Dillon Gabriel: From UCF Knight to NFL Brown

Dillon Gabriel, born on December 28, 2000, is an American professional football quarterback currently playing for the Cleveland Browns in the National Football League (NFL). His journey to the NFL was paved with remarkable achievements in college football, where he played for three different universities: UCF Knights, Oklahoma Sooners, and Oregon Ducks.

High School Career

Gabriel's football journey began at Mililani High School in Mililani, Hawaii. In his senior year (2018), he was named the Gatorade High School Football Player of the Year for Hawaii after an impressive season where he passed for 3,754 yards and 38 touchdowns. By the end of his high school career, Gabriel had amassed 9,948 passing yards and 105 touchdowns.

College Career

UCF Knights (2019-2021)

Originally committed to Army, Gabriel flipped his commitment and landed with the UCF Golden Knights in 2019. He quickly made an impact, earning his first start a week later against the FAU Owls. He led the Knights to a 3-0 start, including a win over the Stanford Cardinal.

Freshman Year (2019): Gabriel started the final 12 games for UCF. He led an offense that ranked second nationally in total offense (540.5 yards per game), fifth in scoring (43.4 points per game), and eighth in passing (316.7 yards per game). Gabriel’s individual performance was equally impressive, ranking fourth nationally in passing yards per completion (15.48) and 13th in passing efficiency (156.9). He threw multiple touchdown passes in 10 games and had at least one in all 13 games. He set a UCF freshman record for passing yards in a season and ranked fourth overall on UCF's single-season passing list. For his efforts, he earned second-team all-conference honors from Pro Football Focus and was named AAC Offensive Player of the Week vs. Stanford.

Sophomore Year (2020): Gabriel started all 10 games. He completed 248 of 413 passes for 3,570 passing yards, 32 passing touchdowns, and just four interceptions. He also added 169 rushing yards and two scores on the ground. He received second-team all-conference honors from The American. Gabriel was named Walter Camp National Player of the Week once (9/20), earned American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors three times (9/21, 9/28, 10/19) and AAC Weekly Honor Roll accolades three times. His four 400-yard passing games were the most in a season for a UCF quarterback.

Read also: Dillon Gabriel's Career

Junior Year (2021): Gabriel's junior season was cut short due to injury. On September 17, 2021, in a game against Louisville, he sustained a fractured clavicle on the final play. He was carted off the field, marking an unfortunate end to his time with the Knights. Despite the injury, Gabriel had already made a significant mark on the UCF program. He ranks high on various UCF career charts, including seventh in pass completions (484), sixth in passing yards (7,223), and third in passing efficiency (156.6).

Oklahoma Sooners (2022-2023)

After entering the transfer portal, Gabriel initially committed to UCLA but later flipped to Oklahoma. He quickly secured the starting role with the Sooners.

2022 Season: Gabriel threw for over 3,000 passing yards and had a career-best year on the ground.

2023 Season: Gabriel continued to excel, establishing himself as one of the most dangerous quarterbacks in the country. He scored eight touchdowns against the West Virginia Mountaineers, earning him Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors.

Oregon Ducks (2024)

Gabriel transferred to Oregon for his final college season, replacing Bo Nix.

Read also: Analyzing Dillon Gabriel's Impact

2024 Season: Gabriel posted a career-high 3,857 passing yards. He earned first-team All-American honors and was named the Big Ten Most Valuable Player. He was also a finalist for the Maxwell Award, Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award, and the Heisman Trophy. Gabriel tied the FBS record for passing touchdowns (155) and finished second in career passing yards (18,722) and total yards (19,931). In his debut with the Ducks, he passed for 380 yards and became the eighth college quarterback to surpass 15,000 passing yards.

NFL Career

Cleveland Browns (2025-Present)

Dillon Gabriel was selected by the Cleveland Browns with the No. 94 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. On October 1, 2025, he was named the starting quarterback ahead of Week 5. In his first NFL game, Gabriel completed 29 of 52 passes for 221 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions in a 23-9 loss to the Steelers. He was under constant pressure, taking six sacks while averaging only 4.25 yards per attempt. He showed a connection with fellow rookie tight end Harold Fannin, as the duo connected for a 25-yard gain.

Career Statistics and Achievements

FBS record 155 touchdown passes
Ranks seventh in UCF history with 484 pass completions
With 7,223 career passing yards, ranks sixth all-time at UCF
His 156.6 career passing efficiency ranks third all-time at UCF
With 11 games of 300 or more passing yards, ranks fourth all-time at UCF
Has four games of 400 or more passing yards in his career, the most by a Knight
Recorded two seasons of 3,000 or more passing yards, which is tied with Daunte Culpepper and Blake Bortles for the most in program history
His 61 passing touchdowns are the fifth most in program history
With a career completion percentage of 59.7, he ranks ninth all-time at UCF
With 14.9 passing yards per completion, he currently holds the program record for a career
His 8.91 passing yards per attempt also currently stand as a UCF record
With only 11 interceptions to 811 passing attempts, his .014 ratio is the best ever at UCF
2018 Gatorade Hawaii Player of the Year
Hawaii High School Career Record for passing yards
Top honors on Honolulu Star-Advertiser All-State Team
Big Ten Most Valuable Player (2024)
First-team All-American honors (2024)

Personal Life

Dillon Gabriel got engaged to Zo Caswell, his middle school sweetheart.

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