Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel was one of the most productive quarterbacks in college football history, and now the Cleveland Browns made him the fifth quarterback off the board in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
As he looks to replicate the success in the pro circuit, let’s get to know his parents, who have played a significant role in his rise to the top of the draft boards.
Who are Dillon Gabriel’s Parents?
Gabriel was born on December 28, 2000, to parents Garrett and Dori Gabriel in Mililani, Hawaii. The QB has often paid tributes to his Hawaiian heritage, including at the Heisman Trophy award ceremony when he was named a finalist.
Gabriel’s father, Garrett, was a quarterback for the University of Hawaii from 1986-1990 and recorded 5,638 yards and 47 touchdowns at the end of his collegiate career. He most notably upset BYU, led by Heisman Trophy winner Ty Detmer twice in 1989 and again in 1990, and this is why Dillon once said he was never a Cougars fan.
“Back home, the Hawaii-BYU rivalry is huge,” Dillon said in September 2020, per the UCF Rivals website. “We’d always put that BYU game on, when they ended up beating Ty Detmer after he won the Heisman. Personally, I’ll never be a BYU fan because of it. I’m with my dad on that one.”
Dillon’s mother, Dori, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Communication and Media Studies from Loyola Marymount University. She has been working as a Senior District Business Manager at Novo Nordisk since 2006, as per her LinkedIn profile.
Dori had some high praise for her son at the Heisman Trophy celebration, noting that Dillon had a generous attitude right from his childhood.
“He has a charisma about him. Has always had that. Could corral a bunch of kids in the neighborhood to get in the front yard and get a game together whether they wanted to play or not. And that’s always been who he was — loving people and getting people together. And that hasn’t changed,” she said.
Meanwhile, Dillon’s father noted that he always knew his son had the unique qualities of a leader and had the talent to play high school and college football.
“I think [I knew] at a young age,” Garrett said. “From Pop Warner, just his leadership abilities. He had a lot of the intangibles and I knew eventually his physical attributes would be at a level where he could play high school and college ball so, again, I could see it but it was mostly the leadership abilities. And I’d always stress that to him that that’s just as important as being able to play the game.”
Well, he’s now set to play pro football, and the Browns hope he can emerge as the team’s QB of the future.
Preview for Eagles vs. Browns Week 2 Preseason Game
Shedeur Sanders made his NFL preseason debut against the Carolina Panthers last week. However, he will not play today against the Philadelphia Eagles due to an oblique injury.
Gabriel will make his first appearance in the NFL today against the Eagles and will be under immense pressure to perform. He will share game time with Tyler Huntley, but the former Oregon quarterback should have enough time to leave an impression.
As for the Eagles, Tanner McKee played exceptionally well for them last week. He is unlikely to play against the Browns as the reigning Super Bowl champions have already seen enough good displays from him.
The game against the Eagles will be a tough matchup for the Browns, who won 30-10 against the Panthers last week. Gabriel playing well will make things tougher for Kevin Stefanski, and seeing how things pan out will be interesting.
