A Commanders QB is making a surprise appearance on College GameDay

The days where we see college players joining NFL teams like the Washington Commanders carrying the kind of torch for their schools like we’re used to may be coming to an end in some ways.

Certainly, there will be the occasional player who spends his entire career at one place and feels a fierce sense of loyalty to the program that ultimately led him to his place as an NFL player on the Commanders’ roster, but with NIL and transfers becoming easier to execute and benefit from, more and more athletes are coming from multiple programs before making the leap to pro ball.

One player currently playing for Washington who is well known to have a strong connection to his collegiate roots is quarterback Marcus Mariota, the Heisman Trophy winner from the Oregon Ducks program, who is no stranger to the program to this day.

A Legend Returns Home

With College GameDay headed to his old stomping grounds, and with his team on a bye, Mariota is going to be on hand for Oregon’s game this weekend, and will also be the celebrity guest picker for the popular pregame show Saturday morning.

“We have Oregon legend and 2014 Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota joining us as this week's guest picker,” the program announced on social media this week.

We have Oregon legend and 2014 Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota joining us as this week's guest picker‼️ pic.twitter.com/VzUDOGEbrn
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) November 20, 2025

The 'Guest Picker' Honor

If his record is anything in Oregon this weekend like it was while he was playing there, odds are his picks are going to be pretty successful.

A winner in 36 of his 46 games as the Ducks’ quarterback, Mariota not only led his team to several victories, but to the first ever College Football Playoff National Championship Game where his team unfortunately lost to the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Mariota was that season’s Heisman Trophy winner, and went on to become the No. 2 pick in the 2015 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans.

With over 10,000 yards passing in his career to go with more than 100 passing touchdowns and another 29 on the ground, Mariota became a school legend and fan-favorite, a status he enjoys to this day, more than 10 years since he last took a snap for Oregon.

Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota throws during the second quarter of the Oregon game against Colorado at Autzen Stadium in Eugene on Saturday, November 22, 2014. | Andy Nelson / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Hall of Fame Induction

After his appearance on the program, Mariota will be honored during the team’s top-25 matchup against the USC Trojans as he gets inducted into the Ducks’ Hall of Fame.

Current starting quarterback for Oregon, Dante Moore, recently said of Mariota, “Growing up, he was a quarterback that everyone loved watching. 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. But overall, just got to give him his kudos, his congratulations. He deserves it for sure.”

Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2025 season.

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