Dylan Raiola
Dylan Widger/Imagn
Carbonatix Pre-Player Loader
Audio By Carbonatix
Nebraska football coach Matt Rhule is requesting his starting signal caller stop mimicking his NFL lookalike. He’s urged Dylan Raiola to stop mirroring Patrick Mahomes on the field.
The ask comes following months of comparisons between the two talented quarterbacks. Rhule wants his superstar to stay out of the headlines when leading the Cornhuskers‘ offense.
The comps started almost immediately after Raiola got to Lincoln. He was seemingly copying Mahomes in every aspect of his football life, from appearance to jersey number to pregame warmup.
Dylan Raiola channeling his inner Patrick Mahomes before the game today 👀 pic.twitter.com/I6NBucOFCg
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 26, 2024
Raiola insists he’s not going out of his way to emulate the Kansas City passer. The evidence, to this point, is stacked against him.
Dylan Raiola is ‘Mini Mahomes.’
Some of that is a result of his off-the-field obsession. Some is due to his on-field style of play.
Patrick Mahomes has been the model of NFL production for nearly a decade. Many have tried to imitate him. Few have succeeded.
The veteran can make all the throws, even those in which he’s not looking at his receiver. He is an expert in manipulating arm angles, has an elite pocket presence, and can squeeze any pass into a tight window.
This slow-mo angle of Mahomes’ no-look 😲
(via @CliffErwinVideo, h/t @lenjenningsKMBC)pic.twitter.com/AzmjOo8oiw
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 10, 2018
Raiola, too, boasts immense talent. Look no further than his five-star rating as a high school prospect.
Similar to Mahomes, he can create something from nothing with his ability to navigate the pocket and keep a play alive. His arm strength is out of this world. He can absolutely sling it.
This Dylan Raiola pass was pretty 🙌 @HuskerFootball #B1GFootball on @CFBONFOX 📺 pic.twitter.com/7cEgDmr17l
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) August 31, 2024
His fearless approach to quarterbacking can produce unreal plays. Sometimes, though, it can get the gunslinger in trouble, evidenced by his conference leading 11 interceptions last year.
His head coach saw all the “wow throws” during his freshman season. He wants to see a few less moving forward.
Matt Rhule does not want his quarterback to be Patrick Mahomes.
“He’s so underappreciated nationally. … [Dylan Raiola] is doing everything you’re going to do on Sundays. I think he’s one of the best players in the country.”
—Nebraska HC Matt Rhule on QB Dylan Raiola 👀 pic.twitter.com/hOid9qpUeY
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) September 11, 2025
The head coach opened up on the comparisons surrounding his star quarterback while appearing on the Pat McAfee Show. He wants to see less Mahomes-type plays.
“It’s just so easy to be like, ‘Oh, the Mahomes thing,'” Rhule said. “I want him to come out with amazing numbers and not a lot of highlight plays. I don’t want you to see him running around and throwing the ball behind his back.
“He can do all that stuff, but I want him just to play quarterback. I think he’s so underappreciated nationally… He’s doing everything you’re going to do on Sundays. I think he’s one of the best players in the country…
“Last year, early on, he had some plays where he ran around and made some crazy throws. Some throws where you’re like, ‘No, no, no, oh, yes!’ That was kind of the storyline, like look at these exotic plays, but now, it’s like, he’s playing quarterback the way you need to play it.”
Matt Rhule has seen the flashiness. He knows that Dylan Raiola can do amazing things. He doesn’t want him to try and do too much.
Instead, he’d like to see his quarterback protect the football, hit receivers when open, and lead the offense in a conventional manner.
Through two games, he’s been able to do so. Raiola has completed 78% of his passes for 607 yards and six touchdowns. He’ll look to add to those numbers in Game 3.