Anonymous College Football Coaches Raise Concern About Top Quarterback

One of college football's biggest offseason stories that seems like an afterthought at this point: Bo Nix is an NFL rookie, and transfer quarterback Dillon Gabriel holds the keys to the Oregon Ducks' offense.

The Ducks had a chance at reaching the College Football Playoff last season behind the arm of Nix and the leadership of second-year head coach Dan Lanning. Washington ended up securing the win in the Pac-12 Championship Game and went on to lose to Michigan in the national championship.

Considering the amount of talent returning and the challenge of playing in a more competitive conference in the Big Ten, Oregon needed some talent and experience in Nix's place.

Enter Gabriel, a first-team All-Big 12 selection, who transferred from Oklahoma following a 10-3 season under second-year head coach Brent Venables.

Gabriel's record of production is stellar. The former four-star prospect, who began his career at UCF, passed for 3,660 yards with 30 touchdowns to six interceptions for the Sooners last season. Gabriel also added 373 yards and 12 scores on the ground.

Nix was even better for Oregon in his final season, finishing second in the country to Michael Penix Jr. in passing yards (4,508) with an impressive mark of 51 total touchdowns accounted for.

Gabriel is currently the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy at +750 odds, according to FanDuel.

With comparable production and five seasons of experience under his belt, Gabriel should have no issues in filling the void for Nix, right?

Maybe so, but according to CBS Sports analyst Josh Pate, there are doubts among college coaches about Oregon's transition with Gabriel.

"What one of the things that's not a weakness, but could be a little bit more of a, you know, red flag than some realize is Dillon Gabriel," he said on a recent appearance on "The Cube Show" with Cole Cubelic . "I talked to a couple of coaches that will end up facing them... They said, 'Hey, um, that guy's not as good as Bo Nix.'"

There are glaring differences between what Nix had at Oregon and what Gabriel had at Oklahoma in 2023. A stout offensive line is certainly one of those. But the level of talent at wide receiver might be the most important.

Troy Franklin and Tez Johnson each hauled in more than 80 passes and eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for Oregon. They also accounted for a combined 24 receiving touchdowns.

The Sooners didn't have one 1,000-yard receiver last season but did finish just three points per game behind Oregon's mark of 44.2. Two different attacks with similar outcomes.

With the return of Johnson at wideout and the addition of former five-star prospect Evan Stewart (Texas A&M), the Ducks seem to be banking on spreading the field out behind Gabriel's arm.

The question is, can he do it at the level that Nix so efficiently did last season? We will find out for sure when Oregon hosts Ohio State on Oct. 12.

"They said, 'He is a volume guy,' great kid, really talented kid, but he's the kind that is not going to necessarily transcend the system he's in,'" Pate said.

Gabriel and the Ducks will kick off the 2024 season in Eugene against Idaho on Aug. 31.

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