The 2024 college football season, which promises to be a historic one with the 12-team playoff expansion, is a little over eight months away. Oregon opens Week 0 on August 24 at Hawaii.
So obviously it’s time to think about All-American candidates.
The Oregon Ducks are expected to be one of the top teams next season with a legitimate shot at not only making the playoffs but also making a run at a possible national title.
One of many reasons is quarterback Dillon Gabriel, a senior transfer from Oklahoma. The window for winning a national title is open now and the Oregon coaching staff felt an experienced and successful quarterback was needed.
In their way-too-early selection of preseason All-Americans, ESPN puts Gabriel on the Second-Team. They put Georgia quarterback Carson Beck on the First Team.
In his two seasons at Oklahoma, Gabriel completed 66 percent of his passes good for 6,828 yards, 55 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He spent three seasons at Central Florida before that.
Another reason Gabriel chose to finish his career in Eugene was that he will play behind an experienced offensive line that will protect him. Ajani Cornelius will anchor the right side of the 2024 line for the Ducks and he was also part of ESPN’s Second Team only behind Texas’ Kelvin Banks Jr.
The transfer from Rhode Island had a nice season in his first year on the D-I level where he played in all 14 games for the Ducks. Cornelius is a 6-foot-5, 308-pounder from Harlem, NY. He was an Honorable Mention on the All-Pac-12 team.
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