BREAKING: No. 1 Prospect Dylan Raiola Commits To Kirby Smart, Georgia Bulldogs
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ATHENS - Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs have hit the jackpot. After winning back-to-back national championships, the Dawgs continue to dominate on the recruiting trail, and today they’ve landed a commitment from the No. 1 prospect in the country.
Of course, we’re talking about 5-star quarterback, Dylan Raiola.
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The 6-foot-3, 220-pounder out of Pinnacle High School in Phoenix has always loved UGA as the Bulldogs were the first program to offer Raiola back in June of 2021.
The Bulldogs were the leader in Raiola’s commitment early on, but the Ohio State Buckeyes were able to land his first commitment back on May 9th of 2022. After decommitting from Ohio
State in mid-December, three teams emerged as favorites:
Georgia, Nebraska and Southern Cal.
Still, sources always believed that the Bulldogs always sat in an excellent position for the elite signal-caller. After his visit to Athens in late March, sources say the Bulldogs took a commanding lead in his recruitment, and today Raiola finally made his commitment to Georgia public.
“Coach Smart bleeds red and black, and I can’t wait to see what’s to come,” Raiola told Dawg Post.
Sources say the winning culture at Georgia, the program’s dedication to development, and the ability to play among the best of the best in the SEC were all major factors in Raiola choosing Georgia. The Georgia program checked every box for Raiola and his family, and of course, they were the first program to see his talent and believe him.
The Bulldogs needed two big-time quarterbacks in this current 2024 cycle, and they just landed the very best in Raiola.
As a prospect, it’s hard to find a quarterback who slings the ball like Raiola. This is a young man with ELITE arm talent who can make just about every throw asked of him. He has great size at 6-foot-3 220-pounds who moves well in the pocket. He shows good footwork, and loves to stay in the pocket to deliver the ball vertically. However, he’s great at feeling pressure and knows how to escape while keeping his eyes down the field.
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As far as arm strength goes, Raiola’s arm is as good as it gets. He can throw from different angles and his ball placement is elite. He hits receivers in stride and can put excellent touch on the ball when he needs too. OF course, he has a cannon attached to his right shoulder and can fit the ball into tight windows.
With 9.5-inch hands, he also knows how to hold onto the football when being chased by defenders. It also helps him grip the ball and sling it farther than just about every other quarterback across the country.
Everyone says the hype is real. He makes throwing the football look effortless. He’s a natural at the position, he’s mobile in the pocket, and can put the ball where it needs to be from anywhere on the field. He can throw off balance, from different arm angles, and still throw the ball accurately.
As a junior for Chandler (AZ) in 2022, Raiola was 178/278 for 2,435 yards and 22 touchdowns according to MaxPreps. He didn’t end his junior season the way he wanted too, but it’s clear he has 5-star talent and an absolute missile for a right arm. As a sophomore for Burelson (TX) in 2021, Raiola threw for 3,341 yards and 42 TDs with just five INTs.
He’s an elite talent and saw drawn comparisons to Super Bowl winning quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Now, he’ll be playing for the Georgia Bulldogs in 2024.
The Bulldogs now have 12 commitments in the 2024 class and two quarterbacks, Raiola and four-star Ryan Puglisi.