Athletes are naturally just obsessive characters. Obsessed with honing their craft and becoming better. Obsessed with winning. The NIL era makes pageantry and money come into account. They are often obsessed with their role models too, which is the case with Nebraska QB1 Dylan Raiola. Entering his sophomore year, Raiola is a star in his own right. But he also tends to force the persona of his doppelganger Patrick Mahomes. It’s a nice little detail, and Mahomes seems to not mind it. However, Raiola can sometimes fly too close to the sun – as he may have taken his attempts at duplicating his idol a bit too literally this time around.

Dylan Raiola represents the archetype modern quarterback. He’s good at managing the pocket, but also mobile enough to maneuver outside it. This mobility is a weapon in his arsenal. Molding this weapon into potent runs downfield, and using his legs to move the sticks is something Huskers’ HC Matt Rhule and his staff are trying to bring about. After all, this is still a raw and malleable prospect with room for development. However, Raiola isn’t reciprocating the efforts of coach Rhule. He’s allegedly gained a little bit too much weight, which hampers his mobility. Now, Patrick Mahomes is known to carry a little extra weight around relative to his contemporaries. A dad-bod if you may, particularly in the off-season. But this was probably one aspect Raiola didn’t need to mimic! Matt Rhule has even addressed these allegations first-hand. 

“[Dylan Raiola] is really working on his body composition. He won’t be a great quarterback at 240 lbs, right? So getting his body composition to where he can be fleet of foot, slide nimbly, and move within the pocket—where he can convert third downs with his feet—that’s something we’re all bought into, and he has to continue to do,” said Matt Rhule. He was left with no option but to comment on this matter. Let’s just say a video of Raiola’s gear looking rather tight in training went viral on the airwaves. Matt Rhule putting a number, 240lb, on the weight officialized the theories. In the aftermath of this becoming a prominent talking point in Huskers discourse, The Athletic’s Mitch Sherman has chimed in with his two cents.

Speaking over the Hurrdat Sports YouTube channel, Sherman prefaced his commentary with “First of all, it’s only 10 pounds heavier than what Dylan [Raiola] is listed on the roster. So it’s not like it’s a shock.” The overarching theme of Sherman’s comments was that he approached this positively. “I don’t have concerns about this because I’ve watched Dylan attack his learning of the quarterback position, and his growth and development from the time that he was a high school freshman. You’ve seen how dedicated and devoted he is to that. So I have complete confidence that he’s going to handle this situation with the same kind of dedication,” continued Mitch Sherman. He proceeded to reason why Dylan Raiola could’ve put on weight. Gotta say, he brought up some rational points.

“[Dylan Raiola] has got genetics to deal with when it comes to his body composition. His dad [was an] offensive lineman. His uncle [was an] offensive lineman. For some people, it’s just not as easy to maintain 220 pounds at 6’3,” said Sherman. Dylan’s dad is NFL vet and Lions legend Dominic Raiola. His uncle, Donovan Raiola, is also a former pro and current O-line coach for Nebraska. Something that helped them land Dylan out of high school. “I don’t think it’s cause for alarm.” reiterated Mitch Sherman, saying he expects normality come August. Unfortunately for him, Dylan’s weight isn’t the only thing concerning fans of the Big Red. There’s a facet of his game that has also come under scrutiny. A different Nebraska insider has worries about a fatal flaw in Raiola’s development as a passer. Those Patrick Mahomes comparisons sure don’t help his case here either.

Dylan Raiola was warned about his weight in the past alongside a flaw in his passing

Different quarterbacks have different throwing mechanics. Football has evolved far enough to dispel partisan stigmas about how a ‘pretty’ or ‘layered’ throw equals better. The outcome is what matters. However, one very conventional aspect of quarterbacking will always hold true through different eras. Timing is the key to the entire operation, a skill that can make or break a QB’s career. On3’s Sean Callahan believes Dylan Raiola has yet to get his timing on lock.

Guesting on Nebraska alum Adam Carricker’s show, Carriker Chronicles, Callahan 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.” Despite his young age, Raiola hasn’t been absolved of criticism on this occasion. Callahan proceeded to say “I want to see mobility too,” Well, it’s noteworthy that these comments were made prior to the weight concerns surfacing. “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.” 

Sean Callahan wanted Dylan Raiola to drop 10 pounds after his freshman year. Instead, he’s added 10! As for the point about Mahomes, this is a paradox of Raiola’s own doing in some ways. If he wants to avoid being compared to the best QB in the world, he probably needs to steer away from his act. Raiola will look to iron out this perceived deficiency in his passing game before fall. Alongside, of course, hitting the requisite weight and physique. A freshman’s work ethic as a sophomore won’t be enough to get Nebraska where they want to be.