Dillon Gabriel keeping eyes forward to Oregon football’s Rose Bowl matchup

Published 8:00 pm Sunday, December 29, 2024

Dillon Gabriel has been an encore act at quarterback for three college football teams now.

The sixth-year senior got his start in college football all the way back in 2019 at the University of Central Florida. Gabriel was the follow up in Orlando to McKenzie Milton, UCF’s all-time leader in touchdowns, third in passing yards and the sixth-place finisher for the 2018 Heisman Trophy.

Three years as a Knight led to replacing Caleb Williams at Oklahoma following the 2022 Heisman winner’s transfer to USC. Two seasons as a Sooner saw Gabriel back in the transfer portal and taking up the mantle from 2023 Heisman third-place finisher Bo Nix at Oregon.

Replacing players who re-wrote record books isn’t a position many would like to be in once — let alone three times. For some, it would be akin to Pete Myers replacing Michael Jordan on the 1999 Chicago Bulls.

But for Gabriel, it’s been Steve Young taking over Joe Montana’s 49ers in 1993.

“Ultimately, the stage is never too big for (Gabriel),” Oregon head coach Dan Lanning said about his quarterback. “He holds himself to a higher standard than a lot of the people do (and) he has an expectation for himself, but when you can stay that composed in pressured situations and have success like he’s had, it kind of illustrates it for itself.”

It’s evident those situations have placed and continued to grow a chip on Gabriel’s shoulder. While he’s had equally — if not more — productive seasons than his predecessors at all three stops, Gabriel hasn’t gotten to be the Belle of the Ball the way his predecessors were.

But of the four, Gabriel is the only one to break through to the College Football Playoff.

“If I wanted individual awards, I would’ve played tennis or golf,” Gabriel said. “But I’m playing football, so I’m chasing wins.”

Winning, specifically in a Ducks uniform, is paving the pathway forward for Gabriel.

While there isn’t a Heisman on Gabriel’s mantle, The No. 1 next to Oregon’s name on the CFP Rankings and AP poll, the Big Ten Championship trophy as well as the 13-0 record and first-round bye in the playoffs, are a credit to Gabriel’s performance in his lone season as a Duck.

And despite his own accomplishment of being named the Big Ten’s Offensive Player of the Year, the sixth-year quarterback was quick to thank his supporting cast of teammates and the coaching staff.

“(They allow) us to be in a position to lead, and to have conversations with receivers, tight ends and O-Line, the whole nine,” Gabriel said. “Those high level conversations and those meetings throughout the week with (offensive coordinator Will) Stein and (offensive analyst Matt) Lombardi, I’ve never gone into a game uncomfortable. We talk through a million different situations… You appreciate that because you’re not caught by surprise when you’re on that field.”

While Gabriel also went on to say his Heisman ballot would’ve looked different than the final results, he was quick to shift focus from what he has done back to what he hasn’t.

Gabriel may helm the ninth highest-scoring offense in the country amongst power four programs, but he says he’s spending Oregon’s bye week focusing on further improvements to his game and continue to push the offense — and the Ducks as a whole — forward.

“How clean can we be? How efficient can we be? I think you look at many times where it’s a three-and-out or a drive that doesn’t end the way we want it or why we’re not sustaining drives, and it is simple in the sense we weren’t playing clean,” Gabriel said about what he’s fine-tuning. “I didn’t create a completion here or how could I have helped in progression? How do I extend plays more? Or how do I get to an answer quicker… (and) how do we leave no doubt?

“I think there’s multiple times in a lot of games that we’re in the 30s range and we could be in the 40s or 50s as a scoring offense.”

So while Gabriel seemingly settles for third in the Heisman, second team All-American and comparisons are continued to be drawn — consciously or subconsciously — between himself and the three quarterbacks who he succeeded, Gabriel isn’t concerned.

The ultimate piece of hardware is still in play — a national championship trophy.

Gabriel and the No. 1 Ducks will take to the field at least once more this season, playing in the Rose Bowl for the quarterfinals of the 2024 College Football Playoff.

At the time of writing, Oregon’s opponent is currently undecided between No. 8 Ohio State and No. 9 Tennessee. Whoever is on the other sideline in Pasadena, kickoff is scheduled for 2:10 p.m. on New Years Day.