A few years ago I directed a film titled, ‘The It Factory.’ It followed the 2016 Elite 11 class. Athletes like Tua Tagovailoa, Sean Clifford, Tommy DeVito, Sam Ehlinger, Jake Fromm, Jake Haener and others were a part of that class. Our goal as a staff that year was to compete to unearth what the most overused and undefinable phrase actually meant! We sat down with Hall of Fame Coaches, NFL head coaches, college head coaches, NFL starting quarterbacks, Super Bowl winning quarterbacks and more to explore this question. It was a fascinating few months and at the end of the film we had a clear definition.
The It Factor = when you walk into a room people feel your presence… and you make them better.
Today’s conversation, presented by 76, is with a signal caller that is the epitome of that definition.
Meet Dillon Gabriel. A one-time Army commit who would thrive at Central Florida before balling out at Oklahoma and is now in his final collegiate season as the starting quarterback for the Oregon Ducks. We sat down at the Elite 11 finals this summer and discussed his It Factor, why he chose Oregon for his final season, what Marcus Mariota winning the Heisman meant to him and what it’s like playing for Dan Lanning.
Hope you enjoy and for more, be sure to follow @YOptionCFB as we will be covering ALL things college football through the lens of the West Coast all season long. I’m off to B1G Media Days - more soon and for some behind the scenes at Lucas Oil Stadium be sure to visit www.y-option.com.
This episode was produced by Jim Thornby, filmed by Elite 11 staff and edited by Tanner Pierce.
This podcast is a Best Coast Media production.
Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel's road from Hawai'i to Eugene