Can Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel win awards season?

It was a memorable season for the Oregon Ducks’ No. 1 prospect and quarterback Dillon Gabriel. Not only are the Ducks the best team in the country according to the AP Top 25 Poll and College Football Playoff rankings, but Gabriel is also a finalist for some of the country’s top honors.

Gabriel is currently a finalist for the Maxwell Award, given to the nation’s top college player, and the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award, given to the top college quarterback.

Gabriel is a finalist for the Maxwell Award alongside Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty and Colorado two-way superstar Travis Hunter. For the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award, Gabriel faces Miami quarterback Cam Ward and Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders.

The winners of both awards will be announced on December 12th.

Gabriel’s numbers are not obvious at first glance. In fact, he will finish the season with one of his lowest total passing yards in his career. This year, Gabriel has thrown for 3,066 yards and has a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 22-6.

But beyond the numbers, Gabriel was the conductor of the Ducks’ rise to the top of college football. He led them to an 11-0 record and has pushed Oregon’s favorites to 12-0 when the Ducks finish the season Saturday against Washington. Gabriel has helped Oregon to two top-25 wins this season and a convincing victory over the defending national champion Michigan Wolverines.

It will be difficult for Gabriel to compete for the Maxwell Award. The award usually goes to the Heisman or the Heisman runner-up. At this point in the season, the race seems to be narrowing down to Jeanty and Hunter as they each have had historic seasons. The Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award is a much more realistic opportunity for the Hawaii native to come home with some hardware.

Gabriel’s numbers aren’t nearly as eye-catching as Ward’s or Sanders’, but Gabriel has exemplified qualities of a quarterback worthy of this award. Not to mention, he has his team positioned to enter the CFP as the undefeated, potentially undisputed No. 1 team in the country.