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Oklahoma landed one of the biggest names out of the transfer portal when former UCF quarterback Dillon Gabriel announced his commitment on Jan. 3 to the Sooners.
Gabriel is set to bring some of the spring from the Bounce House to the Palace on the Prairie and Oklahoma’s offense in 2022. In his time at Central Florida, Gabriel passed for 8,037 yards and 70 touchdowns.
He’s familiar with the Sooners’ new offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby, too. Lebby was Gabriel’s offensive coordinator at UCF during his true freshman season in 2019.
Gabriel threw for 3,653 and 29 touchdowns that season with Lebby guiding the offense.
Pro Football Focus’ Anthony Treash ranked Gabriel as the No. 8 returning college quarterback. Here’s what Treash had to say about Gabriel arriving in Norman.
Gabriel will be reuniting with Jeff Lebby, who is now Oklahoma’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach after serving in the same role at Ole Miss from 2020 to 2021 and UCF in 2019.
The transfer quarterback thrived as an underclassman with Josh Heupel as the head coach and Lebby as his offensive coordinator — in 2019 only — prior to missing most of 2021 due to injury. Heupel is widely known for his quarterback-friendly offense that provides simplistic reads for the passer. While the concepts are painless for the quarterback, the offense still needs the signal-caller to consistently take one-on-one vertical shots down the sideline when the defense is in single-high.
Gabriel has fantastic touch downfield, and that trait led to major passing success. He earned 80.3 and 90.4 passing grades as a true freshman and sophomore in 2019 and 2020, respectively. Lebby’s offense won’t ask Gabriel to do too much and will take advantage of the quarterback’s strengths. – Treash, Pro Football Focus.
Gabriel comes to OU with 25 career starts under his belt. The Sooners return their leading receiver from the past two seasons in Marvin Mims. Mims registered 32 receptions for 705 yards and five touchdowns in 2021.
Gabriel will also have Brian Darby, Jalil Farooq, Cody Jackson, Drake Stoops, Theo Wease and Trevon West as weapons within the OU wide receivers group. Oklahoma also signed a pair of four-star wide receivers in Jayden Gibson and Nicholas Anderson as part of its 2022 signing class.
The Sooners’ leading returning rusher is Eric Gray. The Memphis, Tenn., native carried 78 times for 412 rushing yards and a pair of rushing touchdowns in 2021. OU also returns running back Marcus Major and signed a pair of four-star running backs in Jovantae Barnes and Gavin Sawchuk.
Oklahoma will be replacing a pair of longtime starters up front along its offensive line after Marquis Hayes and Tyrese Robinson elected to declare for the 2022 NFL Draft. If the Sooners can find a productive starting five up front, then Gabriel should have more than enough weapons at his disposal to justify this No. 8 ranking from Treash.
Former Sooner starting quarterbacks Caleb Williams and Spencer Rattler were ranked No. 2 and No. 3, respectively.
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