There’s a lot that goes into a college player’s decision-making when they enter the transfer portal. One of those decisions right off the bat is to whether or not go in the portal in the first place.
Once they do go into the portal, the road to another destination has some bumps have curves. It’s rarely smooth sailing. That wasn’t the case for new Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel. It seemed as if once he decided to leave Oklahoma, he had his bags packed for Eugene.
The Ducks success with players coming from the portal is one of the best out there. According to Gabriel, offensive coordinator Will Stein was a huge part of his decision to become an Oregon Duck.
“I think it’s the track record of what Coach (Stein) has been able to do at a bunch of different spots at a bunch of different levels as well, he said. “I also think proven concept, right? Being here and seeing all the guys who’ve done what they’ve done. Two 1,000-yard-plus receivers. The quarterback has thrown for 4,000 plus yards with 40-plus touchdowns. And also winning a bunch of games, which is the main thing.”
In his one season is Stein’s offense, Bo Nix’s numbers went up and he led the Ducks to an 11-2 record, including a Fiesta Bowl win over Liberty. It’s the kind of success Gabriel wants to duplicate or improve upon, if possible.
“When you look at the offensive side of the ball, it’s how you continue to be ahead of the chains and score a bunch of points,” Gabriel said. “They’ve been able to do that. That for me was intriguing.”
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