Dylan Raiola Sends Strong 8-Word Message to Patrick Mahomes Despite Being Warned About Consequences of His Obsession

Sports people are obsessive by nature. Obsessed with honing their craft, obsessed with winning, obsessed with the offshoots and rewards that come about from success. Often obsessed with their role models too. That’s the case with Nebraska QB1, Dylan Raiola. A bonafide star in his own right, but someone in sheer reverence of the great Patrick Mahomes. Reverence that’s accentuated by their uncanny physical resemblance. As his doppelganger prepares to play in his 5th and arguably most important Super Bowl, Raiola extended his wishes.

Dylan Raiola was present at Arrowhead when the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship game. He was in the Chiefs locker room when they won, looking like Mahomes had roped in a twin to celebrate alongside. The love between the two is reciprocal, albeit the scales aren’t exactly balanced. Continuing the lore of football’s best master and apprentice, Raiola took to IG to share a powerful message for a guy running down the proverbial GOAT status.

“Go get the job done today my guy💪💯” wrote Dylan Raiola, alongside a picture of the two from the aforementioned AFC championship celebrations. He doubled down with another IG story reposting a picture from the @chiefs handle with Patrick Mahomes front and centre. Raiola doesn’t shy away from his infatuation. But being obsessed often holds a negative connotation. He’s treading a fine line between reverence and potential repulsion.

As a true freshman last season, Dylan Raiola began his Nebraska career with pomp. Through the first 5 games, he threw 9 touchdowns to go with merely 2 picks. Great platform to build on after the Mahomes resemblance caught on within the masses. However, he has since turned into the early 2024 version of Patrick- sans the clutch 4th quarters. 2 TDs and 8 INTs in the following 5 games later, a regression was apparent. He did pick it up down the stretch and not only made Bowl eligibility but left Husker Nation with hope for next season. Alas, one media member insider has echoed concern about how the continual comparisons with the best in the game could harm him.

Georgia alum and legend David Pollack took to his namesake YouTube channel and said, “[Dylan Raiola] has got the mannerisms of Mahomes…that’s got to stop.I know the comparison [from the public] has to stop. But he’s got the mannerisms, the hair,” Not only do they have the same hair, Raiola wears the same accessories and rocks the same #15. This isn’t a nod to the greatness of Mahomes- it’s an attempt at cosplaying it. But it’s all fun and games until people start holding Dylan Raiola to the standard he’s setting up for himself. One Huskers insider has laid an indictment on Raiola pertaining to a fatal flaw in his development as a passer. Naturally, he used Mahomes as the barometer.

Dylan Raiola’s Patrick Mahomes infatuation is a double-edged sword

Different players have different throwing mechanics. The sport has come far enough to thwart partisan stigmas about how a pretty throw translates to a better throw. However, one very conventional facet of quarterback play holds true through different eras and always will. Timing is the key to the whole operation. It’s not hyperbolic to say that it’s probably the most important intangible for a quarterback. Being even marginally off the requisite level with your instinctive timing of throws can make or break careers. It’s been alleged, with rationale, that Dylan Raiola has yet to get his timing on lock.

Sean Callahan guested on Nebraska alum Adam Carricker’s show, ‘Carriker Chronicles’, to discuss Raiola. He said “I want to see the football get out of [Dylan Raiola’s] hands quicker. You watch the guys in the NFL—they don’t hold the football that long. Mahomes, Joe Burrow—they’re getting the football out quick, which tells you they understand what they’re looking at a high level.” Raiola is only entering his sophomore year, but that hasn’t absolved him of criticism on this occasion. 

Callahan proceeded to say, “I want to see mobility too…what did Patrick Mahomes do? He used his legs in the big games, in the big moments. Can Dylan Raiola maybe drop 10 to 15 pounds, trim up a little bit, and get that extra step to convert those third-and-eight runs? Because I do think that is the difference in finishing a game off.”  This was in lieu of Mahomes’ AFC championship performance,e where he rushed for more yards than he’d done all season.

This is a paradox of Dylan Raiola’s own doing in some ways. If he wants to avoid being compared to Mahomes, he probably needs to steer away from instigating it. Instead, he’s doubling down. He’s made his bed and will have to lie in it. Raiola shall seek to work on this perceived deficiency in his game this off-season with OC Dana Holgorsen and HC Matt Rhule. In the immediate, he’ll hope Patrick can three-peat and etch himself in the history books. As he’s made a habit of doing.