Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel raised eyebrows with an interview ahead of the Rose Bowl Wednesday.
The No 1-seeded Ducks took on the Ohio State Buckeyes in a rematch of one of the most thrilling college football matchups of the season for the 2025 Rose Bowl at 5pm ET on New Year’s Day.
Oregon’s high-powered offense clinched a narrow win when the two sides met earlier in the season but in the build-up to this week’s bowl game, their quarterback drew attention for a completely different reason.
The 24-year-old went off on a bizarre tangent during an interview with KOIN News reporter Brenna Greene on Monday.
When asked what could give the Ducks the competitive edge, Gabriel began by giving a straightforward response about his team’s situational football and ability to make plays.
However, the interview then took a strange turn when he strayed off topic and began gushing about domes and the sun.
Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel raised eyebrows with an interview ahead of the Rose Bowl
‘We love the rose bowl,’ he went on. ‘We love warm weather. I think we should play more football on nice grass instead of the artificial stuff. And the more sun the better, why do we do it to ourselves? Do fans want to sit in the snow and the rain?
‘Let’s just make arenas. Let’s do domes. Let’s do grass. Let’s do more fireworks at games.’
The signal caller’s response sparked a reaction from college football fans on social media with many suggesting that he was high.
One baffled social media user responded to the clip by asking: ‘This guy gotta be stoned, right? lol wants domes, grass, weather, fireworks – i guess what he’s really saying is he needs a retractable roof?’
‘He clearly has a thing for grass,’ another claimed alongside a GIF of actor Mark Wahlberg pretending to smoke.
‘When the edibles hit,’ another joked, while another added: ‘Yoooooo he off that cali weed and shrooms lmaooo.’
‘Bro higher than Aaron Rodgers on a trip to equador [sic],’ one wrote, referencing the New York Jets quarterback’s ayahuasca retreats.
Greene was quick to clarify the situation, confirming that Gabriel was not in fact high.
The signal caller’s comments led many college football fans to suggest that he was high
‘Saying this once and once only: media day was at 8 AM and an hour. Dillon was not high,’ she wrote, quote-tweeting her original video.
‘He’s already silly and I’m sure the combined exhaustion of how early it was and the amount he was in demand probably contributed to this quote.
‘Kind of annoyed something innocent and funny has been co-opted butttt that’s the internet for you.’
Gabriel, a sixth-year senior, heads into Wednesday evening’s Rose Bowl second in FBS passing yards, trailing only Case Keenum.
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