What visits tell us about Dylan Raiola, Jadyn Davis

The 2024 college football recruiting class is loaded with talent and here is the latest on visits for Jadyn Davis and Dylan Raiola, plus what it means. 

When Dylan Raiola decommitted from Ohio State it sent shockwaves through the world of college football recruiting because he’s one of the top players in the 2024 class.

On3 rates Raiola as a five-star plus. He’s No. 1 among quarterbacks and the No. 1 player ranked overall. Arch Manning may have gotten more attention in the 2023 college football recruiting class, but Raiola is right there in terms of talent and potential impact.

It was a huge get for the Buckeyes and also a huge hit when they lost him. In recent weeks, Georgia has started to trend as the favorite for Dylan Raiola. Nebraska, where his dad Dominic played is also in the mix, along with Oregon and some other schools.

This recruitment will be interesting to follow but the first on-campus visit Raiola is making after his commitment is coming this weekend as he will visit USC.

The Trojans have a lot going for them. Lincoln Riley is a legit QB guru and he’s a tremendous recruiter. He doesn’t lose many recruiting battles and his track record is one reason why.

Riley coached another Heisman Trophy winner this past season in Caleb Williams and I’m sure Raiola could easily believe he would win one under Riley too. My question about USC has always been Malachi Nelson, who signed as part of the 2023 class. He’s a five-star too and you wonder if that would give Raiola pause.

I’m not saying he’s afraid of competition. But I also don’t see him wanting to wait until his junior season to be the guy and even if Nelson went pro as soon as he could, he would be at USC for two seasons with Raiola.

It doesn’t mean Raiola to USC won’t happen, yet it’s an obstacle the Trojans will need to overcome. Georgia doesn’t have that problem. The Bulldogs didn’t even take a QB in 2023 after focusing their efforts on Manning. The thought of Raiola to UGA has to be scary for college football fans but that’s where the crystal balls have been trending.

Don’t count out Oregon or Nebraska. Matt Rhule has the Huskers doing some great things on the recruiting trail and his visit to Arizona seemed to yield some positive results. I also wouldn’t count out Dan Lanning and the Ducks.

At the very least, this shows that USC is a contender. I don’t think Raiola would waste his time if there wasn’t serious interest and above all else, that’s good news for the Trojans.

North Carolina impresses Jadyn Davis

The No. 3 quarterback in the 2024 college football recruiting class according to the 247 sports composite rankings is Jadyn Davis and he spent his weekend in Chapel Hill.

Jadyn Davis is No. 19 overall and has been trending with expert projections to Michigan since last summer. No other team has received any since then and this is across 247 sports, Rivals, and On3.

But, the Wolverines haven’t been able to close. North Carolina, Clemson, and others appear to be on the rise and Davis visited North Carolina last week with other Providence Day players.

It was another “good experience” according to what Steve Wiltfong of 247 sports reported of the visit, but it’s hard to gauge what that means.

Jadyn Davis was expected to commit before the end of 2022, but then said he doesn’t really have a timeline after his recent delay. Jim Harbaugh has announced his return to Michigan but no contact extension has been signed and you wonder if that is impacting Davis at all.

Wiltfong reported that there weren’t any other visits planned for Davis, so we’ll see where things go but the longer it plays out, the worse it is for the supposed favorite — Michigan.