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It’s getting really hard to cheer for the Nebraska Cornhuskers as they enter Matt Rhule’s second year. Their coach talks a lot, saying the Big Ten should have a team in every time zone it touches.
Freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola wants to be like Patrick Mahomes.
They have similar looks and play the same position, but is copying someone really flattering? Many think Raiola will help Nebraska play great football again, but he’s already causing some drama. So many high schools, so many commitments…
I love Deion Sanders’ idea of “look good, feel good, play good, pay good,” but I’m also a big fan of Chris Cornell. He once sang, “Be yourself. It’s all that you can do.” Even if he didn’t care about football, I bet he’d agree with me here. “Be yourself.”
Imagine trying to tell them apart in a police line-up…
Five-star QB Dylan Raiola pulled up to Nebraska camp looking like Patrick Mahomes: pic.twitter.com/imwoJXecvW
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 31, 2024
The real question is whether “Imitation Mahomes” will play like college or pro Mahomes.
Dylan Raiola showed up at Nebraska camp looking just like Patrick Mahomes. Unlike Raiola, Mahomes wasn’t a big deal out of high school. His dad was a pro athlete too, and many thought he’d follow in his footsteps and play baseball. Mahomes did dabble in baseball at Texas Tech but found his true calling in football under Kliff Kingsbury. Sadly, their defense was weak and they missed bowl games.
That’s sort of what Raiola is dealing with at Nebraska. They played decent defense under Rhule, but the offense was lackluster. Raiola is supposed to change that, but he’ll first need to beat Heinrich Haarberg for playing time. Eventually, I think Raiola could fix what’s been wrong with Nebraska’s offense and might even become a first-round pick like Mahomes.
Overall, it’s just funny seeing the side-by-side photo that ESPN’s Adam Schefter shared. Schefter might be one of the best NFL insiders ever, but he’s a lovable goofball who loves college football. While Raiola has always been part of Husker Nation, Schefter is a Michigan man by degree. Not sure if Mahomes graduated, but he’s certainly at the top of his game in the NFL.
Can’t wait to see kids dressed as both Mahomes and Raiola for Halloween soon!
