Five-star quarterback recruit Dylan Raiola is an extremely talented prospect. He is the top QB in his recruiting class and appears as the eighth overall player on the ESPN 300.
Raiola leaves Burford High School with an offer from almost all major college football programs, with rumors swirling on his commitment ahead of the early signing period.
As the QB steps up to college football, what makes him such an eminent and applauded talent?
Why Is Dylan Raiola So Highly Rated?
Raiola looks to have all the natural gifts and talent to be a quality college player. At 6’3” and 230 pounds, he stands ready to make an impression in college football.
Not only does he have a huge arm, but Raiola can also throw from different angles. His velocity and arm strength mean he can power the ball across the field, but he also has the touch to hit receivers in time downfield.
Raiola’s background, playing baseball in high school, shows. It is reported he threw an 89 mph fastball earlier in his high school career, and that ability translates.
The multisport background shows up in his play, and his ability to change up the angles he throws from is a huge plus to his game at such a young age.
The five-star QB has also proven exceptional in caring for the football, with an incredibly low turnover rate.
As an athlete, Raiola also offers a good amount of athleticism for his size. He can escape the pocket, evade tackles to gain extra yards and extend plays when needed.
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It is all extremely promising for Raiola, but he is not the finished product. Raiola needs to improve his consistency and accuracy, and he also needs to develop his field vision. As he steps up to the college level, Raiola will need to go through reads quicker.
He will need to be able to deal with more progressions than he has in his time in high school. However, as a five-star recruit, Raiola has the tools and ability to make huge noise as a potential top-tier college quarterback.
Where Will He Commit?
The main concern for fans and college programs will be Raiola’s tendency to move around teams. In his high school career, he played for four high schools and has already changed the college he is committing to.
Raiola flipped his college commitment from Ohio State to Georgia in May 2023. Still, as the days have crept closer to early signing day, there are reports he is ready to flip his commitment again and sign for Nebraska.
The link makes sense. Raiola’s father played for the Cornhuskers, while his uncle is the offensive line coach at Nebraska. It would be a huge coup for Nebraska if they are to land the top recruit as they look to build under HC Matt Rhule.
For Raiola, however, if he is to commit to Nebraska, he needs to give the project time. Swapping and changing teams constantly will not help his aspirations of playing on Sundays, even if he has the talent.