‘Truly like coaching a pro’: Oregon Ducks OC praises Dillon Gabriel, Bo Nix for preparedness

It’s not unusual for the Oregon Ducks to catch a lot of attention. The Oregon Ducks football program is one of the most captivating and intriguing brands that college football has to offer. But with Dan Lanning leading things, it seems like the Ducks are taking a step forward as a program. One aspect that Lanning has done well in is landing experienced, remarkable transfer quarterbacks. 

A significant part of the success that Oregon experienced over the past couple seasons can be attributed to the Ducks’ offensive prowess and having Bo Nix as the starting quarterback. In a recent interview with Andy Staples, Oregon’s offensive coordinator Will Stein had the chance to shed light on the advantages of working with a quarterback as seasoned as Nix happened to be.

Because it wasn’t the first time he coached an experienced QB and now that Dillon Gabriel is on campus, it won’t be the last time. At UTSA, where Stein was before he joined Oregon, he worked with Frank Harris, who was one of the most experienced quarterbacks in the country.

And as Staples noted, there has to be something of a difference when it comes to “coaching guys that are very experienced.”

Oregon Ducks OC Will Stein discusses veteran QB advantages

"I think the conversations on a day-to-day basis are upper level. It's like teaching a grad student basic level algebra," Stein explained to Staples. "The conversations are well thought out, they usually come very prepared to work."

And it’s not just the understanding of the game that makes the job easier. According to Stein, the guys who are more experienced also bring a valuable work ethic.

"When you think about Bo and the way he prepared on a daily basis was unlike anyone else I've ever been around,” Stein noted.

But the outgoing Oregon Ducks quarterback isn’t the only hard worker to be affiliated with the Oregon football team. 

"Dillon has exceeded all expectations in that facet of his game, his preparation,” Stein noted. “Not only on the field but off the field. His film study, the way he takes care of his body, it's truly like coaching a pro."

That should make Oregon football fans pretty excited about the way the offense is going to look heading into this season. And as Stein made it clear, having these sorts of guys playing in his system just improves everything. 

“It definitely makes us a better offense,” Stein said.