Top CFB recruit announces decision in unusual way

Dylan Raiola, one of the top college football recruits for the Class of 2024, will follow in the footsteps of his father and go to Nebraska. That news will no doubt excite Matt Rhule and the rest of the Cornhuskers football coaches, but also the English teachers on campus, as well.

It was announced on Monday that Raiola, who had previously committed to Georgia, was flipping his commitment and going to Nebraska. This is not at all uncommon and normally when it happens, the player will issue a statement on social media that amounts to little more than a form letter. In this case, it would have been something like, “I want to thank Coach Smart and the UGA family for their interest. But after careful consideration, I have decided to commit to Nebraska. Go Big Red.”

But that’s not what Raiola did. Raiola posted on Twitter/X on Monday and while the caption did say “GO BIG RED” and his post did hit some of the standard talking points, it was anything but a form letter. It was a full, 12-line poem with an AA-BB rhyme scheme all the way throughout.

GO
BIG
RED pic.twitter.com/ApOPDipCcu

— Dylan Raiola (@RaiolaDylan) December 18, 2023

Certainly nobody who writes a poem about the decision is looking to fly under the radar. Raiola’s Cornhusker Composition definitely got noticed.

First commitment announcement to include a poem? https://t.co/jbTSZbMgF8

— Andy Staples (@Andy_Staples) December 18, 2023

THE CHOSEN ONE THAT WILL BRING BALANCE TO COLLEGE FOOTBALL

🌽🌽🌽🌽🌽🌽🌽🌽🌽🌽 https://t.co/U3ipjAGVXW

— Will Compton (@_willcompton) December 18, 2023

Sir you need to be like John Elway, not John Keats

— Three Year Letterman (@3YearLetterman) December 18, 2023

Y’all ain’t ready for this… https://t.co/nVEpyn6wJ1

— Malachi Coleman (@ChiColeman23) December 18, 2023

he wrote verse, I hope he never loses a game https://t.co/ffWiSkZ0jq

— ¡BUM CHILLUPS AKA SPENCER HALL! (@edsbs) December 18, 2023

You better win 2 Heisman’s and a big ten title if you’re actually gonna write this about yourself https://t.co/9AxIP6MVox

— Kevin Ward (@kwardy26) December 19, 2023

One way or another, these words (poem?) won’t be forgotten. 🤔 https://t.co/e21qWZ5oxE

— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) December 18, 2023

[Dylan Raiola on Twitter/X]