Who is 'Baby Mahomes'? Meet Dylan Raiola, Nebraska QB and Patrick Mahomes look-alike
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes enters Super Bowl 59 looking to etch his name further into NFL royalty by doing something that has never been accomplished by a member of his position group in the Super Bowl era.
A win against the Philadelphia Eagles at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans would not only make Mahomes the first quarterback to win three straight Lombardi Trophies, but also give him his fourth Super Bowl ring before turning 30 years old — the most by a quarterback.
He will do so with the newest member of the Mahomes family, Golden Raye Mahomes, in attendance three weeks after being born. But she isn't the "Baby Mahomes" everyone will be talking about on Sunday, nor will it be the three-time Super Bowl MVP's other two children, Sterling Skye Mahomes and Patrick "Bronze" Lavon Mahomes III.
Instead, it will be Mahomes' look-alike in Nebraska football quarterback Dylan Raiola. Here's what you need to know about the comparison between Mahomes and Raiola:
Who is 'Baby Mahomes'?
Nebraska freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola is referred to as "Baby Mahomes," given the similar looks he and the Chiefs' quarterback share.
Raiola was in attendance for Mahomes and the Chiefs' AFC championship win over the Buffalo Bills on Jan. 26. He even was caught on camera inside Kansas City's locker room after the game by Chiefs' running back Isiah Pacheco, who joined in with the comparisons.
"That ain't Pat," Pacheco said in the clip while panning his camera to Raiola.
Patrick Mahomes-Dylan Raiola comparisons, explained
The comparison between Raiola and Mahomes began in July 2023, when the Cornhuskers quarterback showed up to training camp looking like the Chiefs quarterback from top to bottom: goatee, sunglasses and haircut.
The comparison then had an extra level added to it when Mahomes, himself, quote tweeted a tweet from Bleacher Report on Aug. 31 to congratulate Raiola on throwing his first collegiate touchdown. Raiola's pass came on a dart down the field to Isaiah Neyor in the second quarter of Nebraska's Week 1 win over UTEP.
"Lil cuzzo!!" Mahomes wrote on X (formerly Twitter) and then added a flex emoji, followed by a bullseye emoji.
It really escalated in Week 3 of the college football season, when the "FOX College Football" X account caught Raiola breaking out Mahomes' signature warmup ahead of the Cornhuskers' contest against Northern Iowa.
"When I got here (at Nebraska), I went and watched him (Raiola) throw in high school, and I texted our recruiting guy," Nebraska coach Matt Rhule said of the comparisons between Mahomes-Raiola during an appearance on "The Rich Eisen Show" on Sept. 17. "And he said, 'How's he look?' And I said, 'He's Mahomes.'
"And not just the facial, and the mannerisms. His arm, his ability to make throws off platform, just everything. That was my first instinct. So now it's kind of funny, to see everyone — I can't look at Instagram without seeing someone putting them side by side. But the great thing is he's a winner, just like Patrick is."
Here's a side-by-side breakdown of Raiola and Mahomes doing the same pregame warmup routine:
Patrick Mahomes on Dylan Raiola comparison
While Raiola himself has shut down the comparisons himself, Mahomes spoke at length during a media availability back in September — even disclosing that they work out together.
"It's cool, honestly. I was that guy," Mahomes said. "I loved Alex Rodriguez, played shortstop (and) would try to make plays just like him and do stuff like that. It helped me become the athlete I am (today).
"I know Dylan, I train with him in the offseason. He's a great kid, a great football player. I think he is going to make his own stamp on the game and I think you've seen that early in his career."
Dylan Raiola stats at Nebraska
Raiola led the Cornhuskers to a 7-6 overall record (3-6 in Big Ten) in his first season, including a win against Boston College in the Pinstripes Bowl at Yankee Stadium.
With Raiola helming the offense, Nebraska had its first winning season since and bowl berth since the 2016 college football season, its first bowl win since 2015 and its first season boasting both since 2013.
Here's a look at Raiola's stats this season at Nebraska last season:
- Passing: 275 of 410 passing (67.1%) for 2,819 yards and 13 touchdowns to 11 interceptions