When the Nebraska Cornhuskers suited up for their Week 1 matchup against the Cincinnati Bearcats, no one expected to see the level of stardom that would appear in the stands. Not only were newly engaged Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift present at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes was as well.
Mahomes’s appearance is especially notable given how Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola has been time and again compared to him. In his freshman year with the Cornhuskers, Raiola threw for over 2,800 yards with a completion percentage of 67.1%, both Nebraska freshman records.
Raiola’s similarities to Mahomes are numerous. He looks similar to Mahomes, has dressed almost identically to him in the past, has previously done Mahomes’s signature warmup and was directly compared to him by Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco.
During the first quarter of the Cornhuskers-Bearcats game, Raiola replicated a new one of Mahomes’s signature mannerisms.
It was 2nd & 10, just after Raiola missed the tailback on a pass play, and he pulled out Mahomes’ finger wiggle on his left hand before the ball got snapped.
Fans quickly noticed Raiola recreating this unmistakable pre-snap habit against the Bearcats, flocking to social media to make the connection.
“This is just too funny. Oh my,” one fan said.
“We knew he studied Mahomes game play, but even his body language too?” another wrote.
“Even got 15 like Mahomes This is actually some Stan type stuff,” added another.
“Bro been doing this but still copied him lol,” wrote a fan.
“copy and paste,” said a fan.
“He’s baaaaack lmao,” a fan wrote.
Ultimately, Raiola would imitate Mahomes on the field as well, leading the Cornhuskers to a tight 20-17 victory while throwing for an impressive 243 yards, 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions.
Why Does Patrick Mahomes do the Finger Wiggle?
Mahomes explains that he wiggles his fingers as a byproduct of wanting to move quickly and use momentum for his team.
“When that momentum gets going in our favor, I want them to call the plays fast,” Mahomes said. “It’s kinda like when a basketball team goes on a run and the other team has to call a timeout, you end up with the pressure on them and I think that’s when you get stuff going in your direction.”
For Raiola, mimicking Mahomes’s finger wiggle goes beyond imitation — it signals confidence and command. Raiola’s adoption of the gesture helps to reflect that, similar to Mahomes, he thrives in a fast-paced, pressure-driven offense.
