Nebraska football is buzzing as the Huskers wrapped up their 2025 spring practice with the new “Husker Games” on April 26. Instead of the traditional spring game, Nebraska introduced a series of 7-on-7 games, skill competitions, and even a women’s flag football match. However, the attendance this year was significantly lower than in previous seasons, dropping from nearly 60,000 to just 10,000. The spotlight this spring was on second-year quarterback Dylan Raiola, who has been impressing everyone with his skills. He is developing into the leader Nebraska needs, drawing inspiration from the creativity and validation he gained by training with Patrick Mahomes.

Raiola has an obsession with Patrick Mahomes because he finds him awesome, like Mahomes 2.0 on the field. They have the same jersey number 15, the same haircut, even the same sunglasses style, and pregame warmups that look copied directly out of Mahomes’ playbook. Raiola doesn’t just mimic the appearance; he has trained with Mahomes and his coach, absorbing every lesson to elevate his game to the next level. He’s got that off-platform throwing technique, the scrambling panache, and even some of Mahomes’ trademark hand movements that fans immediately recognize. What’s great is that Mahomes himself is in on it and supportive, referring to Raiola as “Lil cuzzo” on social media and complimenting his skill.

“You mean to tell me that Dylan Riyola, who cosplays as Patrick Mahomes opening an Arrowhead, is going to play in Arrowhead,” says Jake Crain in the Crain and Co program. The Nebraska vs. Cincinnati matchup at Arrowhead Stadium on August 28, 2025, is going to be one hell of a season opener. It’s the first time these two teams have played each other since 1906, and now they’re doing it in one of the NFL’s most historic stadiums, the Kansas City Chiefs’ home.

Jake’s joking about how Raiola’s such a superfan of Mahomes that they practically relocated the Nebraska game to Arrowhead Stadium just so he could fulfill his Mahomes dream and take some photos for the ‘gram.’ Everyone already calls him “Baby Mahomes” due to the hair, the number, the look, and even training during the offseason with Mahomes himself. Now, kicking off the season at Arrowhead, Mahomes’ home turf, amps up the pressure to absurd levels.

Raiola’s Mahomes fixation is great and all, “but you better ball or they’re going to roast you dog, they’re going to absolutely roast you,” says Jake. If he wants to excel at Arrowgate, he’s got to tone it down and just play his own game. Everyone knows he wears the No. 15, mimics the Mahomes warmups, and even throws those crazy side-arm passes. But if he gets too deep in trying to be a Mahomes impersonator, particularly on Mahomes’ home field at Arrowhead may get inside his head and result in forced plays that are not there.

Dylan Raiola: Same brand, new star

When your football hero is Patrick Mahomes, it’s only natural that you end up sporting the same brand. Dylan Raiola just made that a reality by signing a huge NIL deal with Adidas, the same company that’s made Mahomes a worldwide face of football and fashion. Raiola’s Mahomes fixation has been a constant since he arrived in Lincoln.

Adidas recently announced a new sponsorship deal with Dylan Raiola, calling him “one of the most exciting young quarterbacks in the nation” and an ideal candidate for their next generation of athletes. Raiola considers joining Adidas a significant honor and believes the partnership will help him usher in a new era for Nebraska football. He will be representing the iconic three stripes both on and off the field, starring in Adidas commercials and wearing the Adizero franchise apparel popularized by Patrick Mahomes. Dylan Raiola’s journey with Nebraska is already shaping up to be remarkable, and we haven’t even reached the fall season yet!

From his Mahomes fixation to the big Arrowhead debut and now to this Adidas partnership that puts him in the same brand camp as his hero, the buzz is real. But with all that hype comes a whole lot of pressure, everyone waiting to see whether he can make the Mahomes comparisons or whether it will get in his head. The secret for Raiola is to take the most positive aspects of Mahomes’ game, believe in his abilities, and not overdo it to be an imitation.