Dylan Raiola picked No. 15 because of Tim Tebow, not Patrick Mahomes

Nebraska freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola clearly seems to be imitating Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

Raiola has a similar hairstyle, wears the same sunglasses and jersey number, and even his play style resembles Mahomes.

Believe it or not, though, Mahomes was not Raiola’s inspiration for wearing jersey No. 15. In fact, it was former Florida Gators and Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow.

“I wore 15 my first year in football,” Raiola said in August, via Evan Bredeson of Cornhuskers Wire. “Tim Tebow, strong Christian person, played football at Florida. I look up to people that have good character and are a good person and he was that guy [when I picked my number].”

Raiola has drawn praise from both Mahomes and Tebow.

“[T]he way this kid maneuvers in the pocket and his accuracy from different angles, he’s got so much talent,” Tebow said on ESPN last week, via Oliver Hayes of Buffaloes Wire.

After winning a Heisman Trophy and two national championships at Florida, Tebow was picked by the Broncos in the first round of the 2010 NFL draft. He played two seasons in Denver with his most memorable game being a 29-23 overtime win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card round of 2011 NFL playoffs.