Oregon QB Dylan Raiola's future hangs in the balance. With a teammate's gambling scandal, could he follow Patrick Mahomes to Texas Tech?
By January, it was clear the Oregon Ducks had the best quarterback situation in the country for the upcoming season.
Following a 56-22 defeat by Indiana in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Peach Bowl, Oregon quarterback Dante Moore chose to return for another year in college, hoping to improve his skills before making the leap to the NFL.
Moore would have likely been a first-round pick in April's draft.
The Ducks are set to have one of the best quarterback transitions in college football for 2027 after landing former Nebraska starter Dylan Raiola in the transfer portal.
However, there has been chatter floating that Raiola could bolt for Texas Tech before the fall amid questions about the future of Brendan Sorsby. The Red Raiders landed Sorsby from Cincinnati in the transfer portal for approximately $5 million.
Sorsby has taken a leave of absence to seek help for a gambling addiction, and there's a strong possibility the quarterback has played his last snap at the college level.
Austin Perry with OutKick suggested Raiola could try to leave Oregon for Texas Tech to follow in his hero's footsteps, Patrick Mahomes.
"One person who is certainly keeping his eye on the way things are playing out in West Texas is none other than former Nebraska and current Oregon Ducks quarterback Dylan Raiola," Perry wrote.
There is one major problem with this hypothetical: Unlike last year, there is not a transfer portal open after spring football.
With that being said, Raiola could seek a waiver from the NCAA or help from a judge to become a Red Raider.
Perry thinks that's possible.
"If guys can file a preliminary injunction to get a sixth year of eligibility because they had the sniffles their sophomore year, or if G-League players can suit up for Alabama in the middle of the season, then Raiola can certainly find a friendly judge to let him live out his dream of playing real-life Road to Glory mode as Patrick Mahomes," he wrote.
Stranger things have happened in the college football world.
Raiola admitted it was a challenge to embrace his role as a backup this spring. He could be itching for the chance to start for a program that has ambitions of returning to the CFP this season.
While it appears unlikely that Raiola will leave for Lubbock this summer, it's a possibility that can't be ruled out until the quarterback confirms his commitment to the Ducks.