Is Dillon Gabriel draft eligible? Sooners QB's years of eligibility explored

Dillon Gabriel showed the college football world what he could do against Texas in the Red River Showdown on Saturday. The Oklahoma quarterback captured the interest of countless fans, leading the Sooners to a dramatic victory at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas.

Gabriel has been impressive for Oklahoma since he moved to the program earlier last season. Despite the Sooners' abysmal outing in the 2022 season, he was able to record 3,168 passing yards and 25 touchdowns. He was also noticeably brilliant during his tenure at UCF.

Let’s take a look at Gabriel’s draft eligibility.

Is Dillon Gabriel draft eligible?

Gabriel was eligible to declare for the NFL draft at the end of his junior season while at UCF. However, he continued his college football career by transferring to Oklahoma. Notably, his move to Norman came less than three weeks after announcing a transfer to UCLA.

Following the conclusion of his senior season at Oklahoma in 2022, the quarterback once again decided to return to college football for his fifth season in 2023. This was spurred by the underwhelming season the Sooners had in 2022 under first-year head coach Brent Venables.

Nonetheless, Gabriel is expected to enter the 2024 NFL Draft, marking the end of his collegiate career. With his performance so far this season, he is expected to be seen as one of the top signal-callers in the draft despite how quarterback-loaded the upcoming draft is.

Notably, Gabriel is a productive quarterback in the history of college football, who has so far thrown for 12,798 yards and 110 touchdowns.

Dillon Gabriel's draft profile and projection

Gabriel is exceptionally confident in delivering accurate passes to receivers matched up in single coverage. He is also a quarterback with swift release to his receivers, enabling him to prevent unfavorable situations in the backfield.

Gabriel exhibits remarkable control over the trajectory and ball movement on deep passes, even though he doesn't possess a strong arm. His ability to consistently connect with his receivers on perfectly placed bucket passes is distinctive.

However, Gabriel’s limited arm strength and running abilities restrict his draft potential over the years. Nonetheless, following his brilliant start to the season and outing against Texas, he is now projected as a Day 3 pick who could end up in Day 2 if he keeps up the good work.

Also read: Is Dillon Gabriel married? Sooners QB's relationship status explored