Oregon QB gets 100% real on Dillon Gabriel after Browns debut

Oregon football has a rich history of producing NFL quarterbacks, and its new signal-caller might have the same fate if he keeps up his current form. Sophomore Dante Moore has completed 50 of 64 (78.1 percent) passes for seven touchdowns and just one interception through three games, and he ranks 10th in the nation with an 85.7 QBR.

The No. 6 Ducks have yet to face a ranked opponent, but they proved they could beat anyone with Dillon Gabriel under center last year.  They went 13-1 (9-0 Big Ten), including wins against No. 8 Boise State, No. 1 Ohio State, No. 16 Illinois, and No. 5 Penn State.

Moore was Gabriel's backup, which was an informative experience. The 6-foot-3-inch, 206-pounder shared what he learned from his former teammate after Saturday's 34-14 over Northwestern, via Sports Illustrated's Gabriel Duarte.

"The biggest thing he taught me was preparation. The way he just prepped Monday through Friday and on Saturday. How he just went out there and got the job done. Another thing I learned from him is you gotta enjoy this process," he said.

That preparation helped Gabriel earn first-team All-American and Big Ten Most Valuable Player honors last season. The native Hawaiian was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the third round this year and made his NFL debut against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, completing one of three passes for 19 yards and a touchdown.

"He would come to the facility early in the morning and late at night, that you gotta enjoy the process and be thankful for it. I feel like seeing him smile every day when the days got tough, it brought me the juice and energy to keep going and make sure I'm pushing my teammates the best they can do," Moore continued.

Oregon's new starter will get the chance to prove himself against elite competition on Sept. 27 against the No. 2 Nittany Lions.

Oregon is a quarterback factory

Gabriel isn't the first Ducks signal-caller to get NFL playing time recently. Bo Nix, Gabriel's predecessor, was picked No. 12 overall by the Denver Broncos in 2024 and notched 33 total touchdowns against 11 turnovers as a rookie. 

Before Nix, Oregon started Anthony Brown, who bounced around the NFL before landing with the UFL's Houston Roughnecks in February.  Brown's predecessor was Tyler Shough, who is currently Spencer Rattler's backup on the New Orleans Saints. 

The best of the bunch is Justin Herbert, who played for the Ducks from 2016 to 2019. The Los Angeles Chargers drafted him No. 6 overall in 2020, and he's tossed 21, 411 passing yards on a 66.6 percent completion rate to go with 140 touchdowns and 45 picks since then.  He signed a five-year, $262.5 million extension in July 2023, making in the highest-paid player in NFL history at the time.

Another notable Oregon product is Marcus Mariota, who the Tennessee Titans drafted No. 2 overall in 2015. The former Heisman Trophy winner didn't live up to expectations, but he's still a backup on the Washington Commanders.

This track record proves that the Ducks have the infrastructure and support around Brown to make him pro-ready, but it's up to him to take advantage.