Quarterback Dylan Raiola is the talk of the town in the world of high school football recruiting. The Arizona native is the consensus No. 1 high school recruit in the class of 2024 and has been highly sought after by various college football programs across the country. But with Todd Monken no longer at Georgia, the quarterback is now rethinking his options with USC leading the way in capturing his signature.
Raiola is likely headed to Southern California
For a while, Raiola was thought to be leaning toward the University of Georgia, where he was recruited by offensive coordinator Todd Monken. However, with Monken’s recent departure to become the offensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL, the door was left open for Raiola to explore other options.
The University of Southern California (USC) is now believed to be the favorite to get Raiola’s signature. USC is not only by far the closest to home in Arizona, but it also makes perfect sense for Raiola to pick the Trojans.
USC head coach Lincoln Riley has been aggressively recruiting Raiola, and with the departure of current starting quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams, who is likely to head to the NFL draft next season, Raiola could easily slide into the starting quarterback position at USC.
Ohio state out of the question after liberation?
Raiola is known for his strong arm and ability to hit accurate shots while running, making him a highly sought after prospect for any college football program. He was bringing this skill set to Ohio State when he committed in May 2022, but later decided he would withdraw from the program to continue his recruiting.
Dylan Raiola made some crazy plays last night on ESPN pic.twitter.com/JqrFssKwNX
— The Victory Bell (@VictoryBellOSU) October 29, 2022
Despite that, USC may have an advantage in recruiting Raiola due to several factors, including the school’s strong tradition of producing successful NFL quarterbacks such as Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart and Sam Darnold. He also produced the aforementioned Caleb Williams, this season’s Heisman Trophy winner.
In addition, USC has a rich history of college football success, having won 11 national championships and produced dozens of All-Americans over the years. Raiola would have the opportunity to play for a program that is not only committed to winning, but also has a proven track record of developing talent and preparing players for successful careers at the next level.
Overall, it seems very likely that Raiola will choose USC as his college football home. The combination of his proximity to Arizona, the school’s strong football tradition, and the potential opportunity to play immediately under a highly respected, offensive-minded coach in Lincoln Riley, make him a no-brainer for the young quarterback.
