At the age of 32, Marcus Mariota has already been inducted into the Oregon Ducks’ Athletic Hall of Fame. A 11-year NFL veteran left an unprecedented impact, being the Heisman Trophy winner in the program’s history. The current head coach, Dan Lanning, knows the QB’s impact, and his strategy revolves around rallying some household names in Eugene.

In a chaotic NIL world dominated by the transfer portal, it’s quite easy to lag behind rivals. That unending stream of Nike dollars surely helps, but it’s still not a guarantee. Dan Lanning, in his 19th November presser, highlighted how Oregon legends like Marcus Mariota help the program remain a power base of recruiting. “I mean, players who have played here in the past. They come back and they give so much, and we just want him (Marcus) to know we want him to be a part of what we’re doing and to get the opportunity to honor a guy like Marcus,“ said the head coach.

Dan Lanning also praised Mariota for transitioning from college football to the pro level. “He’s very deserving, obviously had an unbelievable career here and then an unbelievable career in the NFL, but we’re glad that they want to be a part of what’s going on here at Oregon and uh continue to have a sense of pride of the fact that they got to play here,” said Dan Lanning.

It’s surely a recipe that’s breeding success for the HC. 5-star recruits are lining up in Eugene, top-5 classes are a norm, and on-field success is constant. Marcus Mariota also played a part in that.

Mariota is an Oregon legend through and through, the program’s only Heisman winner to date. His effect still reverberates in Eugene. Oregon has its fair share of prolific QBs under Dan Lanning. Bo Nix was probably the most prolific, selected as the 12th overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. Most recently, it was Dillon Gabriel, who led Oregon to an undefeated regular season in 2024. However, without Oregon legend Marcus Mariota, the program wouldn’t have landed the Millani, Hawaii native from the Oklahoma Sooners.

Mariota, a native of Hawaii himself, became an icon for the young QBs trying to enter college ball. Right after enrolling in the program, the now-Brown QB touted Marcus Mariota’s legacy. MARCUS APPROVED!” wrote Dillon Gabriel on X. Not just QBs, but even a 4-star RB met with Mariota in Eugene to shut down any de-commitment news.

Tradarian Ball even uploaded a photo on X alongside Mariota, captioned, “Legend🦆”. The 32-year-old’s resume is studded with trophies, records, and most of all, iconic moments. The 2014 Heisman winner was pivotal in leading Oregon to 36 wins, the most by any quarterback to date, and passed for 4,454 yards, earning a 90.9 quarterback rating in the 2014 campaign. Not to mention, the Hawaiian led Oregon to the 2015 CFP national title game and ended his collegiate career with the 2nd overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft. That’s why even the Ducks’ current QB couldn’t stop praising the Commanders’ QB.

Not just Dan Lanning, the current QB, praises Marcus Mariota before the induction ceremony

Apart from the indirect effect that Marcus’ legacy plays at Oregon. The Washington Commanders’ QB also never shies from making his love for Oregon clear. Not just helping in Ball’s recruitment in Eugene, he also met with other recruits to hype them up. Earlier, Mariota was also pivotal in Dante Moore’s commitment, having met the 5-star QB. The 20-year-old on Wednesday gave credit to the former Heisman winner and described the impact.

“Growing up, he was a quarterback that everyone loved watching,” Moore said. “He’s for sure a GOAT around here at the University of Oregon. He’s somebody as a quarterback that you just love watching play, watching him in the NFL currently, and in college, of him just making plays. Overall, got to give him his kudos, his congratulations. He deserves it for sure.” Being a mentor not just for Oregon players but even in the NFL.

The former Ducks QB had signed an $8 million deal with the Commanders and has passed for 1,065 yards so far in the season. That’s why Dan Lanning, Dante Moore, and others are happy about Mariota’s HoF induction. With this, his legacy is now immortalized in Eugene, and he will forever remain a college football icon inspiring generations to come.