Oregon football quarterback Dillon Gabriel hopes to end his college career with a bang in 2024.
Gabriel, the sixth-year college starter, transferred to Oregon during the offseason for his final season of eligibility after two seasons at Oklahoma. The betting odds favorite for the 2024 Heisman Trophy has been one of the most consistent passers in recent seasons and is leading a team expected to be one of the top national championship contenders this season.
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The left-handed quarterback started his career at UCF, where he won the starting job as a true freshman in 2019. He was a three-year starter for the Knights, although he missed most of the 2021 season due to injury. He brings loads of experience to Eugene and is well within reach of a big-time record, as he's 4,353 passing yards away from tying the NCAA's all-time career record held by Case Keenum. Nix threw for 4,508 yards in the same offense last season.
Gabriel hopes to follow in the footsteps of Nix, who blossomed into a first-round pick with the Ducks after transferring from Auburn.
Here's why Gabriel transferred to Oregon from Oklahoma for his final season of college football:
Why did Dillon Gabriel transfer to Oregon?
Gabriel had every intention of 2023 being his final season of college football, planning to enter the 2024 NFL Draft. However, after Oklahoma's regular season ended, he didn't receive the draft grade he wanted, and was also not invited to the Senior Bowl or NFL scouting combine.
“I had full intentions to go to the NFL,” Gabriel said in December on the Sports Animal 98.1 FM in Oklahoma City. “But after that game (TCU), on that Monday and Tuesday, I just sat down with agencies and my family and tried to get all of the information they provided.
"When they did, I was smiling at first because I thought we had a pretty dang good season other than two close ones (losses), a total of eight points, and yeah, I just looked at it and was like, ‘Man, that can’t be right.’”
Gabriel not being invited to showcase his talents was surprising to many, as he threw for 3,660 yards with 30 touchdowns to six interceptions last season with the Sooners, adding 373 yards and 12 more scores on the ground.
Gabriel's mom, Dori Gabriel, told The Athletic in June that he received a seventh round-undrafted grade from NFL scouts.
“I’m still very surprised,” Gabriel told The Athletic of his decision to leave the Sooners. “I love Oklahoma. I love all the people I met there. I think that’s a spot where I truly grew up to be the player I was going to be.”
Dori then added another part of Gabriel's decision in fact included his love for Oklahoma, as he was worried the Sooners' five-star freshman quarterback Jackson Arnold, who backed up Gabriel last season, would leave via the transfer portal if Gabriel decided to stay.
“He just knew if he stayed, Jackson might leave, and he didn’t want that for the program,” Dori told The Athletic. “If you feel like returning is going to cause more harm to the program than good, then you do what you have to do.”
Another factor that played into Gabriel's decision was Oklahoma losing offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby, who recruited Gabriel to Oklahoma in the transfer portal. Lebby was also the offensive coordinator at UCF for Gabriel's freshman season.
“I’d be lying if I said it didn’t have a part in it, saying if Lebby was still there then who know, right, but that’s kind of just a guessing game,” Gabriel said in his radio interview of Lebby, who's now the head coach at Mississippi State. “He’s earned it. He’s a great coach. His offensive mind is something that’s new and upcoming.”
Gabriel added: "We both knew it just wasn’t the right timing, He understood that. … That guy’s family for life.”
The move to Oregon also makes sense for Gabriel geographically, as Gabriel hails from Mililani, Hawaii. Oregon has also had success with past Hawaii quarterbacks like 2014 Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota, who Gabriel looked up to growing up. Gabriel is also wearing No. 8 this season, the same number as Mariota.
“It was huge,” Gabriel said after an Oregon spring practice. “You know, someone you always look up to as a quarterback from Hawaii, that’s something we always watched. I loved turning on the TV and being able to watch him when I was younger, and now having obviously the relationship that we’ve had, and just being able to text back and forth. That’s something you know, as a little kid, I still smile and don’t ever take it for granted. So, I’d say in the decision process it was just cool to kind of have that and being able to talk through it together.”
Gabriel likely could've returned to Oklahoma should he have wanted to, but with another bonus season due to the COVID-19 pandemic and an injury redshirt, the move to join a contender near home was too perfect to pass up for Gabriel.
"I knew the opportunity," Gabriel said. "It was really a no brainer. With everyone coming back and knowing what was coming in as well, it was a no-brainer."
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Dillon Gabriel stats
Here are Gabriel's year-by-year stats:
- 2019 (UCF): 222 of 374 passing (59.4%) for 3,393 yards with 27 touchdowns to seven interceptions; 68 carries for 77 yards with three touchdowns
- 2020 (UCF): 248 of 413 passing (60%) for 3,570 yards with 32 touchdowns to four interceptions; 72 carries for 169 yards with two touchdowns
- 2021 (UCF): 70 of 102 passing (68.6%) for 841 yards with nine touchdowns to three interceptions; 24 carries for 125 yards with two touchdowns
- 2022 (Oklahoma): 216 of 343 passing (63%) for 2,925 yards with 24 touchdowns to six interceptions; 75 carries for 298 yards with five touchdowns
- 2023 (Oklahoma): 266 of 384 passing (69.3%) for 3,660 yards with 30 touchdowns to six interceptions; 93 carries for 373 yards with 12 touchdowns
Heisman odds 2024
Here are the top five preseason 2024 Heisman Trophy odds, according to BetMGM:
- 1. Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel (+700)
- 2. Georgia QB Carson Beck (+750)
- T-3. Texas QB Quinn Ewers (+1000)
- T-3. Alabama QB Jalen Milroe (+1000)
- 5. Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart (+1200)
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