Steven Sipple: Dylan Raiola in spotlight in Honolulu; Dominic Raiola’s loyalty to alma mater shines through; and Joel Klatt on-target
Things I know, and things I think I know: You never know who you might run into at the Sheraton Princess Ka’iulani Hotel in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Monday evening, it was Carter Nelson.
He had just arrived in Honolulu for the Polynesian Bowl all-star game, set for 8 p.m. Friday (NFL Network). A four-star tight end from Ainsworth (Nebraska), Carter said he was headed to dinner with Nebraska coach Matt Rhule and fellow Husker class of 2024 stalwart Dylan Raiola.
Pretty cool, huh?
Rhule, eyeing his second season for Nebraska, was on hand for Monday’s bowl proceedings. He was set to leave Honolulu on Tuesday morning. Meanwhile, Carter missed Monday’s practice because of flight delays. But he’ll be ready to roll as Polynesian Bowl participants practice again Tuesday.
Practice sessions are also scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday before the game Friday.
Sean Callahan and yours truly will have full coverage from The Big Island.
In addition to Raiola and Nelson, Nebraska faithful can check out Husker class of 2024 offensive lineman Preston Taumua, of Waipahu, Hawaii.
The 6-foot-4, 320-pound Taumua was regarded as the top prep player in Hawaii.
Tell me you’re not intrigued.
Raiola, of course, is getting a lot of focus this week. After all, he’s widely regarded as the top quarterback in his recruiting class. And, let’s face it, he’s likely to start for Nebraska in 2024.
No sense in beating around that bush.
Although Raiola drew a No. 1 national ranking at his position by three of the major national services, he was ranked as the No. 4 quarterback in his class by On3.
I’m told that the ranking provides some motivational fuel for the young man.
I’m looking forward to watching him throughout this week. After all, he’s officially a Husker now. I already know he has a strong arm and excellent pocket presence. I know he moves well in the pocket. But the opportunity to see him live, and interview him, should be beneficial.
He’s poised, precocious, and pressure doesn’t seem to be a factor.
Raiola will get to work closely with Nelson this week. That’ll be fun to watch. If all goes as expected in coming years for the three Huskers in the Polynesian Bowl, we’re seeing them in the infant stages of college stardom.
Carter was all smiles Monday evening. Ready to roll.
Former NU coach shares story of elder Raiola’s loyalty
Dominic Raiola’s loyalty to Nebraska, his alma mater, has always been striking to me.
Former Nebraska assistant Tim Albin has experienced it first-hand several times.
Now the head coach of Ohio University, Albin won 10 games this season for the second straight year. Before taking over as head coach for the Bobcats in 2021, he served 16 seasons as an Ohio assistant under Frank Solich.
“When coach Solich was in charge here, we played in Detroit for the MAC championship four times,” recalls Albin, referring to the former Nebraska head coach. “Dom played for the Detroit Lions. Every time we played in Detroit, Dom was on the phone with coach Solich, then me.
“He’d be there for practice the day before the game. We’d be getting off the bus, and there’s Dom.”
Three of Raiola’s seasons at Nebraska (1998 to 2000) occurred during Solich’s time in Lincoln as head coach.
Albin’s first year as a Husker graduate assistant was 2000, Raiola’s final year in the program.
Raiola was in Detroit to support his guys.
It’s just his way. I say it all the time. He loves NU.
Hard to survive in FBS without a collective
Albin faces a cold reality as a Group of 5 coach.
Ohio players often look for bigger opportunities.
“I’ve lost five guys to the Big Ten, two guys to the Big 12, one guy to the ACC, and another guy to a Group of 5 team,” he said Saturday.
How does he combat the issue?
“There’s no combatting it — unless you know somebody who has a lot of money and can get a collective going,” he said.
He said Ohio just recently got a collective up and running. He’s doing all he can to raise money.
Godspeed, my friend.
He sings a familiar refrain among college coaches these days.
“I don’t make the rules,” Albin said. “I just go by them.”
If you can’t take the heat …
I mentioned to Solich the other day that I wouldn’t have the stomach for coaching at the FBS level. It’s too volatile. I’d spend too much time thinking about job security. I’d forever be looking over my shoulder.
“I never did that,” Solich said flatly.
So much goes into the job — there’s so much attention to detail — that’s what you think about, he said.
Makes sense.
Still, easier said than done.
Ryan Day surely hoping Harbaugh moves on to NFL
I’m hearing Jim Harbaugh leaving Michigan for the NFL is far from a done deal. That’s just what I’m hearing. I’ll be shocked if he stays at UM in part because he would have to deal with the various transgressions that threatened to derail the Wolverines’ season.
Harbaugh, 60, was suspended for six of Michigan’s 15 wins, and he could face more punishment in 2024 for those violations.
You know what Ryan Day must be thinking.
“C’mon, Jim, the Chargers have the big-time QB and you’ll love being back in Cally.”
Or something like that.
DeBoer looks like an “A”-level hire for Alabama
Alabama gets a solid “A” for its hire of 49-year-old Kalen DeBoer. His record as a head coach is 104-12. Not bad, right? He was 25-3 in two seasons at Washington, including 16-2 in the Pac-12.
I mostly go by what I saw from Washington in the College Football Playoff. The Huskies were dangerous on offense and although their defense’s ranking of 99th nationally gives one pause, that group did play with obvious physicality.
I know a big-time operation when I see one. DeBoer ran a big-time operation.
He seems to have the maturity and overall coaching acumen to handle following a legend. But you never really know.
Nebraska fans know all too well how difficult that can be for a coach.
Washington could’ve done better with its hire
Meanwhile, Washington gets a “B” for its hire of Jedd Fisch. He benefited from one big season for Arizona — a 10-3 finish this season. He’s a lightly tested head coach.
That’s unlike Lance Leipold, who was a better choice for the Washington job based on the work he’s done as a head coach for Wisconsin-Whitewater, Buffalo, and Kansas. The 59-year-old Leipold was squarely on Washington’s radar. I have zero doubt about that.
The unrelenting power of agent Jimmy Sexton
Note to self: Pay close attention to whatever Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt says about the Michigan job or any other job. He nailed DeBoer-to-Alabama, noting super-agent Jimmy Sexton’s influence on the proceedings.
Sexton represents DeBoer, Dan Lanning, Steve Sarkisian, Mike Norvell, Dabo Swinney, and James Franklin.
No wonder Alabama A.D. Greg Byrne didn’t use a search firm.
He could just call Sexton.
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