Former UCF Quarterback Dillon Gabriel Announces Transfer to UCLA Football

The Bruins now have Gabriel and Ethan Garbers set to compete for the starting quarterback job, should Dorian Thompson-Robinson go pro.

The Bruins have added a proven winner to the quarterback room.

Former UCF quarterback Dillon Gabriel announced he would be transferring to UCLA football on Thursday. Gabriel was a three-year starter for the Knights before injuries derailed his 2021 campaign, and he'll come to Westwood with as many as three years of eligibility remaining.

Gabriel threw for 8,041 yards, 70 touchdowns, 14 interceptions and a 156.9 passing rating across 26 appearances with UCF from 2019 to 2021, leading his team to an 18-8 record in those games.

Gabriel was UCF's starter as a true freshman, and he ranked in the top 20 in the country in passing yards, passing touchdowns, yards per completion and passer rating. Finishing 10-3 that year, Gabriel capped things off with an MVP performance in a Gasparilla Bowl win over Marshall.

The signal-caller saw his touchdowns, yards per game and completion percentage all go up in 2020, with his touchdown-to-interception ratio dropping in the process, but UCF struggled to 6-4 and a bowl loss. Gabriel had career highs in passer rating and completion percentage in his first season under new coach Gus Malzahn this fall, but he suffered season-ending a broken left clavicle Sept. 17 versus Louisville.

Gabriel was the No. 3 quarterback who entered the transfer portal this offseason, according to 247Sports, ranking above Oklahoma's Spencer Rattler, LSU's Max Johnson, USC's Kedon Slovis, Auburn's Bo Nix and Indiana's Michael Penix Jr. Texas-bound former top recruit Quinn Ewers was No. 1 and Incarnate Word's Cameron Ward was No. 2.

UCLA had been in on Gabriel from the second he entered the portal, even sending quarterbacks coach Ryan Gunderson to visit the former Knight in his home state of Hawaii right as the regular season ended. Gabriel was also spotted taking an official visit to Wasserman Football Center during practice over the weekend.

Gabriel's arrival does not clear up all the questions about the Bruins' future on offense, but he likely wouldn't have committed unless he believed Thompson-Robinson was leaning towards declaring for the 2022 NFL Draft. Without Thompson-Robinson, Gabriel will still have to compete for the starting job with Ethan Garbers, who transferred in from Washington last season and threw for 265 yards and a 122.4 passer rating against Utah on Oct. 30 in his lone career start.

Highly-touted local quarterback Justyn Martin signed with UCLA on Wednesday in the as well, giving coach Chip Kelly three quarterbacks with several years of eligibility remaining that he could build around should he so choose.

Garbers is 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, while Martin comes in at 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds. Gabriel brings a very different build to the table, though, measuring 6 feet flat and weighing in well under 200 pounds. Gabriel has run for 372 yards and eight touchdowns in his collegiate career, but he really saw his rushing numbers jump in 2021 when his yards per carry went from 1.7 to 5.2.

Quarterbacks Parker McQuarrie and Kajiya Hollawayne both entered the transfer portal over the past few weeks, so Gabriel and Martin's additions immediately fill those voids in terms of scholarship distribution. Preferred walk-on quarterback JP Zamora will be joining the roster as well.

The question of who fills Thompson-Robinson's shoes, on the other hand, is the biggest one left lingering in the room, but Gabriel's commitment stands as an interesting a potentially decisive wrinkle to the situation.

Since Kelly arrived prior to the 2018 season, UCLA has taken in several quarterbacks via the transfer portal – Garbers from Washington, Wilton Speight from Michigan, Colson Yankoff from Washington and now Gabriel from UCF.

Gabriel is the second transfer to commit to the Bruins this offseason, with former Duke receiver Jake Bobo making his decision public Tuesday night.

Catch up on all the transfer market news related to UCLA at All Bruins' transfer portal tracker.

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