High School

Nebraska football commit Dayton Raiola shows shades of a left-handed Dylan

Little brother throws a bomb 63 yards in the air to Buford (Georgia) teammate Jordan Allen in win

Mike Swanson

Dayton Raiola showed incredible arm strength Friday night for Buford (Georgia) | David McGregor
Dayton Raiola showed incredible arm strength Friday night for Buford (Georgia) | David McGregor /

Junior quarterback Dayton Raiola's strong 2024 season has earned him an upgrade to three stars and a commitment to join his brother Dylan at Nebraska.

That continued Friday with one of the throws of the 2024 season in high school football.

The Buford (Georgia) QB threw a ball 63 yards in the air to wide receiver Jordan Allen, who caught it in stride on the 5 and cruised in for a touchdown.

It extended Buford's lead over previously undefeated Collins Hill to 20-7, and the Wolves went on to win 34-7. Here's the throw:

Dayton Raiola stands 6-foot-1, two inches shorter than Dylan, but the lefty showed his arm strength is right there with him.

The younger Raiola has come a long way since opening week playing a rainy game against the top-ranked high school football team in Georgia (and No. 6 nationally).

Dylan Raiola, meanwhile, is thriving as a freshman at Nebraska as both Raiolas lead each other's respective teams at starting quarterback.

Dayton Raiola announced Sept. 22 that he'd be joining his brother at Nebraska, where their dad, Dominic, is a legendary Husker offensive lineman. Their uncle, Donovan Raiola, is the current offensive line coach.

Dayton Raiola is the first commitment in Nebraska's 2026 recruiting class.

“The offer from Nebraska is very special,” he told On3. “It was a crazy feeling when I found out about it. My dad went there, my uncle is there, my brother is looking at them, and it is just cool to know I have the chance to go there. Every time we go to Nebraska, we see my dad’s name inside the stadium and it is a special feeling to have this offer.”

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-- Mike Swanson | swanson@scorebooklive.com | @sblivesports

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Mike Swanson, SBLive Sports
MIKE SWANSON

Mike Swanson is the VP of Content for High School On SI. He's been in journalism since 2003, having worked as a reporter, city editor, copy editor and high school sports editor in California, Connecticut and Oregon.

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