On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine: 2 schools lead for Dylan Raiola

There are few — if any — more prized recruits in the 2024 class than Chandler (Ariz.) quarterback Dylan Raiola.

Ranked as the country’s No. 4 overall prospect and No. 1 QB by the On3 Consensus, Raiola has offers from college football’s elite programs. He is in the midst of a hectic spring visit schedule, hitting Oregon, Georgia, Ohio State, USC and Clemson in the past month. And he has more planned.

Coming off a visit to the Buckeyes this weekend, Raiola is favoring two schools, according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM). Ohio State (46.7%) and USC (38.7%) have jumped out in front of the pack after recent visits, with Georgia, Texas, Clemson and Nebraska trailing behind.

USC, Ohio State have received strong reviews

The Trojans hosted Raiola and his family for roughly 36 hours late last month, but were blown away by head coach Lincoln Riley and the USC program.

“There are a lot of different levels for Dylan if he went to USC,” Dylan’s father, Dominic Raiola, told On3’s Chad Simmons. “On the football side, you know about the Hall of Famers, the Heisman Trophy winners, the first round draft picks, and all the history, but you also get a top five education. … There are so many opportunities there. When you think about USC, you think about all the football history, but there is so much more to it.”

The Buckeyes, meanwhile, got their opportunity to impress this weekend. Raiola was on campus with a laundry list of elite prospects in the 2023 and 2024 classes, including two of the country’s top receivers. According to Lettermen Row’s Jeremy Birmingham, the early returns on his trip to Columbus were nothing but positive.

“From one-on-one time with Corey Dennis and Ryan Day to talking with C.J. Stroud through drills, it was obvious that the 6-foot-3, 210-pound quarterback felt at home,” Birmingham wrote. “Heck, even Dominic Raiola — the former Remington Award winner at Nebraska — was caught up in the excitement.” 

Decision could come soon for Dylan Raiola

Despite only being a sophomore — and only being able to communicate with coaches if he initiates it — Raiola’s decision could come sooner rather than later, according to previous reporting by Simmons. He only has one more visit locked in currently, a trip to Nebraska this coming weekend. The Cornhuskers are his father’s alma mater, but there isn’t any pressure to go there or any other school.

“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. … 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.”