For good reason: Dillon Gabriel is the Heisman Trophy favorite this season. The former Oklahoma Sooner threw for over 3,600 yards and 30 touchdowns last year and helped lead OU to a 10-3 record despite a loss in the Alamo Bowl to Arizona.
A move out west to a successful offensive system is a huge reason people believe Gabriel can have such a big year. Gabriel was ranked No. 4 among all quarterbacks entering this season in CBS Sports’s Tom Fornelli’s list, behind Georgia’s Carson Beck, Texas’s Quinn Ewers, and Alabama’s Jalen Milroe.
.@GeorgiaFootball's Carson Beck takes the No. 1 spot in @TomFornelli's first QB Power Rankings of the season 📈
— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) August 28, 2024
Who should be higher?
🔗 https://t.co/R7blkTFri1 pic.twitter.com/joU0IgykV8
Offensive coordinator Will Stein helped former Oregon QB Bo Nix to a very successful 2023 season, throwing for over 4500 yards and 40 touchdowns in the Pac-12. With the Ducks retaining Stein, Gabriel could be next in line to have lots of success at Eugene.
The Ducks start their Big Ten schedule against a familiar Pac-12 foe, UCLA, in the Rose Bowl on Sept. 28. Oregon will then face traditional Big Ten powerhouses such as Ohio State and make road trips to Michigan and Wisconsin.
Before that, the Ducks host the Idaho Vandals on Saturday, Aug. 31. We’ll see if the high-octane Oregon offense can live up to this offseason hype in its inaugural Big Ten season.