Dylan Raiola is often compared to Patrick Mahomes and for good reason. Nebraska’s freshman quarterback looks identical to the three-time Super Bowl champion with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Saturday was not the exception.
Raiola, the No. 1 overall recruit in the college football recruiting Class of 2024, made his first start for the Cornhuskers at home. Memorial Stadium continued its sellout streak for the season-opener against UTEP and there was a palpable buzz in Lincoln prior to kickoff.
Fans anxiously awaited the arrival of their new signal-caller, who was indiscernible from Mahomes when got off of the team bus. Raiola rocks the exact same haircut and goatee. They also share the same beefy build. Mahomes is 6-foot-2, 225 pounds. Raiola is 6-foot-3, 220 pounds.
If you didn’t know that Raiola is not Mahomes, you would genuinely think Raiola is Mahomes.
P̶a̶t̶ ̶M̶a̶h̶o̶m̶e̶s̶ Dylan Raiola in the house 🌽@HuskerFootball pic.twitter.com/lH5Kz1i1ul
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) August 31, 2024
As if the resemblance wasn’t already uncanny, Nebraska’s five-star freshman wears the same style of sunglasses. Even their gait while entering the team tunnel is the same.
Ring No. 3 coming today? 💍 @PatrickMahomes
— NFL (@NFL) February 11, 2024
📺: #SBLVIII – 6:30pm ET on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/QxOAbzZdR1
To take the comparison even one step further, Mahomes and Raiola both wear No. 15.
And it doesn’t stop there. Mahomes often wears one full arm sleeve on his throwing arm with a half arm sleeve and playsheet wristband on his left. A towel typically hangs from a wrap around his waist.
Take a look at what Raiola wore for his first game:
One would have to assume that the copycat apperance is on purpose. And maybe it is.
However, Raiola didn’t really like football growing up so he wasn’t fully aware of Mahomes until later in life.
I think a lot of people think I try to be just like him, but honestly I grew up, I played baseball. I never liked football. As a kid I always wore glasses. I’ve had this haircut since sixth, seventh grade maybe and I didn’t really know about Mahomes them.
I have my own little kick to it, so it’s not completely like him. But I guess if that’s what people want to say, I mean that guy’s one of the best. So it’s cool.
— Dylan Raiola
Patrick Mahomes is one of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time. Dylan Raiola is just getting started.
If the latter looks anything like the former on the field in the same way that he does off the field, the Cornhuskers are in great hands. Only time will tell. In the meantime, good luck trying to figure out who is who!