Ducks' Dillon Gabriel talks at the Senior Bowl about the one huge reason he's set to follow Bo Nix's rookie success in the NFL
Every year, people clamor over the prospects that declare early for the NFL Draft. The want for the youngest and most talented prospects makes sense — the younger a player is when they come into the league, the more years of service you can potentially get out of them.At the quarterback position in particular, though, […]
Every year, people clamor over the prospects that declare early for the NFL Draft. The want for the youngest and most talented prospects makes sense — the younger a player is when they come into the league, the more years of service you can potentially get out of them.
At the quarterback position in particular, though, experience has been paying off. The NFL struggles to develop quarterbacks that have raw talent but limited playing time (see Trey Lance, Anthony Richardson, etc). This year, former Oregon quarterback Bo Nix and LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels continued setting an example for the experienced quarterback, showing the NFL that the more time quarterbacks have in college, the more poised and pro-ready they potentially are when they get to the next level.
Dillon Gabriel, fresh off a highly-efficient season with the Oregon Ducks and being named a Heisman Trophy finalist is looking to continue that trend.
No quarterback has more starts in college football history than Gabriel, who broke Nix's record that was set the season prior. He was asked about his take on experienced quarterbacks in recent years changing the narrative for more seasoned signal callers.
"I think you're starting to see it. You know? I think it's been very early with, of course, COVID and getting that extra year, so that's what people are starting to utilize. But now you're seeing it, and the development of a quarterback, and sometimes it helps get more snaps, and it's definitely helped me, and has been beneficial. So I've just looked at it as that. I think there's a bunch of positives to playing a bunch of football, and especially at the quarterback position, where live reps are different than practice reps, so you want to get as many live reps as you can."
Seeing more of what opposing defenses are doing, learning how to read spacing and timing, identify coverages, and play in high-pressure moments are things that only come with time. Gabriel is aiming to continue the trend of experienced college quarterbacks making a mark in the NFL.
Follow along all year for more Oregon Ducks coverage on A to Z Sports. You can find me on Bluesky @jonhelmkamp.bsky.social, as well as follow our main page @AtoZSports.bsky.social for all the latest news.
