As the NFL Draft wrapped up on Saturday, Dillon Gabriel was putting the finishing touches on a stellar spring as Oregon’s new starting quarterback.
In a pre-Name, Image and Likeness world, there would have been a lot of reasons, especially financial ones, for Gabriel to have entered his name into last weekend’s draft. Gabriel is a perfect example of the new modern player who didn’t love the draft feedback he got and rather than take a risky leap into the NFL as a late-round prospect as others have in the past, he decided to come back and maximize his college eligibility.
“A lot of guys who leave earlier who have years left and guys are out of the league in a year or two,” Gabriel told 247Sports. “I have a lot of friends that made the decision to leave early and they’re like, “Man, I wish I played for one more year.’ When that kind of crossed my mind I was like, ‘Dang, I want to maximize my time and learn as much as I can so I’m prepared for that next level.’ Mine is a little more unique than others because of COVID and the transfer portal.
“I think you’ve seen it work for a lot of guys. Hendon Hooker coming back for that extra year, Bo (Nix), Michael Penix maximizing all the years. There’s a lot of examples — Jordan Travis — that have taken advantage of their extra year and how much growth they had in that year’s time. I don’t want to ever not take advantage of the time that I have.”
As a sixth-year senior, he steps into a situation where his predecessor, Bo Nix, did precisely what Gabriel aspires to do in Eugene. After three years as Auburn’s starter, Nix arrived at Oregon with an unclear future but excelled in head coach Dan Lanning’s program. Nix was drafted No. 12 overall in this year’s NFL Draft, a feat that seemed improbable…
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