Bo Nix, Dillon Gabriel's Success Helps Oregon Ducks Send Message to Recruits

The Oregon Ducks have become one of the safest bets for quarterbacks, as shown by now-Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix and Cleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel.

Nix and Gabriel made large impacts during their seasons in Eugene, but beyond showcasing their obvious talents, the former Oregon quarterbacks each dazzled with massive production... that ranks in the top-5 of this decade.

Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix, a former Oregon quarterback, left, and Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel, right, take a picture with Oregon offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Will Stein during the Oregon football’s Pro Day Tuesday, March 18, 2025, at the Moshofsky Center in Eugene, Ore. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Most Passing Yards This Decade

Since 2020, two of the five college quarterbacks with the most passing yards played for Oregon.

1. Dillon Gabriel, Oregon: 15,069
2. Will Rogers, Washington: 14,775
3. Seth Henigan, Memphis: 14,274
4. Sam Hartman, Notre Dame: 12,842
5. Bo Nix, Oregon: 12,810

... Which makes a pretty recruiting pitch for coach Dan Lanning's Ducks as they look to add top high school and transfer talent. Oregon’s reputation for producing top-tier quarterbacks keeps growing: Gabriel and Nix's production sends a message to recruits and transfers.

Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel, left, and coach Dan Lanning embrace after defeating Maryland at Autzen Stadium. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oregon Quarterback Stats Are Hard To Ignore

Why does this matter for the current and future Ducks? Those stats are hard to ignore. College quarterbacks clearly can see Oregon football as a destination where talent is maximized to win big games and put up massive numbers.

Gabriel and Nix both came to Eugene as transfers, became national storylines and elevated their NFL Draft stock. They also each finished their Oregon careers as Heisman Trophy finalists. That is a blueprint that matters when the top talent in the country is deciding which program to commit to.

A perfect example is Oregon's current starting quarterback Dante Moore, who transferred from the UCLA Bruins after a tough freshman season. Moore sat behind Gabriel for a season, before bursting on the scene in 2025-26 to lead the Ducks to the College Football Playoff Semifinal.

Oregon quarterback Dante Moore walks off the field following the Oregon Ducks annual spring game on April 25, 2026 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The trend continues with quarterback Dylan Raiola, who elected to transfer from the Nebraska Cornhuskers to Oregon after starting two seasons in Nebraska. Raiola is expected to redshirt in 2026 as he develops behind Moore and has a chance to take over the Ducks in 2027.

The Ducks aren't just bringing in quarterbacks from the transfer portal, although they have been led by a portal quarterback for the last four seasons. As far as recruiting goes, the Ducks are thriving as well. Oregon landed five-star quarterback recruit Will Mencl from Arizona in the 2027 class to add to a talented room that includes Brock Thomas, Akili Smith Jr., Ryder Hayes and Mark Wiepert.

While Nix and Gabriel put up wild passing yard numbers in college, there is a broader picture to the trend: Oregon quarterbacks are getting developed in an explosive offensive system and that sets them up for the NFL.

Nov 24, 2023; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Bo Nix (10) and head coach Dan Lanning have their picture taken before a game against the Oregon State Beavers at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Notably during the 2025 season, former Ducks quarterbacks led all college programs in total NFL regular season passing yards, racking up 10,290.

The list of Oregon quarterbacks who started under center in 2025 includes Nix, Gabriel, Justin Herbert of the Los Angeles Chargers, Marcus Mariota of the Washington Commanders and Tyler Shough of the New Orleans Saints.

The Ducks have three projected NFL starting quarterbacks in 2026 in Nix, Herbert and Shough. That's tied for the most of any college program, along with the Oklahoma Sooners (Baker Mayfield, Jalen Hurts, Caleb Williams) and the Texas Tech Red Raiders (Patrick Mahomes, Tyler Shough, Baker Mayfield.)

Dec 14, 2024; New York, NY, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel poses for a photo during a press conference before the 2024 Heisman Trophy Presentation. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Boland-Imagn Images | Lucas Boland-Imagn Images

It's true that not all of Nix and Gabriel's passing yards this decade came during their time with the Ducks. However, each finished their college football seasons at Oregon with the best season's yet, catapulting them into the NFL Draft. Nix was selected in the first round and Gabriel was picked in the third round.

In 2024, Gabriel started all 14 games while leading the Ducks to a Big Ten Championship and the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff. He threw for a career-high 3,857 yards while matching career high with 30 touchdowns and earned Big Ten Conference Offensive Player of the Year.

In 2022 and 2023, Nix finished totaled a whopping 8,101 passing yards, with an impressive 4,508 passing yards in his final season as a Duck. He totaled more passing yards in two seasons at Oregon than his previous three seasons at Auburn. He also set the NCAA single-season record for completion percentage at 77.45 (364-of-470), surpassing his own Oregon single-season record of 71.9 set in 2022

Some call Lanning "the Transfer Portal King" and it's clear that his plan for incoming quarterbacks is working. The proof is in the pudding... and in the stats. Which is something the Ducks staff can easily point to on the recruiting trail.

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