Dillon Gabriel shares his emotions of receiving a low draft grade: 'It's not the best feeling'

Dillon Gabriel received a seventh round or undrafted NFL Draft grade before he transferred to Oregon for his sixth season of college football ahead of the 2024 season.

After five seasons of starting experience at the collegiate level, his final score was lower than he had hoped. Opting for a chance of scenery for the upcoming season, Gabriel explained how he’s not letting it shake his confidence as Oregon’s presumed starting quarterback.

“I mean, I understand that it’s the facts,” Gabriel told Will Compton on an episode of ‘Bussin’ With The Boys.’ “So I’m not gonna — when I’m presented that I feel like, you know, that’s just what it is. Right? And whether I like it or not, that’s the facts and I had to live with it and make a decision based off of that. It’s just not the best feeling.

“As a player you produce and put your play on the field. I feel like confidence and what you put out there is something that you are proud of. … But I think that, you know, when I got that back, it’s disappointing but also, I went straight to making a decision and live with it.”

While scouts deemed him not ready just yet, he seems to have set himself up for success given his surroundings. Gabriel credited his decision to join Dan Lanning’s squad because of the Ducks’ offensive schemes, the incoming (or returning) personnel and the fact that Oregon is best known for its winning ways. After Gabriel’s obvious improvements over the past calendar year — fans are excited to see what he can do in Eugene during his final season of eligibility.

During his final season at Oklahoma in 2022, he had arguably the best season of his career yet. He finished with 3,660 yards, 30 touchdowns, six interceptions, a 69.3% completion percentage,  373 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns.

Over the course of his career, Gabriel has 14,865 yards, 125 touchdowns, 26 interceptions, a 63.1% completion percentage, 1,060 rushing yards and 26 rushing touchdowns.

As a member of the Class of 2019, Gabriel was a three-star recruit out of Mililani (Hawaii) High School, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He was the No. 7 overall prospect in the state, the No. 44 quarterback in the class and the No. 680 overall prospect in the class.