Five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola decommits from Ohio State
COLUMBUS — Ohio State had seemingly gained momentum on the recruiting trail in recent days but suffered a major blow Saturday: Dylan Raiola has decommitted from the Buckeyes.
The 2024 five-star Chandler (Ariz.) quarterback announced his decision across all of his social platforms including Twitter.
Raiola, the country’s top-rated 2024 prospect and five-star plus prospect, committed to Ohio State on May 9, 2022, in a decision that wasn’t surprising but wasn’t expected.
He visited Ohio State multiple times in the spring including the Buckeyes’ spring game where he ultimately told coach Ryan Day and quarterbacks coach Corey Dennis he was committing to them.
“Ohio State is the best program for me to be successful. They are very transparent. The coaches are going to take care of me. The brotherhood is tight. The academics there are great. Everyone is strong there and for one another,” Raiola told On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons after he committed.
Raiola’s decision lined up with the history that Day has developed as a recruiter ever since he arrived in Columbus. Ohio State has signed an impressive number of quarterback talent in the Day-era including: C.J. Stroud, Justin Fields, Kyle McCord, Devin Brown, Quinn Ewers, Jack Miller and Matthew Baldwin.
Raiola was next in line to take up the mantle of being the face of the Buckeyes’ high-octane offense, but the 2024 quarterback has withdrawn that thought. At least for the moment.
His decision to decommit comes at an interesting intersection. Ohio State just flipped 2023 four-star quarterback Lincoln Kienholz from Washington. The Buckeyes’ 2024 class just added a major piece with five-star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith.
Ohio State also has one of the country’s best offensive linemen, Ian Moore, in the 2024 class and one of the best Ohio prospects in linebacker Garrett Stover.
The Buckeyes will continue to be a school for Raiola, but expect Nebraska to now become a major contender for his pledge.
Nebraska hired Matt Rhule as its new head coach and he’s certainly a program-builder with success at Temple and Baylor. Raiola is a Nebraska legacy as his father, Dominic, was a Rimington award winner with the Cornhuskers. Raiola’s uncle, Donovan, was retained by Rhule as the offensive line coach at Nebraska.
Things were beginning to look up for Ohio State and now it’s back down to earth.
Dylan Raiola is out of the Buckeyes 2024 class.
