Dylan Raiola, ‘lil cuzzo’ of Patrick Mahomes, shines in Nebraska debut with a shutout win against UTEP

Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola, a Patrick Mahomes lookalike, wins debut against UTEP ahead of Colorado clash.

Dylan Raiola, ‘lil cuzzo’ of Patrick Mahomes, shines in Nebraska debut with a shutout win against UTEP

Chiefs Patrick Mahomes praised Nebraska's QB Dylan Raiola (Image via IMAGO/ X)

Dylan Raiola made his Nebraska Cornhuskers debut on Saturday against UTEP in superstar fashion that even caught the eyes of 3x Super Bowl winner Patrick Mahomes. The former five-star recruit already possessed the swag and the aura of a good football player, but he also looked the part too.

When he hopped down from the Huskers team bus outside the Memorial Stadium, the crowd stopped. It was hard to make out whether it was really Riola or Patrick Mahomes who turned out to play ball.

YouTube video

His outfit, hair, and even the shades eerily reminded of the 3x Super Bowl MVP. Even Mahomes chimed in with a tweet after Riola threw his first-ever touchdown pass to Isaiah Neyor for 59 yards.

FS Video
Lil cuzzo!!
Patrick Mahomes wrote on X

They may not be related but the uncanny similarity between the two athletes is one of the wonders of college football. Riola is in fact the son of All-America offensive lineman Dominic Raiola and nephew of Nebraska offensive line coach Donovan Raiola. He switched from Georgia and committed to Nebraska last year. Dylan is the Huskers’ highest-ever recruit ever since the ranking system began in 2004. 

He wears the No. 15, and he patterns a lot of his game after Patrick Mahomes... He can make all the throws. There's not a lot of transition for him.
Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule said on the Zach Gelb Show (H/T: 247 Sports)
RELATED
“She was so happy to reunite with him!” Taylor Swift desperately needed Rhode Island getaway with Travis Kelce amid ‘busy’ Eras Tour schedule
"She was so happy to reunite with him!" Taylor Swift desperately needed Rhode Island getaway with Travis Kelce amid 'busy' Eras Tour schedule

Dylan Raiola wins his first game for Nebraska

As Rhule mentioned, Raiola’s passing is very accurate and he can see the field really well. He gave the Huskers a glimpse of what they should expect for the next few years with his dime to Neyor.

Dylan Raiola, 'lil cuzzo' of Patrick Mahomes shines in Nebraska debut with a shutout win against UTEP
Dylan Raiola (Image via 247 Sports)

Raiola followed that up with a 21-yard pass to Jahmal Banks with just 2 seconds left on the clock in the first half. The Huskers went into the break with a massive 23-point lead over the Miners, which proved to be too much for them.

A couple of handoffs to Gabe Ervin Jr. for 3 yards and a 1-yard run further increased the score for the Huskers. Rhule eventually took Raiola off the field and gave the backups some much-required reps. Heinrich Haarberg and Jalyn Gramstad shared spikes as the Huskers recorded a shutout 40-7 win against UTEP.

Dylan Raiola’s debut game for Nebraska ended with 19/27 for 238 passing yards and 2 touchdowns. Up next they will face one of the biggest challenges of their season against the Colorado Buffaloes. Hall of Famer Deion Sanders’ team defeated the North Dakota Bisons 31-26 in their 2024 week 1 game.

In case you missed it: