The nation's No. 1 high school football recruit, Dylan Raiola, is doubling down on his commitment to Georgia football.
Dylan Raiola, the No. 1 high school football recruit in the 2024 high school class, is committed to the University of Georgia. While the Dawgs had to feel good about his announcement already, the five-star QB is doubling down on his commitment with a surprising decision.
According to Rusty Mansell of DawgsHQ, Raiola is transferring to Buford H.S. in the suburbs of Atlanta for his last year of high school.
The news comes after Raiola, who has already played for three different high schools, was facing a five-game suspension in Arizona for transferring. By changing states and moving closer to Athens, he will get to play his full senior season.
Georgia football: Dylan Raiola moves to Dawg country earlier than expected
Raiola spent his junior year at Chandler High School in Arizona, where he completed 64 percent of his passes and threw for 2,435 yards and 22 touchdowns. He originally planned to transfer to Phoenix Pinnacle for his final high school campaign, but state rules interfered and he ultimately decided to move closer to Athens.
The Bulldogs have a wealth of five-star recruits already on the docket. Kirby Smart has transformed the program into an absolute recruitment machine. It's hard to deny the two-time reigning champ when he shows up at your school in a helicopter.
Georgia will be eager to get Raiola in the building following Stetson Bennett's departure for the NFL after two national championships. Carson Beck, a redshirt junior and former four-star recruit, is expected to take the reigns during the 2023 season before becoming draft eligible. He does, however, have three years of eligibility left, so depending on the season's outcome Raiola could face competition in the QB room as a freshman in 2024.
Raiola will also get the opportunity to do some recruiting of his own at Buford. He will join three other five-star recruits: safety KJ Bolden and lineman Eddrick Houston, both 2024 UGA targets, and 2025 linebacker Jadon Perlotte, who's already committed to UGA.
The Bulldogs' future is right on the horizon. Raiola has been billed as the best NFL prospect in his class and he is expected to bring tremendous arm talent to the Dawgs' perennially potent offense. Being an hour away from Kirby Smart should do nothing but solidify Raiola's commitment to the program.