The Oklahoma Sooners lost a ton of production on an offense that was pretty good in 2022. With Eric Gray, Marvin Mims, Brayden Willis, and three starting offensive linemen off to the NFL, it would be reasonable to have some concerns about the state of the offense in 2023. However, they get the most important piece back for one more year; [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag].
Gabriel returns to the Sooners after a season in which he threw for 3,168 yards, 25 touchdowns, and just six interceptions. He also ran for 315 yards and six touchdowns on the season and is the Big 12 quarterback that returns the most production.
With an early look at the national landscape at quarterback, Tom Fornelli of CBS Sports believes Gabriel to be the tenth-best quarterback heading into 2023.
I have a hard time believing Oklahoma won’t be better in 2023 simply because it’s Oklahoma and its track record suggests 2022 is far more likely to be a blip than a trend. Besides, for all the faults the Sooners had in 2022, Gabriel was a consistent bright spot. I won’t be surprised if he puts up monster numbers and Oklahoma is back to competing for a Big 12 title. – Fornelli, CBS Sports
Gabriel is the highest-ranked Big 12 quarterback on the list. Heisman trophy Winner [autotag]Caleb Williams[/autotag] comes in at No. 1, followed by Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. at No. 2, and North Carolina‘s Drake Maye at No. 3.
Texas quarterback [autotag]Quinn Ewers[/autotag] was an honorable mention, as was former Sooners quarterback [autotag]Spencer Rattler[/autotag].
Gabriel’s return provides the Sooners with continuity at the game’s most important position. Having someone who’s been in Norman for a year now, with a better understanding of the offense, will help Oklahoma transition new players into key roles.
His leadership and experience give the Sooners the bridge they need as they get younger at the skill positions and turnover their offensive line. Despite a 6-7 season, the Sooners’ offense was good enough to win several more games. They were 1-4 in games in which the defense allowed more than 30 points and 6-1 when the defense held their opponent under 30 points per game.
Do Gabriel and the Sooners’ offense have areas where they need to improve in 2023? Absolutely. But getting back one of the better quarterbacks in college football will help them take a step back into conference title and College Football Playoff contention.
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