Panini America Signs Nebraska’s Dylan Raiola to Exclusive NIL Deal

Panini America adds to its lineup of exclusive athletes with another major signing.

Panini America’s lineup of exclusive athletes continues to grow.

Five-star 2024 quarterback Dylan Raiola announced Thursday morning that he has signed his first exclusive NIL deal with Panini America to produce trading cards. Complete details of the deal aren't available, but autographed cards are expected to be a major part.

ESPN’s Pete Thamel first reported the news and notes that the deal is for multiple years.

Raiola is ranked as the top quarterback and the No. 2 overall prospect in the 2024 cycle by 247Sports. A Georgia native, Raiola also shocked the college football community when he announced on Dec. 18 that he was flipping his commitment from Georgia to Nebraska.

“Dylan is both an outstanding player and young man, and he is a natural fit to join the Panini family,” Panini's Senior Vice President of Marketing and Athlete Relations Jason Howarth said in a statement. “We are excited about his future as he enters the next phase and transitions to college and to share his Panini products with fans across the country.”

Raiola’s deal is the latest for Panini, which appears to be making exclusive NIL deals a priority. He joins college stars like Arch Manning and Quinn Ewers of Texas with exclusive Panini deals.

Nebraska All-American volleyball star Lexi Rodriguez signed Panini’s first deal with a female collegiate athlete in October.

Panini first announced its NIL plans back in 2021 when it signed Miami’s D’Eriq King, Wisconsin’s Graham Mertz and Ole Miss’ Matt Corral to exclusive deals.

The deal with Raiola also comes as Panini’s future in football trading cards remains unclear. Fanatics has been on track to take over the exclusive licensing rights to produce NFL trading cards from Panini in 2026, though the NFLPA’s attempt to end its current deal with Panini early has complicated the deal.

Fanatics and Panini are currently locked in a legal battle over the trading card landscape. Panini originally sued Fanatics, alleging that it had attempted to create a monopoly in the space before Fanatics countersued while claiming Panini had engaged in “unfair trade practices.”