It’s a quintessential summer weekend in Lincoln, Nebraska, but the air vibrates with a different type of energy. Nebraska football fans have much to buzz about as the 2025 season approaches, and much of that energy revolves around head coach Matt Rhule and his superstar quarterback, Dylan Raiola. Rhule, whose reputation has been built as much on his attention to detail as on his unconventional recruiting methods, is welcoming a delegation of high school stars—potential Cornhuskers, perhaps—on an official visit.
The standard itinerary might involve a tour of the stadium, a meet-and-greet with some players, and possibly a barbecue. But Rhule, as always trying to make a difference, had something more outlandish in mind: a live bull, right there for a photo shoot. For those familiar with the state, it’s business as usual—except, naturally, when it goes viral. The recruits, wide-eyed and smiling, stood shoulder to shoulder with the bull, taking selfies and attempting to appear tough. Even Dylan Raiola, star quarterback of the Huskers, got a photo op in, posing for a cool selfie sure to impress any cattle rancher. Even though Raiola was somewhat doubtful about the whole dilemma.
“I was so worried about the bull using the bathroom in the weight room,” says Dylan Raiola during the interview. “Because it was a brand-new weight room. I’m like, coach, we can’t have a bull in here.” The recruits, wide-eyed and smiling, stood in line with the bull, taking selfies and attempting to be tough. But Raiola had his concerns. He’s looked the bull in the eye—its muscles, its horns, its unpredictability. And he knows that in the weight room, conditions are cramped. There is not even room for a group of linemen, much less a giant animal.
“Coach we can’t have a bull in here.”
Dylan Raiola shares more on this photoshoot coach Rhule had this week with a live bull inside the Nebraska facilities. pic.twitter.com/pjs3LG5tYh
— Hail Varsity (@HailVarsity) June 23, 2025
His voice is light, but his words broach the true fear of every football player about his training facility: What if the bull panics? What if it begins toppling over equipment or—even worse—roams into the washroom? Who’s going to clean it? Dylan’s not merely concerned about the trash but also about the safety of his teammates and the integrity of the facility. There were some fans who were enamored with it. “Nebraska brings out a live bull for this OV weekend is next level,” Hayes Fawcett wrote on X, pointing out that Texas A&M had just raised the bar with goats. But here, Nebraska took it one step further—larger, beefier, and, well, more Nebraskan.
Others, however, weren’t as amused. “Doing anything but winning,” cracked one Instagram user, capturing a sentiment that’s been percolating among some Husker loyalists. There was even speculation about whether the bull was young or old, whether corn stalks should have been added, and whether this was all just an attempt to be more like Texas, home of the iconic Bevo, the Longhorns’ live mascot. Even one of the fans cracked, “Bevo declares war,” as if the Longhorns would be offended by Nebraska’s cow ambitions. But beneath the jokes and the needles, there was something wonderfully endearing about it all.
How Dylan Raiola wins over recruits
Dylan Raiola’s position as Nebraska’s top quarterback has never been about anything more than throwing touchdowns. Now, he’s taking on the role of the Huskers’ de facto recruiting ambassador, and in all seriousness, he’s sort of killing it. Having flipped his commitment from Georgia to Nebraska, he sparked a buzz and a boost in recruiting class rankings.
Raiola’s now on a mission to continue the momentum. It’s been a major recruiting weekend, and rather than simply shaking hands and taking pictures, Raiola’s right in the middle of it. He’s belting out “Happy Birthday” to a high-level offensive tackle recruit, Javieon Cooper, as he’s performing a cake in a black-and-white server’s uniform.
That’s the kind of real, down-to-earth enthusiasm that gets recruits and their families to feel comfortable. Raiola’s not selling a program—he’s making relationships, demonstrating that Nebraska is not only family and fun but also football. There is, however, more to it than cake and parties. Raiola is aware of how much is at stake.
Nebraska’s 2026 recruiting class is ranked in the 70s with only a few commits. And with so much churn from the transfer portal, the pressure is on to get new talent. He understands what it is like to be pursued by major programs, and he’s applying that understanding to make each recruit feel special. It might be a birthday cake, a letter, or simply a sincere conversation.
The post ‘I Was So Worried’: Dylan Raiola Confesses Scare Over Matt Rhule’s Unthinkable Nebraska Move appeared first on EssentiallySports.