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Dylan Raiola’s Kobe–Jordan Line Draws Heat on Social Media

Originally posted on Heartland College Sports
By Joe Tillery | Last updated Jul 23, 2025 12:03 PM ET

Nebraska’s prized quarterback recruit Dylan Raiola might have been aiming for inspiration, but his recent comparison between his relationship with Patrick Mahomes and the legendary Kobe Bryant–Michael Jordan dynamic quickly became fuel for social media critics everywhere.

Speaking on the Cover 3 podcast, Raiola commented, “What Kobe did to Mike, that’s kind of what it is for me to Patrick.” He was careful to say he wasn’t trying to place himself on Kobe’s level, but that didn’t stop Twitter from doing it for him.

The reaction was swift and merciless. Memes rang out, as commenters called it delusional to not only compare himself to one of the NFL’s greatest quarterbacks of all time, but also to two of the best athletes who ever played basketball.

This is insanely weird. The guy really thinks he's Mahomes.

Then to say it's like a Kobe & Michael relationship is ridiculous

Boy you're average at best, chill out https://t.co/mNKv0CSczV
— Brock U. (@BrockHawki) July 23, 2025

He thinks he’s Kobe??? https://t.co/K1kibDgo5b pic.twitter.com/dwyjhyVuXP
— Braden Curry (@Big_Curry) July 23, 2025

At its heart, Raiola’s comment reflected admiration for Mahomes. He’s trained at elite camps, studied his mechanics, and hopes to learn leadership traits from one of the NFL’s brightest stars. However, comparing an okay-at-best freshman season to the Kobe–Jordan mentorship raised eyebrows. Bryant and Jordan’s pairing is among the most iconic in basketball lore. Suggesting a parallel after just a summer of camps landed as premature swagger.

Still, give credit where it’s due; Raiola clearly believes in his trajectory. He isn’t just talking up his QB coach. He’s trying to court a legend. But in today’s social media court of public opinion, balancing ambition and humility remains a high-wire act.

Watching his growth unfold will be fascinating. Just maybe tone down the Kobe-Jordan hype until he’s got some better stats under his belt.

https://t.co/4TlUU5XsfA pic.twitter.com/vXNnWL8UE7
— Pete (@ohcrapitspete) July 23, 2025

If he lives up to the hype he’s setting himself up for— kudos to him. He will have earned it.

But man… talk about putting an even bigger target on your back. https://t.co/u19YXBsvhP
— David Eickholt (@DavidEickholt) July 23, 2025