Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola has gone viral for his uncanny resemblance to Patrick Mahomes, even down to his hairstyle and pregame routine. Over the last year, the two developed a relationship, which Raiola likened to the bond shared between Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan.
Raiola, a former five-star recruit, drew some attention in his freshman season with the Huskers because of those Mahomes comparisons. Prior to Nebraska’s game against Colorado, Raiola emulated Mahomes’ pregame ritual beat for beat.
Since then Mahomes and Raiola bonded, and the Nebraska signal caller was even in the Chiefs’ locker room for their AFC Championship celebration.
During an appearance on the “Cover 3 Podcast,” Raiola offered a lofty comparison for his relationship with Mahomes, saying it’s similar to how Jordan served as mentor for Bryant.
“I’m not comparing myself to Kobe or anything, but like Kobe did to Mike, that’s kind of like me to Patrick,” Raiola said. “He’s one of the best quarterbacks in the league right now, if not the best. For me to have someone to look up to, talk, call or whatever. The comparisons are kind of everything outside. I can’t control God made me look like this and play the same sports.”
Jordan wasn’t really one to bond with his competitors, but he and Bryant developed a tight relationship. Bryant acted as a sponge, soaking up everything he could from Jordan and putting it to use on the court, which Jordan respected.
Raiola has the tools to carry his relationship with Mahomes into the NFL. According to the 247Sports rankings, he was the No. 2 quarterback and No. 7 player overall in the 2024 signing class. The pedigree is there for Raiola to become the Bryant to Mahomes’ Jordan.
However, Raiola’s college career got off to a bumpy start. He struggled down the stretch as a freshman and threw just 13 touchdowns to 11 interceptions. Over the last eight games, Raiola tossed just four touchdowns to nine interceptions.
Coming into the 2025 season, Raiola is determined to show everyone that he has taken major strides forward, especially when it comes to conditioning.
“After the season, I looked at the man in the mirror,” Raiola said. “I knew I had to make some changes because, when you want different results, you’ve got to change what wasn’t working. With that came conditioning, cardio and physical shape. I just wanted to work. Lost about five percent of body fat and lost about 25 pounds. Kind of just put back on in muscle – not all 25 pounds – but put some of it back on in muscle. … I run three miles every three or four days. For all the work our guys put in, if I wasn’t in shape, that would be a shame.”
Raiola will have the chance to put that offseason work on display in the same stadium that Mahomes calls home. Raiola and Nebraska open their 2025 season against Cincinnati at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.