Oregon Ducks' newest transfer portal addition, quarterback Dylan Raiola, showed plenty of flashes during the program's recent Spring Game.
After a successful 2026 Spring Game filled with excitement, Oregon Ducks fans are thrilled about what lies ahead for the program next season and beyond.
While a majority of the attention will be directed towards the defensive performance in the low-scoring affair, there were some flashes from the offense that were promising signs for Ducks’ fans. This included a massive touchdown throw from quarterback Brock Thomas to young wideout Dakorien Moore with less than a minute left in the contest.
However, there was one name on the offensive side of the ball that clearly stood out this past weekend in head coach Dan Lanning’s newest transfer portal addition, quarterback Dylan Raiola.
Recapping Raiola’s First Spring Game With Oregon
Fighting Ducks quarterback Dylan Raiola, left, hands off the ball to Fighting Ducks running back Dierre Hill Jr. during the Oregon Ducks annual spring game on April 25, 2026 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon (Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)Raiola, a former five-star recruit coming out of high school, was one of the most highly anticipated quarterbacks to hit the college football landscape in recent memory. Despite originally committing to both Ohio State and Georgia, the Buford, GA native ultimately decided to continue his career with the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
During his two seasons under head coach Matt Rhule, Raiola recorded 4,819 passing yards, 31 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions, while also completing 69.1 percent of his passing yards. But his run with the Big 10 Conference member officially came to a close following the conclusion of the 2025 college football season, as he would enter the transfer portal and land with the Ducks earlier this year.
Unfortunately for Raiola, his chances of becoming Oregon’s starting quarterback in 2026 quickly plummeted when last year’s starter, Dante Moore, decided to stay an extra year in Eugene instead of declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft. Still, Raiola remained committed to the Ducks, which gives the program a perfect future starting quarterback in 2027 and beyond.
On Saturday, the junior quarterback stood out in his first-ever appearance with the Ducks by completing 7 of his 13 pass attempts for 146 yards. In addition to showing off his capabilities of playing within newly-hired offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer’s system, Raiola found wideout Evan Stewart for a 79-yard touchdown in the first quarter.
There were, however, a few unsuccessful deep shots by the young quarterback throughout the course of the game, which was one of his main issues at Nebraska. Luckily for Raiola, he will now receive the opportunity to learn under a veteran in Moore throughout the 2026 season. This will be the first time in his college career that he is not the starting quarterback, which should help Raiola hit the reset button and prepare for the 2027 season.
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