Gabe Downing, Portland State QB: the 2026 season story
Gabe Downing is a junior quarterback for Portland State (Big Sky). He ranks 286th of 365 quarterbacks in Division I by the Player Index, which judges every quarterback on the measures that matter at the position, adjusted for the opponents he faced.
Scouting report
Why it matters. Knowing the one or two things a player does best, and where he is ordinary, says more than any single total. Gabe Downing's strongest measure is pass yards per game at 155, 123rd of 181 (the average is 179). His weakest is yards per attempt at 4.0, 178th of 181 (the average is 7.3).
Season production
Why it matters. Totals reward staying healthy and getting the ball; per-game numbers show how much he really carries each week. His pass yards per game, 155, ranks 123rd among 181 ranked quarterbacks.
Against every quarterback
Why it matters. Splitting the measures into how much, how well and how many big plays shows what kind of quarterback he is. Among ranked quarterbacks he sits, on average, in the 20th percentile for volume, 14th for efficiency and 27th for impact.
The season, game by game
Why it matters. A season average can hide a player who is great one week and absent the next; game by game shows how dependable he is. Over 5 games, Gabe Downing's best came in week 2 against North Dakota and his quietest in week 3 at Oregon.
When it matters
Why it matters. Plenty of players produce in easy situations; the ones who keep it up on third down and against good teams are the ones coaches trust.
Where he does his damage
Why it matters. Where and how a player makes his plays shows how his team uses him and what a defense has to take away.
National and conference
Why it matters. A national rank shows how a player stacks up beyond his own league, where the competition can be very different. Gabe Downing is 116th of 184 FCS quarterbacks and 14th of 17 in the Big Sky. Next up nationally is Jake Tripptree of New Haven, 0.01 ahead on the index.
Quarterbacks like him
Why it matters. Comparing a player with his closest statistical matches puts his season in context beyond the rankings. His closest match this season is Jackson Sharman of Sacramento State.
