The Elite 11 quarterback camp is arguably the biggest showcase in the nation when it comes to high school prospects getting an opportunity to display their talents on a major stage.
This past week, some of the top passers in the 2025 class — including Oregon commit Akili Smith Jr. — were out and about at Elite 11 getting some work in on the field, going through accuracy drills and 7-on-7 work.
While the focus was on the young QBs, The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman says that it was a veteran QB who actually ended up stealing the show.
That veteran was Oregon Ducks QB Dillon Gabriel.
Gabriel was at the event as one of the college counselors, and he made a big impression. On the first night, Gabriel and Sagapolutele, a fellow Hawaiian, made it to the end of their “rail shot” competition among all the quarterbacks and counselors.
“Dillon would’ve nailed that throw 27 times in a row, but when he got to the end with Jaron, he just kinda threw it up in the air so Jaron could win. He was awesome with the kids. Total rock star,” Stumpf said. “I think he exceeded expectations from what everybody would’ve thought of him from a throwing standpoint. He was a dude and a leader and super charismatic. All the high school kids were just raving about him.”
Of course, at this point in his career we know that Gabriel has all the arm talent that’s needed to be a dominant QB at the college level, but it’s great to see that he has the leadership side to stand out in a counselor role among kids who aspire to be as successful as he has been.
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