After leading the Oklahoma Sooners to a 10-2 record this season, quarterback Dillon Gabriel will enter the transfer portal for the second time in his career. He spent his first three seasons at UCF before transferring to Oklahoma in 2022.
Now that he is back in the transfer portal, we will look at some ideal landing spots for one of the top quarterbacks in the portal.
Transfer Portal Landing Spots for Dillon Gabriel
Gabriel finished the 2023 season throwing for 3,660 yards and 30 touchdowns with just six interceptions. Despite the two losses, Gabriel proved once again to be one of the best quarterbacks in the country after being named first-team All-Big 12 this season.
His career numbers include throwing for 14,865 yards and 125 touchdowns to 26 interceptions, starting in 49 games in five seasons.
Here are the five spots he could land at if he decides not to declare for the NFL Draft.
MORE: College Football Transfer Portal Tracker
UCLA Bruins
There are a couple of elements to UCLA being a potential landing spot. For one, the Bruins are on the lookout for a new quarterback after Dante Moore decided to transfer from the Bruins this past week. One other element is Gabriel, who, at one point, committed to transferring to UCLA before changing his mind and going to Oklahoma.
UCLA has weapons on offense with head coach Chip Kelly leading the charge and can use a new quarterback to be ready for their move to the Big Ten. The Bruins would become legitimate contenders and could attract other transfers to UCLA knowing that Gabriel would join the program.
Ohio State Buckeyes
The announcement of Kyle McCord transferring from the Buckeyes sure got some people to be quite surprised with the move. Ohio State finished with an 11-1 record as their lone loss was to the Michigan Wolverines. McCord got off to a slow start to the season but finished strongly, with the quarterback play still something left to be desired.
Gabriel is a big upgrade from McCord as Gabriel has already proved to be big-time college football at a high level. Ohio State will be looking for a quarterback to step in and take the next step: beating the Michigan Wolverines.
Tennessee Volunteers
The Gabriel-Josh Heupel connection from their time at UCF makes it a seamless transition for Gabriel. Joe Milton will be leaving the Tennessee Volunteers at the end of the season as a senior so they will be searching for a new quarterback. Tennessee finished the regular season with an 8-4 overall record on the year.
Gabriel had statistically his best season with UCF under Heupel as head coach in 2020, with 3,570 yards, 32 touchdowns, and four interceptions that season. Heupel brings out the best in quarterbacks and should be able to do the same for Gabriel.
Oregon Ducks
The Bo Nix era is coming to an end as he heads to the NFL. Oregon will be looking for a new quarterback to take over the program. Nix got them close to a playoff spot, but losses to Washington kept them out of the College Football Playoffs.
Gabriel would be able to step in and keep the Ducks consistent like they have been with another high-IQ quarterback. As Oregon enters the Big Ten next year, having an experienced and established quarterback like Gabriel is what they need to be one of the top teams in the conference.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Sam Hartman is also on his way out as he is on his way to playing in the NFL and entering the NFL Draft in 2024. The Fighting Irish did not end the season like they were hoping, as they went 9-3 on the season and could not get to the College Football Playoffs.
It’s starting to be pressure time for Notre Dame as they need to take the next step under head coach Marcus Freeman. They can’t afford to take a chance on a young quarterback as they are built to win now. Gabriel could be that guy who helps Notre Dame make their trip to the playoffs to be contenders, especially with the field expanding next year.
Other Transfer Portal Landing Spots for Gabriel
- Hawaii Rainbow Warriors
- Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
- Georgia Southern Eagles