Gabriel rose to prominence at UCF, where he took over as a true freshman in 2019 and led the Knights to a 10–3 season capped by a Gasparilla Bowl victory, completing 236 of 398 passes for 3,653 yards and 29 touchdowns. By the time he departed Orlando, he ranked sixth all-time at UCF with 7,223 passing yards.

They rattled the NFL world by selecting Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel (5-foot-11, 205 pounds) in the third round with the No. 94 pick, their last of four picks on Day 2. In a draft in which they had numerous chances to take Shedeur Sanders — who was still surprisingly on the board at end of Round 3 — they completely reversed field.