INDIANAPOLIS -- There’s a world where Dillon Gabriel could be Ohio State’s 2024 quarterback if only the two sides were on similar timelines last winter. The Big Ten’s Preseason Offensive Player of the Year entered the portal following two seasons at Oklahoma searching for his third home in six seasons. He wasn’t in the mood to go through some long process in finding that new home.
He wanted things to move quickly, but the Buckeyes didn’t have that same plan. “Going through my third recruiting process I know it’s a stressful time for anyone who’s transferred,” Gabriel said. “Although there’s beauty in it, new beginnings and all that everyone knows the stress.
Whether it’s the moving, the moving companies, the moving in. There’s just a lot that comes with it. The faster you can make a decision, feel good about it (and) be decisive, it allows you to act accordingly.
” Latest Ohio State Buckeyes news The 3 most interesting things we saw and heard on the last Big Ten Media Day What Michigan coach Sherrone Moore said about quarterback competitions and more at Big Ten Media Days What Michigan’s Sherrone Moore, Donovan Edwards said about former Ohio State coach Tony Alford Chip Kelly, Lincoln Riley and a discussion on the Big Ten’s biggest threats to Ohio State football: Buckeye Talk podcast After losing Kyle McCord to the transfer portal, OSU wanted to hold off on making any decisions about its quarterback room. It had Devin Brown and Lincoln Kienholz left over with Air Noland showing in January as a five-star in its 2024 recruiting class. It wanted to use the Cotton Bowl to find out what it had in Brown who’d be heading into his third season.
But Brown got hurt in the first quarter of a 14-3 loss to Missouri leaving Ohio State no choice but to explore options. Gabriel might not have been there, but another player who’d led a team to a Big 12 championship was. Will Howard’s choices after leaving Kansas State were between going to the NFL or upgrading his environment to improve on his draft stock which he said was anywhere from the third to the sixth round .
Because the deadline to declare was Jan. 15, he could wait to hear from the Buckeyes. Now the top two Big Ten teams — according to cleveland.
com’s preseason Big Ten Media poll — feature veteran quarterbacks from the Big 12 trying to improve their draft stock while maximizing their chances of winning a national title. “It’s different in college football because it is new,” Gabriel said. “But I also think in the NFL it was one league and Peyton Manning went from the Indianapolis Colts to the Denver Broncos.
It was different but life moved on. I just think the less disparity between the NFL and college, whether it’s the in-helmet communication, tablets on the sideline, some sort of free agency that we’re talking about, it’ll be better for the players adjusting to the next level.” On Oct.
12 the two will meet in one of college football’s most highly anticipated games fo what could be the first of potentially numerous games depending on the way the season maps out. The quarterback who waited on the Buckeyes and the one unable to do so will get the chance to prove whether OSU was right or wrong for taking the approach they did. “He does a great job of running the football and throwing the ball,” Gabriel said.
“Great command and has done a great job at K-State. It’ll be exciting. Those are the types of matchups you look forward to.
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