Dana Holgorsen’s New Era at Nebraska: Abandoning the Air Raid for Dylan Raiola
When Dana Holgorsen took the job as Nebraska’s offensive coordinator, many assumed he would bring his signature Air Raid offense with him. After all, Holgorsen built his career on high-flying, pass-heavy schemes that shredded defenses from Houston to West Virginia. But in his first media session alongside five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola, Holgorsen made one thing clear: “I’m not interested in my old Air Raid.”
The statement sent shockwaves through college football. Was Holgorsen truly abandoning the offensive philosophy that defined him? Or was this just a strategic shift tailored to Raiola’s skill set?
Raiola, Nebraska’s prized recruit, isn’t your typical Air Raid gunslinger. At 6’3″, 230 pounds, he’s a physically dominant quarterback with a cannon arm but also the ability to operate under center and make NFL-level reads. Holgorsen seems intent on shaping his offense around Raiola rather than forcing the quarterback into a rigid system.
“We’re going to run the football. We’re going to be physical. We’re going to take deep shots when they’re there, but we’re not throwing it 60 times a game,” Holgorsen said. “That’s not what wins in the Big Ten.”
For Nebraska fans, this marks a philosophical shift from past experiments with spread offenses that struggled against the conference’s physical defenses. The Huskers haven’t had a true offensive identity since the Tom Osborne era, bouncing from power football to spread attacks with little success. Holgorsen’s comments suggest a hybrid approach—blending his passing concepts with a commitment to the run game.
Some skeptics argue that Holgorsen’s words are just coach-speak. “You don’t spend decades mastering the Air Raid and just throw it away,” said one anonymous Big Ten assistant. “He might not call it Air Raid, but the DNA is still there.”
But others see this as a calculated move to redefine both Holgorsen’s coaching trajectory and Nebraska’s future. If Holgorsen truly reinvents himself and maximizes Raiola’s potential, the Huskers could finally be on the path back to national relevance.
For now, one thing is certain—Holgorsen is leaving the past behind. The Air Raid era is over in Lincoln. What comes next could define Nebraska football for years to come.
