Dillon Gabriel: A Comprehensive Look at His College Football Career

With Dillon Gabriel stepping into his first NFL starting role, it's an opportune moment to reflect on his extensive college career. Spanning six years and three different teams, his journey culminated in a trip to New York and a prominent place in college football's record books.

Early Life and High School Career

Dillon Gabriel was born on December 28, 2000, in Mililani, Hawaii. He comes from an athletic family; his mother, Dori Gabriel, played softball at Loyola Marymount, and his father, Garrett Gabriel, was a quarterback for the University of Hawaii from 1987 to 1990. Gabriel excelled in multiple sports as a youth, eventually focusing on football due to its fast-paced nature. He played various positions before settling into the quarterback role around the age of 10.

Gabriel attended private schools early in his education, including Punahou School in Honolulu for seventh and eighth grade. As a three-star recruit out of Hawaii, Gabriel initially committed to Army. However, he later decommitted after receiving offers from Georgia, UCF, and USC, ultimately choosing UCF for the opportunity to compete for the starting quarterback position and earn immediate playing time. In high school, Gabriel broke Tua Tagovailoa's state record with 10,048 passing yards.

UCF Golden Knights (2019-2021)

Gabriel's college career began in 2019 with the UCF Knights. He entered preseason camp competing for the starting quarterback position against Brandon Wimbush and Quadry Jones, aiming to fill the void left by McKenzie Milton's injury. Gabriel made his debut on August 29, 2019, against Florida A&M, coming off the bench to complete 9 of 13 passes for 127 yards and three touchdowns in a 62-0 victory.

Freshman Season (2019)

Following his impressive debut, Gabriel was named the starting quarterback, leading the Knights to a 10-3 record. He threw a passing touchdown in every game and was named MVP in the 2019 Gasparilla Bowl after a 48-25 victory over Marshall, where he completed 14 of 24 passes for 260 yards and two touchdowns. He earned his first start a week later against the FAU Owls. The talented dual-threat led the Knights to a 3-0 start and a win over the Stanford Cardinal before throwing an interception.

Sophomore Season (2020)

The 2020 season was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but Gabriel provided a bright spot for UCF fans. He threw for over 400 yards in four games, setting a program record and finishing the season with the second-most passing touchdowns in UCF history.

Junior Season (2021)

Gabriel entered his junior year with high expectations. However, his season was cut short after three games due to a broken clavicle sustained in a loss against Louisville. He was injured on the final play of the game after landing on his left shoulder. That turned out to be his last play at UCF, as he chose to enter the transfer portal following the season.

UCF Stats (2019-2021): 554 of 913 (60.7%), 8,037 yards, 70 touchdowns, 14 interceptions; 167 carries for 372 yards and 8 touchdowns

Oklahoma Sooners (2022-2023)

After entering the transfer portal, Gabriel initially committed to UCLA before flipping to Oklahoma. With Caleb Williams and Spencer Rattler departing, Gabriel quickly secured the starting role with the Sooners.

Impact and Performance

Continuing Oklahoma's tradition of productive quarterbacks, Gabriel threw for over 3,000 yards in his first season and had a career year on the ground. In his second season, he solidified his status as a dangerous quarterback, entering the Sooners' record book with eight touchdowns against West Virginia, earning him Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors.

Read also: Collegiate Career: Corey Dillon

Oklahoma Stats (2022-2023): 496 of 751 (66%), 6,828 yards, 55 touchdowns, 12 interceptions; 182 carries for 688 yards and 18 touchdowns

Oregon Ducks (2024)

At the end of the 2023 season, Gabriel entered the transfer portal again, utilizing his extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He committed to Oregon, filling the shoes of Bo Nix in a high-powered offense.

Record-Breaking Season

In 2024, Gabriel had a career-high 3,857 passing yards. He garnered All-America honors, was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, and was a finalist for the Maxwell Award, Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award, and the Heisman Trophy. Gabriel also tied the FBS record for passing touchdowns (155) and ranked second in career passing yards (18,722) and total yards (19,931). Gabriel made his debut for Oregon in the season opener against Idaho on August 31, 2024. Oregon won the game 24-14, with Gabriel throwing for 380 yards and two touchdowns. With this performance, he became the eighth quarterback in Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) history to surpass 15,000 career passing yards. Gabriel played his final college football game in the 2025 Rose Bowl, a College Football Playoff (CFP) quarterfinal, on January 1, 2025. Despite entering the playoffs with Oregon holding an undefeated 13-0 record and finishing first in the Big Ten Conference, the team ended its season with a 41-21 loss to Ohio State. At the conclusion of the 2024 regular season, Gabriel was nominated for the Heisman Trophy in recognition of his impressive statistics and leadership.

Oregon Stats (2024): 326 of 447 (72.9%), 3,857 yards, 30 touchdowns, 6 interceptions; 75 carries for 149 yards and 7 touchdowns

NFL Career

Gabriel was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, selected 94th overall. The Browns acquired this pick through a trade that involved sending wide receiver Amari Cooper and a 2025 sixth-round pick, originally belonging to the Detroit Lions, to the Buffalo Bills. He beat fellow rookie QB Shedeur Sanders for the backup job during the preseason.

Read also: Dillon Gabriel's Career

Early Career

On August 26, 2025, the Browns announced that Gabriel would serve as the backup quarterback to Joe Flacco. Gabriel made his NFL debut on September 14, during Week 2 against the Baltimore Ravens. He entered the game late in the fourth quarter, replacing Flacco while the Browns were trailing 41-10. Gabriel completed all three of his pass attempts for a total of 19 yards. He recorded his first career touchdown on an eight-yard pass to Dylan Sampson with 1:50 remaining in the game.

Starting Quarterback

On October 1, 2025, Gabriel was named the starting quarterback for the Browns ahead of Week 5, replacing Joe Flacco. He made his first career start on October 5, in a game against the Minnesota Vikings held in London, England, making him the first quarterback to have his initial NFL start outside the United States. The Browns lost the game 21-17. Gabriel completed 19 of 33 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns. He was sacked twice for a loss of eight yards and did not throw any interceptions.

Injury

On November 16, 2025, Gabriel sustained a concussion during the Week 11 game against the Baltimore Ravens. He experienced concussion symptoms during halftime and sought evaluation from the trainers. In accordance with the NFL concussion protocol, Gabriel was assessed and ruled out for the remainder of the game.

NFL Stats: Gabriel has appeared at the end of two games so far in his young NFL career, going 3 of 4 for 19 yards and a touchdown.

Dillon Gabriel vs. Shedeur Sanders

The Browns drafted two quarterbacks in the 2025 NFL draft. They took Gabriel with the 94th overall pick in the third round, then made waves a day later when they picked Sanders with the 144th overall pick in Round 5. The Colorado quarterback led the nation in completing 74% of his passes in 2024, throwing for 4,137 yards and 37 touchdowns. Those raw numbers were better than those put together by Gabriel, even though the Oregon QB was a Heisman finalist and led his team undefeated through the Big Ten championship.

Sanders' slide was the talk of the draft as some analysts had him pegged as a top-10 pick and most at least had him going in the first round. The 23-year-old played well in his preseason debut but had an atrocious second game, leaving him third on the depth chart behind Flacco and Gabriel heading into the season. Gabriel showed more consistency, leaving him to be first in line to take over for Flacco. Sanders remains the Browns' emergency QB for now, but the battle isn't over yet: If Gabriel struggles as well, coach Kevin Stefanski could turn to their other rookie later in the season.

Physical Attributes and Draft Combine

Gabriel measured at 5-foot-11 at the NFL combine in February 2025. While the typical NFL quarterback is taller, Gabriel joins a list of successful quarterbacks under 6 feet, including Russell Wilson and Drew Brees. Gabriel did not run the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. During passing drills, the lefty struggled with accuracy, especially on out routes to the left side. He completed just 50% of his throws during drills at the combine. Several passes sailed out of his target's reach. Some of his incompletions were drops by the receivers, particularly on his deep balls.

Personal Life and Background

Gabriel is a Native Hawaiian, with both parents being part of the indigenous group. He is the latest in a line of quarterback prospects from Hawaii following Marcus Mariota and Tua Tagovailoa. Gabriel is the middle of three brothers, all athletes named after former NFL players. He was named after running back Corey Dillon.

College Career Overview

Dillon Gabriel's college career was marked by consistent performance, adaptability, and record-breaking achievements. He played six seasons of college football, starting at UCF in 2019. He transferred to Oklahoma in 2022 and again to Oregon in 2024. Gabriel finished tied with Case Keenum as the all-time FBS leader in touchdown passes with 155 and was second with 18,722 yards. Combining his passing scores and rushing TDs (plus the one he caught at UCF), he also holds the record by being responsible for 189 touchdowns. In 2024, Gabriel finished third in Heisman Trophy voting behind Colorado's Travis Hunter and Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty.

Career Stats: 1,376 of 2,111 (65.2%), 18,722 yards, 155 touchdowns, 32 interceptions; 424 carries for 1,209 yards and 33 touchdowns

tags: #dillon #gabriel #college #career #stats