Dylan Raiola: Unanimous No. 1 recruit in nation for 2024
Chandler (Ariz.) five-star quarterback and Ohio State commit Dylan Raiola has been making his claim as the country’s best 2024 prospect since a breakout sophomore season last fall.
In March, On3 was the first to tab him as the country’s top prospect. Since then, others in the recruiting services have followed suit, culminating with Raiola earning consensus No. 1 prospect honors on Monday with the latest industry updates.
Raiola has yet to play a game at Chandler, having transferred in last winter to join the program. As a sophomore at Burleson (Texas) High, Raiola threw for 3,341 yards and 32 touchdowns in 12 games.
That, along with performances in offseason camps this spring and summer has elevated him to the country’s top recruit with signing day a little more than 16 months out.
Dylan Raiola has drawn high praise
Since being named On3’s No. 1 recruit in March, the 6-foot-3, 225-pounder has drawn rave reviews and some lofty comparisons. Former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky said earlier this summer that he believes Raiola will be a future No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft. He received a clip of Raiola from his father, Dominic, a longtime NFL offensive lineman and former teammate of Orlovsky’s.
“I responded back to him with this; Dom, that dude is special,” Orlovsky told On3’s Chad Simmons. “He looks like Patrick Mahomes. He is a top 10 pick. That was off one clip.”
At Chandler, his quarterback coach will be none other than former NFL quarterback Drew Stanton, who also lauded how far along Raiola is in early his career.
“The biggest thing for me is his ability to process,” Stanton said. “You don’t see many 16-year old young men that have the ability to take feedback, not take it personal, and to go out and implement it. Whether it’s mechanical, talking football, or all the different things, he is different.”
On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power believes of the 2024 quarterbacks, Raiola has the most complete top-to-bottom skill set. And right now, it isn’t particularly close.
“The arm talent combines with a natural feel for the pass rush, quick feet and field vision to result in some high-difficulty reactive plays,” Power said in early April. “We already see Raiola making these types of plays with regularity as a high school underclassman. … You can see the advanced polish in a few areas. For one, Raiola took snaps under center at Burleson – a rarity in today’s offensive climate, especially in high school. He’s comfortable in his drops and shows good ball-handling and technique in working off of play-action.”
Still, with his entire junior and senior seasons ahead of him, Raiola has a chance to grow even further, and he’ll also be pushed for the No. 1 spot by the likes of five-star cornerback Desmond Ricks and others. But right now, there’s no doubt who stands on top.