Nebraska quarterback signee Dylan Raiola lands NIL deal with Panini America

Five-star quarterback recruit Dylan Raiola signed his National Letter of Intent on Wednesday, capping off a wild nine-day stretch that saw him flip his commitment from Georgia to Nebraska.

Now the nation’s No. 3 ranked quarterback in the 2024 class signed a multi-year NIL deal with Panini America. Panini’s partnership with Raiola includes autographed trading cards and marketing. The company said Nebraska fans can expect to see Raiola’s first trading cards in Panini’s upcoming collegiate products.

“I am really excited to celebrate this next stage of my career by partnering with Panini,” Raiola said in a statement announcing the partnership. “Being on a trading card is a dream. I am proud to be part of the Panini team.”

Raiola is the latest athlete to sign with the trading card company and this is his first NIL deal.

“Dylan is both an outstanding player and young man, and he is a natural fit to join the Panini family,” Jason Howarth, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Athlete Relations, said in a statement. “We are excited about his future as he enters the next phase and transitions to college and to share his Panini products with fans across the country.”

Along with its agreement with Arch Manning, Panini has deals with Quinn Ewers and 2024 Five-Star Plus+ shooting guard Tre Johnson. Throughout this past season the brand signed deals with USC receiver Zachariah Branch, Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze and Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton.

Always dreamt of what it would be like to have my own trading card… Excited to announce that I've signed my first exclusive NIL deal with @PaniniAmerica! #ratedprospect pic.twitter.com/G6yVzbRDgC

— Dylan Raiola (@RaiolaDylan) December 21, 2023

Dylan Raiola an impact QB with big NIL potential

Dylan Raiola, a 6-foot-2 1/2, 230-pound five-star prospect moved to Georgia for his final year of high school. However, the Georgia High School Association didn’t allow high schoolers to sign NIL deals until October. Instead of jumping immediately on NIL deals, he waited until he signed with Nebraska to ink his first NIL deal.

Ranked as the nation’s No. 16 player overall and the second-best prospect in Georgia, expectations are through the roof for him in Lincoln.

“I had a chance to go see Dylan in the spring when they were practicing and watched him throw,” Nebraska coach Matt Rhule said on Wednesday. “I’ve been to a lot of the pro days over the last couple years. I think just in terms of throwing the ball, in terms of his mechanics, in terms of his arm talent, it’s as good as anybody I’ve seen even getting ready for the draft.”

With more than 83,000 social media followers, Dylan Raiola is poised for the NIL Era.

He is also Husker royalty.

Raiola is the son of former Nebraska and Detroit Lions offensive lineman Dominic Raiola. Along with 14 years in the NFL, his father had a legendary career for Nebraska from 1998-2000, finishing as a consensus All-American and winning the Rimington Trophy for best center in college football. Plus, his uncle, Donovan Raiola, is the offensive line coach at Nebraska.

Already well-known by Nebraska fans, his decision to sign with the Huskers only builds his stature. He holds an On3 NIL Valuation of $727,000. Additionally, don’t forget the Huskers have a solid collective – The 1890 Initiative – that does a great job with its football roster. 

“When you look at the addition of Dylan, he is without a doubt the biggest addition Nebraska has added in the NIL Era,” Sean Callahan with HuskerOnline tells On3.

“They have never had a player of this type of market value, as he checks off so many boxes playing the quarterback position, carrying a five-star ranking and being the son of a Husker legend. His presence alone now will have a driving impact on the NIL market at Nebraska.”