Anthony Wilson
While the NFL Draft ended Saturday, Dillon Gabriel was putting the finishing touches on a stellar spring as Oregon’s new starting quarterback.
In a pre-Name, Image and Likeness world, there would be many reasons, especially financial, for Gabriel to have entered his name in last weekend’s draft. Gabriel is a perfect example of the modern new player who didn’t like the draft feedback he received and instead of taking a risky leap into the NFL As a late prospect like others have done in the past, he decided to come back and maximize his college eligibility.
“A lot of guys who leave early and have years left and are out of the league within a year or two,” Gabriel told 247Sports. “I have a lot of friends who made the decision to leave early and said, ‘Man, I’d like to play another year.’ When that crossed my mind, I thought, ‘Damn, I want to maximize my time and learn as much as I can so I’m prepared for the next level.’ Mine is a little more exclusive than others because of COVID and the transfer portal.
“I think you’ve seen it work for a lot of guys. Hendon Hooker coming back for that extra year, Bo (Nix), Michael Penix maximizing every year. There’s a lot of examples – Jordan Travis – who took advantage of the extra year and how much they’ve grown that year, I never want to stop taking advantage of the time I have.
In his sixth year senior year, he is faced with a situation where his predecessor, Bo Nix, has done exactly what Gabriel aspires to do in Eugene. After three years as Auburn’s starter, Nix arrived at Oregon with an uncertain future, but he excelled in coach Dan Lanning’s program. Nix was chosen 12th overall in this year’s rankings NFL Draft, a feat that seemed unlikely at best when Nix left the SEC for the Pac-12. Nix was part of a star-studded draft that saw six quarterbacks go in the first 12 picks, including fellow Pac-12 quarterback Michael Penix in a surprise No. 8 pick to the Atlanta Falcons.
After a spring at Oregon and seeing Nix rewarded in the draft for his hard work, Gabriel is excited to have chosen the right place after deciding to leave Oklahoma after two seasons as the Sooners’ starting quarterback. In his previous five seasons, including three at Central Florida, Gabriel threw for 14,865 yards and 125 touchdowns.
“What’s cool about Oregon and even Coach Lanning and Coach Stein is they’re able to replicate consistency,” Gabriel said. “Their ability to develop and be creative in their scheme. They’re able to do that consistently throughout the year. That’s something that’s attractive to us as players, knowing what you can do in your scheme and then to the guys around around him. I know we have a lot of talent that can play at a very high level.
Height (5-foot-7) and durability are two strikes against Gabriel, who has a history of injuries throughout his career — but so did Penix Jr.. And while Gabriel can’t do anything to get over the magical 6-foot barrier, he has remained healthy through all of 2023. Getting through the 2024 season largely unscathed while lighting up the scoreboards like Nix did could propel Gabriel on a surprise run up the boards.
Gabriel operates in the NIL space, signing deals with brands such as Old Spice, Sonic and others. He’s putting that NIL money to good use — he’ll donate new uniforms to Mililani High School, his alma mater, on Friday in an event called “I’M INSPIRED'” — and has big plans for what he can do with it. this in the future. He has avoided making flashy purchases for himself, although he made headlines during a recent “Bussin’ With The Boys” interview when he said his biggest purchase to date was a Chrysler MiniVan.
Since then, Gabriel has heard from many people wanting to know more about his MiniVan – the clip has over a million views on X – but he says his car is true to who he is – on and off the field.
“It’s to keep insurance costs down and accommodate as many family members as possible in the car when they’re flying to my games,” he said. “I was definitely raised to be efficient and I always think about how it can have multiple uses, similar to what I do on the field.”
