Brett Gabbert, Miami (Ohio) quarterback, highlighted on college football 'Freaks List'

Gabbert, a Missouri native, ranks third in school passing yardage, total yards and TD passes

Sep 3, 2022; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Miami (Oh) Redhawks quarterback Brett Gabbert (5) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Kentucky Wildcats at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports / Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

College football writer Bruce Feldman's annual "Freaks List" has become an annual preseason tradition and this year's edition includes a unique comeback story in Miami (Ohio) quarterback Brett Gabbert.

Gabbert, who won two state titles at CBC High School in Missouri, suffered a broken leg during a game against Toledo last October but has exceeded his recovery timeline with hopes of playing in the RedHawks' season opener against Northwestern on August 31.

"At 6-0 and 210 pounds, Gabbert doesn’t have the size or speed of his big brother, longtime NFL quarterback Blaine Gabbert," Feldman wrote. "But Brett’s toughness and resilience have folks inside the program raving. In October, he suffered a grisly broken leg during a game against Toledo. Most thought his career was over, and some thought he may never walk perfectly again.

Gabbert, the youngest of three brothers who were all Division I quarterbacks, has started 39 games at Miami (Ohio) and ranks third in program history with 7,893 career passing yards, 8,375 total yards and 59 touchdown passes. He trails only Ben Roethlisberger (84) and Zac Dysert (73) in career touchdown passes.

He missed most of the 2022 season with a non-throwing shoulder injury and then missed the final six games of the 2023 season with his leg injury. He earned third-team All-MAC a year ago, despite only playing eight games, after throwing for 1,634 yards and 14 TDs.

Now Gabbert, 24, enters his sixth (and final) college season looking to show he has come back from the grisly broken leg and looking to make the most of his last season in college. He was given a recovery time of 12 to 16 months but has returned to practice quicker than that. If he plays in the season opener, Feldman wrote, it will be 315 days since he broke his leg.

"That was my goal," Gabbert told Feldman. "I wanted to give myself every opportunity to play a full season and enjoy the sport that I love. Just because it's my last year of college."

Read the article from The Athletic: College football Freaks List 2024

---

Download the SBLive Sports app

To get live updates on your phone - as well as follow your favorite teams and top games - you can download the SBLive Sports app:  Download iPhone App | Download Android App

---

Follow Missouri high school sports coverage on High School on SI

- Nate Latsch |  latsch@scorebooklive.com