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Published Apr 9, 2024
QB Dillon Gabriel stepping into key leadership role at Oregon this spring
Aaron Heisen
Duck Sports Authority staff writer

When searching for football minds to fit his staff, or players to lead his team, Oregon head coach Dan Lanning seeks personnel that value the trait he holds highly:

The capability to build and sustain relationships.

It’s what helped land Ra’Shaad Samples in Eugene as Oregon’s running backs coach this past weekend. Lanning weeded the 29-year-old out of a crowded crop of candidates to replace Carlos Locklyn in part because of his connection with offensive coordinator Will Stein and tight ends coach Drew Mehringer. Not to mention the approval from former OC and current Arizona State head coach, Kenny Dillingham.

That same virtue, a relationship-oriented agenda, also drew Lanning to Dillon Gabriel.

“He’s a guy that cares about people,” Lanning said about his veteran quarterback, a sixth-year transfer from Oklahoma via Central Florida. “Everything that Dillon does, talks about, goes back to who on this team can he impact, who else can he influence?”

After just two spring practices with the Ducks, Gabriel invited teammates down to Southern California to continue working out over spring break. Tuesday, he told reporters that he’s settled on a destination for his storied DimeTime Retreat, which involves booking an AirBNB and a party bus that will take him and his teammates to the destination.

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