Many young quarterbacks look up to Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes, who has now won three Super Bowl titles.
His passing acumen and grace under pressure have gained him many admirers. One of them is Nebraska signal-caller Dylan Raiola. Fans have noticed his copycatting of Mahomes, including the same No. 15 jersey number, same hairstyle and same pregame rituals.
The Cornhuskers freshman has earned his fair share of haters because of this. Their 31-24 overtime defeat to Illinois on Sept. 20 didn’t help his case. Raiola had the chance to win it for Nebraska in their final possession but got sacked.
“The Dylan Raiola Patrick Mahomes nonchalant gimmick needs to stop lmao, 4th and 29 and he’s acting like this,” wrote one X user.
Mahomes’ teammate, defensive tackle Chris Jones, came to Raiola’s defense with a stern five-word message.
“Stop hating on this kid,” said the two-time All-Pro First Team member.
The 19-year-old Raiola, the No. 2-ranked quarterback in the 2024 class, led Nebraska to three straight wins to open their season before suffering the close loss against Illinois.