“I think he’s a more gifted passer” - Anonymous coach draws comparisons between Dylan Raiola and Ohio State commit Tavien St. Clair

Tavien St. Clair has undoubtedly been one of the most impressive prospects in the 2024 Elite 11 finals in Los Angeles. The Ohio State commit showcased his amazing talent at the premier quarterback competition, catching the attention of scouts, media and fans.

According to The Athletic, St. Clair is highly regarded among Elite 11 coaches in Los Angeles. He was reported to have been compared to Nebraska’s freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola by an anonymous Elite 11 coach, who feels St. Clair has better arm strength.

“I think Tavien had the best arm here,” an Elite 11 coach said, per The Athletic. “I think (his arm’s) a little better than Raiola’s, and he’ll be under less of a microscope in his situation. He can make some mistakes without everyone looking for him to be the savior of the program without a lot of good players around him.”

Tavien St. Clair seems inspired by Patrick Mahomes, as per a coach

It wasn't just one coach who was impressed with Tavien St. Clair’s performance in the Elite 11. A couple of other coaches see him as a prospect to watch out for in the class of 2025. Despite still playing high school football, he appears mature enough to handle higher stages.

Another Elite 11 coach, who also compared St.Clair to Dylan Raiola, noted that he is some level ahead of the Nebraska signal caller. The coach believes the Ohio State commit is likely to have watched several hours of Patrick Mahomes’ clips, making him more refined.

“I think he’s a more gifted passer than Raiola by a little bit,” another coach added. “Dylan was more casual and cool. He looked like a grown man who you could tell had watched hours and hours of (Patrick) Mahomes and was like this big middle infielder slinging it around. Tavien looked more intentional.”

Tavien St. Clair, who is rated the No. 2 quarterback by 247Sports, is set to provide a significant amount of depth and competition to the Ohio State quarterback room in 2025. The position is likely to have him alongside five-star prospects like Julian Sayin and Air Noland, all competing for the starting spot.

Raiola is expected to claim the starting spot at Nebraska next season after flipping from Georgia to the program on National Signing Day. However, with the amount of elite quarterback talent at Ohio State, it's highly unlikely that St. Clair will earn the starting role in his freshman season in Columbus next season.