EUGENE, Ore. — Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel was announced as the Associated Press Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year on Tuesday, while seven total Ducks were named to the all-Big Ten first team or second team.
Gabriel is joined by offensive lineman Josh Conerly Jr. and defensive lineman Derrick Harmon on the AP all-Big Ten first team.
Inside linebacker Bryce Boettcher, running back Jordan James, wide receiver Tez Johnson and outside linebacker Matayo Uiagalelei were selected to the all-Big Ten second team.
Announced on Monday as one of four finalists for the Heisman Trophy, Gabriel adds the AP Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year honor to his resume after already being named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year by the league’s coaches. Gabriel was also an all-Big Ten first-team selection by the conference’s coaches and the media.
A sixth-year senior, Gabriel has been stellar for the Ducks while leading Oregon to its first-ever 13-0 start and the Big Ten Championship. Gabriel ranks second nationally in completion percentage (73.2) while also sitting in the top 15 in the country for completions (5th, 297), passer rating (7th, 166.57), total touchdowns (T-7th, 35), passing touchdowns (T-8th, 28), passing yards per game (10th, 273.7) and total yards per game (13th, 288.5).Gabriel led Oregon to the Big Ten title in its first year in the league with a season-high four touchdown passes against No. 3 Penn State in the conference championship game last week. He has thrown multiple touchdown passes in 11 of 13 games, including four games with three-plus TD tosses.Gabriel has made college football history in 2024, breaking the NCAA all-time record for total touchdowns with 187 in his career. His 153 career passing touchdowns are just two back of Case Keenum’s all-time record of 155, and he also ranks second all-time in career passing yards (18,423) and total yards (19,675). Gabriel’s start in the Big Ten Championship Game was also the 62nd of his career, passing Nix for the FBS record for starts by a quarterback.
Conerly was an all-Big Ten first-team selection by the league’s coaches and the media. He has started all 13 games for the Ducks at left tackle and leads the team with an 80.9 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus, allowing just six total pressures in 439 opportunities. Anchored by Conerly, Oregon’s offensive line is one of three finalists for the Joe Moore Award, presented to the nation’s top offensive line.
Harmon earns AP all-Big Ten first-team honors after being named to the second team by Big Ten media and the third team by the league’s coaches. Harmon leads all FBS interior defensive linemen with 50 total pressures this season, and his 84.9 pass-rush grade from PFF ranks third. The junior has racked up 42 total tackles with 8.5 tackles for loss, 5.0 sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
Boettcher was announced on Monday as the winner of the 2024 Burlsworth Trophy, presented to the nation’s top player who began his career as a walk-on. A dual-sport athlete at Oregon in football and baseball, Boettcher was drafted in the 13th round of the 2024 MLB Draft by the Houston Astros before opting to play one final football season. The Eugene native leads the Ducks with 87 total tackles while adding 8.0 TFLs, 2.0 sacks, an interception and a forced fumble. His 87.9 overall grade from PFF ranks sixth among all FBS linebackers.
James has emerged as one of the nation’s top running backs as a junior, averaging 96.38 yards per game while running for 1,253 yards and 15 touchdowns. He has rushed for 100-plus yards six times this season, and has rushed for at least one touchdown in 11 of 13 games with four multi-TD performances. James has rushed for two touchdowns in back-to-back games after finding the end zone twice in the Big Ten Championship Game. His 1,253 rushing yards are currently 11th-most in UO single-game history, and he ranks fifth in program history with 31 career rushing touchdowns.
Johnson is tied for 15th nationally with 78 receptions this season, despite missing nearly three full games due to injury. He is just eight receptions shy of the UO single-season record of 86 he set in 2023, and he also leads the Ducks with 866 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. Johnson was named the Big Ten Championship Game Most Outstanding Player after racking up 11 receptions for a career-high 181 yards and a touchdown. Johnson is currently No. 5 all-time at Oregon with 164 receptions as a Duck, just 15 shy of the record.
Uiagalelei is the Big Ten sack leader as a true sophomore, racking up a career-high 10.5 through 13 games. He is also tied for fifth in the conference with a team- and career-high 12.5 tackles for loss, and he had a game-sealing interception in Oregon’s 16-13 win at Wisconsin on Nov. 16. Uiagalelei has recorded at least one sack in eight of his last 10 games, and his 10.5 sacks are just 2.5 shy of the UO single-season record. He has racked up 32 total pressures this season, tied for eighth-most among Big Ten edge rushers.
The No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff, the Ducks will have a bye in the first round before playing either No. 8 Ohio State or No. 9 Tennessee in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day.
