Dylan Raiola, as a freshman in 2024, came on the hype comparable to a mountain. A five-star quarterback of his class, he was ranked 3rd in his position. Naturally, he would have had everything in his mind, but not the QB1 spot, just in the first season. However, as things transpired. Raiola became the QB1 and delivered a performance that took the Cornhuskers to their first winning season since 2016. In his true freshman year, the player surpassed all superlatives as he delivered close to 3,000 passing yards with 11 touchdowns. There was a strange buzz in the air that Nebraska hadn’t had for quite some time now.

As with the quarterbacks, Dylan Raiola became the Cornhuskers’ hero as comparisons started coming in. Linking him to Patrick Mahomes. Several things boosted the comparisons. Be it Raiola’s hairstyle, his sunglasses, or the mannerism with which he moved inside the pocket. Everything in Raiola seemed to be resembling Mahomes. Then there was the #15 jersey, too. Which added all the buzz to an already mountain of a molehill hype. Raiola broke his silence on the comparisons and said, “I guess if that’s what people want to say. That guy is one of the best, so it’s cool.” Well, Raiola may have been rejoicing with the comparisons, but a stern test awaited him in the upcoming season, as well as in the spring ball.

J.D. PicKell of On3 highlighted the areas in which Dylan Raiola had improved. He also warned about some things that needed to be enhanced if he wanted to be the ‘Patrick Mahomes’ of Nebraska. “Raiola is the big thing I’m watching. Sounds like he’s making some efforts here to transform his body, be more mobile, and be more of a playmaker. But the hope is again for Nebraska offensively; you don’t want Dylan Raiola doing his best Patrick Mahomes with pressure. You want him back there. Catch. See it. Ball out to these wide receivers that they’re really excited about here in Lincoln. I was told this is one of, if not their best, position group on the team.”

Well, there are some areas undoubtedly where Raiola has been working tirelessly. But there was a lot of buzz in the media regarding the player’s weight, which again has a Mahomes comparison. He currently weighs around 230 lbs and stands at 6’3″. Which again looks quite identical to Mahomes, who stands at 6’2″ and weighs around 225 lbs. But, if recent reports are to be believed, Mahomes, too, has gained some pounds in the off-season, just like Raiola. But what exactly is the challenge here for Dylan Raiola to execute?

The major challenge would be to be calmer and more decisive. Which didn’t look to be the case with him in 2024. In that regard, he should learn from the best, i.e., Mahomes, who performs at a level where the throwing window is as short as 2.5 seconds. So, if in that case, you miss it, then there would be havoc raining down on offense by the defenders. Mahomes seems to have learned the craft early on and became the best QB in the NFL. His decision-making and calmness, even in pressured situations, are unworldly. And that’s what Raiola should incorporate from Mahomes’ playbook. Then there is the weight issue, too.

Matt Rhule clarifies his stance on Dylan Raiola

We all know there was all sorts of speculation regarding Raiola’s weight, as he was reported to have gained 15-20 lbs. Then the head coach, Matt Rhule, also talked about the issue. Rhule said that Dylan Raiola “won’t be a great quarterback at 240 lbs.” The statement was dissected piece by piece, and Raiola became a sort of specimen for analysts to test their theory. Cam Newton’s example was cited about the weight, and several other drawbacks were highlighted. But now, in a turn of events, Matt Rhule has again come out with another crucial piece of info. This time probably would be less damaging for Raiola.

In his latest press conference, Rhule emphasized his earlier statement and how he said it was taken out of context. “I thought it was really poor on some people’s parts. If you went back and listened to what I said, I said, ‘[Raiola] knows he can’t be 240lb.’ I didn’t say he ‘was’ 240lb. People ran with that, and it’s something that’s unfortunate. I’m very marked with how I say things. I say things a specific way. All I said was, he knows he can’t be something.”

Well, the statement by Rhule looks like the coach trying to come out of the muddled waters. Considering Rhule’s outspoken nature, it won’t be hard to predict. Earlier also, he raised some major concerns about spring games and tampering. Now, it is Dylan Raiola. Whatever may be the case, Nebraska would want results in the upcoming season. There’s a lot of onus on Dylan Raiola and Matt Rhule as they start their spring practices. Nebraska fans would want to see Raiola’s heroics continue. If that happens, no one will even remember how heavy Raiola weighed and what Rhule said about it.