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Nebraska LB Says ‘Don’t Compare’ Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders to Dylan Raiola

Kristen Wong

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Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders already has some members of the media captivated by what he could potentially achieve in the NFL. Nebraska linebacker Mikai Gbayor isn’t quite sold on Sanders’s talent, though. 

Gbayor spoke to reporters ahead of the Cornhuskers’ matchup against the Buffaloes on Saturday, and he sounded very dismissive when one reporter tried to compare Sanders to Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola.

“You can’t compare Dylan and Shedeur Sanders,” Gbayor said. “Don’t do that. Dylan is a different man. The way he play, the way he go out there and attack.”

When the reporter asked for elaboration, Gbayor replied, “Just, Dylan is a dog. Just know that. You’ll see on Saturday.”

In their most recent matchup, Sanders and the Buffaloes beat Nebraska handily in a 36-14 victory at Folsom Field last September, with the Colorado quarterback throwing for 393 yards and two touchdowns. 

Sanders got his 2024 college football season off to a strong start with an impressive outing in the Buffaloes’ nervy 31-26 win against North Dakota State—though the same could be said for Raiola.

Raiola, one of the highest-rated prospects to sign with the Huskers in the modern era, enjoyed a dazzling debut in Nebraska’s 40-7 romp over UTEP in the season opener. The five-star freshman quarterback wasted no time showcasing his talents, completing 19 of his 27 passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns in less than three quarters. Back in his senior season at Buford High School in Georgia, Raiola threw just one interception on 250 pass attempts, a statistic sure to relieve Cornhuskers fans given Nebraska’s sloppy quarterback play last year. 

Raiola will get his chance to outshine Sanders this weekend when the former Big 12 rivals face off at Memorial Stadium.

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Kristen Wong

KRISTEN WONG

Kristen Wong is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. She has been a sports journalist since 2020. Before joining SI in November 2023, Wong covered four NFL teams as an associate editor with the FanSided NFL Network and worked as a staff writer for the brand’s flagship site. Outside of work, she has dreams of running her own sporty dive bar.

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