Oregon Ducks' Dillon Gabriel Climbing Rankings: Best Big Ten Quarterback?

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel continues to work his way back to the top of College Football Top 25 Quarterback rankings following a much-needed win over Boise State Saturday. The Oregon Football signal caller aims to climb further for Heisman Trophy contention.

Sep 7, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) and quarterback Ryder Hayes (19) walk off the field after a game against the Boise State Broncos at Autzen Stadium. / Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel's national star is garnering more attention after taking down Boise State on Saturday.

The Ducks' quarterback has thrown for over 600 yards and four touchdowns through the first two games of the season, launching him higher up in BleacherReport's College Football Top 25 Quarterback rankings. Gabriel was a preseason favorite on the list, and moved down to No. 10 after Week One. Now, Gabriel is at No. 6 following the win over the Broncos.

Gabriel's efficiency has him as one of the top passers in college football this season, completing nearly 84 percent of his throws in his first two contests leading Oregon Football. However, the inconsistency of the Ducks' usually dynamic offense has led to more questions than answers in the early stretch.

Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel throws out a pass during warm ups as the Oregon Ducks host the Boise State Broncos Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

Oregon coach Dan Lanning noted that the lack of consistency for Oregon's offensive line has impacted the trust that Gabriel has with his front five. The star quarterback has already been sacked seven times this season.

"We don't just keep doing the same thing and expect a different result, right?" Lanning said Tuesday. "I think we have to continue to adapt to Gabriel's skill set and also to our players here."

Gabriel recently passed former Oregon quarterback Bo Nix on the all-time college football passing yards list, as the current signal caller is now No. 7 for his career in the history books. Lanning noted that the offensive line needs to continue to adjust to Gabriel's different playing style compared to the 2023 starter.

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 TODAY NETWORK

"We already knew the pocket would look a little bit different because Dillon operates in the pocket a little bit different than how Bo operates. It's a different picture, we see that," Lanning said.

BleacherReport raved about Gabriel's ability to stay efficient despite the Ducks' inability to dominate the scoreboard in their first two weeks:

"Gabriel has been extremely efficient in his first season at Oregon, completing 84.3 percent of his throws, but he hasn't exactly been lighting up the scoreboard. After a less-than-dominant 24-14 win over Idaho in Week 1, the Ducks needed a field goal as time expired to pull out a 37-34 victory over Boise State on Saturday night. Gabriel threw for 243 yards and two touchdowns against a good Broncos team."

Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel, right, celebrates a first quarter touchdown against Boise State at Autzen Stadium in Eugene Sept. 7, 2024. / Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

Gabriel is the Big Ten's leading candidate in the rankings for the conference's best quarterback, sitting ahead of other starters such as Will Rogers (Washington, No. 13), Drew Allar (Penn State, No. 17), Miller Moss (USC, No. 18), and Dylan Raiola (Nebraska, No. 22).

Other conference quarterbacks included on the honorable mention list were Luke Altmeyer (Illinois), Hudson Card (Purdue), Will Howard (Ohio State), Athan Kaliakmanis (Rutgers), and Kurtis Rourke (Indiana).

Despite the 2-0 start, Gabriel added earlier that the offense is still "finding their identity."

"Stats are one thing, but we're just focused on winning. A win is a win, I will say that, but there's a lot we need to improve on," Gabriel said Wednesday.

Oregon has a chance to prove their doubters wrong on Saturday, battling Oregon State in Corvallis.

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