GREEN BAY, Wis. — Quarterbacks Tyler Shough and Dillon Gabriel, both taken on the second day of the draft, might be considered rookies by the NFL, but their extensive game experience reflects the current nomadic culture of college football.
Each of their paths — with three schools apiece, a combined 106 games, and parts of 13 seasons — included a stop at Oregon.
Shough, a 25-year-old taken in the second round by the New Orleans Saints at No. 40, spent his first three seasons at Oregon (2018-20), followed by three at Texas Tech and his final season at Louisville.
Gabriel, 24, was selected in the third round by the Cleveland Browns with the 94th pick. He began his college career with three seasons at Central Florida, followed by two at Oklahoma, then last season at Oregon.
Shough’s college career was plagued by a smorgasbord of injuries. The list includes broken collarbones in back-to-back season and a broken left fibula in 2023 in his final season at Texas Tech.
“In my case, I didn’t necessarily benefit from the changes of eligibility,” Shough said after he was selected. “I had a redshirt, and then it was COVID year, and then I had a medical. It was just unfortunate timing with some of the stuff, but for me, like I said, it’s prepared me so much mentally to kind of deal with a lot of the adversity on and off the field. Some of the circumstances are out of your control and you have to respond to that.”
Miami quarterback Cam Ward, the first overall pick by the Tennessee Titans, spent two seasons at FCS school Incarnate Word, then two seasons at Washington State before his final season with the Hurricanes.
Jackson Dart, taken at No. 25 in the first round by the Giants, spent one season at Southern California followed by three at Ole Miss.
Alabama’s Jalen Milroe was the only other QB taken in the first two days, selected two picks in front of Gabriel by the Seattle Seahawks. He spent all four college seasons with the Crimson Tide.
–Jim Hoehn, Field Level Media
