2024 quarterback Dylan Raiola is in his first year as a varsity starter, but it hasn’t taken long for the Burleson product to catch the eye of college coaches. Five weeks into his sophomore season, Raiola has already picked up an impressive list of early offers, and he added to his collection on Saturday during an unofficial visit to see the Texas Longhorns.
Prior to UT’s dominating win over Texas Tech, Raiola spent some time with the UT coaches and he ultimately picked up a scholarship offer from Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian.
“When we first got there, we got to talk to coach (AJ) Milwee. They said coach Sark wanted a meeting with me,” Raiola said. “We had the meeting and coach Sark offered me. I had the biggest smile on my face. I don’t take any offers lightly. I’m just very humbled to even be in this situation to receive any offers from any school.”
The offer was the big takeaway from the visit for Raiola, a four-star prospect in the 2024 class, but he said the overall experience of the visit was something he’ll remember.
“It was so awesome to just be around the coaches, just to be in the new facility they have down there was awesome. I think it was even more special, even the recruits that came, they were new to the facility, as well as the coaches,” Raiola said. “The coaches are still learning a little about the facilities when they were taking me around. The facilities are great, but people inside the building are what make it special.”
The 6-3, 215-pound Raiola has actually been a consistent visitor to the Texas campus over the last few months. He camped at Texas twice in the summer, which put him on the UT staff’s radar, and his standout play on the field this fall enabled him to earn the scholarship offer from Sarkisian.
“Texas was one of my first camps I went to in early June. Coach Milwee and coach Sark saw a lot of potential in me, but with me not having varsity film, they gave me some things to work on. I worked on it all summer and went back to Austin for a second camp to show them I fixed the things they told me to fix,” Raiola said. “I think they were waiting for the varsity film to come out, and coach Sark said he saw the varsity film, said I’m very mature, liked what he saw and gave me the offer.”
Up next, Raiola will visit Nebraska this weekend. He’ll then head to Georgia the following weekend. Both of those programs have offered, along with Baylor, Florida State, Missouri, TCU, Texas Tech, Washington State and West Virginia. Though it’s still very early in the process for Raiola, the recent offer from Texas is one that should draw consideration as he works through the recruiting process.
“Texas is a very special place. They’re my first camp, were very welcoming to my family,” Raiola said. “My family is a big part of my life. To see them welcome my family like that was very special. Texas is a very special place for me and my family.”
