THIBODAUX, Louisiana — Attending the Manning Passing Academy for the second time in his career is the latest stop in a busy offseason for Dillon Gabriel.

In the two months since Oregon’s spring game Gabriel has gone home to Hawaii to unveil new uniforms and gear at Mililani High School, his alma mater, served as a counselor at the Elite 11 camp earlier this month and hosted more than 20 of his teammates at his first Dime Time Retreat while at UO last weekend, all before coming to Nicholls State to serve as counselor at the most prestigious quarterback camp of the summer.

This weekend’s trip to 28th MPA is a chance for Gabriel and fellow UO quarterback Dante Moore to connect with quarterbacks from around the country, including Gabriel’s former Oklahoma teammate Jackson Arnold, Purdue’s Hudson Card, who played for Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein while in high school, and Mississippi State’s Blake Shapen, who is playing for Jeff Lebby, Gabriel’s OC while at Oklahoma. Plus, former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick, Peyton and Eli Manning are each roaming the practice fields at the event.

“I think it’s connecting being around a bunch of guys who are chasing the same goal,” Gabriel said. “I think it’s of course seeing old family or friends that I’ve connected with prior, but then also soaking in all the information, learning as much as I can and being around a bunch of people that have a bunch of knowledge. I think that’s something that’s priceless.”

Last weekend’s Dime Time Retreat, which Gabriel started at OU to bring teammates together for off-campus summer throwing sessions and other friendly competitions, featured more than 20 Oregon players, including all of the quarterbacks. Gabriel credited his manager, Steven Smith, for bringing on several sponsors to provide gear for the players and former Oregon offensive lineman Michael DeLaGrange and his wife Ashley for helping coordinate the weekend’s logistics at Grants Pass High School and a rental home in the area.

“We’ve gotten better every year and we knew that at the throwing sessions we wanted to make it fun and enjoyable,” Gabriel said.

Tez Johnson won a one-on-one competition, a custom jewelry chain to go with it, while walk-ons Brady Bidwell and Kade Caton, each of whom only recently arrived on campus, impressed during another competition.

“What I love about these retreats is the young guys kind of flourish in showing who they are,” Gabriel said. “You create all these bonds not just with starters or with guys who are coming up and learning their way, it’s the mix and match of it all. That was the beauty of it. Brady Bidwell and Kade will forever be in my mind with this retreat because of that competition.”

Gabriel is considering one more retreat with the offensive linemen before fall camp, but is looking to take care of his protectors on the field on a more consistent basis during the season.

These offseason get-togethers have long been commonplace among NFL players and have grown popular in the college ranks as quarterbacks, particular prominent transfers like Gabriel, look to establish relationships and build their leadership with new teammates.

Arnold, who attended one of Gabriel’s retreats last year at Oklahoma, said he’s looking to assemble a similar event next month as he takes over as the starter for the Sooners.

“DG was awesome last year; a great friend to be around, a great mentor for me,” Arnold said. “He taught me a lot about the game, taught me how to handle yourself as a quarterback and really was a role model for me.

“The expectations he set and the drive to want to be around the other people on our team, whether that’s receivers, tight ends, running backs, even people on the defense. Be an example of how a QB should be and how they should treat the people around them in order to create that chemistry, in order to bring those guys together ultimately to perform well on the field.”

Gabriel returns to Eugene on Sunday and will aim for possibly another retreat with teammates and might make a trip to Southern California to work with his private quarterback coaches again before Big Ten Media Days and the start of fall camp.

“I’m the type to connect with one another as much as possible, be around the guys,” Gabriel said. “I think that’s how you create real relationships and that’s away from football. I feel like if you have that relationship off the field you can demand a lot on the field. It allows you to find your voice. I’ve used that to my strength.

“I think the speaking up part is being courageous to put yourself out there and you may fail a bunch but I think it’s the respect factor of the effort and the ability to put yourself out there. It’s definitely difficult; it’s not an easy task. Me being into my second transfer but I think it teaches you a lot about how to grow up, how to be around different guys whether it’s Florida, Midwest Oklahoma or PNW West Coast, I think you learn a lot about different people and that respect factor of we all come from different places but we’re all here to achieve a common goal. I’ve had that approach of respecting people and getting them all together and letting the guards go down and be able to connect so that we can not only me demand a lot but demand a lot from one another.”