EUGENE, OR– Amid a season marked by spectacular events in the college football realm, Dillon Gabriel has established himself as a linchpin for the Oregon Ducks — and a chief candidate for the esteemed Heisman Memorial Trophy. It was with that he made official on Monday his nomination as a 2024 Heisman Trophy finalist, following a year when he piloted the Ducks to a program-best 13-0 record, a Big Ten Championship, and the No. 1 overall seed in the College Football Playoff.
Gabriel is by far the most national company for the 88th Heisman Trophy, with whom he is competing:
- Colorado’s multiple-threat weapon, Travis Hunter
- Boise State’s explosive running back, Ashton Jeanty
- Miami dynamic quarterback, Cam Ward
This recognition put Gabriel in the same elite group as the fifth finalist in Oregon history, trailing only greats like the first Duck to win the Heisman, Marcus Mariota, in 2014.
The Ducks’ quarterback is hard at work this week. Gabriel comes to New York for the Heisman ceremony after heading to Las Vegas on Tuesday as a finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, an award that prides itself on recognizing the top scholar-athlete in the nation. On Saturday, December 14, the Heisman winner will be revealed live on ESPN at 5 p.m. PT.
On the field, Gabriel, the sixth-year senior, has been dynamite. During his time, the program finished with a College Football Playoff first-round bye and a trip to the Rose Bowl. Statistically, Gabriel had an amazing passer rating, second nationally at 73.2% completion. He ranks within the top 15 in several key categories, including all completions, passer rating, and total touchdowns.
After being named the 2024 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, Gabriel had his best day in the conference title game versus Penn State, with four season-high touchdown passes. He was reliably effective all season long, throwing multiple touchdowns in 11 of 13 games and managing four games with three-plus TD passes.
There was Dillon Gabriel, lighting up the scoreboard with both his arm and his legs, and he has had one of the greatest 2024 campaigns in NCAA history. He has broken an all-time record for total touchdowns with 187. His career totals—153 passing touchdowns and thousands upon thousands of passing and total yards—rank him at or near the top of NCAA ׀ history, where he also holds the record for career starts by a quarterback.
Gabriel has immortalized his name in Oregon record books with epic single-game performances, headlined by his 85.7% completion rate against Boise State.
He and the Ducks will field a New Year’s meeting in the Rose Bowl Game, taking on the winner of a high-stakes tussle between the No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes hosting the No. 9 Tennessee Volunteers on December 21 at Ohio Stadium also known as the famous Horseshoe. Gabriel and Oregon’s remarkable journey has taken the college football world by storm as they search for Heisman glory while keeping their undefeated mark intact.
