‘Dillon is a fast learner’: OC Will Stein discusses fitting QB Dillon Gabriel in Oregon Ducks offense

With the move to the Big Ten, a ton of attention is going to be paid to the Oregon football team. But, with a quarterback like Dillon Gabriel, things got even more interesting and exciting for the Oregon Ducks football program. 

Offensive coordinator Will Stein has worked with seasoned quarterbacks before and is getting someone who has an abundance of experience. But how does Gabriel fit into what Stein wants to do offensively? Well, according to Stein, balancing the quarterback's experience with Jeff Lebby’s system and Oregon's existing playbook isn’t that tricky. 

In a recent interview with Andy Staples, Stein explained his approach to getting Gabriel’s knowledge to “meld” with Oregon’s offensive strategy.

"The first thing I did when we got Dillon on board was I went back and watched every single game from Oklahoma and tagged plays that are in our system that fit what we do, along with what fit Dillon, what fits his eye and ability," Stein explained.

Oregon football: Ducks offensive coordinator Will Stein discusses ‘melding’ Dillon Gabriel into new offense

That’s a lot of football to watch. But, it sounds like it paid off for Stein and should be able to pay off for Gabriel and the Ducks offense this season. That’s because Stein emphasized the similarities between the two offenses

 "The good thing is there's a lot of carryover in their shot game,” Stein noted. “I feel like there's a ton of carryover for Dillon. It's just different words that we use compared to what the offense that he was in before."

But even though the previous system that Gabriel played in is often looked at as something that only works in the college level, Stein noted the evolution that has taken place within Jeff Lebby’s offensive system over the years. 

“"You see what Jeff Lebby's doing now with his intermediate dropback game and the shots that they have produced, it's way more pro style," Stein said.

That should help ease Gabriel’s move into Oregon’s offense. But, well, Stein also seemed optimistic about the way Gabriel can grow and learn as a quarterback. 

“Dillon is a fast learner, he’s eager to learn, he’s a football junkie,” Stein explained. 

For the Ducks to be able to thrive on offense, having a stellar quarterback who is able to adapt and learn seems like a good thing. And with the tailored approach that Stein seems interested in implementing, that could certainly set the stage for one of the country’s best offenses this year.