Oregon Quarterback Dillon Gabriel Uses NIL To Donate Jerseys To High School Alma Mater

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel used NIL money to gift jerseys to his high school alma mater in Hawaii. The Oregon football player is proving NIL isn't just Lamborghinis and high-rise penthouses.

Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel throws during warmups ahead of the Oregon Ducks’ Spring Game / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA

Many college sports fans are suspicious of NIL and its implications, but Oregon Ducks transfer quarterback Dillon Gabriel is proving it’s not all Lamborghinis and high-rise penthouses. Through charitable outlets and connections to his hometown, he’s making a difference for the people who helped him get where he is today.

A product of Mililani, Hawai’i, Gabriel has long valued his heritage and giving back to his community in any way he can. Now he’s putting his Name, Image, and Likeness dollars to work for a program that was instrumental in his development as a player and person.

With his early NIL earnings, Gabriel was quick to donate money for shoes and accessories to the boys’ basketball program at his alma mater, Mililani High School.

“It’s been easy for me and super natural because this is something that I’ve always wanted to do,” Gabriel told Pete Nakos of On3. “When NIL started out, I just gave sneakers to the basketball team and accessories. Super small, right? If we look at it in, in this case, it’s a small thing, but it could change somebody’s life. It could completely impact somebody’s life.

Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel throws during warmups ahead of the Oregon Ducks’ Spring Game / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA

Now Gabriel looks forward to, “I’m Inspired”, an event he’s putting on at Mililani to unveil the high school’s new football uniforms, which he helped fund. Vicis, Riddell, Guardian Caps, Raising Cane’s, and Nike have all pitched in to put on the event as well.

“I wouldn’t have believed you if he told me this was going to happen however many years down the road,” Gabriel said.

Gabriel is in a unique generation of college players. When Dillon started his college football career in 2019, it was virtually unheard of for players to have enough money to do charitable work, but NIL has opened up that possibility for many. 

“I realized when I got to college - I want that same thing for kids at Mililani High School so that more kids can get to college or play college athletics and set themselves up for success in the future,” Gabriel said. “NIL has impacted a lot of people’s lives in a positive way.”

Gabriel is off to a hot start in Eugene, with a successful Oregon football spring game under his belt. 

The 6-foot, 204-pound quarterback has started 49 games over his five-year career that includes stops at UCF and Oklahoma. His stats jump off the page… Gabriel boasts a 63.1 completion percentage for a total of 14,865 (!) passing yards with 125 touchdowns against just 26 interceptions.