Dylan Raiola built a reputation for his ability to make off-platform throws and vary his arm angles. After two seasons at Nebraska, his situation at Oregon is now shaped by intense competition, with Brock Thomas pushing for the backup quarterback role behind Dante Moore.
Brock Thomas Emerges as Real Threat to Dylan Raiola in Oregon QB Competition
Thomas impressed at Oregon’s Pro Day with pinpoint throws to receivers and is expected to seriously challenge Raiola for the QB2 role behind Moore. Raiola may carry the higher long-term upside from a recruiting standpoint, but Thomas will benefit from his experience within the system.
Thomas established himself as the primary backup in the 2025 season before Austin Novosad and Luke Moga departed via the transfer portal. Thomas stepped in for extended snaps against Wisconsin, finishing with 46 passing yards and a touchdown in relief.
Following the Wisconsin win, Oregon head coach Dan Lanning perfectly described the team’s confidence in Thomas.
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“(The fans) should go to our locker room and see them carry Brock Thomas up in the locker room after the game,” Lanning said. “Like, our players see it every day in practice. When has Brock come in and not performed well for us this season? He’s done what we’ve asked him to do every time he’s come in. So people should stop worrying about it. And they should also know that those other quarterbacks are doing a really good job in practice, too.”
Meanwhile, Raiola departed Nebraska as one of the program’s most productive young quarterbacks before his 2025 season was cut short on Nov. 1 due to a broken fibula suffered against USC. In just 9 games, he recorded 2,000 passing yards, 18 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions, while setting a school record with a 72.4% completion rate before the injury.
Raiola practiced with Oregon during its first spring workout, and Lanning is loving the healthy competition in the QB room.
“It’s the same as it is in every room, right?” Lanning said in his first spring press conference. “Guys go out there, competing, making each other better. Every one of these guys cheer for each other’s success … So these guys compete at the highest level, but when they’re out there on the field, they’re hoping for each other’s success because the stronger we are as a team.
“The better we’re gonna be as a team. So, they’ve worked really well together, just like every position we have out there.”
Raiola finished the 2025 season with a 77.1 score in the PFSN College Football QB Impact Metric, ranking No. 90 in the nation. As part of a fresh start at Oregon, he has also changed his jersey number from 15 to 8, the iconic number previously worn by Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota.
