Reports: Oregon Ducks Expert Solidifying Himself as Top 2024 Heisman Trophy Candidate

Gabriel, who previously played for UCF and Oklahoma, transferred to Oregon following his best season yet. After spending two years with the Sooners, he joined the Ducks in anticipation of their inaugural season in the Big Ten Conference, aiming for a National Championship.

In his first three games as the starting quarterback for Oregon, Gabriel has thrown for 914 yards, six touchdowns, and no interceptions. Additionally, he has contributed two rushing touchdowns and several rushing yards.

In the recent matchup against rival Oregon State, Gabriel kicked off the game by completing 15 consecutive passes. His perfect streak ended with a throw that receiver Tez Johnson could have caught, but it would have required an impressive effort.

Gabriel delivered his best performance of the season against the Beavers, boasting a quarterback rating of 99.3 with only four incompletions. He also contributed three touchdowns, including a 54-yard rushing touchdown. Notably, Gabriel was not sacked during this game, an impressive turnaround after being brought down seven times in the previous two games.

Oregon Ducks QB Dillon Gabriel is in the running for the coveted Heisman Trophy.

Given Gabriel’s success in the first three games, he has a strong chance to compete for the Heisman Trophy this season.

Although he didn’t make the final ten candidates last year, he certainly gained attention early on. His performance dipped during consecutive losses to Kansas and Oklahoma State, which caused him to fall out of contention.

Last season, Gabriel accounted for 42 total touchdowns and only six interceptions, achieving a quarterback rating of 87.3. Following Bo Nix’s FBS record of 77.4 percent completion rate from the previous year, Gabriel currently leads the nation with an impressive 84.0 percent after three games. He completed his first 15 passes in Saturday’s victory over OSU and is leading the Big Ten with an average of 304.7 passing yards per game.

At the moment, the quarterback is expected to throw for 31.2 total touchdowns this year, which could hinder his Heisman chances. However, Gabriel and the Ducks still face teams like UCLA and Purdue, both of which have given up 40 or more points in a game this season. There’s a lot of season left and ample opportunities for the quarterback to exploit weak defenses.

To truly establish himself as a Heisman contender, Gabriel will need to perform well in the upcoming games, but he has already proven to be one of the most impressive quarterbacks in college football this season.