Oklahoma’s starting quarterback is hitting the portal, and reportedly is eyeing Eugene.
The infamous transfer portal, which benefited Oregon as much as anyone in the country the last couple years, is, as the kids would say “poppin’ “.
Many notable players appear to be on the move, among them the former starting quarterback for the Oklahoma Sooners, Dillon Gabriel.
It has been reported that Gabriel is setting up a visit to Eugene, possibly as early as this weekend. This would certainly ease the sting of losing Bo to the draft heading into Big 10 play next season.
In 2023 Gabriel threw for 3,660 yards and 30 touchdowns to just six interceptions, with a quarterback rating of 87.3. He showed at times throughout the season, particularly in Oklahoma’s thrilling Red River Rivalry win over Texas, that he can be a dynamic quarterback.
The lefty has a nice deep ball and good field vision to go with his shiftiness. Like Nix, he’s a more effective runner than people realize.
Gaining Gabriel’s services is somewhat reminiscent of acquiring Vernon Adams Jr in 2015 after the departure of Marcus Mariota.
Nix’s numbers this year have been on par with Marcus’s, and he too is headed to New York for the Heisman ceremony, even if he’s not the favorite to win, as Mariota was.
What “Big Play VA” provided, when healthy, was a dynamic and experienced quarterback that made all the difference in Oregon’s offense. Gabriel is similar in size and in some areas skill-wise to Adams.
If Oregon retains many of its offensive weapons, as they are expected to, having a quarterback like Gabriel to distribute them the ball would be a big get.
