The University of Georgia football program was the first to offer Dylan Raiola, then a rising sophomore in high school.

The foresight paid off. Raiola, the No. 1 recruit in the nation, has committed to the Georgia Bulldogs.

On June 10, 2021, former Georgia Bulldog offensive analyst Buster Faulkner saw Raiola throwing at Georgia’s camp and knew there was something special about the Class of 2024 quarterback. Raiola received an offer from Georgia that day, after a conversation with head coach Kirby Smart.

From that point on, Georgia remained a constant in the recruitment of Raiola, even through a period of time when the nation’s top quarterback and the No. 1 overall prospect was committed to Ohio State.

Raiola committed to Ohio State on May 9, 2022, and stayed pledged to the Buckeyes until December 17, 2022. Georgia had lots of momentum in the recruitment of Raiola ahead of that commitment, and stayed in touch with the 6-foot-3, 220-pound signal caller throughout.

Former Georgia offensive coordinator Todd Monken was involved, as was the aforementioned Faulkner. However, around September of 2022, then-analyst Mike Bobo and then-quality control coach Montgomery VanGorder began to get more involved in the pursuit of Raiola.

This proved to be pivotal, as Monken and Faulkner left the Georgia program shortly after winning the national championship for a second consecutive time. Bobo and VanGorder were promoted and navigated what proved to be a seamless transition in the recruiting efforts toward Raiola.

Raiola and his family were in attendance for the College Football Playoff National Championship game vs. TCU. A couple of weeks after, Raiola appeared on UGASports RUMORS vs. FACTS. He detailed his experience at the game, which he attended alongside his sister who plays volleyball at TCU.

“That was definitely a bucket list thing for me,” Raiola said. “When you’re a little kid you dream of things like that, going to a national championship and watching them win. You know, I was very fortunate, my dad got to get tickets in the Georgia section. So, I was all Dawgs that game. I had my little red pom-pom thing going, cheering for them every second of that game.”

Raiola also spent time on that trip to Los Angeles with former Georgia quarterback, and close family friend of the Raiolas, Matthew Stafford. The connection with Stafford dates back all the way through Dylan’s father Dominic’s time in the NFL with the Detroit Lions. The elder Raiola was the starting center for Stafford in Detroit and was even a groomsman in Stafford’s wedding. Needless to say, in late January of 2022 there were several deep, emotional ties to Georgia.

Despite this evident momentum, a wild swing of predictions floated around the internet as Raiola made trips to other finalists such as Southern California and Nebraska. However, Raiola and those closest to him remained committed to not getting too high or too low with each visit. That is, until a March 17-18 trip to Athens.

Shortly after that trip, UGASports was told by Dominic Raiola that Georgia “answered all the questions” and that “he could see a different excitement in his son’s eyes when talking and thinking about Georgia."

As if Georgia’s football facilities, coaches, staff, culture, winning, and the Raiola family ties weren’t enough to secure the commitment of Raiola, a deep connection to a former member of the Georgia recruiting staff added even further incentive.

On each of Dylan Raiola’s five visits leading up to the trip in mid-March, he and his family were hosted by the late Chandler LeCroy. LeCroy, a member of Georgia’s recruiting department, lost her life in a tragic accident the night of Georgia’s 2022 national championship celebration. A car crash that also took the life of Georgia offensive lineman Devin Willock deeply impacted Raiola and his family.

LeCroy had stayed in touch with the Raiola family from the very beginning of this recruitment. Texts, phone calls, and handwritten letters to the family from LeCroy over the span of 17 months helped the Raiolas feel at home in Athens and part of a family there. On the aforementioned January 30 appearance of Raiola on UGASports RUMORS vs. FACTS, he detailed what LeCroy had meant to him as a person and a recruit.

“Chandler was there for my first-ever visit and camp,” Raiola said. “June 2, 2021, that was my first camp, visit, everything and she was my host. You know I’m a big believer, and I think God set that up perfectly for her to be my first host ever in this recruiting world. We got to build a great relationship. She was always smiling. When you were around her you’d be touched by her smile. She’s such a tender heart and she loved her Georgia football. I used to call her during the games, during the national championship game. She just loved Georgia football. Very blessed to have crossed paths with her. I got to know her outside of recruiting, just the way she took care of my family, that really meant a lot to me. Just the way she carried herself, she really impacted that whole building. I have something more to play for now, other than just football. I’ll always keep her in my thoughts before I play football.”

Dylan texted LeCroy’s mother at one point and let her know how much her daughter meant to his family and how she impacted his decision on becoming a Georgia Bulldog.

Relationships and connections led Raiola to commit to Georgia. The No. 1 prospect in America is now and has been working to bring other high-profile prospects into Georgia’s 2024 class with burgeoning relationships. Jeremiah Smith, Ryan Wingo, Jaden Reddell, Taylor Tatum, and Daniel Calhoun are all among the names that Raiola is targeting.

Raiola gives a massive boost to Georgia’s Class of 2024. Overall, Raiola is the twelfth commitment for Georgia and the second five-star commit, joining safety Peyton Woodyard.

Woodyard, ironically, told UGASports RUMORS vs. FACTS on February 20, 2023 that he and Raiola were actually planning on rooming together in Athens should they both sign with the Dawgs. Now they’ll get their opportunity to do so. They will also spearhead the finishing touches on what could be an all-time elite class for the Georgia Bulldogs.