Dillon Gabriel shares excitement to play in Hawaii in 2024

Dillon Gabriel should get a special treat in 2024 when he plays for Oregon: a trip back to Hawaii. The native will play on the island when the Ducks head to Hawaii on August 24th of next year.

The problem is Oregon has 13 games scheduled for next season, which could ultimately take this one off the schedule. However, if Gabriel and the Ducks get to go, he’ll make the most of it.

It’d be a welcome trip for Gabriel’s swan song in college football next fall.

“It’s gonna be cool,” Gabriel said on Sooner Scoop. “I’ve heard some rumors it might get canceled. But I don’t know. I hope it sticks because I heard it was like the 13th game or something like that. But I hope it sticks. That’d be fun. You know, I know a lot of family members would come through with just people that you know, support and yeah, it’d be interesting. I hope it sticks.”

If Gabriel heads back to Hawaii, he’ll definitely chow down on some good food straight from the source.

“I think food when you go to Hawaii is huge,” Gabriel said. “So I just tried to know pick and choose and get food. I definitely go to the beach. I’m not like this huge swimmer guy because the waves are huge and I’m not truly built for that. But I go check it out. And then family you know, I haven’t seen a lot of family members in a while just because they don’t travel much but uh, that’s kind of the three things that I try and get around.”

As far as his decision to leave Oklahoma ahead of his final season, Gabriel laid it all out when it came to departing from the Sooners’ program.

“Yeah, I think a lot went into the decision, and it happened really fast,” Gabriel explained. “You know I had full intentions on going to the NFL after this year, and sat down and had meetings, and kind of got all my homework and wasn’t the draft grade that I thought it would be, and then also not getting into the Reese’s Senior Bowl, something that I feel like kind of gives you a clear path of trying to get drafted. 

“The decision of coming back to play, I think it just made sense. I’m in a unique situation, having this one last year to go do this, you know with Coach BV and their program going in a younger direction. You know I actually played with a bunch of young guys that are very talented, and I believe that’s the new era, heading into the SEC. I think it was just a great conversation.”