MOBILE, Alabama – Few quarterbacks in this year’s draft class can match Dillon Gabriel’s experience. A college veteran with over 18,000 career passing yards, Gabriel has led productive offenses at UCF, Oklahoma, and Oregon. As he prepares for the NFL Draft, Gabriel is focused on improving his skill set, silencing doubts about his arm strength, and continuing the incremental growth that has defined his career.
Gabriel has taken a long and unconventional route to the NFL, but wouldn’t change a thing. When asked what advice he would give to his 18-year-old self, his response was about failure and growth.
“Continue to learn, continue to experience new things, and as wild as it may seem, fail early,” Gabriel said. “Through failure, you get uncomfortable, and you’re forced to respond a certain way. That’s what helps you grow.”
This approach has been prevalent throughout Gabriel’s college career. As a freshman at UCF, he was thrown into the starting role and adjusted to the speed of college football on the fly. Later, his season-ending injury in 2021 forced him to see the game from a different angle.
“That time off just gave me a different outlook,” he explained. “Then going into Oklahoma and having a rough first season…But like I said, people continue to respond and keep swinging. Now, I’ve been playing my best football the past two years.”
He isn’t exaggerating. Gabriel has become one of the most efficient passers in the nation, refining his mechanics and footwork to become a more polished quarterback. He was jittery in the pocket early in his career, often reacting too quickly to pressure. Over time, he has learned to stay composed, maneuvering within the pocket rather than immediately looking to escape.
That growth is reflected in his pressure-to-sack rate, which dropped from 25.8% at Oklahoma two years ago to just 13.9% this season at Oregon, indicating Gabriel’s improved pocket awareness and decision-making.
Beyond his statistical production and award recognition, Gabriel takes pride in the impact he’s left on every program he’s been a part of.
“If you look at all three stops, I’ve left it better than when I first got there,” he said. “I created impact and value in those spots. So I’d be a fool not to celebrate that and be grateful for those opportunities.”
His helmet at the Senior Bowl tells the story, featuring decals from Oregon, Oklahoma, and UCF. But more than just a nod to his past, it’s a reminder of his adaptability and ability to learn new offenses and lead different locker rooms quickly. Each transition, whether from Josh Heupel’s spread attack at UCF, Jeff Lebby’s uptempo system at Oklahoma, or Will Stein’s scheme at Oregon, has forced Gabriel to master different playbooks and make quick decisions under pressure.
Gabriel is using his time in Mobile to address lingering questions about his arm talent. Scouts and draft analysts have expressed concerns about whether he can consistently drive the ball downfield, so he’s emphasized throwing deep in early Senior Bowl practices.
The results? Encouraging.
Gabriel looks comfortable launching deep passes, connecting with receivers in one-on-one drills, and showing improved touch and trajectory on vertical routes. His timing with Tez Johnson, his go-to target at Oregon, has been evident. The two linked up multiple times in practice, demonstrating the rhythm they built in Eugene.
The week in Mobile is another chance for Gabriel to prove he belongs.
“With anything, there’s good and bad; there’s learning and growing, but my goal is just to continue to improve every single day,” he said. “That’s what I want to continue to do throughout this process.”
With his experience, decision-making, and refined footwork, Gabriel offers an enticing package as an NFL-ready quarterback in the later rounds. While some rookies enter the league untested against top-tier competition, Gabriel has played in multiple conferences, mastered different offensive schemes, and thrived under high-pressure situations. He may never be a high-end starter, but Gabriel has the intelligence and experience to step in if needed.
