Dylan Raiola Says Marcus Mariota, Dillon Gabriel Gave Him Permission to Wear No. 8 Oregon Jersey

Dylan Raiola revealed this week that a pair of Oregon legends gave him permission to wear No. 8 upon arriving at the school.

In a video entitled "Meet the Flock," posted on the Oregon Athletics official YouTube account (h/t Pro Football Talk's Michael David Smith), Raiola explained that he received the blessing of both Marcus Mariota and Dillon Gabriel before officiating choosing to wear No. 8 for the Ducks (beginning at the 9:25 mark):

"The last two people, if you look at it, who wore it were Dillon Gabriel and Marcus Mariota," Raiola said. "So before I even thought about wearing it, I called Dillon and I asked him, and then I actually asked him if I could have Marcus's number and I called Marcus and I was blessed with the opportunity to wear it."

Mariota and Gabriel were born in Hawai'i, and Raiola said in the video that he lived there for nine or 10 years. Per Smith, the three quarterbacks have "formed a connection" over their shared background.

If Raiola experiences even close to the same level of success Mariota and Gabriel did at Oregon, he will be celebrated for years to come.

In 2014, Mariota led the Ducks to the National Championship Game, and he won the Heisman Trophy by virtue of passing for 4,454 yards, 42 touchdowns and four interceptions, while also rushing for 770 yards and 15 scores.

More recently, Gabriel led Oregon to a 13-0 record before a Rose Bowl loss to Ohio State in 2024. He also tied Case Keenum for the most career passing touchdowns by an FBS quarterback that season with 155.

Raiola is no stranger to honoring quarterbacks that he respects, as he wore No. 15 at Nebraska the past two years in recognition of Kansas City Chiefs superstar Patrick Mahomes.

With Oregon's 2025 starting quarterback, Dante Moore, returning to school for the 2026 season, there is seemingly a strong chance that Raiola will redshirt his first year with the Ducks.

That means the No. 8 jersey may not be seen on the field in game situations next season, but Raiola will have a chance to follow in the footsteps of Mariota and Gabriel starting in 2027.