Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel is an intriguing NFL Draft prospect, with many projecting him as a backup quarterback in the league. Before showing off his arm strength during the NFL Combine drills, Gabriel talked about the concerns about his height.
Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel was on one of 12 Ducks invited to the 2025 NFL Combine in Lucas Oil Stadium Indianapolis, Indiana.
During the combine drills, Gabriel showed off his arm strength. Working with a number of receivers for the first time, a few of his passes fell incomplete, but Gabriel hit his stride on passes 20-yards down the field. Still, he is projected to enter the league as a backup quarterback.
Gabriel is currently projected as a day-three pick in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft per ESPN’s Jordan Reid, meaning the former Duck would not be taken until at least the fourth round. Teams like the Miami Dolphins and Las Vegas Raiders have been listed as the best fits for the former Oregon quarterback.
Dillon Gabriel’s College Career
Dillon Gabriel is listed at 5-10, 202 pounds. Gabriel is an experienced college quarterback and played from 2019-2024 for three different schools. He was at UCF from 2019 through 2021, Oklahoma from 2022 though 2023, and Oregon in 2024. Gabriel is tied for the FBS record of most career touchdown passes with 155, along with former Houston quarterback Case Keenum.
In Gabriel’s last collegiate season, he helped lead the Oregon Ducks to a Big Ten championship and the No. 1 overall seed in the College Football Playoff. Gabriel was also a Heisman trophy finalist and finished 3rd in voting behind Colorado’s Travis Hunter and Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty.
Dillon Gabriel Player Comparison
Gabriel is ranked as the No. 9 quarterback in the NFL Draft class of 2025 per NFL Draft Buzz. One player that NFL Draft Buzz compares Gabriel’s player profile to if former Georgia Bulldog and current Los Angeles Ram, quarterback Stetson Bennett. Bennett has a similar build to Gabriel and 5-11, 190 pounds. He was selected in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Bennett started his college football career in 2017 and bounced around from the Georgia Bulldogs to a community college before coming back to Georgia in 2019. After waiting his turn, he finally go the opportunity to start for Georgia and was a big part of their 2021 and 2022 national championship teams.
Notable Quotes From Gabriel
In an interview with CBS Sports’ Mike Renner, Gabriel addressed criticisms surrounding his height.
“I think alignment is so important, from coaches to players to ownership. And for me, every team that I’ve met with that I feel really good about have voiced to me they don’t give a rip about it. You know, they value me for the right things and that’s decision-making, efficiency, accuracy, all things that translate. . . . To each their own, and I’m not for everyone,” said Gabriel.
Gabriel also spoke with reporters about the length of his college career, spending five seasons in the NCAA before entering the NFL Draft.
“I think you’ll see it’s very new right now. With any new things and anything that’s different, there’s strong opinions, but for the most part, I think that’s where it’s trending with how college football’s looking and NIL,” Gabriel sad. “There’s going to be more experienced quarterbacks, and I know how well it’s done me. But I’ll look how well it’s done a lot of people.”
