Georgia commits Dylan Raiola, Ryan Puglisi share Elite 11 spotlight
Phoenix (Ariz.) Pinnacle five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola and Avon (Conn.) Avon Old Farms Ryan Puglisi find it easy to co-exist.
Before Wednesday, Raiola and Puglisi had never met. Both Georgia commits threw side-by-side for much of the first day of the Elite 11 Finals.
They found a balance. They competed, but they’re also learning from one another. The dynamic was good practice for what things will look like in spring football next year.
“I thought it was great, obviously we’ve texted back and forth but this is the first time we saw each other in person,” Puglisi said. “We’re just trying to make each other better. He’s my teammate. That’s what it comes down to.”
Raiola echoed a similar sentiment.
“It was cool,” Raiola said. “Meeting Ryan for the first time and getting to throw with him was a cool experience knowing that we’re going to be together in the future. I thought it was pretty special.”
Dylan Raiola and Ryan Puglisi among On3’s top performers
On3’s Charles Power had Puglisi ahead of Raiola in the Top Performers for day one on Wednesday. Puglisi landed in sixth on Power’s board.
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Power on Puglisi: He showed excellent zip and velocity on throws over the course of the workout. There were times where you could hear the laces hiss through the air. Puglisi’s arm action is loose and he has a compact release. We could see the natural whip in his elbow that allows the ball to jump out of his hand.
Raiola came home in eighth after the first day of competition.
Power on Raiola: The 6-foot-2.5, 220-pounder showed easy arm strength, consistently generating power on his throws without strain. He easily grips the ball and has no issues spinning his throws. The tight rotation allows for a second live to his throws. Others would see their throws flutter, but we rarely saw that from the Georgia pledge.
Both QBs recap performances
Raiola came away a little disappointed with how the hot shot challenge ended for him. He was eliminated early in the competition after a good throw just missed.
“I felt I had a little bit left in me, it hit him on the chin but they didn’t count it,” Raiola said with a slight smirk. “I’m not going to make any excuses. It is what it is.”
Raiola is set to make day two a better showing. He’s dealt with the expectations of being the top-ranked recruit for some time. At this point, Raiola is accustomed to it.
“People are going to say what they want to say, I try and keep that outside of my circle,” Raiola said. “I don’t think anybody is perfect. I try and shoot for perfection but I’ve just to got to keep doing what I’m doing.”
