The Oregon program has thrived off its lineage of signal callers from the islands. Marcus Mariota, perhaps the greatest Duck of all time, set a high bar to breach. His individual escapades remain etched in their own tier. However, fellow Hawaiian Dillon Gabriel has been a revelation himself. He stands on the precipice of achieving things for Oregon that even his self-proclaimed hero couldn’t- win a Natty.

Despite this, Dillon remains indebted. There is an acknowledgment of the foundations Mariota set, which have afforded him this opportunity. Without what Mariota did, we may not have a Dillon Gabriel or a Tua Tagovailoa. Dillon outwardly expressed this feeling of gratitude and respect in a recent interview.

“When you’re growing up and you have that kind of direct example- A guy from Hawaii playing at a high level, at the D1 level. Then you see him go to the NFL. It’s like, you know, you can see it. You can believe it…and then I think your belief in yourself continues to rise as well. So I’m very appreciative of him and how he represents himself”, Gabriel gratefully said in his presser. He shared an anecdote of a gesture that encompasses Mariota’s love and mentorship.

Dillon said “[Marcus Mariota] texted me [before] my senior night. Little things like that, that he doesn’t have to do.,you appreciate. People say not to meet their heroes. But gosh, I met mine, and I’m very appreciative of him. Because he’s the same guy and represents the right thing. So I’m very blessed and grateful for that and never take that lightly, because I’m lucky to have it.” This heartfelt reinforcement of his regard for Mariota only consolidates what was already apparent.

Well, Dillon literally wears the same no.8 as an homage to his “role model”. Mariota was one of the keys to the operation in bringing him to Oregon via the portal. What has ensued is a season of near-perfect quarterbacking for what his team needed. But heavy is the head that wears the crown. As the quarterback, Dillon Gabriel is in some ways the figurehead of this all-conquering Oregon unit and he leads them into what is the biggest challenge of his career yet.

Dillon Gabriel faces his most important day in the Ducks’ green

Exactly a decade on from their 2014 National Championship loss, Oregon has a shot at redemption. Marcus Marriota’s escapades won almost every accolade under the Sun that year. Dillon may not be a force-multiplier of that ilk, running away with the Heisman. But he doesn’t need to be. The 2024 Oregon Ducks under Dan Lanning are a sum of its parts. 

Their next hurdle en route to the ultimate prize takes them to Indy to face Penn State in the B1G Championship. Oregon are -3.5 point favorites according to the oddsmakers and a loss wouldn’t exactly derail their season. However, it could birth doubts which haven’t existed thus far. Dillon Gabriel will have to bring his A-game against a Nittany Lions secondary that is one of the best in the country.

Surely they fall short of James Franklin and his perennial big-game struggles, right? That’s what the Ducks faithful shall be expecting. Perhaps Dillon even channels the spirit of Mariota and gives us a light show. Nevertheless, a watershed game in the young career of Dillon Gabriel beckons. Tell us what you think about Gabriel’s sincere confession in the comment section below!