With NIL as 'outside force', Dylan Raiola poised to set Georgia quarterback standard

REDONDO BEACH, Calif. – Dylan Raiola shrugged it off.

Bounced in the early rounds of the rail drill at the Elite 11 Finals on Wednesday night, he took Quincy Avery‘s commentary in stride and stood off to the side. As the top-ranked prospect in the Class of 2024, the pressure to impress could overwhelm some.

He has learned to let it go. Georgia has welcomed him as its next conqueror. Yet with back-to-back national championships and 25 draft picks in the last two years, the Bulldogs are not known for producing elite quarterbacks.

Raiola has the potential to change that. Competing against 19 of the nation’s top quarterbacks at the invitation event, he looked the part of an SEC starter. With his 6-foot-2 1/2, 220-pound frame, throwing the ball came with ease. His accuracy may have been up and down, too. Yet, standing next to Caleb Williams at one point, his throw matched the Heisman Trophy winner’s.

“I care about what people think,” he said. “But at the same time, I kind of take it with a grain of salt. I’m thankful for all programs that recruited me and people that pull it from me. But at the end of the day, I got to make a decision based on my family and myself.”

Winning the Elite 11 Finals is the expectation many have for Raiola. As the No. 1 quarterback, not winning the title would be viewed as a disappointment by critics. He wants to prove his worth, though. It’s why he chose Georgia.

The Bulldogs have set the new standard in the SEC, and Raiola has the responsibility to hold it up. Walk-on turned starter Stetson Bennett led Georgia to those two national titles. Raiola has the physical traits to start in Year 1. He isn’t going to be in Athens for at least another six months.

After decommitting from Ohio State, he gave Nebraska and USC a hard look. Raiola said Wednesday night he knew in March that Georgia was the right fit. Bought into the culture, he has the talent and potential to change how the Bulldogs are viewed at quarterback development.

“I really just say it’s keeping that culture going, you know, it’s special to be a part of that program,” he said.

Dylan Raiola heard NIL offers throughout recruitment

If Dylan Raiola wanted to, his entire recruitment could have been predicated off NIL. Finding the school and NIL collective with the biggest contract would not have been hard.

A year ago, financial packages played a significant role with quarterbacks. To land one of the top-ranked gun-slingers in the class, sources indicated the number was upwards of ​​$750,000 annually. But those numbers were put on pause following this winter’s news of Florida’s Gator Collective voiding a $13.85 million contract with Jaden Rashada.

Almost nobody has heard of a seven-figure NIL package being signed in the 2024 recruiting cycle. The right five-star prospect can command a million-dollar agreement, yet spread out over three to four years.

Raiola did not want NIL to be the reason why he committed to a program. When he backed out from his Ohio State commitment in December, plenty of schools reconnected with the quarterback. Some probably made ludicrous NIL offers thinking it would get them back in the mix.

He didn’t listen, though. Dylan Raiola admitted Wednesday night he heard plenty of jaw-dropping offers.

“There was, but I’m not going to mention the schools,” he said.

NIL has its own unique meaning for each recruit. While the five-star Georgia commit opted to not chase after the highest bidder as a prospect, he will have plenty of chances to profit from endorsement deals at the next level.

“My parents and my support staff that I trust highly, I’m blessed to have them handle that for me,” he said. “And it kind of keeps me just focusing on football, being the best brother, best version of myself. My parents have done a tremendous job of keeping that outside noise, outside and kind of let me narrow in on what I need to do.”