Oklahoma's Dillon Gabriel releases NIL merchandise with Brands Unlimited
At points earlier this season, Oklahoma fans and media openly doubted Dillon Gabriel.
The quarterback heard how five-star freshman Jackson Arnold was bound to replace him. Even entering the Red River Rivalry game, Gabriel was met with criticism. Never had he played in a big game or beaten a top-10 team.
How narratives can turn. The quarterback is squarely in the conversation as a Heisman favorite after leading Oklahoma to a 34-30 win over Texas two weeks ago. He had a clearcut Heisman moment, too, leading the Sooners on a game-winning drive with less than 90 seconds to play.
This week, Oklahoma sits at No. 6 in the polls with a College Football Playoff berth completely in its control. For Gabriel, he’s won over the trust and love of much of the Sooners’ fanbase.
With on-field momentum behind him, the quarterback is capitalizing in the business sector thanks to NIL. The former UCF transfer has released NIL merchandise through a partnership with Brands Unlimited. It’s unclear how much he will earn from the apparel, but he will receive a portion of the profits.
Included in the release are “Dimetime” T-shirts and hats. The phrase has become a slogan for Gabriel, who filed to trademark the motto in September 2022 according to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office database.
He also included some fun graphic tees, including a Jeff Lebby shirt and another that features Gabriel wearing the Golden Hat with “Fun Day at the Fair” written across. Fans can also buy T-shirt jerseys. It’s a smart way for Gabriel to grow his brand and profit thanks to NIL.
Oklahoma quarterback’s stats back up Heisman hype
For all the success early on, Gabriel will have to continue playing at the same level for Oklahoma to win the Big 12 and reach the CFP, which are both now expectations. The quarterback has thrown for 1,878 yards with 16 touchdowns and just two interceptions in six games.
With a 72.3% completion percentage, he’ll have to continue to protect the football with Oklahoma facing the brunt of its Big 12 schedule in the next six weeks.
The Sooners are confident they got their guy, though.
“He’s the calmest guy I’ve ever been around at the quarterback position,” Brent Venables said after the Texas win. “He’s got great belief in the players around him. Incredibly humble. You don’t see him ever tooting his own horn. He’s always trying to compliment and call someone else up. But he’s prepared. He’s worked really, really hard. He’s been one of the most consistent players in our program, from a leadership standpoint and showing up every day with the right mindset and bringing out the best in his teammates.
“He was fearless. I don’t put any limits on what Dillon can do. He’s playing as confident as anybody on our team right now. … He’s just a guy that’s gonna find a way to get it done.”
Dillon Gabriel continues to build NIL brand
The former three-star recruit has previous NIL agreements with Booster Athletes and EvoShield. Repped by Malka Sports and Steven Smith, he held a Dimetime retreat soon after he transferred to Oklahoma with quarterbacks, wide receivers, tight ends and running backs. Part of the event was NIL-funded, working with Bob Moore Auto Group and Hal Smith Restaurants.
Gabriel put aside money to give back to the boy’s basketball program at Mililani High School, his alma mater. In May 2022, he presented the school with an $8,000 check during an annual athletics award ceremony. He later received a video of the moment when the players received the Nike jerseys that his donation funded through a partnership with BSN Sports.
His social media following has seen a significant uptick this season, now sitting at more than 120,000 followers. As the path to the Heisman ceremony approaches, more and more brands will want to work with the Oklahoma star.
Dillon Gabriel holds a $1.2 million On3 NIL Valuation, which ranks No. 12 in college football. The valuation is No. 11 in the On3 NIL 100, the first of its kind and defacto NIL ranking of the top 100 high school and college athletes ranked by their On3 NIL Valuation.