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.

The Cleveland Browns saw Dillon Gabriel as a safer bet than Shedeur Sanders, hence taking him two rounds ahead of the Colorado quarterback in the 2025 NFL draft.

When it comes to the NFL Draft, trying to predict where prospects will ultimately end up is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. That's especially true when you go beyond the first round of the draft and try to pinpoint a landing spot for a player on Day 2 or Day 3.