Dylan Raiola, a major priority for and frequent visitor to UGA, is nation's new No. 1 player in 2024

Georgia is firmly in the mix for On3’s top player in 2024 according to the newly released On300, as Chandler High (Chandler, Arizona) quarterback Dylan Raiola secured the top spot in the rankings which were released on Monday.

Raiola was in Athens to see the Bulldogs once again at the end of last week, his fifth visit to Athens according to Chad Simmons.

Currently, the Bulldogs are tied with the Texas Longhorns in the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine for Raiola’s services

According to the RPM, Georgia and Texas are both sitting with a 22.1-percent chance of landing the newly minted five-star prospect.

As a result, the 6-foot-3, 210-pound signal-caller is no stranger to the staff.

Raiola recaps his last Georgia visit

“Seeing Coach [Todd] Monken live was big for me. He coaches hard and there is a reason for that. He wants things done the right way and he is going to push his players,” Raiola told Simmons following the trip to Athens. “The way he coaches is a lot like the NFL. That is great because the NFL is my end goal. I love his offense, I like my fit in it, and everything he does on the field makes a lot of sense to me. He is a smart coach that works his players to be the best.”

This won’t be the last chance for the Bulldogs to play host either.

“This visit was great and I will definitely be back,” Raiola told Simmons. “Spending time with coach Smart and Monken, watching practice, sitting in on the meetings, and being back showed me why I liked Georgia so much. It is a great school and Georgia is definitely up there for me. I love it when I am there.”

A special tie to Georgia

Dylan Raiola has a connection to Athens that most certainly do not, but it’s one that’s clearly making an early impact for him.

His father, Dominic, played for the Detroit Lions alongside Matthew Stafford, and the current Rams QB and the nation’s new No. 1 quarterback have remained in touch since.

“[Stafford] made a joke about going to Georgia and how no one has ever worn No. 7 as a quarterback since he was there. He was joking with me and said, ‘You can wear No. 7 if you want up there.’ He’s told me to go where I’m happy and isn’t trying to force me anywhere. At the end of the day, he’s really like family to us,” Raiola told Chad Simmons. “I haven’t really talked about what he did at Georgia, but he just told me that Athens is great. There’s people around there who will take care of me. Of course, he met his wife there, so that’s really important to him. The people around there are really good people and I’ll be taken care of.”

Scouting Dylan Raiola

“Advanced arm talent with the ability to make a wide variety of high-level throws as a high school underclassman. Looks like the top quarterback prospect and overall arm talent in the 2024 cycle early on. Physically developed at around 6-foot-3, 210 pounds. Has a natural, loose throwing motion with unique arm dexterity to deliver off-platform and from multiple arm slots. Already has a deep catalog of throws as a rising junior in high school. Easily drives the ball to all levels of the field. Played both under center and in the shotgun as a sophomore. Ahead of the curve as a ball-handler and in the quick passing game. Shows good footwork and awareness in the pocket. Capable of creative plays in the face of pressure. Primarily a pass-first quarterback as a sophomore, not running for many yards. Turned in one of the more productive sophomore seasons among top 2024 quarterbacks. The son of 14-year NFL center Dominic Raiola. Also a standout baseball player as a pitcher and catcher.” — Charles Power, On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings

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