Even in the offseason, the Georgia Bulldogs football team continues to win.
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On Monday, No. 1 overall high school recruit Dylan Raiola committed to play quarterback for the Bulldogs.
Athens,GA is Home!!! I’m a Dawg!! Go Dawgs📍🐶 pic.twitter.com/VWN9Vf55sy
— Dylan Raiola (@RaiolaDylan) May 15, 2023
This came after Raiola had gotten interest from the Nebraska Cornhuskers and de-committed from Ohio State in December 2022. He'll take an official visit to Athens, Georgia, on June 2.
"The ability to drive the ball with velocity regardless of the weather conditions are things that impress because of his mechanics and ability to transfer his weight in the lower body and not just rely on his arm to make throws," 247Sports national recruiting expert Chris Singletary said of Raiola. "He has a fluid throwing motion that does not possess any flaws or hitches."
Dylan Raiola's Father Played in NFL For 14 Seasons
Photo by Jordan Mansfield/Getty Images
NFL fans will likely recognize the 6-foot-3 signal-caller's last name. His father, Dominic Raiola, played in the NFL from 2001-2014 as a center for the Detroit Lions. The team drafted his father in the second round and No. 50 overall. He attended Nebraska, which helped the Cornhuskers be in the conversation for the No. 1 recruit.
"I'm attracted to the culture and the standard at Georgia and the more time that went by the stronger I felt about it," Raiola told 247Sports. "There was a lot of silence and a lot of quiet and I just learned a lot throughout this whole process of who I can lean on and depend on, and another thing I loved, Georgia is not built on one person or one position group. It's a complete program I get to be part of."
Raiola played at Pinnacle High School in Arizona and Burleson High School in Texas. He was the starter at both schools across two seasons. He completed 65% of his passes for 5,776 yards, 54 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. He earned Texas District 5-5A Offensive MVP honors as a sophomore.
As mentioned, the Bulldogs now have the No. 1 overall recruit, who so happens to be a quarterback, after winning back-to-back titles — and after starter Stetson Bennett left for the NFL, where he was drafted in the fourth round by the Los Angeles Rams.
However, Raiola steps into a situation where he won't be a true freshman starter. Instead, Carson Beck, a junior, will likely take the reins until he heads off to the NFL.
The Bulldogs previously had Todd Monken as their offensive coordinator. This coach is known for an aggressive passing approach while also playing no-huddle. This is an excellent offense for quarterbacks to show off what they can do throwing the ball. However, Monken left to join the Baltimore Ravens.
#Georgia just got a commitment from the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2024 class, quarterback Dylan Raiola. He's the ninth ESPN 300 commit and second five-star in this class for the Dawgs and gives OC Mike Bobo an incredible option at the position for the future. @espncfb @espn pic.twitter.com/F7EDW5554e
— Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) May 15, 2023
Mike Bobo steps into the offensive coordinator role now. While Monken is no longer at Georgia, Raiola is still committing, signaling the change is OK with him. Bobo has spent several years as a quarterbacks coach for multiple programs. So, it's safe to assume he'll design an offense that caters to making the quarterback's talent the focal point. That, along with the coaching prowess of Kirby Smart as head coach, should set Raiola up for success
The Bulldogs initially offered Raiola a scholarship on June 10, 2021, before the Bulldogs' reign began. A few months later, Raiola received an offer from Ohio State in October, committed in May 2022, and backed out in December 2022.
Raiola's commitment to Georgia is a massive blow for the Buckeyes and Cornhuskers. The latter of which has been in the doldrums in college football lately, to say the least. Even though Raiola's dad and his uncle Donovan, an offensive line coach, also played at Nebraska, the new Matt Rhule staff was unable to sway him.
We now look forward to see if the combination of Beck and Raiola can help continue the Bulldogs' dominance in college football.
