UCLA football coach DeShaun Foster sees similarities between Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola and Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes, which he believes are justified. Foster, who coached at Texas Tech when Mahomes played for the Red Raiders, will face off against the Huskers for the first time as Big Ten rivals on Saturday.
“He’s getting more comfortable,” Foster said of Raiola. “He’s got a strong arm, so he’s looking to make big plays. I’m excited for our defense to face him. Having coached Pat Mahomes in 2016, it’s striking how much Raiola resembles him.”
Raiola generated buzz this offseason by showing up to camp with a mohawk fade and ski glasses—a look Mahomes made popular. Mahomes even called him his “little cuzzo” after the post went viral. Raiola sports the No. 15 jersey, just like Mahomes, and trained with Mahomes’ quarterback coach, Jeff Christensen, this offseason. Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule compared Raiola to Mahomes before he even played a game for the Huskers.
“He wears No. 15 and models much of his style after Mahomes,” Rhule said when Raiola signed with Nebraska last December. “While there’s only one Pat Mahomes, Dylan has put in the work to make those off-platform throws. His arm talent is exceptional—he can make all the throws and transition easily.”
Through eight games, Raiola has completed 66.1% of his passes, totaling 1,744 yards, nine touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He had a strong start with nine touchdowns in the first five weeks but has struggled recently, throwing for under 200 yards twice and logging a 0-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio over the last three games.
“If you look at the past four games and account for defensive pass interference yardage—since we throw so many deep balls—that adds to what Dylan’s done,” Rhule noted this week. “He’s learning through experience, and he’s handling challenges well, adapting to complex defenses like Ohio State and Rutgers.”
Raiola was ranked as the No. 7 overall prospect and the No. 2 quarterback in the 2024 class, making him the highest-rated quarterback to commit to Nebraska since 2000 and second overall behind running back Marlon Lucky (2005).
