Oregon
Dillon Gabriel's six-season journey could have storybook ending at Oregon
Quarterback Dillon Gabriel has spent his college career searching for the perfect fit.
His six-season odyssey has been long and arduous, crossing the Pacific Ocean and spanning coast to coast — stretching from his home state of Hawaii to Orlando, Fla., to Norman, Okla., and finally to Eugene, Ore.
Every move, decision, triumph and setback has led him to Pasadena, where he faces a win-or-go-home Rose Bowl showdown against Ohio State (11-2). Gabriel will either guide Oregon (13-0) one step closer to a championship or close the chapter on his college career.
“You wish you had him for longer, but we’re happy with his progress,” Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein said. “When he’s out on the field, he makes everybody feel at ease because of his leadership, because he’s seen it all.”
Gabriel’s career combines longevity — thanks to extended eligibility from a season-ending injury and a COVID-19 year — with veteran decision-making that has solidified him as the leader of the No. 1 team, which defeated the Buckeyes 32-31 in October.
When evaluating talent, Ducks coach Dan Lanning emphasizes to his staff the importance of finding individuals who are searching for the best fit — not the most convenient — and willing to make sacrifices.
Nearly a year before winning the Big Ten championship, Lanning found his guy in Gabriel. The coach welcomed an undersized, often-dismissed talent who had bounced around with varying degrees of success, searching for a fit in his final year of eligibility.
To make this last stop count, Gabriel made the necessary sacrifices that Lanning sought. Throughout the season, he repeatedly demonstrated the toughness to handle last-minute drives and difficult down-and-distance situations, according to Lanning.
“Nothing fazes him, that’s the cool thing about him,” Stein added.
Gabriel had shown the skills to succeed during his prolific start at Central Florida and his two-year stint at Oklahoma, year after year passing for more than 3,500 yards and 25 touchdowns.
He’s brought that ability to Oregon, posting similar numbers. But more importantly, he has showcased intangibles like “toughness” and “poise” — traits that have impressed Lanning and his staff the most.
Gabriel’s extended college career has fostered his maturity and veteran leadership, which have become defining traits. Having just celebrated his 25th birthday Saturday, he is the same age or older than some of the NFL’s rising quarterbacks, including Brock Purdy, Jayden Daniels and C.J. Stroud.
“You never know how tough somebody is until you’re in the trenches with them,” Stein said. “You really don’t know them until you’re in the game, and how tough he is has been extremely impressive.”
Inheriting a championship-caliber program with only one year to make an impact, Gabriel needed to quickly embrace his role, build relationships and earn teammates’ trust.
“His ability to connect with his teammates is unlike anybody I’ve been around,” Stein said. “He treats the eighth-string walk-on like he’s a first-string starter. … He’s truly a unique individual, and I’m really glad he’s on our team.”
From Day 1, tight end Terrance Ferguson, one of Gabriel’s many offensive weapons, knew they would click.
“As soon as I knew I was coming back and he was going to be the quarterback, I said we’re going to be best friends no matter what,” Ferguson said. “We became best friends, and anytime he wanted to throw the ball, I was there. It didn’t matter if it was in Hawaii, L.A., or in our backyard.”
The two built strong chemistry on and off the field. Even their fiancées became close friends, often joining the duo for dinner as couples.
Gabriel’s dedication to the Ducks has paid off.
A record-breaking season? Check.
He passed Case Keenum’s all-time total touchdown record with 187 and is on the verge of breaking even more of Keenum’s marks. He needs three passing touchdowns to pass the 155-touchdown milestone and only 794 passing yards to claim the all-time record (19,217).
A Heisman Trophy finalist? Check.
Gabriel finished third in voting, becoming just the fifth Oregon player to be a finalist and the second Hawaiian-born player in school history, joining 2014 winner Marcus Mariota, whom Gabriel idolized growing up.
One accomplishment has eluded him — winning a national championship. Much like his search for the perfect fit, he still seeks the fulfillment that makes every move, decision, triumph and setback worthwhile.
“To be in these moments you dream of and want to be in,” Gabriel said, “it’s something I’ve been preparing my whole entire life for. … You know the opportunity at hand and what’s at stake, that all goes into what’s to come.”
Once again, fate has pitted him against a team he previously defeated, leading his squad on a thrilling 74-yard drive to set up the go-ahead field goal. In that game, he delivered a Heisman-caliber performance, completing 23 of 34 passes for 341 yards and two touchdowns while adding a 27-yard touchdown run.
But as he looks ahead to Wednesday’s game, he doesn’t dwell on the past.
“Nothing in the past can help you in the future,” Gabriel said. “Maybe try and see if you could do something different here and there. But that’s why it’s history.”
Prepared as always, Gabriel now leads a battle-tested, confident team, carrying the trust of his coaches and teammates as he strives to keep the journey alive for one more game.
“We have the best quarterback in the country that’s going to go out there and play his best on a big stage,” Stein said.
The Oregon Ducks are set for one of the biggest timelines of their recruiting cycle, as many top targets are nearing commitments. This time around, the Ducks have a ton of top targets still remaining on their board compared to past seasons, as the Ducks have eight total commitments at this time.
Oregon coach Dan Lanning and his staff still need to land a safety commitment, but three-star safety Elijah Butler out of Maryland recently included the Ducks in his final six schools.
Oregon Target Elijah Butler Makes Exciting Recruiting Announcement
Butler announced his top six schools ahead of a crucial part of his recruitment, according to a graphic by Leyton Roberts. The Ducks made the cut alongside the Maryland Terrapins, Virginia Tech Hokies, Auburn Tigers, Florida Gators, and the Alabama Crimson Tide. The talented prospect would be a great addition for any of these teams, as they could all use a safety prospect at this point in the recruiting timeline.
Butler is from the state of Maryland, which makes the Terrapins one to watch.
It is also worth noting that he has been labeled as one of the best players in the state of Maryland, as he currently ranks as the state’s No. 9 prospect, according to Rivals. This is important as the Terrapins have always made solid attempts to land their in-state stars, including last season when they landed one of the better players in the state’s history, Zion Elee.
As of now, the prospect hasn’t been predicted to land with any of these schools, which means it is likely still a tight race entering the official visit schedule. He has yet to schedule an official visit with all of the schools he has listed in his top six, as he is still missing three key official visits. Butler has scheduled official visits with Alabama, Auburn, and Florida, according to 247Sports. This means he still needs to set one with Oregon, Virginia Tech, and Maryland if he wants to take one to each school.
If the Ducks are able to get Butler on a visit, then they would likely be in a more favorable position to land his commitment, as it currently. seems they are one of the trailing teams from this list. It seems highly unlikely that the Ducks will gain his commitment unless they get him on an official visit, which is still possible at this point, as plenty of top prospects across the nation are still scheduling their official visits.
As of now, the Ducks have 27 prospects set to take an official visit, according to 247Sports. Among all of the prospects who have scheduled a visit thus far, only one of the players is listed as a safety. That player is a three-star target, Junior Tu’upo. This leads one to believe that the Ducks could try to get Butler on a visit, or at a minimum, pitch their program to the prospect from St Frances Academy.
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BLUE RIVER, Ore. (KATU) — The founder of a former disaster relief nonprofit is being sued for allegedly diverting nearly $837,000 in donations and grants for personal gain.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield filed the lawsuit Thursday against the founder and executive director of Cascade Relief Team (CRT), Marcus Brooks. In the complaint, Rayfield calls CRT “a sham.”
Brooks is accused of stealing donations and government grants meant for disaster relief following wildfires and flooding in 2020, and using it for personal expenses including casino visits, travel, vehicles, and more.
CRT was founded in 2020 and was hired for cleanup and relief services following the Labor Day Wildfires that burned over 1 million acres across Oregon.
In Blue River, an unincorporated community in the McKenzie River Valley, the 2020 Holiday Farm Fire destroyed nearly 800 homes and burned more than 173,000 acres.
I am angry that my community was taken advantage of
Just months after the fire, long-time Blue River resident Melanie Stanley said CRT stepped in and promised help to the community.
“For us, it was…like a savior at that point,” Stanley said.
Stanley was the manager for the Blue River Resource Center and worked for Brooks to help facilitate recovery efforts. She said CRT operations slowly became questionable.
“None of us knew the level at which all of this stuff that finally came out was at,” Stanley said. “We knew that there was some stuff that had started to look hinky or feel hinky, or there was just some lack of communication that was happening. There were some other things that were happening, and so we just all were kind of guarded.”
In fall of 2023 the nonprofit was reported to have run out of money, and Brooks allegedly fired staff without disclosing the organization’s financial conditions and did not notify donors or beneficiaries. Stanley was one of those people fired.
The state now claims the funds that were meant to go towards communities like Blue River, never made it out of Brooks’ hands, including donations given by Blue River neighbors.
“I am angry that my community was taken advantage of, and I am angry that they now have to worry about trusting when something else happens, because we know something else is going to happen,” Stanley said. “We hope to God it’s never anything as big or as bad as what has happened, but you know, we also have learned that groups like Locals Helping Locals…they are our foundation, and they are because they’re us.”
The state is seeking to recover the money, permanently bar Brooks from serving in a leadership role at a charitable organization and dissolve the nonprofit.
Stanley said Brooks’ actions have tainted reputations.
“We as a community and as the people from the community who helped kind of put all of these things together, we did what was asked of us,” Stanley said. “We did help clean things, and we did help get things to provide, you know, more progress and get things moving forward, and we did good work, and so I just really hope that this is not overshadowed.”
According to Stanley, Blue River’s recovery now stands at 50%.
“We will be very picky from here on out about who and what groups gets let in to help with anything,” Stanley said. “And sadly, it may be to our detriment, but he did more damage now, as far as reputations go, and for that I’m angry. I’m very angry.”
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