Dylan Raiola mimics Patrick Mahomes for good. From his looks to now his playing style, Raiola is becoming the new Mahomes in CFB. Well, it might seem premature to say this just after his debut game. But hey, now Mahomes himself is calling him “little cousin”, showing some love for the Cornhuskers QB.

This Saturday, Raiola and his team gave fans a treat with their explosive offense line. They secured a massive 40-7 win against UTEP with that. Plus, the team’s new starting signal caller Raiola threw for 238 yards and scored two touchdowns. And one of those TD moments caught Patrick Mahomes’ attention—he reposted it with the caption “Lil cuzzo” and added an ‘arm flex’ and ‘direct hit’ emoji to highlight Raiola’s perfect play.

Well, the play was indeed an absolute stunner! Dylan Raiola went for a 59-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Isaiah Neyor, and it quickly went viral, especially with Mahomes’ reaction added to it. Even Raiola reposted it on his Instagram story, jokingly writing, “Learned behavior”, with a laughing emoji. And to be fair, Raiola did pull off a side-arm throw very similar to Mahomes’.

Ever since Raiola joined the Nebraska Cornhuskers, the spotlight has been on him for all the right reasons. First, as a coveted 5-star recruit, he became one of the highest-rated players ever signed by Matt Rhule. Second, for his striking resemblance to the Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback. From his beard to his curly hair, he just looked like Mahomes after all. 

Well, this Mahomes doppelgänger has been creating a buzz on the internet since July. 

Dylan Raiola and Patrick Mahomes bromance

There was some real buzz online when a new photo of Dylan Raiola surfaced in late July. Taken during the team’s fall camp, Raiola was seen in a white T-shirt, sporting Mahomes’ signature shades, and his resemblance to the NFL star was uncanny. It even caught the eye of NFL WR Tyreek Hill, who reposted the Cornhuskers QB’s photo, saying, “Boy ain’t no way”, and tagging Patrick Mahomes.

When Mahomes saw it, he joined in the fun, writing, “That’s my lil cuzzo”. Well, imagine having your idol give you a shoutout! And Raiola was sure on cloud nine as he responded, “That’s real love, my guys”, showing his appreciation to the MVP.

Now, it’s not just a coincidence that Raiola wears jersey number 15, just like Mahomes. His coach, Matt Rhule, once mentioned, “He [Dylan] wears the No. 15, and he patterns a lot of his game after Patrick Mahomes.” It seems like Raiola has been learning a thing or two from watching his idol closely. And he even gave a glimpse of it in today’s match. With a massive 40-7 win over UTEP, Raiola helped the Cornhuskers secure their first season opener win since 2019. But it’s just UTEP after all. We’ll have to wait and see if this kid is truly a Mahomes in the making!