BREAKING: 2026 QB Dayton Raiola commits to Nebraska
Dayton Raiola, the starting quarterback at powerhouse program Buford (Ga.) High School, has committed to Matt Rhule and the Nebraska football program.
Nebraska landed a commitment from the standout signal caller on Sunday evening. Dayton Raiola is the son of Nebraska legend Dominic Raiola and is the younger brother of starting freshman quarterback DylanRaiola.
The younger Raiola stands 6-foot-1, 210 pounds and is the first commit for Nebraska in the 2026 class.
In his first year as the starter at Buford, where Dylan played his senior season, Dayton Raiola has completed 37 of 64 pass attempts for 564 yards and four touchdowns to three interceptions, adding another touchdown on the ground, leading the Wolves to a 4-1 start to the season.
Dayton Raiola has been a frequent visitor since his brother committed and enrolled at Nebraska in January, visiting for Junior Day, returning multiple times throughout the spring including the spring game, camped in the summer, before returning at the end of July for Nebraska’s Elite Junior Day. The younger Raiola has been spotted on the sidelines of Nebraska’s win over Colorado rocking his brother’s jersey and cheering on the Huskers in the rivalry victory.
The younger Raiola is expected to be a vocal peer recruiter for the Huskers, helping his brother and uncle add talent to the program they grew up rooting for. With Dayton committed, Nebraska could still look to add another quarterback in the 2026 class, as the Huskers have shown interest in multiple 2026 arms, namely four-star Michael Clayton out of Florida and in-state 6-foot-4 gunslinger Jett Thomalla, among others.
It’s a full on family affair at Nebraska with Dayton now committed. His uncle, Donovan, is the offensive line coach, his brother Dylan is the starting quarterback, his sister Taylor is a Graduate Manager of Recruiting.
Unlike his brother, Dayton Raiola is left-handed and has shown to be a little more mobile at times than his brother. He’s in the midst of his first season starting on varsity, playing on a Buford team that doesn’t have as much talent as the team his older brother led to an 11-2 season in 2023. Still he’s helped the Wolves to a 4-1 start, rattling off four straight wins after a season-opening loss.
More analysis on Dayton Raiola
Here is some additional analysis on Dayton Raiola from Inside Nebraska publisher Zack Carpenter, who was on hand to watch the southpaw throw in front of Husker coaches inside Memorial Stadium during Nebraska’s Friday Night Lights camp in mid-June:
“Dayton Raiola, a left-handed quarterback in the Class of 2026, is on his way to a junior season as QB1 at Buford (Ga.) High School. The 5-foot-11, 210-pounder has already led Buford as the starting quarterback for the school’s spring game, which was a culmination of a 10-day spring ball slate allotted by the Georgia High School Association.
“He looked good during that game in early May, and he looked good again during his first time throwing in front of Nebraska QBs coach Glenn Thomas – doing so by throwing routes on air and throwing to his receivers in 1-on-1 drills against corners.
“Dayton was sporting his Husker camp shirt and sporting long white sleeves underneath – opposite Dylan, who was sporting long red sleeves and a red shirt with a big “15” stitched on it. Maybe the long sleeves had something to do with adding a small touch of good-looking aesthetics to it, but he just had the smooth throwing motion that seemingly all top-flight lefty quarterbacks possess.
“It was the classic southpaw windup, delivery, release, follow through. He didn’t drop the ball low, he slung it out fluidly and effortlessly, and he showcased some bullet-style arm strength. From when he took his right hand off the ball to the slight dip and smooth flip out of his left hand, it was all in one motion. In other words, no one will be comparing his throwing motion to Tim Tebow’s release.
“In fact, from purely a windup/throwing motion perspective, it’s much more comparable to Mike Vick, who exploded into NFL superstardom about 40 minutes from Buford’s campus at the now-demolished Georgia Dome. Dayton is not nearly on the same level in terms of arm strength as Vick, who fired in fastballs so hard they made Randy Johnson blush. But in terms of fluidity and rhythm, the throwing motions are similar.
“Another small thing I noticed: Raiola was repping the mental and physical rhythm of looking off safeties during those drills. The quarterbacks, again, were throwing routes on air and against just one defender in the 1v1 drills. Again, something simple and small, but I liked seeing him get in those extra, mini reps-within-the-reps.
“A few minutes after the camp concluded and the players were dismissed, both Dayton and Tony White wrapped up separate conversations with campers and were standing near each other. They both looked at each other, Dayton let out a breath and pointed his head upward as if to say, “What a day, huh? I’m clocking out.”
“White laughed at whatever was said, put his shoulder around Dayton’s neck and brought him in for a mini bear hug. They both laughed before White patted him on the back, they dapped up and walked off the field together. Again, one of those small things. That one felt like a brief moment that’s born from a strong relationship being built behind the scenes.
“Raiola wasn’t perfect at the FNL showcase. He had a few passes thrown off-target – one that was thrown too far inside on what appeared to be a back-shoulder pass attempt up the left sideline and another that was a hair too far in front his receiver on a crosser that allowed the corner to get his hand in for a PBU – and will need to sharpen up.
“Overall, though, you love what you see from a junior-to-be who routinely hit his receivers in stride and in rhythm throughout the night. It was a good sign for a QB who already holds a Nebraska offer along with offers from App State and Charlotte.”
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