Tag: dillon Gabriel

Handful of Ducks listed among ESPN’s Top 50 players in CFP

Six Oregon Ducks are named in ESPN’s list of the Top 50 College Football Playoff Players.

We are just a few days away from the first round of the College Football Playoff, and in less than two weeks the Oregon Ducks will hit the field in Pasadena, facing Ohio State or Tennessee in the Rose Bowl. The Ducks are the No. 1 seed in the bracket, which gives them the first-round bye to the Rose Bowl.

All 12 programs in the field are filled with talented players, but some players shine brighter than the rest. On Wednesday, ESPN published a list of the 50 best players in the 2024 College Football Playoff, and as the only undefeated team in the country, the Ducks had several representatives.

Three Oregon footballers are ranked in the 30s. At 37 is running back Jordan James, 36 is Matayo Uiagalelei, and 34 is Josh Conerly Jr. All three have been instrumental for the Ducks this season, and at the end of the regular season, they all seemed to be playing their best ball.

James, Uiagalelei, and Conerly weren’t the only Ducks named to ESPN’s list. Oregon had two players in the teens: wide receiver Tez Johnson at 15 and defensive lineman Derrick Harmon at 14. Harmon is a transfer from Michigan State and with 42 tackles and nine TFLs — five of which are sacks — he has dominated this season for Oregon.

Tez Johnson is one of the best receivers in the country, with 78 catches for 866 yards and 10 TDs this season. If he racks up 13 more catches, no Oregon pass-catcher will have caught more passes than Johnson.

At the very top of ESPN’s list is Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel. This is Gabriel’s sixth year in college and the Ducks are his third team. Gabriel has been good all six seasons he’s played in college, but he certainly seems to have saved his best for last. This season, Gabriel was a finalist for the O’Brien Trophy (given to college football’s best QB) and he is the leader of the Ducks’ team.

Gabriel became the NCAA’s all-time TD leader this season, and he’s closing in on the all-time passing TDs and passing yards records. the only player ESPN ranks better than Gabriel: Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty.

Oregon still has a long stretch before their first College Football Playoff game since 2014, but their roster is talented enough to beat any team on any field. The games will come down to how well each team can execute.

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Oregon football boasts a trio of AP All-Americans

The Associated Press announced their All-American teams and there are three Ducks included.

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel might have missed out on the Heisman Trophy, but he has plenty of other honors coming his way.

Gabriel, along with defensive lineman Derrick Harmon and offensive tackle Josh Conerly, Jr. has been selected to the Associated Press All-American team.

Harmon is on the Second Team All-American defensive team while Gabriel and Conerly are on the Third Team.

Coming from Michigan State via the transfer portal, Harmon just picked up where he left off in East Lansing, Mich. He fit into the Oregon culture right away and had a great season for the No. 1 Ducks. Harmon had 42 tackles, nine for loss to go with five sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He was also voted to the All-Big Ten Third Team.

Gabriel had an outstanding year, his first and only year with the Ducks. So far, he has 3,558 passing yards with 28 touchdowns and just six interceptions. The Oregon quarterback also has a 73 completion percentage. the highest for his career.

Conerly is also having the best season of his career as he his the heart of the Oregon offensive line. He could declare for the NFL draft after this season is over, but the Ducks are hoping to retain his services for one more year.

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Colorado’s two-way superstar Travis Hunter wins Heisman Trophy

Travis Hunter of Colorado is your 2024 Heisman Trophy winner

Travis Hunter of Colorado is a throwback. A great two-way player, wide receiver, and defensive back.

And on Saturday, the unicorn star of Deion Sanders’ Buffaloes won the Heisman Trophy. He became the second Colorado player to win the prestigious award, joining the late Rashaan Salaam, who won the Heisman in 1994.

Hunter received more points in the voting than Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty, Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel, and Miami QB Cam Ward.

Coming in fifth through 10th were:

Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders led Colorado to a 9-3 record. The Buffs play BYU in the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 28.

Hunter caught 92 passes for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns. He also had four interceptions and was in for more than 100 plays regularly during games. He played 1,356 snaps, first in the nation by 434.

Jeanty led the nation with 2.497 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns. Boise State made the College Football Playoffs and is the third-seeded team.

Gabriel quarterback Oregon, the lone undefeated team in the country. He threw for 3,558 yards and 28 touchdowns against six picks.

Ward threw for 4,123 yards and 36 touchdowns.

Former Oklahoma Sooners QB commits to Auburn Tigers

Former Oklahoma Sooners starting quarterback heading to the Auburn Tigers.

Former five-star prospect and Oklahoma Sooners starting quarterback [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] has a new home via the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag], committing to the Auburn Tigers on Saturday morning, according to On3 Sports.

Arnold, who started 10 games for the Oklahoma Sooners, including the Alamo Bowl loss to Arizona in 2023, was the National Gatorade Player of the Year for 2022 and 2022 Elite 11 MVP coming out of high school. After sitting for a year behind 2024 Heisman finalist [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag], Arnold took the reigns of the Oklahoma offense.

Arnold and the Sooners offense struggled throughout the season due to injuries and inconsistent offensive line play. With limited experience, Arnold couldn’t overcome the instability around him. Turnovers against Tennessee forced him to the bench, but he stayed ready and came back against the South Carolina Gamecocks.

From that point on, Arnold kept the quarterback job. Arnold had some good moments over the second half of the season but still struggled with turnovers, including a costly fumble against the Missouri Tigers.

Arnold bounced back from the loss to Missouri with a solid performance against Maine. He then led OU to a win over Alabama with his ability to run the football. In the win over the Crimson Tide, Arnold carried the ball 25 times for 131 yards.

In 2024, Arnold completed 62.6% of his passes for 1,421 yards, 12 touchdowns and three interceptions. He also ran for 444 yards and three touchdowns.

With Ben Arbuckle as their new offensive coordinator, the Sooners opted to take a new approach on offense. Michael Hawkins Jr. will start the bowl game, and the Sooners are likely to pursue a veteran quarterback option via the transfer portal.

Arnold will head to Auburn to replace Payton Thorne as the Tigers’ starting quarterback and help the Tigers improve upon their 5-7 season in 2024. That continues the trend of Sooners heading to other SEC teams after Brenen Thompson landed with Mississippi State and Bauer Sharp committed to LSU on Friday.

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How to Watch: Dillon Gabriel in the Heisman Trophy ceremony

How to Watch: Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel joins Travis Hunter, Cam Ward and Ashton Jeanty at the Heisman Trophy ceremony.

It’s becoming a tradition to have the Oregon Ducks quarterback go to the Heisman Trophy ceremony in New York.

For the second straight season, the Ducks’ quarterback, this time being Dillon Gabriel with Bo Nix going last year, will be on hand for the Heisman presentation. Unfortunately, however, also for the second straight season, the Duck signal-caller isn’t expected to come back to Eugene with the hardware. That distinction happens to go to Travis Hunter of the Colorado Buffaloes.

But it’s fun to think about that three of the four finalists for college football’s most prestigious award played in the Pac-12 last season, and the other finalist, Ashton Jeanty, also plays out west with Boise State.

Just having Gabriel being at the presentation is just free publicity for the Ducks and a great recruiting pitch for head coach Dan Lanning for future Ducks.

What channel is the Heisman Trophy presentation on Saturday? Time, TV schedule

TV Channel: ESPN

Start time: 5 p.m. PT

The Heisman Trophy presentation will be televised on ESPN on Dec. 14 in New York, NY.

Where to watch the Heisman Trophy presentation on livestream

There are several different streaming options for ESPN. You can go on ESPN+ or Disney+. ESPN is also offered on streaming television services such as FUBO, Sling TV and YouTube TV.

Heisman Trophy predictions, picks and odds

Colorado’s Travis Hunter, the two-way star that plays on both sides of the ball, is the overwhelming favorite to win the Heisman on Saturday. It would be a fitting end to an interesting career starting out at Jackson State. Hunter was the No. 1 recruit when he shocked the world and committed to Deion Sanders and Jackson State before following his coach out to Boulder.

The next player besides Hunter is Ashton Jeanty of Boise State. Oregon found out firsthand in September how tough it was to wrangle this Bronco down. He has had an incredible season on the blue turf and reminds people of Barry Sanders.

Dillon Gabriel is the quarterback for the No. 1 Ducks and is the  Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year. His poise and clutch passes down the stretch of some games (Wisconsin) has led Oregon to a 13-0 record and the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff.

Cam Ward left the cold in the Palouse at Washington State to South Beach and Miami. The environments couldn’t be any different, but Ward flourished. He willed his team to victory in most of their 10 wins as the Hurricanes just missed the playoff.

Odds:

  • Travis Hunter, Colorado (-2500)
  • Ashton Jeanty, Boise State (+1000)
  • Dillon Gabriel, Oregon (+25000)
  • Cam Ward, Miami (+25000)

Travis Hunter Stats

  • 92 catches
  • 1,152 yards
  • 14 touchdowns
  • 32 tackles
  • 4 interceptions

Ashton Jeanty Stats

  • 344 carries
  • 2,497 yards
  • 29 touchdowns (30 total)

Dillon Gabriel Stats

  • 297-of-406 passing
  • 3,558 yards
  • 28 touchdowns (35 total)
  • 6 interceptions

Cam Ward Stats

  • 293-of-435 passing
  • 4,123 yards
  • 36 touchdowns (40 total)
  • 7 interceptions

 

Oregon Ducks QB Dillon Gabriel named finalist for Heisman Trophy

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel has been named one of four finalists for the 2024 Heisman Trophy.

For the second year in a row, an Oregon Duck will be heading to New York City to represent the green and yellow.

On Monday night, Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel was named a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, joining Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty, Colorado Buffaloes cornerback/receiver Travis Hunter, and Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cameron Ward.

This is the second straight year that an Oregon quarterback will be up for the award, with Bo Nix finishing third in the voting last year. LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels won the award, while Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. placed second.

The Heisman Trophy will be awarded on Saturday night in New York City.

Following the end of the regular season, Hunter is the overwhelming favorite to win the award, with Jeanty in second place behind him. Both Gabriel and Ward are tied for third place in the betting odds.

After leading the Ducks to a perfect 13-0 record and a Big Ten Championship, Gabriel finished the regular season completing 297-of-406 passes for 3,558 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. Gabriel also rushed for 192 yards and 7 touchdowns.

Gabriel is now the fifth Oregon Duck to ever be named as a finalist for the award. In 2001, QB Joey Harrington became the program’s first-ever finalist, while RB LaMichael James became the second finalist in 2010. QB Marcus Mariota won the Heisman Trophy in 2014, and Nix was a finalist in 2023.

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Dillon Gabriel named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year

Oregon Ducks QB Dillon Gabriel was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and Quarterback of the Year on Tuesdya morning.

The Oregon Ducks season is far from over, but on Saturday they shut the door on a perfect 12-0 season. This year’s Oregon team has been spectacular across the field, but quarterback Dillon Gabriel has been so key to the Ducks’ success. On Tuesday, he was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and Quarterback of the Year.

Gabriel’s 12 games this season have been fantastic. The Ducks’ veteran QB has passed for 3,275 yards, 24 TDs, and six interceptions this season, while also rushing for 175 yards and seven TDs. With at least two more games to go, Gabriel’s numbers are sure to keep flying up.

While Gabriel is a first-time Oregon Duck, 2024 is his sixth season playing college football. He spent his first three seasons at UCF, redshirting once, before transferring to Oklahoma. Gabriel then played two quality seasons as a Sooner, especially in 2023, before transferring to Oregon almost a year ago.

https://x.com/oregonfootball/status/1864013168500199773

Gabriel’s elite season and career have put his name atop some historic lists in college football. His 183 career TDs responsible for (31 of which have come this season) are the most all-time, and he is just six passing TDs shy of Case Keenum’s record. Gabriel also has accumulated 18,140 passing yards, which is second all-time, just 1,077 behind Keenum.

The Ducks are guaranteed just two more games, but assuming they play three (winning at least one College Football Playoff Game), Gabriel is on track to tie Keenum’s passing TD record and fall short of his yardage record by less than 300 yards.

Oregon doesn’t have an easy task this week, taking on Penn State in Indianapolis, and things will only get trickier after this game. The Ducks are well equipped to take on the College Football Playoff gauntlet, and Gabriel, who last week was named a finalist for this Davy O’Brien Award (Best College QB) is a big reason why.

Oregon has their best shot in a long time to win a national championship, and Dillon Gabriel could just be the man that takes them there.

Photo Gallery: Ducks hammer Dawgs at a chilly Autzen Stadium

Photo Gallery: The Oregon Ducks hammered Washington at a chilly night inside. Autzen Stadium.

It was a chilly Autzen Saturday for the last day of November, but it was the Ducks that gave the Huskies the cold shoulder.

Oregon defeated the Washington Huskies for the first time in four tries and the first victory over the Dawgs in the Dan Lanning Era.  The Ducks dominated the Huskies in the second half en route to a 49-21 victory to secure their first perfect 12-0 regular season since 2010.

The Ducks scored on their first possession on Noah Whittington’s 9-yard run and never looked back. Despite the chilly temperatures, the 59,603 inside Autzen Stadium didn’t care. Oregon was defeating the Huskies and for a few moments, everything was right in the world.

Here are the best photos from the regular season finale in Eugene.

Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel named finalist for O’Brien Award

Oregon Ducks QB Dillon Gabriel was named a finalist for the Davey O’Brien Award on Tuesday, given to the best QB in college football.

The Oregon Ducks have held the No. 1 spot in the AP Poll for several weeks now. It’s the first time they’ve held that ranking since 2012, and contributions to stay undefeated and atop the polls have come from every position group. But no player has been as important to Oregon this season as quarterback Dillon Gabriel.

On Tuesday, Gabriel was named a finalist for the Davey O’Brien Award, the award given to college football’s best quarterback. Before the award winner is announced in December, three semifinalists are announced. In addition to Gabriel, Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Miami’s Cam Ward are the other finalists.

2024 is Gabriel’s sixth year in college football. His first three seasons, including his redshirt year, were played with the UCF Knights. After that, Gabriel transferred to Oklahoma where he emerged as one of college football’s top QBs. This will be Gabriel’s final season in college, and it will certainly go down as his best.

With one regular season game left to play, Gabriel has accumulated 22 passing touchdowns and 3,066 passing yards while completing 73.6% of his passes. The Hawaiian QB has also rushed for 6 TDs and 155 yards.

Gabriel’s numbers in 2024 have catapulted him onto the front page of college football history. Against Maryland, Gabriel threw his 22nd TD pass of the season which made him the NCAA’s all-time leader in TD passes. His 17,931 career passing yards are second all-time, trailing Case Keenum’s record by 1,286 yards.

Ducks fans were spoiled for the last two seasons by Bo Nix, who is now off starring on the Sundays for the Denver Broncos. But ahead of Gabriel is an opportunity to do what Bo Nix never did: Beat Washington. Nix went 0-3 against the Huskies in his time at Oregon, and Dan Lanning’s record is the same.

This weekend, the Ducks are heavy favorites against Washington in Autzen Stadium, and Gabriel is playing like the QB that will get Lanning and the Ducks over the hump against their bitter rival.

Where are the Oklahoma Sooners headed in ESPN Bowl Projections after upset win?

Where are the Oklahoma Sooners headed during bowl season according to ESPN’s latest bowl projections?

The Oklahoma Sooners are going bowling after pulling off the incredible upset win over the Alabama Crimson Tide. Now at 6-5 with one game left in the regular season, the Sooners will get an opportunity to play in a bowl game.

Two weeks ago, it felt like a foregone conclusion that the Sooners would miss the postseason after watching their lead against Missouri slip away. But the Sooners responded with resilience and toughness in their 24-3 win over Alabama.

So, where are they headed for a bowl game? ESPN’s college football analysts are split.

Kyle Bonagura has the Sooners headed to the Gasparilla Bowl to take on the Virginia Tech Hokies in Tampa, Florida. Mark Schlabach has Oklahoma going to Shreveport, Louisiana to play the West Virginia Mountaineers in the Independence Bowl.

The Independence Bowl was the game that started Oklahoma’s 25-season bowl streak. Bob Stoops led the Sooners to a 7-5 record but lost to Ole Miss 27-25. However, that set the stage for their national championship run in 2000.

The Sooners have a history with the Mountaineers from their time in the Big 12 together. Oklahoma holds a 12-3 all-time record over West Virginia. The last time the two played in 2023, [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] had a record-setting eight total touchdowns in the Sooners 59-20 win.

Oklahoma and Virginia Tech have only played once, a 27-17 win back in 1991 with Cale Gundy under center for the Sooners.

Whether they play West Virginia or Virginia Tech, either bowl provides the Sooners an opportunity to finish the season on a high note.

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