Entering the college football offseason, Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks knew that they needed to make a move at the quarterback position.
Dante Moore, the team’s star quarterback this season, is widely expected to take his talents to the 2026 NFL Draft. Most projections have him landing with the New York Jets as the No. 2 overall pick in the draft.
There is a chance Moore could forego the draft and come back to Eugene for one more run. However, Lanning and company needed to act quickly to bring in a potential replacement. That is exactly what they did on Monday.
According to a report from ESPN college football insider Pete Thamel, Nebraska transfer quarterback Dylan Raiola has officially decided to commit to Oregon.
“Dylan Raiola announces commitment to Oregon,” Thamel wrote on X. “Of Dante Moore returns, he’d back him up in 2026 and take over as starter in 2027.”
Shortly after the news broke that Raiola was going to sign with the Ducks, Lanning took to social media to share a no words reaction to the move.
Who Is Dylan Raiola & What Are the Oregon Ducks Getting?
Raiola has gone viral on multiple occasions for his similarities to Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. However, the reality of the situation that he has yet to prove he can be an elite college quarterback.
Throughout his first two seasons with the Cornhuskers, Raiola threw for 4,819 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions, while completing 69.1 percent of his passes.
As a recruit in the 2024 class, Raiola was rated a five-star prospect by 247 Sports. He was also given the ranking of the No. 2 quarterback in the class and the No. 7 overall player in the nation. That led to him having a lot of hype entering his college career.
With the amount of hype that surrounded him, Raiola has not lived up to it. He has shown flashes of potential, but those flashes have failed to turn into consistency.
This move could prove to be a big win for Oregon. Raiola could turn into a star under Lanning and the Ducks’ coaching staff. Or, he could simply be a frustrating miss.
No one knows at this point in time, but the raw talent is there for Raiola to develop into something special, which led to Oregon taking a chance on him.
Oregon Fans Have Every Reason to Trust in Dan Lanning
Since taking over as the head coach of the Ducks back in 2022, Lanning has led the program to an impressive 48-8 record.
Oregon is in a great situation both now and for the future. There is a feeling that Lanning will be leading the charge for the Ducks for a long time. He has continually put the team in a position to win a national championship.
If he believes that Raiola is worth investing in, Oregon fans should have faith.
There has been a negative reaction on social media to the Ducks landing Raiola. He has yet to show the star potential that made him a five-star recruit. However, Lanning clearly believes in his talent and if there’s a coach who can get Raiola to his ceiling it would be Oregon’s lead man.
Dan Lanning Has No Words for Oregon Landing Dylan Raiola