Dillon Gabriel receives harsh reality check from NFL scout

Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel had a stellar season. He led the Ducks to an unbeaten regular season, a Big Ten championship and the No. 1 ranking in the College Football Playoff before their unceremonious elimination by the Ohio State Buckeyes. Gabriel's performances were rewarded with a place on the Heisman Trophy podium behind the winner, Colorado's Travis Hunter.

In a poll conducted with NFL scouts on Friday, CBS Sports analyst Matt Zenitz uncovered a shocking statement regarding Gabriel vis-a-vis other class of 2025 quarterbacks in the upcoming NFL Draft.

"He's (Gabriel) not for everyone," the senior personnel official said according to Zenitz. "Miami should take him as a knock-off Tua."

Tua Tagovailoa is also of Hawaiian descent and has been injury-prone since his entry into the NFL with several concussions.

Dillon Gabriel reveals draft plans

During a sideline interview with NFL Network analyst Tom Pelissero after the Senior Bowl, Dillon Gabriel revealed the qualities that he was looking for in a potential NFL team during draft night.

"I feel like I just want to find the right fit," ͏Dillon Gabriel said. "Someone who doesn't give a rip about that, you know, and just wants a winner wants a baller. So I think that'll be perfect for me finding the right fit in that way and good alignment so that you know we're not talking about it."

The former Ducks quarterback further detailed how he was spending his time before the 2025 NFL Draft.

"Yeah, Huntington Beach with 3DQB, just getting that work in and then, you know, got the combine ahead and Pro Day so attacking that and then we'll see where you know life takes us.

"Yeah, it's been you know difficult at times but all positive in terms of you know, getting around new people and learning new stories and all about them. But you know there are growing pains with that and we just been having fun while doing it."

Gabriel is part of one of the weakest quarterback classes in recent memory with Colorado's Shedeur Sanders and Miami's Cam Ward considered the frontrunners to be the first quarterbacks off the board come draft night.

The former Oregon quarterback had a six-year career in college football where he played for three different programs (UCF, Oklahoma and Oregon), starting 63 games.

In On3's latest mock draft, Dillon Gabriel was mocked to be a third-round pick by the Miami Dolphins where he would be Tua Tagovailoa's backup.