Oregon Football QB Dillon Gabriel and Coach Will Stein: 'Great Trust and Communication'

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel and offensive coordinator Will Stein have a budding chemistry that is integral to Gabriel's success in the 2024 college football season.

Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel congratulates Luke Moga after a touchdown by Mona during the / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA

The working relationship between Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel and offensive coordinator Will Stein is an underrated storyline of the 2024 Oregon Ducks football team.

On paper, the two relatively-newcomer Ducks appear to be a nearly perfect match. After the Oregon football spring game on Saturday, Gabriel raved about Stein. 

“Great communication and great trust, and I think that is really the biggest thing with the quarterback and (offensive coordinators) relationship,” Gabriel said.

Stein is entering his second season with the Ducks. Prior to coming to Eugene in 2022, he was the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Stein’s coaching style is defined by his ability to develop dynamic quarterbacks and maximize offensive potential. For proof, consider the success of the Ducks and, specifically, Heisman Trophy Finalist, Bo Nix in Stein’s first year. The Ducks were ranked second nationally in offense and scoring. Stein ended the year as one of five finalists for the 2023 Broyles Award presented to the top assistant coach in college football.

Gabriel is in his first year with the Ducks. The 6-foot, 204-pound quarterback has started 49 games over his five-year career that includes stops at UCF and Oklahoma. His stats jump off the page… Gabriel boasts a 63.1 completion percentage for a total of 14,865 (!) passing yards with 125 touchdowns against just 26 interceptions.

Gabriel’s 49 career starts (in 50 total games) entering 2024 are just 12 behind the NCAA record for a quarterback of 61 set by former Duck Nix. Gabriel is also an early favorite for the 2024 Heisman Trophy.

How Gabriel and OC/quarterbacks coach Stein develop will be a key factor in Gabriel’s continued growth.

Gabriel added that “this is a great environment to walk into. Coach Stein is the main man, and I can’t thank him enough and how blessed I am to be coached by him, be pushed by him. He demands a lot but the connection we have is huge.”  

First look at Gabriel in a Duck uniform at the spring game was encouraging.  All eyes were on Gabriel as he finished 14-of-21 for 163 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions. He also exhibited the patience and discipline he will need as the Ducks prepare for their inaugural season in the Big Ten.

The development of Gabriel will continue into the summer and then fall camp. Any comparison to former Duck Bo Nix is premature. Yet Duck fans should be encouraged by the initial returns—although the sample size is small. By all accounts, coach Stein and Gabriel are on the same page and that is what is tremendously important in the development of a new quarterback.