Dylan Raiola no longer looks like Patrick Mahomes. At least for now.
Nebraska’s quarterback has yet to cut his hair like the three-time Super Bowl champion.
Raiola, the former No. 1 overall recruit in college football, has worked closely with Mahomes on a few different occasions over the last few years. The latter at one point referred to the former as his “cousin.” He even invited him to join in on the locker room celebration at the AFC Championship.
For Raiola to look up to Mahomes is completely understandable. How could you not? It is a cool thing that a young quarterback has been able to learn from his hero. His desire to play like one of the all-time greats is totally normal.
However, it started to get weird when Dylan Raiola started to look more and more like Patrick Mahomes in terms of appearance. They wear the same things, they share the same number. Their pregame routine is practically identical. Raiola even rocked the same faux-hawk haircut as Mahomes.
And yet, Nebraska’s star signal-caller tried to say that the mimicked look was not on purpose. Sure.
I did not believe Raiola when he made that claim. I might believe him if he does not get a haircut between now and the start of the regular season in August.
Mahomes recently buzzed his head.
It was long overdue.
Raiola did not cut his hair. It looked exactly the same at the spring game on Saturday as it did last season.
I will finally believe that Dylan Raiola is not trying to be (and look) exactly like Patrick Mahomes if this current haircut continues into the fall. A trim is fine. Additional growth the same.
On the flip side of that conversation, Raiola decides to buzz his head like Mahomes between now and fall camp, he can never deny the mimicry again. Deal?