For years, the Oklahoma Sooners had one of the stronger quarterback situations in the country. Since [autotag]Bob Stoops[/autotag] brought the air-raid offense to Norman with him through the [autotag]Lincoln Riley[/autotag] era, the Sooners have had great quarterback play for much of the last 25 years.
Jeff Lebby’s first year in Norman kept the offensive prowess on the right track, as the Sooners averaged 32.8 points per game. Though not without issues in 2022, the Sooners had one of the better quarterbacks in the Big 12 last season with Dillon Gabriel. Throw five-star quarterback Jackson Arnold into the mix, and the Sooners have one of the best quarterbacks situations in the country heading into 2023.
Jesse Simonton of On3 ranked the top quarterback rooms in the country, and the depth chart headlined by [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag], [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] and [autotag]Davis Beville[/autotag] came in at No. 5.
While Brent Venables’ top offseason priority is to fix the Sooners’ leaky defense, Oklahoma should feel really good about its two QB options entering 2023.
Former UCF transfer Dillion Gabriel is back for a second season in Norman after throwing for over 3,100 yards and 25 touchdowns last season, but the veteran is being pushed by 5-star freshman Jackson Arnold, who some consider one of the most ready-made QBs in a loaded 2023 class. Either way, Venables has two nice options entering a pivotal fall for the Sooners. – Simonton, On3 Sports
The Sooners came in behind USC, LSU, Texas and North Carolina in Simonton’s rankings. One can understand the Trojans coming in at No. 1. They return Heisman Trophy winner [autotag]Caleb Williams[/autotag] and bring in [autotag]Malachi Nelson[/autotag], a highly-regarded five-star quarterback in the 2024 class.
However, USC is the only one that’s an obvious choice.
LSU has a good quarterback room headlined by [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag], but much of the Tigers’ success stemmed from elite defensive play and Daniels’ ability to protect the football. At Texas, Quinn Ewers had a solid season, but much of his projection is based on the natural ability, which has not translated to elite performances on the football field. North Carolina gets a boost simply because of [autotag]Drake Maye[/autotag]. If the Tar Heels suffer an injury to Maye, who many are projecting as the No. 2 quarterback in the 2024 NFL draft class, as Simonton puts it, “UNC might be screwed.”
Regardless of where you rank them, the Sooners’ quarterback situation is in great hands with [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] and [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag].
Gabriel is one of the most experienced players at the position with 38 starts under his belt. Oklahoma has to be better on third down and in the red zone, but if they can do that, they’ll be one of the best offenses in the country. Gabriel is one of the highest-graded quarterbacks returning for 2023, according to Pro Football Focus, and came in at No. 2 in College Sports Wire’s Big 12 quarterback rankings.
Arnold had an incredible two-year run at Denton Guyer during his junior and senior seasons, parlaying that into five-star rating. He won the Elite 11 MVP and the Gatorade National Player of the Year award. Though he might not play much in 2023 if Gabriel stays healthy, he’s the future at the position for the Oklahoma Sooners. And that future looks bright with Arnold and 2024 four-star quarterback [autotag]Michael Hawkins[/autotag] and 2025 four-star quarterback [autotag]Kevin Sperry[/autotag] coming down the line.
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