Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel was recognized by a major award for the fourth time this week on Thursday as he was selected as a finalist for the 2024 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.
The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award is presented annually to the top senior or upperclassman quarterback set to graduate with their class.
Gabriel is one of five finalists along with Jaxson Dart (Ole Miss), Kurtis Rourke (Indiana), Shedeur Sanders (Colorado) and Cam Ward (Miami).
The winner of the 2024 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award will be recognized at the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award celebration at the Four Seasons Hotel in Baltimore on Friday, Dec. 6.
Gabriel is the eighth Duck to be named a Golden Arm Award finalist, joining Bo Nix (2022 & 2023), Anthony Brown Jr. (2021), Justin Herbert (2019), Marcus Mariota (2014), Dennis Dixon (2007), Kellen Clemens (2005) and Joey Harrington (2001).
Gabriel will look to join Mariota as Oregon quarterbacks to win the honor.
Earlier this week, Gabriel was announced as a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award, the Walter Camp Player of the Year award, and the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award.
Gabriel has led the No. 1 ranked Ducks to a 10-0 record this season while leading the nation with a 74.1 completion percentage. He is tied for fifth nationally in total touchdowns (28) while ranking sixth in passer rating (168.38), tied for sixth in passing touchdowns (22), seventh in total yards (2,996) and completions (237), and eighth in passing yards (2,848).
Last week vs. Maryland, Gabriel threw three touchdown passes to break the NCAA all-time record for total touchdowns with 180 in his career. He broke the previous record of 178 held by Case Keenum (2007-11, Houston), and he currently sits second all-time behind Keenum in career total yards (18,929), passing touchdowns (147) and passing yards (17,713). Gabriel is also seventh all-time in completions (1,287), and his 59 career starts are just two shy of the FBS record for starts by a quarterback of 61 held by former Duck Bo Nix.
Gabriel has thrown multiple touchdown passes in nine of 10 games this season, including a trio of three-touchdown games, and has also rushed for six scores. He matched the Oregon single-game record for completions in his UO debut with 41 against Idaho, and his 18-of-21 passing performance against Boise State was the second-best completion percentage (85.7) in UO single-game history. Through 10 games, Gabriel has posted four of the top 11 completion-percentage performances in program history.