The Nebraska Cornhuskers secured an impressive Week 11 win over UCLA, largely thanks to freshman quarterback T.J. Lateef, who stepped into the starting job after Dylan Raiola suffered a season-ending injury in Week 10.
Lateef’s strong performance sparked some speculation about a potential quarterback controversy in Lincoln, but a former Nebraska star quickly shut those rumors down.
Former Nebraska Star Dismisses QB Controversy Despite TJ Lateef’s Strong Performance
After their Week 10 loss to USC, things looked bleak for the Cornhuskers. The defeat marked their third loss of the season, and Raiola suffered a season-ending injury during the game.
However, Nebraska fans quickly found reason for optimism following Lateef’s performance against UCLA. He completed 13 of 15 passes for 205 yards and three touchdowns, ranking seventh among all college quarterbacks in Week 11 according to PFSN’s CFB QBi metric, and earning PFSN’s Freshman of the Week honors.
With Lateef’s strong debut, some have speculated that Nebraska might consider him as the starter in 2026 over Raiola. However, former Cornhuskers linebacker and “Bussin’ With the Boys” host Will Compton shut down that talk.
Compton explained that while Lateef played well, the UCLA game is a limited sample. He added that if it becomes an issue, he’ll address it, but for now, there’s no reason to start a quarterback controversy between Lateef and Raiola.
“If I feel like there’s something there, you will hear me speak on it,” Compton said. “But right now, there is nothing there with TJ Lateef and being the future quarterback of Nebraska. This is one football game, and he’s a baller, but again, this is not a big enough sample size.”
Compton later added, “If that becomes an issue, that’s when Will Compton will speak on it. Right now, it’s a non-issue.”
Compton is right to shut down the speculation. As impressive as Lateef was against the Bruins, Raiola has more than earned the right to remain Nebraska’s starter in 2026. After a strong true freshman campaign in 2024, Raiola had been playing well in 2025 before his injury.
Raiola ranks 78th this season in PFSN’s CFB QBi metric. While it’s not a spectacular ranking, he was a key reason Nebraska got off to a 6-2 start and has made several standout plays throughout the year.
Lateef is well-positioned to take over as Nebraska’s quarterback in 2027, as Raiola will likely declare for the NFL Draft after the 2026 season.
Unless Lateef considers entering the transfer portal this offseason, which is highly unlikely, there’s no reason to replace Raiola with him now. The good news for Nebraska fans is that, given how well Lateef played, the Cornhuskers should be set at quarterback for the foreseeable future.
