Dylan Raiola Received Special Permission From Two Oregon Greats

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

Dylan Raiola Received Special Permission From Two Oregon Greats

Newly-minted Oregon QB Dylan Raiola had a favor to ask of Ducks legends Marcus Mariota and Dillon Gabriel.

For years the No. 8 jersey has been to Oregon what the No. 88 is to the Dallas Cowboys – special, and symbolic of the greats that have worn it in the past. It was worn by Marcus Mariota when he delivered a Heisman Trophy and then by Dillon Gabriel when he led Oregon to the College Football Playoff.

Now Dylan Raiola wants to be the next to wear that signature jersey. And he's going to get it.

In a video shared by the Oregon football program, Raiola revealed that he asked Mariota and Gabriel for permission to wear the No. 8.

“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.”

Raiola at Oregon

Raiola joins the Ducks following two strong seasons at Nebraska where he contributed to back-to-back winning seasons for the program's first time in a decade. He went 13-9 over those two seasons, completing 69.1-percent of his passes for 4,819 yards and 31 touchdowns with 17 interceptions.

While not exactly Mariota or Gabriel numbers, Raiola does give the Ducks a superb backup plus a successor to Dante Moore as their star QB prepares for his final season at Oregon.

Oregon quarterback Dante Moore walks off the field as the Oregon Ducks face the Indiana Hoosiers in the Peach Bowl on Jan. 9, 2026, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.© Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.

Oregon have made the College Football Playoff in back-to-back seasons, going one-and-done as the Big Ten champions in 2024 and then reaching the CFP semifinals in 2025. Both times the Ducks lost to the eventual national champions.

Can Raiola win a national title at Oregon over these next two years?

This story was originally published by The Spun on Mar 24, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos