The saying "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" has a long and winding history in the world of literature. Some attribute it to Oscar Wylde, some to Sir Herbert Beerbohm, some to Georg Brandes.
Regardless of whomever said it first, Patrick Mahomes should feel incredibly flattered.
True freshman University of Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola , the second-ranked quarterback recruit in the 2024 recruiting class, has burst onto the scene and lit up the scoreboard through two weeks, throwing for 423 yards and three touchdowns in his first two college football games.
For Raiola, he's drawing more attention for perhaps pushing the imitation envelope a little too far than he is for his play on the field.
The hair, the jersey number, the headband, the mannerisms, even the sunglasses off the field – it looks more like Raiola is trying to be Mahomes than he is trying to pay homage to a hero.
It's a little much.
Raiola, as mentioned before, was a top recruit coming out of college. He played his high school ball in the state of Georgia. Early on, Raiola committed to Ohio State in the spring of 2022. That December, he decommitted, reopening his recruitment. Raiola committed to Georgia on May 15, 2023, but Nebraska didn't stop pursuing him. The family ties won out. His dad, Dominic Raiola, was 2x All-Big 12 as a center. His uncle, Donovan Raiola, is currently the offensive line coach at Nebraska. Dylan decommitted from Georgia on December 18, flipping his commitment to Nebraska two days later. It was a massive coup for the Cornhuskers.
With all the on-field antics lately, is it too much to think that he just wanted the red and white jersey combo like Mahomes?
"Yeah, I mean, it's cool, honestly. I mean, I was that guy," Mahomes said when asked about Raiola mimicking him. "I loved Alex Rodriguez, played shortstop, and would try to make plays just like him and do stuff like that, and it helped me become the athlete that I am. It's just telling me I'm getting a little old. I think that the biggest thing is that you have these guys that are coming up and doing some of the sidearm stuff and everything like that. But I know Dylan, I train with them in the offseasons, great kid, a great football player, and I think he's gonna make his own stamp on the game. And I think you've seen that early in his career."
We all did it when we were kids. I remember copying the swings of baseball icons like Ken Giffrey Jr (albeit from the right side, not the left), Gary Sheffield, and eventually the hilarious but effective stance of Kevin Youkilis. Key difference here – I did this when I was a child, not as a Division 1 athlete as the starting quarterback on Saturdays for a storied program.
"I don't know if – whenever you come in as a freshman, you want to be on Twitter and be that part of the team. I think he wants it to be about his team. And I think that's the right way to play the quarterback position. It's not about you. It's about going out there and having success as as a team, and they've done that so far this year. So even though I think he just kind of wants to push us out and play football and go out there and win the football games, I think that's the right way to play the position," Mahomes said when asked whether Raiola acknowledges the behavior.
I hope that's the case. Raiola has the potential to be a special talent. He has an imposing frame at 6'3" 230 lbs, and an absolute rocket launcher of an arm. He has a bright future with the potential to play on Sundays, but the first part of that quote from Mahomes is very telling – Raiola might be focusing a little too much on trying to make a splash with the copycat behavior than he is on his team and his play.
Something crucial to keep in mind – these types of things can be cute when your team is winning, but if they continue and the wins don't follow, scrutiny is typically the first dish on the menu. In order to find success in football, Raiola will need to be the first Dylan Raiola, not the second Patrick Mahomes.
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