It’s typically the job of a journalist and media member to remain unbiased and objective regarding the sport that they cover, and ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit usually tries hard to keep up those appearances, even refusing to make a prediction on the games that he is calling. But it seems like he crossed the line in a pretty major way this week.
During an interview with Rivals.com on national signing day this week, Dominic Raiola, the father of five-star 2024 quarterback prospect Dylan Raiola, revealed that Kirk Herbstreit actually played a big role in persuading Dylan Raiola to flip his commitment from Georgia to Nebraska late in the recruiting cycle.
“When this was happening, I’ll bring up one guy’s name, his name is Kirk Herbstreit,” Dominic Raiola said during an interview with Rivals’ Adam Gorney. “When he saw the smoke about Dylan entertaining Nebraska, he was like call me, he was like ‘Dude if this is true, he’s gotta do it.’ His affinity for Nebraska, for a guy like that to tell me and get behind me, you know I knew he needed to do it, but I wasn’t going to sit here and say you need to go change that place or be a part of the change of that place. So when Kirk told me that, you know I was like man, I had other coaches reach and say the place is special and coach Rhule is a special leader.”
Obviously, it’s quite a shocking scandal for an ESPN analyst who claims to be objective about the sport to directly impact college football recruiting like this, and it led to a lot of reactions on social media as a result.
🔴NSD LIVE🔴@AdamGorney checks in with Dylan Raiola's father, Dominic, to discuss his son's flip from Georgia to Nebraska and how he envisions his future with the Huskers👇
🗞️: https://t.co/W2RZy5aoON pic.twitter.com/M37LnAMLkw
— Rivals (@Rivals) February 7, 2024
If this is true, this is highly unethical https://t.co/hH5YPD4Qw0
— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) February 7, 2024
I’m sure, if that’s what happened, Kirk had good intentions. But he won’t even pick games on TV when he’s calling then because he says it’s unethical. Someone of his stature putting his thumb on the scale in a recruiting battle for a five star is a major no-no
— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) February 7, 2024
Well that’s interesting https://t.co/yxIliOeo9f
— Graham Coffey (@GrahamCoffeyDC) February 7, 2024
Kirk Herbstreit is really feeling himself these days, huh? Between his crusade to influence the selection of the CFP playoff field & now the clandestine influencing of the recruitment of high profile players, the man isn’t even bothering with the pretense of objectivity anymore. https://t.co/CZiVo9qyyC
— GloryUGA (@glory_uga) February 7, 2024
https://t.co/WbvxtP84mg pic.twitter.com/iYZGpEQduk
— Gus (@WashedUpTweeter) February 7, 2024
Paul Finebaum on Dominic Raiola allegations: ‘This is a really bad look for [Kirk] Herbstreit.’ https://t.co/eeGMU2I3C9 pic.twitter.com/AfHOVkzOBO
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 8, 2024
No sour grapes or anything, but is it not a little concerning that one of the biggest media names in college football has been lobbying multiple issues/agendas in the last few months?? https://t.co/YXUyz8oDs2
— Clay Wells (@claybwells10) February 7, 2024
It’s safe to say that people were not happy with Herbstreit.
[Rivals]
