Rep after rep snapped in the CrossCountry Mortgage Campus in Berea, Ohio, former UCF Knight Dillon Gabriel worked tirelessly in hopes of becoming the Cleveland Browns' starting quarterback.
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski rewarded Gabriel’s perseverance as he named him the starting quarterback for the team’s Week 5 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. He is the 41st starting quarterback for the Browns since 1999.
Gabriel was drafted 94th in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft after a stellar season with the Oregon Ducks. He spearheaded a consistently top-5-ranked team in the nation as a Heisman Trophy finalist. Gabriel completed 326 of 447 passes for 3,857 yards, 30 touchdowns and six interceptions in his lone year as a Duck.
The rookie quarterback faced fierce competition as he competed against veteran quarterbacks Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett — who was eventually traded to the Las Vegas Raiders — and fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders. It took no time for Gabriel to shine as he consistently earned reps with the second-stringers and practiced briefly with the starters.
Gabriel struggled slightly passing the ball in training camp, completing 87 of 160 passes (54.4%), which is nearly 10% below the average quarterback completion percentage in the last 10 years at 64.1%. These struggles dissipated in the heat of an NFL preseason game.
He started in the Browns' Week 2 preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles, where he completed 72% of his passes. Gabriel dropped to the average completion rate in the following week versus the Los Angeles Rams, but he recorded his first NFL preseason touchdown.
Gabriel’s performance in training camp and the preseason earned him the backup quarterback job behind Joe Flacco. He waited two weeks for his three-minute appearance on an NFL field in a 41-17 blowout loss against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 2 of the regular season.
Stepping back in the pocket, Gabriel surveyed the defense and zipped the ball to fellow rookie running back Dylan Sampson for an eight-yard touchdown against the Ravens. It was Gabriel’s first official NFL touchdown.
The starting quarterback stage was set for Gabriel because of Flacco’s struggles as a starter. Flacco has thrown six interceptions in four games, the most for a Browns quarterback since Baker Mayfield in 2019.
Cleveland has injected youth into the lineup with Gabriel, and Coach Stefanski praised the rookie’s work ethic.
“From the second he’s been here, he’s been working very hard,” Stefanski said in a post-practice press conference on Wednesday. “He’s done a nice job throughout practice, and this whole season he’s been learning how to get yourself ready and understand the rhythm of an NFL week and what that looks like as a backup. Obviously, now feel like he’s ready to go as a starter.”
Despite his success as a Duck, Gabriel donned the Black and Gold colors for his first three years of college. He had a stellar freshman and sophomore year, completing 484 of 811 passes for 7,223 yards, 61 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Gabriel’s junior year came to an unfortunate end due to a fractured left clavicle in the final play of UCF’s 42-35 loss against the Louisville Cardinals on Sept. 17, 2021. His injury sidelined him for an indefinite period and led to his transfer announcement on social media in November 2021.
The Browns travel to London to play the Vikings this Sunday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium at 9:30 a.m. with Gabriel as their new on-field leader.
Gabriel’s hard work kept him prepared for this opportunity, and he’s ready to handle the starting quarterback mantle.
“You wait for the perfect time, you’re gonna wait a whole lifetime,” Gabriel said. “So for me, I’ve always been ready.”