With Louisville just a week away from its bowl matchup against Toledo, the focus around the program isn’t on game prep-it’s on the Transfer Portal. And for good reason. The Cardinals are facing some serious roster turnover, and the portal window opening in January for a short 13-day stretch gives head coach Jeff Brohm a narrow but critical window to reload.
Right now, the biggest concern among fans is the offensive line. That unit struggled mightily this past season, and it’s no secret the Cards need reinforcements up front if they want to take a step forward in 2026.
But right behind that in the priority queue? Quarterback-again.
Since Brohm took over, Louisville has leaned heavily on the portal to fill its QB1 spot. That trend looks set to continue into year four.
Last season’s experiment with Miller Moss didn’t pan out the way the staff hoped, and now the fanbase is understandably cautious about who comes in next. But there’s a name floating around that’s turning heads: Dylan Raiola.
Raiola, the former 5-star phenom and one-time Nebraska star, has hit the portal-and Louisville is reportedly a program to watch. That’s no small development.
Raiola was ranked the No. 7 overall recruit and the No. 2 quarterback in the 2024 class. He’s not just any transfer; he’s one of the most coveted players available.
In two seasons with the Huskers, Raiola put up solid numbers: 4,819 passing yards, 31 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions with a completion rate of 69.1%. His sophomore campaign in 2025 was a clear step forward-he completed 72.4% of his passes for 2,000 yards and 18 touchdowns, while cutting his interceptions nearly in half from 11 to six. That kind of efficiency doesn’t go unnoticed, especially in a portal cycle where proven quarterbacks are gold.
Now, let’s talk logistics. Brohm recently inked an extension, and with that comes more financial flexibility in the NIL department.
That’s important because landing someone like Raiola won’t come cheap. He’s currently ranked as the No. 2 overall player in the portal and the second-best quarterback, trailing only Cincinnati’s Brendan Sorsby.
If Louisville wants to be in that conversation, they’ll need to make a serious investment.
But here’s where it gets interesting: if the Cards can pull off a move for Raiola, it could have a domino effect. It might help convince key skill players-like standout running back Isaac Brown-to stay put.
It could also make Louisville a more attractive destination for top-tier receivers, especially with Chris Bell moving on. The potential to build a dynamic offense around Raiola is very real-if they can give him the protection he’ll need and the weapons he can trust.
As of now, no other programs have been publicly linked to Raiola, which gives Louisville a potential early edge. But that window won’t stay open for long. The Transfer Portal moves fast, and with just 13 days to make decisions, timing is everything.
So while the bowl game looms, the real action for Louisville might be happening behind the scenes. If Brohm and his staff can land Raiola, it could reshape the trajectory of the program heading into 2026. Stay tuned-this one’s worth watching closely.