Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel has thrived in the chaos of COVID, NIL, transfer portal and realignment

Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel paused when asked what he would tell himself six years ago during the onstage interviews at Big Ten Media Days on July 25.

“I don’t know what I would say to my younger self,” Gabriel said. “I think we live in very interesting times. I joke about being a COVID baby and NIL baby – I was here before, had the COVID year, which was interesting in itself and was then here before NIL started.”

Gabriel pauses for a moment before realizing how much he has seen in a six-year career that spans three seasons at UCF, two at Oklahoma and this season at Oregon. Last year he led the Sooners to a dramatic victory in the Red River Rivalry. This season, he will lead No. 3 Oregon in a top-five showdown against No. 2 Ohio State – in the Big Ten, of course.

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“Overall, a lot has changed,” Gabriel said. “Very different. Of course, I might also be a conference rearrangement baby, a portal baby. I’m trying to adapt and use those things to my advantage.”

That connotation is perhaps the best way to look at the changes in college football during Gabriel’s career. While the perception is that the transfer portal and NIL have had a negative impact on college football. National Football Foundation CEO Steve Hatchell thinks differently.

“There’s a pretty substantial number who go to college — forget you’re an athlete — who transfer,” Hatchell said. “Balancing athletics with what is happening with the general student population needs to be evaluated.”

According to Hatchell, the number of students transferring from one four-year school to another in 2023 increased by 6%, according to Forbes.com. Hatchell also said graduate transfers continue to be a win in college football, both on and off the field.

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Dillon Gabriel is among a record number of graduate transfers

A record 3,568 graduate transfers played college football this season, according to the National Football Foundation. Gabriel is part of the wave that was hit by COVID-19 and was given an extra year of eligibility.

Gabriel suffered a broken collarbone in his third season at UCF in 2021. He transferred to Oklahoma and played two seasons. This year, Gabriel has posted 1,449 passing yards, 14 TDs and three interceptions. He leads the Big Ten with a 77.8% completion percentage through five games.

“There are all kinds of rates that are being talked about, what happens when you transfer, your chances of graduating decrease,” Hatchell said. “If you transfer multiple times it goes down a lot, but at least we were able to show in the shortest amount of time that we have a good number of young guys who play and graduate even if they do transfer.”

There were also benefits off the field. Gabriel is one of 204 semifinalists for the William V. Campbell Trophy, affectionately known as the “Academic Heisman.” To be eligible for the Campbell Trophy, a student-athlete must have a GPA of 3.2. The finalists’ overall GPA was 3.63.

“We want to be the focus of showcasing great things that are happening in schools and making sure kids graduate,” Hatchell said. “Many wonderful things happen in the chaos.”

On Wednesday, the Division I council reduced the total number of days players can enter the transfer portal from 45 to 30 days during the winter transfer window. The spring transfer window remains the same.

How Dillon Gabriel thrived among the chaos

The four factors Gabriel mentioned – COVID, NIL, realignment and the portal – have all created an environment that has changed college football at its core. Gabriel is a sixth-year player, but this season there are seven- and eight-year players in the FBS.

“That will happen,” Hatchell said. “It’s wrong to focus on it in a negative light. We had that break and these guys still went on to play football. I think the story is, ‘What if it lasted five, six, seven, eight years?’ That’s rare, but they still get a degree.”

Hatchell uses the previous Oregon quarterback as an example of why these factors can work for a quarterback.

“We use Bo Nix,” Hatchell said. “He’s going to Auburn. He’s going to Oregon and doing great. Graduate program. First round pick, you can do it all. You can go to college. You can graduate and get the opportunity if you’re lucky enough to go there go into the NFL or go on and do great things.”

Nix finished third in the 2023 Heisman Trophy voting. He is 3-2 as a starter for the Denver Broncos entering Week 6. Gabriel, meanwhile, has a chance to lead the Ducks to a blowout victory in Big Ten play. He is proof that all these challenges can be overcome – and that’s not a bad thing at all.

“For the most part, I don’t think anyone is complaining because of the level of football being played,” Gabriel said. “The best players are on the field at all levels. It’s an evening from top to bottom, from bottom to top. I think it’s all good.”