The No.15 jersey, identical hairstyle and glasses, resemblance in play style, and whatnot- who won’t agree that Dylan Raiola reminds us of Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes? Committed to the University of Nebraska, the 19-year-old was a five-star recruit, ranked as the second-best quarterback and seventh-best overall player in the 2024 high school class. His ability to make throws from different arm angles and on the run indeed brings up Mahomes. In his college football debut on September 1, he gave us more reasons.

In Nebraska’s commanding 40-7 win over UTEP, the freshman completed 19 of his 27 pass attempts (70.4 percent) while throwing for 238 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions. In the second quarter, Raiola threw a bomb of a 59-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Isaiah Neyor. This time even Mahomes himself could not keep quiet.

The Chiefs superstar tweeted “Lil cuzzo!!” with flexing and dart emojis. Not only that. According to ESPN’s Max Olson’s feature on Raiola, Mahomes has even been mentoring the youngster. The two have worked out together in the past, though, sharing health and performance trainer Bobby Stroupe and quarterback trainer Jeff Christensen. While that must have paid well for the budding star, it might be safe to call him a generational talent.

Football runs deep in the blood of Dylan’s family. His father Dominic Raiola’s experience and mentorship have played a significant role in shaping Dylan’s development as a quarterback and probably also his decision to commit to Nebraska. Dylan shifted two more schools to finally land in Nebraska last year. He had committed to Ohio State early in May 2022, only to decommit and choose Georgia in May 2023 while again moving to Nebraska in December.

“I firmly believe that Nebraska is in my blood. It’s a great opportunity to be part of something bigger than myself. Nebraska is a special place,” Dylan had told ESPN. And why not? His father Dominic was a member of the Huskers from 1998 to 2000 as an offensive lineman. He then entered the 2001 NFL draft.

He was a second-round pick for the Detroit Lions, where he played from 2001 to 2014. Under their banner. he has played over 200 games and has missed only 2 in his entire career. If you are thinking that this is the only Nebraska connection he has, then wait.

Dylan’s uncle Donovan is the school’s offensive line coach of the Huskers. So He knows the kind of expectations and responsibilities he comes with to this program.

“I believe from my dad being there, I understand the history of the program. I also understand my family legacy there and the fan base and aspirations. My dad instilled that legacy in me. What he’s instilled in me and all that he’s taught me growing up is that he learned a lot of that from his time at Nebraska,” Dylan had said last year. While the football legacy is remarkably strong in the youngster’s family, Dylan’s mother, Yvonne Raiola, is also not far away from sports. She was a collegiate water polo player who represented the University of Hawaii.

Interestingly, with such a strong connection to Nebraska, Dylan’s father had a special message for his son ahead of their September 8 match against the Colorado Buffaloes.

The prodigious talents of Dylan Raiola

The Senior Raiola had never lost to Colorado during his time in Nebraska. And he reminded his son about that as the latter entered the rivalry looking to help secure Nebraska’s first win against Colorado since 2010. “My dad said he never lost to them. This week he told me, ‘just so you know I never lost to them.’ I know the rivalry runs deep,” Dylan had told before the game. And the son did not disappoint.

In their game against Colorado, Nebraska picked up a dominant 28-10 win. Dylan passed for 185 yards and a touchdown. Indeed, the blood has started speaking. In fact, Dylan’s previous stats also speak for themselves.

He has thrown for 8,500 yards and 88 touchdowns with just 11 interceptions. In his junior year, he had a terrific performance of 2,435 passing yards, 22 touchdowns, and five interceptions, completing 64% of his passes. In his senior year, he completed 63% of his passes for 2,666 yards and 34 touchdowns, with only one interception.

All that being said, alongside his family legacy, Dylan now has one more thing to prove. His resemblances to Patrick Mahomes are not only limited to looks. His attempts to mimic one of the best quarterbacks are already looking fairly impressive. It remains to be seen if he truly manages to lift himself to that rank.