Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule says he compared freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola to Patrick Mahomes long before Raiola went viral for his resemblance to the Kansas City Chiefs star.

“When I got here, I went to watch (Raiola) pitch in high school, and I texted our recruiter,” Rhule said on Tuesday’s episode of The Rich Eisen Show (1:00 of video below.) “And he said, ‘What does he look like?’ And I said, ‘He’s Mahomes.’

“And not just the face and the mannerisms. His arm, his ability to throw off the platform, just everything. That was my first instinct. So now it’s kind of funny to see everyone – I can’t look at Instagram without seeing someone put them side by side. But the great thing is he’s a winner, just like Patrick.”

Raiola helped Nebraska start the season with three straight wins, completing 59 of 80 for 670 yards, five touchdowns and an interception.

The freshman quarterback has emphasized his resemblance to Mahomes by doing everything from dressing up like the Chiefs’ star player and mimicking his pregame ritual to executing sidearm passes during the game.

Mahomes, who recently told reporters it’s “cool” to see Raiola imitate him, gave the freshman a shout-out after he threw a 59-yard touchdown pass against UTEP in his college debut.

“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with all of our players having high expectations and expressing belief in them,” Rhule said. “I believe Dylan has a chance to be one of the best players on the planet at some point.

“The most important thing is whether it concerns him, his family, our players or myself: we all have to make sure that he and all our players keep working.”

Nebraska has won by at least 18 points in each of Raiola’s three starts so far. Rhule noted that Raiola will continue to develop as he encounters more adversity, something that will likely happen later this season with upcoming games against No. 3 Ohio State and No. 11 USC.

“So far, he’s had nothing but good days,” Rhule said. “And the one thing I’ve told him is, I’ve seen guys in the NFL, I’ve seen guys go to the NFL, and at some point, you’re defined by your bad days, and how you respond to those days.”

Rhule added: “I think the great thing about Dylan is that he’s so humble and down to earth. He always knows who he is and if he has a bad day, he’ll bounce back.”

Raiola is expected to make his fourth start for the Cornhuskers when No. 22 takes on No. 24 Illinois at home on Friday night.