian Buschini took turns throwing passes during coverage drills.

Linebacker MJ Sherman attentively watched a ball-carrier drill and stepped in multiple times to correct form, while cornerback Tommi Hill shared a smile with a camper after catching him cutting a corner on a speed drill.

Several campers took selfies with NU players after the event ended, with Sims and freshman wide receiver Malachi Coleman both fielding several requests. A limited number of coaches from Midland, Peru State and Wyoming were also at the event, including Wyoming head coach Craig Bohl, a Lincoln native.

The final two Matt Rhule ootball camps of the summer, youth camps for third-eighth graders, will be held on Monday and Tuesday.