Tag: dillon Gabriel

Sooners’ Dillon Gabriel among Pro Football Focus’ top-10 returning college quarterbacks

Oklahoma’s Dillon Gabriel is among Pro Football Focus’ top-10 returning college quarterbacks. Here’s where the UCF transfer checked in.

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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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What are the Oklahoma Sooners getting with new four-star QB commit Jackson Arnold?

After landing the commitment of Jackson Arnold, we decided to take a look at what the Sooners were getting from the four-star QB.

After a week that saw two predictions sending him to Oklahoma, 2023 four-star quarterback Jackson Arnold did just that Monday by committing to Oklahoma.

Arnold is the top QB in the state of Texas for the 2023 class and has a lot of potential. He gives the Sooners some major recruiting momentum as they look to close out their 2022 class and go full steam ahead with the 2023 class.

The question is: What are the Sooners getting in their newest signal-caller? Let’s take a look at what the recruiting industry says about him.

Arnold stands about right at 6-foot-2 and somewhere hovering at or around 200 pounds. He’s by no means the best athlete on the field but he certainly has plenty of athleticism to make throws out the pocket and off-platform. He can use his feet to get the job done if necessary.

Below is an example of it as Arnold is forced to relocate with the pocket collapsing. Instead of panicking, he calmly slides to his right, resets his base, and delivers a strike to his target for a touchdown.

Arnold was highly productive against some of the elite high school competition in the country while playing at the 6A level in Texas. A shade under 4,000 passing yards, 34 passing touchdowns, only 5 interceptions and he also ran 208 times for 659 yards and 12 touchdowns.

He’s already committed to playing in the Under Armour All-American game next year as well.

This was his first season as a full-time starter as he sat behind current Texas A&M QB Eli Stowers his first few years. An entire offseason and a college decision behind him should really help Arnold as he can continue focusing on his individual game, recruiting his future teammates, and doing whatever he can to help his team get over the state championship game hurdle.

Ultimately, Arnold is the exact type of QB that Lebby favors in his veer and shoot system. The dual-threat ability is paramount even if Arnold isn’t Kyler Murray as a runner. The ability to keep the defense off-kilter because of the quarterback’s ability to throw or run the ball just opens up so many options. Having a quarterback with excellent deep-ball accuracy as Lebby loves to take shots down the field is key. Arnold has been commended for his deep ball accuracy per Gabe Brooks of 247Sports.

Presumed starter for the 2022 season, Dillon Gabriel, isn’t the biggest or most athletic guy but he can use his feet and is able to make whatever throw Lebby asks of him. Arnold looks to be in a similar mold in that regard.

The Sooners landed a good one and continued to build their QB room, which is now in a much better place than it was a few months ago. They can take a deep sigh of relief as their future at the QB position is more stable than it was before the day started.

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2023 4-star quarterback Jackson Arnold commits to the Oklahoma Sooners

The Oklahoma Sooners continued to build their quarterback depth chart, landing 2023 four-star quarterback Jackson Arnold.

The Oklahoma Sooners landed their first quarterback commitment of the 2023 recruiting cycle in four-star quarterback Jackson Arnold. Out of Denton, Texas, Arnold is the third quarterback to commit to the Oklahoma Sooners since the coaching change, following Nick Evers (class of ’22) and Dillon Gabriel (transfer portal).

New offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby continued to build his relationships from his time at Ole Miss. Lebby was Arnold’s primary recruiter at Ole Miss and the Sooners made an offer on Arnold pretty quickly after the former Rebels offensive coordinator made his new home in Norman, OK.

Arnold joins a recruiting class that features DeAndre Moore, the four-star wide receiver out of Los Alamitos, CA, and Joshua Bates, the interior offensive lineman out of Colorado. According to ESPN, he’s the No. 2 ranked quarterback in the 2023 recruiting cycle, behind only Arch Manning. The Denton, Texas native is the No. 7 quarterback according to both On3 Recruiting and the 247Sports Composite rankings.

He was named Co-MVP of District 5-6A in Texas and helped lead Denton Guyer to the Class 6A Division II State Championship as a junior in high school.

As Bryant Crews wrote the other day, this commitment could open the flood gates for the Sooners 2023 class as the quarterback is the biggest draw in any recruiting cycle.

Jackson Arnold’s Recruiting Profile

Rating

Stars Overall State Position
Rivals 4 170 26 9
ESPN 4 42 9 2
247Sports 4 47 7 6
247 Composite 4 72 14 7
On3 Recruiting 4 140 21 7
On3 Composite 4 92 15 7

Vitals

Hometown Denton, TX
Projected Position QB
Height 6-1
Weight 187

Recruitment

  • Offered on Dec. 10, 2021
  • Committed Jan. 24, 2022

Notable Offers

  • Oklahoma
  • Alabama
  • Cincinnati
  • Florida
  • LSU
  • Notre Dame
  • Ohio State
  • Oklahoma State
  • Ole Miss
  • Penn State

Film

via HUDL

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Sooners deemed ‘losers’ of the College Football Transfer Portal per Bleacher Report

After a crazy start to the offseason, the Sooners have been deemed losers of the transfer portal so far per Bleacher Report.

Over the years the transfer portal has become a weapon for the Oklahoma Sooners. Under Lincoln Riley, the Sooners were able to land quarterbacks that turned into top picks in the NFL draft. Though they continue to be the beneficiary of the portal, with Riley’s departure, the Sooners have seen some of their talents walk out the door this offseason.

The Sooners lost double-digit starters to the NFL draft or the transfer portal. While Brent Venables and his staff have rebounded mightily through the portal, some still view it as a net loss. Bleacher Report had this to say about the Sooners in their piece outlining the winners and losers of the transfer Portal:

Lincoln Riley’s departure to USC both hammered the recruiting class and sparked a wave of transfers.

Along with Haselwood’s flight for Arkansas, breakout quarterback Caleb Williams entered the portal. Though it’s still possible he returns to Oklahoma, the most likely outcome is he plays elsewhere in 2022. Even though OU swiped UCF transfer Dillon Gabriel from UCLA, Williams would be a significant loss.

And that’s merely the beginning.

Former starting QB Spencer Rattler and tight end Austin Stogner both left for South Carolina. Longtime safety Patrick Fields went to Stanford, and two promising freshmen—wideout Mario Williams (USC) and cornerback Latrell McCutchin (undecided)—also decided to transfer.

Oklahoma picked up some impactful transfers, including Cal guard McKade Mettauer, Hawaii D-lineman Jonah La’ulu and Appalachian State linebacker T.D. Roof. But that’s a long list of key departures. – David Kenyon, Bleacher Report

Losing a quarterback like Rattler, who was bound for the transfer portal the moment Caleb Williams showed what he could do against Texas, is hardly a blow. Not because Rattler isn’t talented but because there was no chance he would stay as long as Williams was here. At the moment, we’re still awaiting news on Williams’ next destination. The odds-on favorite is USC, but reportedly LSU is in the mix as well for the former Sooners starting quarterback. Shouldering the blow, the Sooners added Dillon Gabriel to the quarterback depth chart immediately after Williams entered his name into the portal and they are still in the mix for Jaxson Dart.

Defensively, the Sooners lost a couple of defensive backs but bring in equally seasoned and productive defensive backs in UNC transfer Trey Morrison, Wyoming DB C.J. Coldon, and Louisville DB Kani Walker to replace them. Only time will tell how well they perform for the Oklahoma Sooners. They’ve also brought in defensive linemen Jonah Laulu and Jeffrey Johnson to help bolster a defensive front that lost Perrion Winfrey, Isaiah Thomas, and Nik Bonitto to the NFL draft.

Ultimately, the Sooners won’t know how this transfer portal treats them until the impending decisions of Jaxson Dart and Caleb Williams are announced. It’s likely Williams is gone, but Dart combined with Dillon make the losses on the offensive side of the ball much more manageable.

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Pro Football Focus ranks Marvin Mims as the No. 8 returning wide receiver in college football

Oklahoma wide receiver Marvin Mims was ranked as college football’s No. 8 returning wide receiver by Pro Football Focus.

In some ways, it seems like ages ago when Oklahoma wide receiver Marvin Mims addressed his future with OU. Two days before Oklahoma’s bowl game versus the Ducks, Mims indicated that he planned on returning to Oklahoma, but that an official decision hadn’t been made yet.

“I definitely want to be here. I haven’t made that much of a decision yet, but I still want to be here. I’m pretty sure that everyone playing in this bowl game still wants to be here, too. There have been some departures to go to other schools and stuff like that, but me being here, I definitely want to be in the crimson and cream next season,” Mims said on Dec. 27.

Mims was his typical explosive self against Oregon. The Frisco, Texas, native hauled in a 55-yard touchdown grab to put OU in front 23-3 and the Sooners would go on to top the Ducks 47-32.

Obviously, much has changed since then. True freshman quarterback Caleb Williams entered the transfer portal and OU has brought in UCF transfer quarterback Dillon Gabriel. The Sooners also hosted USC transfer quarterback Jaxson Dart and USC transfer tight end Michael Trigg on recent visits, though that pair is yet to make a decision on their future.

All of this meant Mims’ future could still be up in the air.

Oklahoma’s first workouts with Jerry Schmidt, the Sooners’ new director of sports enhancement and strength and conditioning, began this week and Mims was in attendance.

That indicates Mims is here to stay at Oklahoma. It’s huge news for Oklahoma offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby as he looks to tailor his first offense in Norman around Mims’ talents.

Pro Football Focus ranked Mims as college football’s No. 8 returning wide receiver. Here’s what Pro Football Focus had to say about Mims.

Mims has yet to be a full-time starter, but his skill set and level of production as a true freshman and sophomore were too good to ignore. He owns an 86.5 receiving grade, 19.1 yards per catch, 3.14 yards per route run and a 143.8 passer rating when targeted since 2020.

Over that span, Mims has turned 34.4% of his targets into a gain of 15 or more yards, the third-highest rate in the Power Five. He should be a vital piece to Jeff Lebby’s offense in 2022. – Pro Football Focus.

Over the course of his OU career, Mims has caught 69 passes for 1,315 receiving yards. Mims was Oklahoma’s leading receiver each of the past two seasons and he finished the 2021 season with 705 receiving yards and five touchdowns.

The 5-foot-11, 177-pound wide receiver was named an All-Big 12 honorable mention choice by the league’s head coaches for his work this past season.

During the 2020 season, Mims tied the Big 12 true freshman record and set the OU freshman record with nine touchdown receptions. He earned freshman All-America honors from The Athletic and ESPN and was selected second-team All-Big 12 by the Big 12’s head coaches and media.

According to Pro Football Focus, Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy checked in as college football’s No. 4 returning wide receiver, former OU wide receiver Mario Williams is No. 6 and TCU’s Quentin Johnston is No. 9.

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What will ‘make or break’ the Oklahoma Sooners’ 2022 season?

247Sports reporter Marsdale touched on what will “make or break” Oklahoma’s 2022 season.

Oklahoma was ranked No. 12 in 247Sports reporter Brad Crawford’s “way-too-early” preseason top 25. That was the second-highest ranking for any Big 12 team, trailing only No. 10 Baylor.

Crawford also ranked fellow Big 12 members Oklahoma State No. 15 and Texas No. 19 in his first preseason top 25.

Using Crawford’s “way-too-early” top 25 rankings, 247Sports’ Sam Marsdale broke down what will make or break each top 25 team’s 2022 season.

Marsdale said that “being able to build an identity under Brent Venables” was the Sooners’ biggest key for 2022. Here’s what Marsdale wrote about Oklahoma.

There’s not a preseason top-15 team that will look more different than the Sooners roster-wise next season under first-year coach Brent Venables. He has watched several top-end playmakers enter the transfer portal since arriving last month, including a couple play-making wide receivers and Heisman candidate Caleb Williams at quarterback. Establishing an early identity on both sides of the football is priority No. 1 for Venables as a first-time head coach at a program expected to win big annually. – Marsdale, 247Sports.

It’s hard to argue with any of that. Whether or not USC transfer Jaxson Dart winds up picking Oklahoma or not, the Sooners appear set to have a new signal-caller in 2022 in the form of UCF transfer quarterback Dillon Gabriel or Dart if he does choose OU.

The Sooners also saw wide receivers Jadon Haselwood and Mario Williams enter the transfer portal. Also, wide receiver Mike Woods announced that he is declaring for the 2022 NFL Draft.

Running back Kennedy Brooks, tight end Jeremiah Hall and offensive linemen Marquis Hayes and Tyrese Robinson also declared for the 2022 NFL Draft.

On the defensive side of the football, OU will be replacing six starters. That list includes linebacker Brian Asamoah, outside linebacker Nik Bonitto, defensive linemen Isaiah Thomas and Perrion Winfrey and safety Delarrin Turner-Yell who all declared for the 2022 NFL Draft.

Safety Pat Fields left for Stanford on a full academic scholarship to continue his academic career where he will have one year of eligibility remaining.

Of course, Oklahoma has been active adding talent out of the transfer portal to help replace those losses. Plus, the Sooners are bringing in a talented 2022 signing class.

So, despite all of the attrition on both sides of the football, it’s not as if Oklahoma will suddenly be devoid of talent in 2022. While expectations are always high within Sooner Nation, it’s hard to disagree with Marsdale that how Venables and his staff build their identity in year one will be the most important factor during the 2022 season and beyond.

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Athlon Sports picks the Oklahoma Sooners to finish second in the Big 12 in early 2022 projections

Looking ahead to the 2022 season, the Oklahoma Sooners were picked to finish second in Athlon Sports early Big 12 predictions.

Change isn’t always a bad thing. It comes with questions and some uncertainty, but the new can often be better than what you had or where you were.

That’s what the Oklahoma Sooners are facing heading into the 2022 offseason: A year of change and transition. Out is Lincoln Riley and in is Brent Venables, Jeff Lebby and a new defensive staff. Venables wants to make the Sooners fast and physical on defense while they run the football and controll the pace on offense.

Despite all of the changes, the program has much to be optimistic about this offseason. Steve Lassan of Athlon Sports has the Oklahoma Sooners picked to finish second in the Big 12 in his early 2022 predictions.

Lassan admits the league is pretty wide open.

“The Big 12 should feature a wide-open race to win the conference in 2022. A strong argument could be made for Baylor, Oklahoma or Oklahoma State as the early No. 1 pick in the league, but regardless of which team is the favorite, the gap among those programs is small.”

Here’s what he had to say about the Oklahoma Sooners.

It’s been a busy offseason in Norman, but new coach Brent Venables has the pieces in place to push for a Big 12 title. Assuming Caleb Williams doesn’t return, UCF transfer Dillon Gabriel should take over the quarterback spot and reunite with his former coach (and coordinator) in Jeff Lebby. The Sooners lost running back Kennedy Brooks and a couple of linemen to the NFL, but Gabriel’s arrival should keep this offense near the top of the conference. Venables was one of the nation’s top defensive signal-callers at Clemson and should make an impact right away on this side of the ball for the Sooners. – Lassan, Athlon Sports

It’s incredibly early the Oklahoma Sooners will worry about proving it on the field. What’s evident is the top of the Big 12 will be competitive once again. Baylor and Oklahoma State should be strong contenders for the conference title again in 2022. Oklahoma looks to rebound and get back into the Big 12 title game. And you never know what you’re going to get with Texas. After a terrible year, the Longhorns could bounce back and find themselves in the Big 12 race as well.

Here’s how Lassan ranked the Big 12 members.

How did Jeff Lebby’s offenses rank during his tenure as the Offensive Coordinator?

Much of the excitement of this new Oklahoma Sooners coaching staff focuses on the defensive side of the ball, let’s look at how Jeff Lebby’s offenses ranked in his time as an offensive coordinator.

For the first time since the 2014 season, the Oklahoma Sooners will have a new man running the show on offense after Jeff Lebby was hired to be the offensive coordinator under new head coach Brent Venables.

While Lincoln Riley had a ton of success, his last two seasons left a lot to be desired as the Sooners floundered in Big 12 play, scraping by to win the Big 12 championship in 2020 before falling short in 2021.

From an x’s and o’s standpoint, Lebby’s hire was about as good as it could get. He’s proven capable of directing some of the nation’s top offenses in six seasons as an offensive coordinator (five in the Football Bowl Subdivision).

Runs at UCF and Ole Miss made Jeff Lebby a popular offensive coordinator candidate. His history with Brent Venables and the Oklahoma Sooners provided the connection necessary to bring him in to take over the OU offense.

The following list is how Jeff Lebby’s offenses ranked each season he was the offensive coordinator for his respective team. Most statistics were found via College Football Reference.

Oklahoma at Nebraska one Football Scoops’ 12 nonconference games to look forward to in 2022

Oklahoma Sooners vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers named one of the most anticipated games of the 2022 nonconference schedule.

The renewal of the Big 8 and Big 12 rivalry between Oklahoma and Nebraska was one of the more anticipated games of the 2021 season. The seven-point win for the Sooners was a throwback to the great defensive performances of the past as the teams slugged away to a 7-3 Sooners lead at halftime.

The two sides will get to do it again in 2022 as part of the home-and-home series. It will be a return to Lincoln for Brent Venables and the Oklahoma Sooners for the first time since Nebraska won a 10-3 slugfest in 2009.

AD Trev Alberts deemed Scott Frost’s 2021 season to be horseshoes and hand grenades, where close enough counted. At some point he’ll have to beat someone, anyone with a pulse, and what an opportunity to reward his administration and his fan base’s faith with a victory over the Big Red’s biggest historic rival, in Lincoln. (NU is 7-1 against OU in Lincoln, dating back to 1989).

How quickly things can change in college football. In last year’s matchup, it was Spencer Rattler vs. Adrian Martinez. Rattler’s now playing for South Carolina and Martinez transferred to Kansas State. Dillon Gabriel looks like the presumptive starter for the Sooners while former Texas quarterback Casey Thompson will likely lead the way for the Cornhuskers in 2022.

As defensive as the Sooners were in 2021, they’re entering a new era of Sooners football as Brent Venables looks to remake the Oklahoma Sooners in his image.

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USC transfer target TE Michael Trigg shares video alongside QB Jaxson Dart from Oklahoma visit

Tight end Michael Trigg and quarterback Jaxson Dart, a pair of USC transfer targets, were in Norman yesterday for a visit.

Oklahoma hosted USC transfer targets tight end Michael Trigg and quarterback Jaxson Dart on Friday. The duo is reportedly set to visit Ole Miss over the weekend and make a final decision on what’s next for their respective futures.

Trigg excited the OU fan base on Saturday morning when he shared video of himself alongside Dart donning the crimson and cream during the visit.

Dart is the No. 3 player available in 247Sports’ transfer portal player rankings. Trigg isn’t listed in 247Sports’ transfer portal player rankings, but both were consensus four-star prospects coming out of high school.

Dart was the nation’s No. 45 player and No. 7 quarterback in the On3 consensus rankings for the 2021 recruiting class. 247Sports‘ composite placed Dart as the No. 69 player overall and No. 10 quarterback in the 2021 class.

Meanwhile, Trigg was ranked as the country’s fourth-best tight end and No. 154 player nationally by the On3 consensus. 247Sports‘ composite also rated Trigg as the nation’s No. 4 tight end in the 2021 class, but he was ranked a little higher overall as the No. 130 player nationally.

Dart saw action in six games for USC this past season. As a true freshman, the Kaysville, Utah, native completed 117-of-189 passes for 1,353 passing yards with nine passing touchdowns against five interceptions. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound quarterback also started each of the Trojans’ final three games of 2021.

Trigg caught seven passes for 109 yards with USC. His best games of the 2021 season came against Oregon State and Colorado. Against the Beavers, Trigg hauled in three grabs for 44 yards.

Then, against the Buffaloes, Trigg showcased his potential with a 46-yard touchdown reception.

If the Sooners win this recruiting battle, Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables and offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby would be adding a highly sought-after quarterback, Dart, to battle UCF transfer quarterback Dillon Gabriel.

OU would also bolster a tight end group that saw the return of Brayden Willis, added Missouri transfer Daniel Parker Jr. and signed Kaden Helms and Jason Llewellyn in its 2022 class.

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