Can Oregon Football's Dillon Gabriel Live up to Expectations, Bo Nix Standards?

Replacing a fan favorite and Heisman Trophy finalist isn't an easy task. The question is whether or not Dillon Gabriel can fill a very big pair of shoes.

Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel looks to pass during practice with the Ducks Thursday, April 11, 2024, at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA

Can the next signal caller for the Ducks live up to the standard of his predecessor and his own high expectations?

Since quarterback Dillon Gabriel announced his commitment to Oregon Ducks football, he has been touted as a Heisman Trophy candidate, ranked among the best signal callers in the Big Ten Conference, and more. That said, he has some very big shoes to fill as former Ducks’ star Bo Nix moves on to the Denver Broncos and the NFL. Despite the accolades, whether he can live up to the pre-season hype remains to be seen.

Oregon quarterback Bo Nix leaps into the end zone for a touchdown as the No. 9 Oregon Ducks host Washington State Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA

The good news for Oregon fans is that they were able to sign one of the best quarterbacks available in the transfer portal. According to CBS Sportswriter, Blake Brockmeyer, the Ducks hold the best chances to thrive in 2024 with Gabriel under center.

“Dillon Gabriel, in what feels like his tenth year of college, brings extensive experience and execution of a tempo-based offense to a loaded Oregon team expected to make a deep playoff run,” Brockmeyer said.

His prediction is partly based on Gabriel’s statistics. Consider that he has nearly 15,000 passing yards and 125 career touchdowns in 49 starts. Gabriel started his college career at Central Florida before moving to Oklahoma and finally to Oregon. In those previous two stops, he played in systems like those run by Oregon offensive coordinator, Will Stein.

Not only will Gabriel benefit from a familiar system, but the Ducks have also assembled a wide receiver room that includes Tez Johnson, Traeshon Holden, Gary Bryant, Jr., and Evan Stewart.

Oregon wide receiver Traeshon Holden works out during practice with the Oregon Ducks Tuesday, April 2, 2024 in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA

Gabriel has impressed his Oregon coaches and teammates, but his recent participation as a counselor at the Elite 11 quarterback camp did not go unnoticed. This event is one of the biggest stages on which high school prospects get an opportunity to display their talents.

Several of the top quarterbacks, including Oregon commit Akili Smith, Jr., recently spent time working on accuracy drills and 7-on-7 work. The focus of the event is on these young athletes, but not so much in this case. The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman said it was a veteran QB who ended up stealing the show. That veteran was Oregon Ducks QB Dillon Gabriel.

Feldman spoke with Elite 11’s General Manager, Brian Stumpf regarding Gabriel’s performance.

"Total rock star,” Stumpf said. “I think he exceeded expectations from what everybody would’ve thought of him from a throwing standpoint. He was a dude and a leader and super charismatic. All the high school kids were just raving about him.”

The probability of Gabriel stepping into Nix’s shoes and succeeding is definitely high. We know he has the football talent to dominate Big Ten Conference defenses. Additionally, it is encouraging to see that he can take on a leadership role with these young men who aspire to be as successful as he has been.

Now, it is time to see if Gabriel can take that next step and join a long-line of successful qbs that suited up for the Ducks.

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