It is the 'little things' that make No. 1 prospect Dylan Raiola different

On3 released its initial 2024 On300 rankings Monday and Dylan Raiola is the No. 1 prospect in the country. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound quarterback out of Chandler (Ari.) threw for 3,341 yards and 32 touchdowns as a sophomore. He added nine more touchdowns on the ground.

Schools all over the country have offered the five-star. He is visiting USC the first half of this week. Clemson and Georgia had him on campus last week. Raiola will be at Ohio State early in April. He is a coveted prospect due to not only his ability on the field but off the field too.

“I think it is about the little things,” Dylan’s father, Dominic Raiola told On3. “How he is as a teammate, how he is at school, how he puts others before him – those things are very important. Be a good person, be disciplined, work hard, and the other things will take care of themselves.

“Dylan does all of that. He takes care of the little things and I think that is one of the unique things about him.”

Dylan has grown up around football. His father played at Nebraska, he won the Dave Rimington award in 1999 and was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft.

The elder Raiola is out of Hawaii and he went through the recruiting process in the mid-late 1990s. Much has changed with recruiting, but the core is still the same.

“We didn’t have cell phones in 96-97, the internet wasn’t nearly what it is now, and social media has really changed things. I went through it all at a different time, but Dylan still have to find the right situation and the right program.

“A lot of the same reasons I picked Nebraska he has to pick the school for him are the same. The NIL and all the other stuff will take care of themselves if he goes to the school for the right reasons.

“He has to surround himself with the right people. Dylan has to take care of himself, get around people that want to work, and all the other opportunities will be there. The basics are still the same in recruiting even though there is a lot more out there for these kids to handle. Being around the right people is something very important to us.”

Spending over a dozen years in the NFL opened a lot of doors for the former Nebraska All-American. Some of those relationships have helped shape Raiola as an elite recruit in the 2024 class.

“Dylan was raised in the locker room, so he has been around it all and talked to a lot of great people. He has been able to have unique conversations with Matthew Stafford, Dan Orlovsky, Drew Stanton, and so many others. Those guys are great people I got to meet, form relationships with, and pass to Dylan to help him.

“Those guys care about others and they have passed on a lot to Dylan. It is great having a network to talk to and for Dylan to be able to work with and speak with. So many people are helping him.”

The talented signal caller likely needs all the help he can get. Outside of the schools mentioned above, Alabama, Michigan, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oregon, Texas, and many others are in pursuit. With him being in the 2024 class, schools cannot call or text him directly until Sept. 1.

The dad handled most of that at this time. Not only is Dominic the father, but he also is on the coaching staff at Chandler, so he is very hands-on. As Dylan does, Dominic asks questions on each visit, observes each program, and he is evaluating the different schools.

A decision is likely to come sooner than later for the top prospect in his class and the family will be there for support.

“I don’t care were he goes,” Raiola said. “I am from Hawaii and went to Nebraska, so location will have nothing to do with his decision. It will not just be about the bells and whistles, the uniforms, or any of those things. It will be about what the building is filled with.

“We want it to be set up for Dylan to thrive in the classroom and to be around the right people. The on-the-field stuff will take care of itself. My wife is a big part of this too and we all just want to find where Dylan can thrive as a person and football player.

“You have Athens, Lincoln, L.A., Eugene, Austin, Tuscaloosa, Columbus – there is not a bad place. Dylan and all of us have our work cut out for us. I am fortunate to have gone through this. It is different, but we are enjoying the process.

“The most important thing to all of us is who is real. That is likely what it will come down to. The people in the building will go a long way.”