The machine that is Georgia football recruiting under Kirby Smart is as powerful as ever.
Quarterback Dylan Raiola, the top quarterback and the top overall recruit in the 2024 signing cycle according to the 247Sports.com composite rankings, committed to Smart's Bulldogs on Monday afternoon. The 6-foot-3, 220-pounder from Pinnacle High in Phoenix, Arizona, was previously committed to Ohio State but opened up his recruitment in December.
"Athens, GA, is home!!!" Raiola posted on Twitter. "I'm a Dawg!!"
Raiola had taken unofficial visits earlier this year to Southern California and to Nebraska, his father's alma mater. Dominic Raiola earned the inaugural Rimington Award in 2000, which is presented annually to college football's top center.
According to 247Sports, Raiola was first offered by Georgia in June 2021 and has taken six trips to Athens, most recently in March. In the past two seasons at Pinnacle, Raiola has thrown for 5,776 combined yards with 54 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
Georgia did not add a quarterback in the 2023 signing class, which coincided with the Bulldogs winning a second consecutive national championship with the depth chart of Stetson Bennett, Carson Beck, Brock Vandagriff and Gunner Stockton. Late last month Bennett became a fourth-round pick of the Los Angeles Rams, with the other three having returned to vie earlier this spring.
Beck had the best G-Day game and is considered the favorite entering preseason camp.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com.