True freshmen have been stealing a lot of the spotlight in college football so far this season. We have seen South Carolina defensive end Dylan Stewart generate a lot of buzz with his pass rushing upside, as well as several big time wide receivers like Jeremiah Smith ( Ohio State ), Ryan Williams ( Alabama ), and Ryan Wingo ( Texas ).
As we all know, quarterbacks always generate the most buzz. We have also seen a couple stellar performances from high profile signal callers, both of which have a chance to be the faces of college football over the next couple of seasons. That includes Nebraska standout Dylan Raiola , who most major recruiting services had pegged as the top quarterback, and arguably top overall player in the 2024 NFL Draft class.
Through two games, Raiola is off to a crisp start to his Cornhusker career. While helping lead them to a 2-0 start, he has thrown for 423 yards and three touchdowns. Raiola is also completing nearly 74 percent of his passes, while also not having turned the football over yet. He is playing clean and inspired football in his young tenure.
With that start, there is always a chance to become a little bit overhyped. As a former five-star recruit, Raiola is used to having the spotlight on him. That can lead both to overhype, and some poking unnecessary holes in a young player’s game. The fanfare has mostly been positive, mostly giving a hat tip to a really talented football player.
Just how good has Raiola been the first two weeks? Is he worth all the hype? The video tells a very detailed story.
Eye in the sky
The simple answer is yes. We should never make sweeping declarations about a player based on a couple games of a sample size. Sure, the 6-3 and 230-pound pocket passer is extremely gifted but there is always a question for just how well it will translate on the next level. It has been an outstanding early introduction.
A lot has been made of Raiola and his admiration for Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes . He has not just emulated his play style, but even his gameday aesthetic. While there might need to be a touch of individuality that Raiola should adopt at some point, it’s tough not to see the similarities when you pop on the field.
Raiola’s comfort throwing from various arm angles is impressive. No matter if he’s throwing from a compromised platform, or on the move, he has the ability to flick his wrist and throw with either velocity or touch. A play never seems to be dead with Raiola under center, which is a pretty rare feat for a pure pocket quarterback.
Perhaps the most impressive thing about Raiola is his calmness as a football player. Despite having only played two games on the college level, he never seems to be in a rush. Raiola is calm from the pocket, which also making quick decisions when forced out of the structure of the offense. That's one of the hinges that makes Mahomes such an incredible player. His ability to make difficult things look easy, while never seeming to panic, is a tremendous trait for a quarterback.
Can Nebraska get back to what they were when they were dominating college football with the Black Shirts? That might be a little over the top but for the first time in a long time, the expectations appear extremely high. Credit that to head coach Matt Rhule, while also giving some credit to Raiola.
He has a chance to be a special quarterback on the college level. We are going to be talking about him a lot until he is finally eligible for the 2027 NFL Draft class . Enjoy the ride.
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