The Oregon Ducks football team may not be perfect this season, but their star quarterback Dillon Gabriel sure has.
Gabriel, a former UCF Knight and Oklahoma Sooner, transferred to Oregon on the heels of his best season to date. After two years with the Sooners, Gabriel joined the Ducks ahead of their first season in the Big Ten Conference in hopes of winning a National Championship.
Through three games so far as the leader of the Oregon Ducks, Gabriel has recorded 914 yards, six touchdowns, and no interceptions. On the ground, Gabriel has added two rushing touchdowns and a handful of yards.
Dillon Gabriel DOMINATED Vs Oregon State⭐️ pic.twitter.com/cqxTqfgGVN
— PFF College (@PFF_College) September 15, 2024
During the last game for the Ducks against rival Oregon State, Gabriel began the game going 15-for-15, completing passes left and right.
The quarterback had his streak snapped on a ball that arguably could have been caught by receiver Tez Johnson but would have required a great catch.
Gabriel had his best game of the season against the Beavers, recording a 99.3 quarterback rating with just four incompletions. The quarterback also accounted for three touchdowns against the Beavers, which included a 54-yard rushing score. Perhaps the most notable stat for Gabriel was having zero sacks recorded after being sat down seven times the previous two games.
Oregon Ducks QB Dillon Gabriel Could Earn Elusive Heisman Trophy
With the success Gabriel has had through three games taken into account, the quarterback could certainly contend for the Heisman Trophy this season.
Gabriel did not make the final ten voting options last season, but definitely made a name for himself early on in the year. The Sooners lost two games in a row against Kansas and Oklahoma State last season where Gabriel did not look great which ultimately dropped the quarterback out of contention.
The quarterback was responsible for 42 total touchdowns last season and just six interceptions, along with a quarterback rating of 87.3.
A year after Bo Nix set an FBS record by completing 77.4 percent of his passes, Dillon Gabriel leads the nation at 84.0 percent through three games. Gabriel completed his first 15 attempts of Saturday’s win at OSU, and he leads the Big Ten with 304.7 yards per game. #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/EzaFduZrHD
— Rob Moseley (@DuckFootball) September 15, 2024
Currently, the quarterback is only projected to score 31.2 total touchdowns this year, which might damper his Heisman hopes. However, Gabriel and the Ducks still have teams like UCLA and Purdue left on the schedule, both of whom have allowed 40 or more points in a game this season. There is both plenty of season left and also plenty of lackluster defense the quarterback can carve up.
Gabriel will need to have some big games moving forward to really solidify himself as a Heisman candidate, but currently has been one of the most impressive college quarterbacks.
Get More NFL and College Football Content
For more news and trends in the college football world, follow me on Twitter @JarrettGuerrera
