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Dillon Gabriel
American football player (born 2000) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Dillon Gabriel (born December 28, 2000) is an American professional football quarterback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football, beginning with the UCF Knights where he played for three seasons from 2019 to 2021. Gabriel then transferred to the Oklahoma Sooners, playing for two seasons from 2022 to 2023. In 2024, he joined the Oregon Ducks for his final season, earning first-team All-American honors and being named the Big Ten Most Valuable Player (MVP). By the end of his college career, Gabriel tied the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) record for passing touchdowns with 155, matching the mark previously set by Case Keenum. He was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the third round of the 2025 NFL draft. Gabriel is one of the few left-handed quarterbacks currently active in the league.
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Early life
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Gabriel was born on December 28, 2000, in Mililani, Hawaii. He comes from a family with a strong athletic background. His mother, Dori Gabriel, played college softball for the Loyola Marymount Lions.[1] His father, Garrett Gabriel, played college football as a quarterback for the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors from 1987 to 1990. Garrett was a four-year letterman and finished his college career as Hawaii’s all-time leader in passing yards with 5,631 and total offense with 6,181.[2][3][4]
Gabriel grew up playing multiple sports, primarily baseball and football. Although he enjoyed baseball, he found the game slowing down as he got older and gravitated toward football for its faster pace and the rush and excitement it offered. Early in his youth, Gabriel played several positions including safety, running back, and wide receiver, only fully transitioning to the quarterback role between the ages of 10 and 12. His decision to focus on playing quarterback was partly inspired by his father, but emphasizes that pressure was never put on him.[5]
Gabriel spent his early education years attending private schools, notably spending his seventh and eighth grade years at Punahou School in Honolulu, Hawaii. It wasn't until high school that he attended public schools.[5][6]
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High school career
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Gabriel attended Mililani High School in Mililani, Hawaii, graduating in 2019.[7] During his high school career, he was a three-time first-team All-Oahu Interscholastic Association (OIA) selection. In his senior year, Gabriel was named the 2018 OIA Offensive Player of the Year and the 2018–19 Gatorade Hawaii Football Player of the Year after passing for 3,754 yards and 38 touchdowns.[8][9] He led the Mililani Trojans to a 10–3 record and an appearance in the 2018 HHSAA Division I-Open Football State Championship game, the highest level of high school football in Hawaii. The team finished second in the state following a 38–17 loss to the Saint Louis Crusaders.[10][11] Gabriel concluded his high school career with a Hawaii state record of 9,848 passing yards and 105 touchdowns, surpassing the previous all-time passing yards record held by NFL Pro Bowler Tua Tagovailoa.[12]
Rated a three-star recruit by 247Sports,[13] Gabriel initially committed to play college football for the Army Black Knights during his senior year of high school. However, after receiving offers from Georgia, UCF, and USC, he decommitted and ultimately chose the University of Central Florida (UCF), drawn by the opportunity to compete for the starting quarterback position and earn immediate playing time. At that time, UCF was conducting an open competition for the starting role following the severe leg injury of McKenzie Milton, Gabriel's close friend and former Mililani teammate, who suffered a dislocated knee during the 2018 season that required multiple surgeries and extensive rehabilitation.[12][14][15][16]
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College career
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UCF
2019 season
Gabriel began his collegiate football career with the UCF Knights in 2019 as a true freshman. During preseason camp, he competed for the starting quarterback position against Notre Dame redshirt senior transfer Brandon Wimbush and UCF redshirt freshman Quadry Jones. The competition was held to find a replacement for McKenzie Milton, who was sidelined by a severe leg injury sustained late in the 2018 season. Milton’s previous backup, Darriel Mack Jr., was also unavailable due to a broken ankle suffered before the start of the season. Although the competition was close, Wimbush earned the starting role, while Gabriel served as the backup quarterback initially.[17][18][19]
Gabriel made his collegiate debut on August 29, 2019, in UCF's season opener against Florida A&M. He entered the game late in the first quarter as a substitute for starting quarterback Wimbush, completing 9 of 13 passes for 127 yards and three touchdowns, helping UCF secure a 62–0 victory. Following this performance, Gabriel was named the starting quarterback and started the remaining 12 games of the season.[20] He made his first career start on September 7 against Florida Atlantic, completing 7 of 19 passes for 245 yards and two touchdowns in a 48–14 victory.[21] The season concluded with a 48–25 victory over Marshall in the 2019 Gasparilla Bowl, where Gabriel was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) after completing 14 of 24 passes for 260 yards and two touchdowns.[22] Throughout the season, Gabriel led UCF to a 10–3 overall record. He finished the season having completed 236 of 398 passes for 3,653 yards, setting a school record for passing yards in a season by a freshman, with 29 touchdowns and seven interceptions.[23]
2020 season
During his sophomore season, Gabriel led UCF to a 6–4 record. He concluded the season by playing in the 2020 Boca Raton Bowl, where he completed 21 of 45 passes for 217 yards and two touchdowns in a 49–23 loss to BYU.[24]
2021 season
On September 17, 2021, during a regular-season game against Louisville, Gabriel sustained an injury on the final play. This play involved a multi-lateral attempt at a miracle touchdown by UCF while they were trailing 42–35 with five seconds remaining. He was carried off the field, and subsequent X-rays revealed a fractured left clavicle. Although the injury did not require surgery, it ended his season prematurely.[25]
On November 27, 2021, Gabriel announced on social media that he would be transferring from UCF.[26]
Oklahoma
2022 season
On December 16, 2021, Gabriel initially announced he would transfer to UCLA.[27] However, less than three weeks later, on January 3, 2022, he announced he would instead transfer to Oklahoma.[28]
2023 season
On December 4, 2023, after two seasons with the Sooners, Gabriel announced that he would be leaving Oklahoma and entering the NCAA transfer portal again.[29]
Oregon
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2024 season
On December 9, 2023, Gabriel announced that he would be transferring to Oregon.[30]
On August 31, 2024, Gabriel made his debut for Oregon in the season opener against Idaho. Oregon won the game 24–14, with Gabriel throwing for 380 yards and two touchdowns. With this performance, he became the eighth quarterback in FBS history to surpass 15,000 career passing yards.[31]
On October 26, 2024, Gabriel threw for 291 yards and three touchdowns in Oregon's 38–9 victory over Illinois. With this performance, he surpassed Hawaii quarterback Timmy Chang to move into second place on the FBS career passing yards list. Gabriel also passed Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore to claim second place on the FBS career passing touchdowns list.[32][33]
On January 1, 2025, Gabriel played his final college football game in the 2025 Rose Bowl, a College Football Playoff (CFP) quarterfinal. Despite entering the playoffs with Oregon holding an undefeated 13–0 record and finishing first in the Big Ten Conference, the team ended its season with a 41–21 loss to Ohio State. Gabriel threw for 299 yards and two touchdowns in the game, tying Houston quarterback Case Keenum for the FBS career passing touchdowns record, with both quarterbacks now sharing the record at 155.[34]
At the conclusion of the 2024 regular season, Gabriel was nominated for the Heisman Trophy in recognition of his impressive statistics and leadership. He finished third in the voting, behind winner Travis Hunter of Colorado and runner-up Ashton Jeanty of Boise State, and ahead of Miami quarterback Cam Ward.[35]
College statistics
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Professional career
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2025 season
Gabriel was selected 94th overall in the third round of the 2025 NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns.[38] The Browns acquired this pick through a trade that involved sending wide receiver Amari Cooper and a 2025 sixth-round pick, originally belonging to the Detroit Lions, to the Buffalo Bills. In return, the Browns received a 2025 third-round pick and a 2026 seventh-round pick.[39]
On August 26, 2025, the Browns announced that Gabriel would serve as the backup quarterback to Joe Flacco.[40] Gabriel made his National Football League (NFL) debut on September 14, during Week 2 against the Baltimore Ravens. He entered the game late in the fourth quarter, replacing Flacco while the Browns were trailing 41–10. Gabriel completed all three of his pass attempts for a total of 19 yards. He recorded his first career touchdown on an eight-yard pass to Dylan Sampson with 1:50 remaining in the game. The Browns ultimately lost the game 41–17 to the Ravens.[41]
On October 1, 2025, Gabriel was announced as the starting quarterback for the Browns ahead of Week 5, replacing Joe Flacco.[42] He made his first career start on October 5, in a game against the Minnesota Vikings held in London. This made him the first quarterback to have his initial NFL start outside the United States.[43] The Browns lost the game 21–17. Gabriel completed 19 of 33 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns. He was sacked twice for a loss of eight yards and did not throw any interceptions. His performance earned him a nomination for NFL Rookie of the Week honors for Week 5.[44]
On November 16, 2025, Gabriel sustained a concussion during the Week 11 game against the Baltimore Ravens. He experienced concussion symptoms during halftime and sought evaluation from the trainers. In accordance with the NFL concussion protocol, Gabriel was assessed and ruled out for the remainder of the game. This allowed backup quarterback Shedeur Sanders to make his regular season debut in the second half.[45] In the first half, Gabriel completed 7 of 10 passes for 68 yards, with no touchdowns, and was sacked once for a loss of seven yards.[46] Despite leading 16–10 at halftime, the Browns ultimately lost the game 23–16 to the Ravens.[45]
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NFL career statistics
Regular season
Personal life
Gabriel is named after retired NFL running back Corey Dillon.[47]
Gabriel is of Filipino and Native Hawaiian descent.[1][5] Due to his Hawaiian heritage, he grew up as a fan of fellow Oregon alumnus and NFL quarterback Marcus Mariota, who has served as a mentor throughout his career.[48]
Gabriel has two brothers: Garrison Gabriel, the eldest, who played college volleyball at Orange Coast College who now manages Dillon's business affairs; and Roman Gabriel, the youngest, a college basketball player at Bushnell University. Roman was named after Roman Gabriel, the former Filipino-American NFL quarterback who won the league MVP award in 1969.[47]
Gabriel is engaged to his childhood sweetheart, Zo Caswell, whom he met while attending middle school at Punahou School in Honolulu, Hawaii.[5] He proposed to her on September 1, 2024, the day after his debut for Oregon.[49][50]
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References
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