Is Dylan Raiola related to Patrick Mahomes? Explaining Chiefs star's 'lil cuzzo' tweet about Nebraska quarterback

Kyle Irving

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Is Dylan Raiola related to Patrick Mahomes? Explaining Chiefs star's 'lil cuzzo' tweet about Nebraska quarterback image

We're only two weeks into the 2024 college football season, but it's already clear that Nebraska has a star quarterback on its hands.

Freshman Dylan Raiola was a highly touted recruit in the 2024 high school class with a cannon for an arm and a knack for creative playmaking. With that play style, coupled with rocking No. 15, the comparisons to three-time Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes have been unavoidable.

This isn't to say that Raiola will be as good as Mahomes, but their likeness had the internet quick to draw a line between the two.

And the two-time NFL MVP is buying into it.

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Who is Dylan Raiola?

Railoa is a true freshman starting at quarterback for Nebraska this season.

The 19-year-old was a five-star recruit, ranked as the second-best quarterback and seventh-best overall player in the 2024 high school class.

He chose the Cornhuskers over countless high-major Division-I schools, including powerhouse programs like Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Oregon, Penn State, Texas, USC, and many more.

Standing in at 6-3, 200 pounds, Raiola has a bigger build for a QB. His "NFL-caliber arm," variety of throwing angles, and pocket presence led 247Sports Director of Scouting Andrew Ivins to compare Raiola to Super Bowl champion Matthew Stafford.

However, Raiola's look on and off the field makes the Mahomes comparison inevitable.

MORE: NFL ready? Five true freshmen to know, from Dylan Raiola to Jeremiah Smith

Is Dylan Raiola related to Patrick Mahomes?

Raiola had a strong collegiate debut last Saturday, leading Nebraska to a commanding 40-7 win over UTEP. The freshman star completed 19 of his 27 pass attempts (70.4 percent) while throwing for 238 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions.

In the second quarter, Raiola threw a bomb of a 59-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Isaiah Neyor, and Mahomes caught wind of the highlight on X.

The Chiefs superstar tweeted "Lil cuzzo!!" with flexing and dart emojis, causing people to wonder if the two quarterbacks were actually related.

But no, Raiola and Mahomes are not related.

Mahomes' "cuzzo" reference was playing into all the internet comparisons between him and Raiola. The two have worked out together in the past, though, sharing health and performance trainer Bobby Stroupe and quarterback trainer Jeff Christensen, according to ESPN's Max Olson's feature on Raiola.

MORE: Ranking all 134 college football teams ahead of Week 2

Dylan Raiola-Patrick Mahomes comparisons

The comparisons between Raiola and Mahomes were inevitable after this picture of the Nebraska star quarterback went viral on social media when he walked into training camp.

It goes beyond the similarities between their gear, hairstyles, and jersey numbers (although Raiola reportedly wears No. 15 after Florida legend Tim Tebow, even if he has mentioned Mahomes as a player he models his game after).

Raiola is listed at 6-3, 230 pounds, while Mahomes is listed at 6-2, 225 pounds.

It took all of one quarter of Raiola's first college game to draw even more Mahomes comparisons after making a tough sidearm throw through traffic.

These comparisons aren't going away any time soon, especially if Raiola continues to live up to the hype throughout his entire freshman season.

Kyle Irving

Kyle Irving Photo

You read that wrong – not Kyrie Irving. From Boston, graduated from the University of New Hampshire. Sixth season as a content producer for NBA.com's Global editions. Covering the NBA Draft has become his annual "dream come true" moment on the job. Irving has a soft spot for pass-first point guards, with Rajon Rondo and Steve Nash being two of his favorite players of all time.