3 schools, 6 seasons, 64 starts and 156 house calls. Dillon Gabriel’s collegiate career was synonymous with comprehensive. There’s little he left on the table, and even lesser he didn’t experience. In a career that spanned as vast and long as this, Gabriel naturally saw his fair share of coaches and- by extension- cultures. So when he labels his Oregon head coach Dan Lanning the very best he’s encountered at something, it comes from a place of good authority.
Dan Lanning was seeking an heir to the proverbial throne vacated by Bo Nix when he snagged Dillon Gabriel from Oklahoma via the portal. Safe to assume it’s been a win/win relationship. Gabriel delivered hardware to Eugene in the form of the B1G championship. The program’s first tangible bit of success under this regime, and in it’s inaugural year in the conference post realignment. Lanning also reciprocated Gabriel’s contribution. Not only did the Hawaii-native solidify his status as one of the very best, and certainly most prolific, QBs in College Football history. Gabriel proclaims Lanning to have set him up for his imminent ascension to next level better than any other coach could’ve.
With less than a fortnight remaining to the NFL Draft, Dillon Gabriel sat down for a virtual interview with Rich Eisen. Amidst this prognostication, Eisen asked Gabriel to shed light on Dan Lanning and how he’s got the players to buy into his philosophy and the general culture he’s installed in Eugene. Gabriel spoke about how being a young coach makes Lanning quite relatable. Before proceeding to say something rather resounding. “I give him a lot of props. He’s probably the closest I’ve got to an NFL environment…that’s, honestly, got me prepared for what i’m about to walk into,” said Gabriel. For a player that’s been at a blueblood program in Oklahoma, that’s telling. To be honest though, the proof is in the pudding.
Credit: Imago
The aforementioned Bo Nix epitomizes how Dan Lanning really may have an elite conveyor belt to the NFL. Before joining forces at Oregon in ‘22, Nix’s best season from a pass completion standpoint was 61% in 2021. Right off the bat, he jumped up to north of 71% after transferring. His final year in college season in 2023 saw him become one of the most accurate passers in the history of the sport at over 77%. His NFL Draft stock soared right into the lottery in round 1- and he proved this to be merited as a rookie. Leading the Broncos to the playoffs straightaway, Bo Nix was unequivocally the 2nd best rookie QB in his class. Which means he exceeded expectations.
Oregon has developed a plethora of more talent elsewhere too that’s ascending and is shining in the pros. Dan Lanning’s time subordinating Kirby Smart at Georgia is probably where he found the magic formula. Georgia has been uber-successful in preparing players for the pros, and that may just have permeated all the way out west to Oregon. Alas, Dillon Gabriel hasn’t quite been able to gain the full benefit of this eminence. A few deficiencies- including a rather glaring one- have meant he’s not a very sought-after prospect in this draft class. However, he’s unironically perfect for a franchise that’s been routinely linked with him throughout this process.
Dillon Gabriel’s touted to join a QB room with a clone of his
Dillon Gabriel’s physical frame really hinders him from breaching the upper echelons (no pun intended!) of the draft. At 5’11, he’s rather short for a QB. While legends like Drew Brees have made this issue look partisan, others such as Bryce Young have fanned the flames of the prejudice against shorter QBs. A lesser hindrance- but still one baked into his NFL grade- is that Gabriel’s a lefty. Just an unwelcome wrinkle since the offensive schemes essentially need to be mirrored and the offensive tackles are reversed in terms of importance. That said, there’s a team weighing up a move for Gabriel that’s already contending with a QB1 possessing both these traits.
The Miami Dolphins are in a bit of a weird situation. They’ve just signed Tua Tagovailoa on a massive contract and made their bed with him being their long-term franchise quarterback. However, it’s not exactly a home-run decision. Apart from a tendency to underwhelm in the big spots, Tua’s got really concerns with his health. The number of concussions he’s dealt with are stacking up. Something even as severe as a premature retirement to protect himself is on the board. With these concerns, drafting Dillon Gabriel as a late-round pick makes a lot of sense.
Gabriel’s shown how adaptable he is in different systems and with different personnel along his 3 CFB stops. Plus, Tua’s a lefty. The transition in case Gabriel needs to plug in on short notice would be easier in theory. He’s also 6’1- not necessarily short but still undersized by NFL quarterback standards.
Not to mention, Dillon Gabriel’s got a lot of respect for Tua. As a fellow Hawaiian, he’s perhaps going to push Tua to his limits while simultaneously not stirring any issues in case there’s no playing time coming about. It’s pretty poetic how Gabriel’s coming from Oregon, who’s best QB ever is arguably the Hawaiian Marcus Mariota. Now, he may be headed to play alongside another. NFL.com’s Chad Reuter has Gabriel going 116th overall to the Dolphins in his latest mock draft. There’s no smoke without fire. Even Rich Eisen, quite cheekily, alluded to it during the interview.
If this indeed transpires, Dillon Gabriel may be subjected to being a backup for possibly his entire stint. But there’s a morbid reality Tua Tagovailoa’s recurring issues catch up to him and Gabriel gets his opportunity. Dan Lanning has prepared him, we shall see if the chance to showcase said preparation comes about.
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