Oregon
Was Oregon Ducks Quarterback Dillon Gabriel Close To Transferring To Ohio State Buckeyes?
How close was Oregon Ducks transfer quarterback Dillon Gabriel to joining the Ohio State Buckeyes for his final college football season? After deciding to leave Oklahoma, Gabriel disclosed the fact that shortly after entering the transfer portal he spoke with Ohio State coach Ryan Day about the possibility of playing for the Buckeyes.
“It was good (conversation),” Gabriel said. “I think with anything, throughout that process, it’s just gaining information on one another. But I think the recruiting process is what it is, and I think everyone that was a quarterback in the portal was able to have conversations with different schools.”
In this case, timing played a crucial role in Gabriel’s decision. Day was certainly interested in the former Oklahoma star quarterback but wanted to take time to evaluate the play of Devin Brown in an upcoming bowl game. Former Ohio State quarterback, Kyle McCord, had announced his decision to enter the transfer portal in early December and Day was faced with finding a suitable replacement.
Gabriel, on the other hand, did not want a lengthy process and committed to coach Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks long before Ohio State’s bowl game appearance.
“I think going through my third recruiting process, I know it’s a stressful time for anyone who’s transferred,” said Gabriel.
“Although there’s beauty in new beginnings and all that, everyone knows the stress and a lot that comes with it, whether it’s the moving, the moving companies, the moving in, there’s just a lot that comes with it. So, the faster you can make a decision and feel good about it, be decisive, then it allows you to act accordingly.”
In the “what if” hypothetical, Gabriel was asked if he would have signed with Ohio State had an offer been forth coming. He declined to play that game.
“I don’t even know,” said Gabriel. “That’s in the past. I’m focused on the now.”
This would be an intriguing story if it ended here, but there are some details that add to the already hyped interest. Consider that Gabriel and the Ducks will host Ohio State at Autzen Stadium in early October as Oregon enters Big Ten Conference play in 2024. Ohio State will likely open with Will Howard, a transfer portal quarterback addition from Kansas State. That may not be a fair comparison as Gabriel is the odds-on-favorite to win a Heisman Trophy. Howard, on the other hand, is still in a battle for the starting job in Columbus.
Oregon’s offense exploded last year with former Ducks’ quarterback and Denver Broncos draft pick, Bo Nix at the helm and expects to repeat that performance behind Gabriel. Ohio State, while always a formidable opponent, is facing some questions. Day hired former Oregon and UCLA coach Chip Kelly as his new offensive coordinator. Speculation as to how Kelly will use Howard indicates that he may be more of a “caretaker” than a focal point of the offense. As such, he just needs to avoid turnovers and get the ball to one of his talented play makers.
Osu21ore Bjp 753 / Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Like Gabriel, who declines to wonder “what if,” Ducks’ fans can simply focus on the future, knowing that Gabriel made the right decision to come to Oregon. This can be further demonstrated on October 12 when the Buckeyes arrive for a game that has already been noted as one of, if not the most significant 2024 regular season games in college football.
The good times keep on rolling for the Oregon Ducks in the recruiting world. Dan Lanning and the Ducks scored a massive commitment from five-star quarterback Will Mencl out of Chandler, Arizona.
Oregon had been rumored to be leading the race for Mencl’s services for months, but the No. 1 quarterback in the country, per Rivals, cleared the air and committed to the Ducks on Wednesday evening. Mencl chose the Ducks over Auburn and Penn State, both of which battled hard for him down the stretch.
However, Mencl has been connected to Oregon for a long time. While he was offered last fall before breaking out in his junior season, Mencl has been a fan of the program long before he popped up on the Ducks’ recruiting radar. In a post shared by Rivals recruiting expert Steve Wiltfong, Mencl was announced as a quarterback for the Ducks when he was a kid at the 2019 NFL Draft fan experience in 2019.
Now, Mencl is ready to don the green and yellow for real and make his childhood dreams come true. The Ducks have made a point to get Mencl on campus as often as possible and as recently as last week. The continued connection between both sides is ultimately what made the decision easy for the nation’s top passer. Mencl said he told Lanning and the Oregon staff about his decision on Sunday.
“The biggest thing was the relationship with the staff,” Mencl said after committing. “I feel like that continued to grow over time, especially when I first got there last spring. Being able to sit down with Coach Koa, really being an underlooked guy at that time, and kind of blowing up my junior season. And then, the path to the NFL. You can’t deny what they do with quarterbacks and the type of scheme they run. I felt like that was the best fit for me and my family to get to the next level.”
Koa Ka’ai, Oregon’s new quarterback coach, made waves earlier in the offseason after his recruiting test about ice cream flavors went viral, but that doesn’t appear to have scared Mencl off. In fact, the two have a close connection that Oregon hopes will translate to success on the field in the near future.
“My relationship with Coach Koa, I feel like that is super, super strong,” Mencl told Rivals. “I’ve had a lot of discussions with Coach Lanning about the culture there and how they’re going to continue to sustain greatness throughout the program.”
Mencl exploded onto the national recruiting scene with a massive junior season for Chandler. He completed more than 70% of his passes for 3,815 yards and 33 touchdowns against five interceptions in his junior season, leading Chandler to a state title berth. He also rushed for 741 yards and an additional 17 touchdowns.
The Ducks expect to have some competition for Mencl to compete with when he joins the team for the 2027 season, with Dylan Raiola and Akili Smith Jr. already on the roster and competing for a role as the backup. Oregon has gone to the transfer portal as well in recent seasons, finding success with Bo Nix, Dillon Gabriel, and now Dante Moore.
Oregon has recruited well at quarterback in the past, establishing an NFL pedigree that attracted Mencl. Maybe he will be the one to buck the trend and give the Ducks a true, homegrown product under center.
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‘Pour in the largest glass you can find while slow dancing in your socks,’ a Wine Enthusiast contributor said of an Oregon wine
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Wine Enthusiast released a list of the top 40 sparkling wines around the world in 2026 – highlighting two bottles of bubbly from Oregon.
“While it can seem like you need a fortune to enjoy high quality sparkling wine, you honestly don’t. Excellent affordable bubbles are being produced around the world, often in places you might not expect. Each of the selections on our inaugural Top 40 Sparkling Wines list delivers personality, freshness, and celebration for under $75,” Wine Enthusiast wrote.
Wine Enthusiast divided its list into separate sparkling categories including, Champagne, Italian Bollicine, American sparkling and bottles $25 and under.
Snagging a spot on the American sparkling list: Corollary Wines in McMinnville.
Corollarly’s 2021 Momtazi Carbonic Rosé Pinot Noir scored 96 points from Wine Enthusiast.
“This is a Peter Max print of a wine, with vivid aromas and flavors to match the wine’s electric Kool-Aid color. It is filled to the brim with aromas and flavors of macerated strawberries, candied rose petals, apricots, and a bitter note similar to watermelon rind. Pour in the largest glass you can find while slow dancing in your socks,” wrote Wine Enthusiast contributor Michael Alberty.
The second Oregon winery to earn a spot on the list: Lytle-Barnett in Dundee.
Wine Enthusiast also gave Lytle-Barnett’s 2018 Brut Rosé Pinot Noir Chardonnay 96 points.
“Bubbles as persistent as an eight-year-old with a question deliver aromas of dried rose petals, macerated strawberries, and a touch of fresh hay and talc. This 70/30 Pinot Noir and Chardonnay blend is packed with flavors of lemon zest, Honeycrisp apple slices drizzled in caramel, and a dollop of raspberry,” Alberty wrote.
The nods to Corollary and Lytle-Barnett come as the wineries recently helped launch Method Oregon, a nonprofit made up of 50 Oregon wineries aiming to turn Oregon into a global sparkling wine destination.
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