What does it mean? Dillon Gabriel commits to Oregon

Dillon Gabriel could’ve gone to the NFL. Due to size concerns and arm-strength limitations, the 5-11, 190-pound lefty wouldn’t have been drafted very highly, if at all. But Gabriel would’ve had a spot in the league somewhere. He’s too experienced. Too smart. Too good.

Instead, Gabriel has opted to use his sixth season of eligibility, committing to Oregon on Friday and giving the Ducks one of the prized prospects in the Transfer Portal. Gabriel spent the last few days in Eugene visiting with head coach Dan Lanning and the staff, and rather than hold a clipboard as an NFL third-stringer next year, he’ll making oodles of NIL money starring for an Oregon team looking to compete for the College Football Playoff in 2024. 

Gabriel is quite the coup for the Ducks, who needed a replacement for Heisman Trophy finalist Bo Nix. They have former blue-chip recruit Ty Thompson in the QB room, but with a roster ready to win now, Lanning & Co., clearly wanted a more seasoned quarterback. 

That’s Gabriel, who has as much seasoning as your favorite Indian dish. The former UCF and Oklahoma quarterback will be on his third team in six years, and he has a chance to set the all-time FBS records in passing yards and touchdowns next season. 

In 2023, he was named the unanimous first-team All-Big 12 quarterback after leading the conference with over 3,600 yards and 42 total touchdowns. Outside of an injury-plagued 2021 season, Dillon Gabriel has thrown for at least 3,100 yards with 30 touchdowns every year. 

If he was so good why is he transferring from a 10-2 Oklahoma team, Jesse?

Gabriel is one of the unique situations still in college football thanks to the COVID year and the transfer portal. The Sooners would love to still have Gabriel as their quarterback, but the cost of that would be losing 5-star Jackson Arnold to a transfer elsewhere — and he has multiple seasons of eligibility remaining whereas Gabriel just has the one extra year due to the shortened 2020 season. 

Oklahoma’s loss is Oregon’s gain. 

The Ducks will head into the Big Ten next season with one of the best 2-3 rosters, and now they have a point guard to distribute the ball to an array of playmakers. Troy Franklin is likely off to the NFL Draft, but Oregon will continue to be active in the portal for explosive transfer receivers. With Oregon locking down Gabriel’s commitment so quickly, it should only make the Ducks more attractive for available wideouts, too. 

As for “fit,” Gabriel is a rather seamless transition from Bo Nix.

Like Nix, he should thrive in Will Stein’s RPO offense that relies heavily on the quarterback’s ability to accurately ping the ball around. Gabriel can also use his legs to create plays and he’s capable of connecting on downfield shots.

The pairing is a win-win for both parties. Gabriel gets to continue his college career and earn a nice NIL check playing for a great team, while Oregon gets a quarterback who gives them a chance to seriously compete for the Big Ten in Year 1. 

Oh, and in a bit of good happenstance, Oregon opens next season at Hawaii on Gabriel’s home island of O’ahu.