Dylan Raiola doesn’t just want to follow Patrick Mahomes with similar hairstyles or pregame routines, but also wants to resonate the same excellence on the field as him. It’s like a Mahomes 2.0 version on the college field. “He’s a pure passer,” Raiola said. “I think he gets called; people might think he’s a dual threat, but he wants to throw the ball, he wants to stay in the pocket.” Now? Against Minnesota, he pulled off the same, showing how far he can go to transition Mahomes’s moves.

In a play trying to resonate with Patrick Mahomes’ Super Bowl LV throw against Tampa Bay, Dylan Raiola nearly pulled off the same magic against Minnesota. In 2021, Mahomes threw a falling pass to Darrel Williams, but it was incomplete. Yet it became one of the most impressive passes this season.

Similar to that play, Raiola did the same while falling, launching the pass to Nyziah Hunter, showing his poise, arm strength, and ability to make a throw even when he’s off-balance. And the SEC: It Just Memes More X page didn’t waste a moment to point it out on X: “Dylan Raiola is never beating the Patrick Mahomes allegations.” 

Well, when you learn from the best, you become the best. Remember, while playing against Houston, Texas, Mario Edwards Jr. tripped Mahomes when he was trying to make a throw. But so you know, it’s challenging to stop Mahomes’ laser passes. So, he tossed the ball straight to Travis Kelce, who was open in the end zone and made a flashy pass while falling. So, even if Raiola’s pulling off the same stunt, it’s just elevating his game.

It isn’t the first time Dylan Raiola has pulled a fast one. During the Huskers’ game against Cincinnati, Raiola played in front of his role model, Mahomes, and even tried mimicking his pre-snap finger wiggle during the game. But that didn’t go as planned, as fans started bashing him for taking it all too far. Fans might not like the idea of Raiola trying to imitate every small move Mahomes makes, but isn’t that something every fanboy looks forward to?

Despite all of this, Raiola shone bright in his freshman year, throwing for 2,819 yards with 13 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Even this season, he’s making sure the Huskers stand tall with a 5-2 record.

Regarding trolls, Raiola isn’t letting it get into his team, as he said, “It just so happened that he played baseball and I played baseball. He plays quarterback, and I play quarterback, and we look alike. I can’t get mad at God for making me look like him. I’m sure you all grew up watching dudes you loved watching play. I’m still a fan of the game. I’m in college, but I’m gonna be a fan of the game always. All that hating stuff can go.”

But fans can’t let the copying stance slide easily, even with all of it.

Fans get real on Dylan Raiola’s flashy pass

Dylan Raiola’s falling pass to Hunter might have made the headlines, but for all the wrong reasons, as despite a QB’s pro move, fans are just focused on how much he’s trying to imitate Mahomes. Let’s not forget that every player learns from each other, and it works fine in Raiola’s favor until he wins. He’s making sure his team wins with a 2-1 Big Ten start. Yet fans are stressing one thing: “The Dylan Raiola-Patrick Mahomes comparisons are about to ramp up tenfold after tonight.” 

And the rant goes on as another fan points out the same: “Dylan Raiola put on his best Patrick Mahomes impersonation on this play 🤯 #GBR” Well, Raiola is on the verge of giving the Huskers their back-to-back winning season since 2013-14, and there’s a high chance they could have a fruitful season, which last happened in 2012. Raiola might do it more often if resonating with the same antics as Mahomes helps him through all of it.

Even this fan agrees with the same stance: “Dylan Raiola channeled his inner Patrick Mahomes with this throw 👀.” With this throw, Raiola’s similarities with Mahomes’s off-field moves and on-field gameplay take it to the tipping point. The season stats show Raiola completed 138 of 188 passes with a 73.4% completion rate for 1591 yards, 16 TDs, and just five interceptions. He could take care of the ball more, but that’s a debate for another day.

This fan took the entire Raiola-Mahomes comparison to another level, calling Raiola his son: “Dylan Raiola might actually be the child of Patrick Mahomes.” Even this fan doubles down on it: “Dylan Raiola is taking this Patrick Mahomes cosplay a little TOO seriously. I mean, this is uncanny at this point.” 

As of right now, splitting these two gifted athletes has become a tall order. But only the future will tell if Raiola is actually Mahomes.