Gabriel was one of the top quarterbacks available in the transfer portal this offseason and gives the Ducks a starting quarterback for the 2024 season. Starter Bo Nix, who originally transferred to Oregon from Auburn, is out of eligibility and will look to enter the NFL draft.
Gabriel is transferring from Oklahoma, where offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby had just left to take the head-coaching job at Mississippi State. Gabriel ranked sixth among all FBS quarterbacks this season in passing yards with 3,660. He also ranked No. 8 in passing touchdowns with 30 and was No. 10 in completion percentage….
Gabriel transferred to Oklahoma from UCF and played for the Sooners the past two seasons.
He was the top priority for the Oregon coaches in the quarterback transfer market and is going to help the Ducks’ transition into the Big Ten as they replace Nix. In addition to Gabriel, coach Dan Lanning and his staff have sophomore Ty Thompson and freshman Austin Novosad, both former ESPN 300 prospects.
Gabriel was the main target at quarterback, but the staff had also shown interest in former UCLA quarterback Dante Moore. Outside of quarterback, the staff is hosting 2022 No. 1 overall recruit Walter Nolen, a defensive tackle who is transferring from Texas A&M, on a visit this weekend.
Below you’ll find takeaways from every game as well as game MVPs and the top moments from social media.
At the end of each day, we’ll crown the current MVP of bowl season. The leader at the moment is Ohio freshman running back Rickey Hunt, who scored five touchdowns in the Myrtle Beach Bowl.
Vegas Bowl: Northwestern 14, Utah 7
Northwestern completed a remarkable season with a win over a tough Utah team, beating the Utes 14-7 to finish 8-5 under first-year head coach David Braun.
It’s one thing to win a bowl game after going 4-20 the previous two seasons, but it’s another behind the story of Braun, who came to Evanston this offseason from North Dakota State to serve as defensive coordinator and was thrust into the head coaching gig after a hazing scandal ended the 17-year tenure of Pat Fitzgerald.
The Wildcats’ hero in this game was another newcomer: Ben Bryant, a castoff from Cincinnati who transferred to Northwestern after the Bearcats’ coaching change, and went 23-for-34 for 222 yards and two touchdowns despite taking punishment from the Utes all evening.
The Wildcats’ defense allowed just 73 passing yards to the Utes, 211 total yards and had five sacks while allowing just 3.2 yards per play. They held Utah scoreless on its first 10 drives of the game, the longest streak to start a game for the Utes in the past 10 seasons, according to ESPN Stats & Info.
Utah’s Bryson Barnes, the walk-on who famously was a pig farmer growing up and became a cult hero this year, couldn’t find a rhythm, going 8 of 13 for 55 yards and two touchdowns as the Utes finished 8-5. — Dave Wilson
MVP: Quarterback Ben Bryant, Northwestern. Bryant threw for 222 yards and both Northwestern scores.
