On3 Roundtable: Dylan Raiola is now a 'key centerpiece' of Georgia's recruiting efforts

Phoenix (Ariz.) Five-Star Plus+ quarterback Dylan Raiola ended months of speculation on May 15 by committing to Georgia. After backing off his pledge from Ohio State last December, figuring out where Raiola would end up was the talk of the recruiting community.

Rusty Mansell of DawgsHQ said on the On3 Roundtable that the decision for the 6-foot-3, 230-pound signal-caller nearly came much earlier than anyone could have expected.

“It almost went down about three-and-a-half weeks ago,” Mansell said. “He was gonna tweet it at midnight and he just decided he wanted to wait a little bit longer. Could you imagine breaking that one at midnight? The people that would have woke up, the people who would have got the phone calls, late night texts.

“He did it his way though by just dropping a tweet saying he was going to Georgia around lunchtime Monday afternoon.”

Raiola’s commitment to Georgia solidified the Bulldogs’ spot as the No. 1 recruiting class in the 2024 On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. The No. 1 overall prospect in the 2024 On3 Industry Ranking, Raiola became commitment No. 12 for the Bulldogs, as well as their second five-star pledge alongside Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy cornerback Ellis Robinson IV.

The Bulldogs also now have two quarterback commits in Raiola and Avon (Conn.) Avon Old Farms four-star Ryan Puglisi. He is the No. 103 overall prospect in the 2024 On300.

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“Raiola gives Georgia two quarterbacks in this class, which is what they want to do by bringing two bodies in,” Mansell said. “Ryan Puglisi’s committed, but Ohio State’s really working there, so that’s something to watch. Puglisi says he’s going to stay, no matter who Georgia brings in.”

Raiola goes from prospect to recruiter for Georgia

Raiola’s commitment comes at an important time for the Bulldogs. They are set to host several of the nation’s top prospects in the coming weeks for official visits, including Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna Prep Five-Star Plus+ wide receiver and Ohio State commit Jeremiah Smith, Saint Louis (Mo.) St. Louis University five-star wide receiver Ryan Wingo and Raymore (Mo.) Raymore-Peculiar four-star tight end Jaden Reddell.

Instead of going as a prospect trying to figure out his plans, Raiola will be on campus now for the Bulldogs scavenger hunt as a recruiter trying to help the Bulldogs land more elite offensive talent. He is also taking an official visit to Athens on June 2.

“Now Raiola has a different message to Jeremiah Smith,” Mansell said. “Smith is one of the best wide receivers of the last nine-to-10 years in high school, according to everybody I talked to. Raiola’s gonna say, ‘Look, I’m open now. Everybody knows I’m going to Georgia and I’m trying to get you to come with me. I’m coming to spend time with you this weekend.’

“Then you start looking at five-star wide receiver Ryan Wingo and tight end Jaden Reddell, who’s a major target for the Bulldogs. Obviously, Raiola’s gonna be a key centerpiece in trying to recruit other players to join this class, but he’s going to start with these wide receivers and they’re a pair of touted highly recruited players.”