From now until the 2025 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, down to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Miami of Ohio quarterback Brett Gabbert.
No. 5 BRETT GABBERT, QB, MIAMI (OH) (R-SENIOR) – 5110, 200 POUNDS
MEASUREMENTS
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Brett Gabbert | 5110/200* | 10* | 33* | N/A |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| 4.79* | 1.69* | 4.42* | N/A | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| 8’11″* | 29.5* | N/A |
* Pro Day Results
THE GOOD
— Displays good mobility for the position
— Can leave the pocket and throw on the run
— Hand size and arm length meet prototypical benchmarks
— Has a fairly quick release
— Does a good job working through his reads
— Displays good accuracy on his touch passes
— Can drop the ball into the bucket on his deep shots
— Does a good job going through his reads
— Battle-tested with six seasons as a starter under his belt
— Plays with a strong base in the pocket
THE BAD
— Lacks ideal size for the position
— Can do a better job consistency stepping into his throws
— Lacks elite velocity and throw power for the position
— Will be a 25-year-old rookie
— Has battled multiple serious injuries during his time in college
— Is a risk taker with the football, throwing into tight windows
— Completion percentage across his career can be cause for concern
— Can be a sitting duck in the pocket when the pressure sets in
BIO
— Sixth-year senior prospect from St. Louis, MO
— Born August 4, 2000
— Sport Leadership and Management major
— Brother is former Missouri and NFL quarterback Blaine Gabbert
— Won back-to-back state championships in high school as the starting quarterback
— Three-star recruit according to Rivals
— Committed to Miami (OH) out of high school
— Started 14 games as a true freshman in 2019 and threw for 2411 yards (55.4%), 11 touchdowns, and eight interceptions
— Started two games in 2020 and threw for 384 yards (65.7%) and four touchdowns
— Started 10 games in 2021 and 2,648 yards (59.5%), 26 touchdowns, and six interceptions
— Started four games in 2022 and threw for 816 yards (64.3%) and four touchdowns, missed most of the season with a non-throwing shoulder injury
— Started eight games in 2023, missing the rest of the season with a leg injury, threw for 1,634 yards (59.4%), 14 touchdowns, and five interceptions
— Started all 14 games in 2024 and threw for 2,921 yards (57.3%), 21 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions
— Rushed for 482 yards and eight touchdowns across six seasons
— First-team All-MAC (2024) 2× Third-team All-MAC (2021, 23), Frisco Football Classic Offensive MVP (2021), MAC Freshman of the Year (2019)
TAPE BREAKDOWN
Miami (OH) QB Brett Gabbert has had quite the journey in college. Over 53 career starts across six collegiate seasons, Gabbert finished third in school history in passing yards (10,814) and second in touchdown passes (80), won 2019 Freshman of the Year honors, and placed on the all-MAC team three times (2021, 2022, 2024.) During this time, Gabbert dealt with season-ending shoulder and leg injuries that cut short two of his seasons as well as had the 2020 shortened due to the COVID pandemic.
When you pop in the tape on Gabbert, you see a passer who has moments where he flashes impressive touch on his deep ball attempts. He does a good job dropping the ball into the bucket, like in the first clip against Cincinnati, where he put the deep ball in the breadbasket to his intended target for a 79-yard house call.
We see similar ball placement on this hole shot against Miami’s zone coverage. The ball is in the air for the tight end, who makes the catch and turns upfield to try to pick up additional yards after the catch.
Gabbert isn’t the most athletically gifted quarterback prospect, but he does a good job making plays out of the pocket and throwing on the run. He can create torque with his body while being off-platform to make plays on the move, much like on this play against Ohio, completing the out route on the rollout and picking up the first down on the play.
Gabbert displays plenty of trust with his receivers as a passer, putting the ball up for his guy to have a chance to get it. Watch the two clips below against Ball State, where Gabbert pushes the ball down the field. In the first clip, Gabbert has the receiver break a tackle and get into the end zone while throwing more of a 50/50 that his intended target comes down with in the second clip.
Gabbert is a bit of a risk-taker, putting the ball into tight windows in coverage. He’s not afraid to test defenses over the middle, like on this throw below. He places the ball on his intended target, with the coverage defender tightly trailing him. The safety comes down almost immediately as the receiver completes the catch.
While Gabbert can win on this calculated risk, he can also shoot himself in the foot as a bit of a gunslinger. He puts the ball into harm’s way, seeing a defender tip the pass in the first clip below that another receiver ultimately catches after nearly getting intercepted. In the second clip, Gabbert does throw the pick in the end zone, lofting up a pass in double coverage that had no business throwing.
CONCLUSION
Brett Gabbert is an experienced passer who has had success in college, but he lacks the ideal measurables and physical benchmarks you desire in a starting NFL quarterback. He has some playmaking ability, as well as the leadership and poise to fight for a job as a backup at the next level, but his upside is capped. He also needs to be smarter with the football to survive an NFL training camp as a reliable reserve option.
When deciding on a pro comp for Gabbert, John Wolford came to mind as a similar-sized passer with a similar athletic and production profile coming out of college. Wolford signed as a UDFA out of college and has bounced around the league as a journeyman who may get a shot as a fill-in for injuries, a career arc that I foresee Gabbert also following.
Projection: Undrafted
Depot Draft Grade: 6.0 – Undrafted Free Agent (PFA)
Games Watched: vs Ohio (2024), at Ball State (2024) at Miami (2023) at Cincinnati (2023)
