Tag: Sam Bradford

Can Jackson Arnold be the next great Oklahoma quarterback?

Being the quarterback at Oklahoma brings a lot of pressure and Jackson Arnold is ready to live up to the hype.

Being the starting quarterback at a blue-blood program brings a lot of pressure. Being the starting quarterback at a place like Oklahoma with all of its recent success is another animal all on its own.

That’s what [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] is stepping into. He’s following [autotag]Josh Heupel[/autotag], [autotag]Jason White[/autotag], [autotag]Sam Bradford[/autotag], [autotag]Landry Jones[/autotag], [autotag]Baker Mayfield[/autotag], [autotag]Kyler Murray[/autotag], [autotag]Jalen Hurts[/autotag] and [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag].

That doesn’t even include the guys pre-2000 or even guys like [autotag]Spencer Rattler[/autotag] and [autotag]Caleb Williams[/autotag]who were extremely talented but finished their careers elsewhere.

Arnold spoke about how much that played into his decision to come to Oklahoma.

“It definitely impacted my decision,” Arnold said. “Just knowing the caliber of QBs that came before me and just knowing that I wanted to be a part of that group really stood out to me. Being in the lineage of Heisman winners is obviously something I want to join and follow those footsteps. This is the place that I wanted to be.”

The thing for Arnold is for him not to try to be too much like them and let that pressure get to him. Instead, he just needs to be himself. That’s what earned him five-star status. It’s why the expectations are so high for Arnold.

He’s got all the talent in the world to be a successful college quarterback. But so much of what goes into playing the position goes beyond the scouting report or the box score. But early in his career, Jackson Arnold has shown he’s capable of overcoming adversity. He’s made up of the right stuff. 2024 is the season we see Arnold have a breakout year.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.

Top 20 Oklahoma Sooners all-time in career passing yards

A look at the top 20 passers in Oklahoma Sooners history in career passing yards.

The Oklahoma Sooners have had their fair share of quality quarterback play over the years. That play has earned numerous All-American awards and four Heisman trophies.

Oklahoma has had success with a variety of offensive styles and quarterback play. That shows up when you look at the Sooners’ all-time leaders in career passing yards. Sure you have [autotag]Landry Jones[/autotag] and [autotag]Baker Mayfield[/autotag], who threw for more than 10,000 yards in their career with the Sooners. Then you have a player [autotag]Jamelle Holieway[/autotag] who is top 20 in both career passing yards and career rushing yards. Holieway and [autotag]Jack Mildren[/autotag] had more rushing touchdowns in their career than they did passing touchdowns.

There is one quarterback inside the top 10 all-time in career passing yards that didn’t play in the last 20 years and that guy is still with the Oklahoma Sooners: wide receivers coach [autotag]Cale Gundy[/autotag]. Gundy is No. 6 in career passing yards. Makes you wonder what kind of damage he could have done in a modern spread offense.

After two seasons in Norman, Dillon Gabriel was productive enough to enter the top 10 in career passing yards at the University of Oklahoma. His 55 passing touchdowns ranks fifth all-time and he finished tied for 17 in rushing touchdowns by a quarterback. Gabriel had a prolific career with Oklahoma and now will hope to have continued success with the Oregon Ducks.

Here’s a look at the top 20 Oklahoma Sooners in career passing yards.

Trent Williams Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded offensive tackle; Ever

Trent Williams continues to add to his Hall of Fame career this time getting a distinct honor from Pro Football Focus.

Since being drafted No. 4 overall in the 2010 NFL Draft, [autotag]Trent Williams[/autotag] has been one of the best offensive linemen in all of football. Williams had a stellar career at Oklahoma from 2006-2009.

He was named to two All-Big 12 teams and was a consensus All-American in 2009. Since getting into the NFL, he’s been selected to 11 Pro Bowls, earned three first-team All-Pro selection and was also named to the second-team once. All three of his first-team selections have come in the last three seasons with the San Francisco 49ers..

He’s had a stellar career and has earned the designation of highest-graded offensive tackle in Pro Football Focus history.

PFF was founded back in 2006 and really took off around 2014. So, it’s not every offensive tackle in NFL history, but it is still quite an accomplishment for the former Sooner.

Now, he has his sights set on winning a Super Bowl. He’s competed in one before, losing to the Kansas City Chiefs. He and his 9ers teammates get a chance to redeem themselves against the Chiefs this Sunday.

I’m sure his quarterback is happy to have him blocking his blind side. Williams decade-plus run of success at the NFL level is just another reason why Oklahoma is Offensive Line University.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.

25 SKOL’s of Christmas: Teddy Bridgewater’s triumphant return

After everything he had been through, seeing Teddy return was a moment of pure joy

Welcome to the 25 SKOL’s of Christmas!

In a similar vein to how Freeform has done the 25 days of Christmas, we will look back at different moments in Vikings history to bring a little extra joy to you this holiday season.

It’s that simple. The holidays can be a trying time for some people and we want to put a smile on people’s faces by reminiscing about some truly joyous times in Vikings’ history.

On the eighteenth SKOL of Christmas, the Vikings gave to me: Teddy Bridgewater’s triumphant return to football.

The Minnesota Vikings were set up to make a real Super Bowl run in the 2016 season. They were coming off a season where they won the NFC North in dramatic fashion against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field and dominated the wild card matchup against the Seattle Seahawks but they couldn’t get it done.

The confidence level surrounding the team was sky-high and the preseason game against the Los Angeles Chargers gave even more hope to Vikings fans as he ran the offense to perfection with explosiveness.

That all came to an end on August 30th which ended up being a fateful day for the franchise.

Bridgewater didn’t just hurt his knee, he destroyed it. One wrong step caused a torn ACL and a brutal dislocation that without the quick reaction of head trainer Eric Sugarman, Bridgewater could have lost his leg.

The Vikings went into somewhat of a tailspin for the next few months. They traded first and fourth-round picks for Sam Bradford and, after a 5-0 start, they missed the playoffs at 8-8.

During the offseason, there was discussion about what this team would do at the quarterback position? They had Bradford on the roster and the injury prognosis was unknown. He ended up starting the season on injured reserve and didn’t start another game for the Vikings.

Once he was healthy, there was a lot of speculation that he would end up getting the starting job over Case Keenum, as he was winning games, but making multiple bonehead decisions per game had head coach Mike Zimmer openly questioning his quarterback.

While he never made the switch, Keenum led the Vikings on quite a journey. It ultimately ended in the NFC Championship Game, but one of the best moments in Vikings history came when they hosted the Cincinnati Bengals.

It ultimately ended up being a 34-7 win for the Vikings, but it was more about the moment. It was the game where Bridgewater made his triumphant return and the standing ovation was so loud, it felt like the roof of U.S. Bank Stadium was going to shatter.

While things never were quite the same for Bridgewater, that one moment will forever live in Vikings’ lore.

Previous SKOL’s of Christmas:

Drafting Randy Moss
Vikings 1997 Wild Card Comeback
Jarius Wright Walks Off the Jets
Jared Allen traded to Vikings
Adrian Peterson Sets Rushing Record
Brett Favre Revenge Tour
Bud Grant Rocks a Polo in Freezing Temperatures
Adrian Peterson Stiff Arms Defender to Oblivion
Anthony Carter Dominates the 1987 Playoffs
Kirk Cousins’ First Major Comeback
Randy Moss Dominates Monday Night Football
Tuesday Night Joe Webb
Randy Moss Laterals to Moe Williams
Miracle At The Met
Cris Carter catches number 1,000
Resurgence of Randall Cunningham
Sam Bradford Opens Up U.S. Bank Stadium

25 SKOL’s of Christmas: Sam Bradford opens up U.S. Bank Stadium

Bradford had a way of delivering some memorable highlights

Welcome to the 25 SKOL’s of Christmas!

In a similar vein to how Freeform has done the 25 days of Christmas, we will look back at different moments in Vikings history to bring a little extra joy to you this holiday season.

It’s that simple. The holidays can be a trying time for some people and we want to put a smile on people’s faces by reminiscing about some truly joyous times in Vikings’ history.

On the seveteenth SKOL of Christmas, the Vikings gave to me: Sam Bradford opening up U.S. Bank in incredible fashion.

The 2016 season felt like it was primed to be a special one. The Vikings had won the NFC North the year prior and the team was gelling with a quarterback on a rookie deal. Mike Zimmer’s team was falling into place.

Unfortunately, things didn’t play out perfectly. Teddy Bridgewater tore up his knee in a freak accident just two weeks prior to opening day and the Vikings were in a pickle. Their backup plan was Shaun Hill and that’s not good enough for a team that was primed to make a Super Bowl run.

That prompted the Vikings to trade a first-round and fourth-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for Sam Bradford. The move was seen as a panic one at the time and, while it didn’t work on long-term for the Vikings, it did give us some incredible moments but none of them were better than his first start in a Vikings uniform.

After a 25-16 win over the Tennssee Titans, the Vikings hosted the Green Bay Packers in week two for the first regular season game at the brand new U.S. Bank Stadium.

After being acquired by the team just 17 days prior, Bradford didn’t just start the game, he looked like the future of the franchise. He operated the offense like he had been in it for years, not just a few weeks. He was slinging the ball everywhere, including touchdowns to Kyle Rudolph and Stefon Diggs, the first one is in the below clip.

The Vikings went onto win 17-14 in Bradford’s first start but injuries derailed the team’s ultimate path to success. Despite his short time due to his own injuries, Bradford’s highlights will always be some of the best in Vikings’ history.

Previous SKOL’s of Christmas:

Drafting Randy Moss
Vikings 1997 Wild Card Comeback
Jarius Wright Walks Off the Jets
Jared Allen traded to Vikings
Adrian Peterson Sets Rushing Record
Brett Favre Revenge Tour
Bud Grant Rocks a Polo in Freezing Temperatures
Adrian Peterson Stiff Arms Defender to Oblivion
Anthony Carter Dominates the 1987 Playoffs
Kirk Cousins’ First Major Comeback
Randy Moss Dominates Monday Night Football
Tuesday Night Joe Webb
Randy Moss Laterals to Moe Williams
Miracle At The Met
Cris Carter catches number 1,000
Resurgence of Randall Cunningham

Where does Dillon Gabriel rank among the best quarterbacks in Oklahoma history?

Dillon Gabriel was only in Norman for two seasons but where does that put him in OU history?

[autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] wrapped up his final season as an Oklahoma Sooner a couple of weekends ago because he is entering the transfer portal to pursue other options. Gabriel finished his Oklahoma career with 6,828 yards, 55 touchdowns and 12 interceptions on 66% passing.

His yardage and touchdown total put him in the top six in OU history. So, where does he rank among the greats that played this prestigious position in Norman? Keep in mind, the Sooners have had four Heisman-winning quarterbacks. Gabriel also only played two seasons in the Crimson and Cream.

So where would he rank among Oklahoma’s best quarterbacks all time? Let’s take a look.

Dillon Gabriel joins former Sooner legend in historical performance

Dillon Gabriel joined some elite company after his performance against West Virginia.

What a career it has been for Oklahoma Sooners quarterback [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag]. Just last week, Gabriel entered into the top 10 all-time in passing yards in NCAA history.

He joined two other Sooners, [autotag]Baker Mayfield[/autotag] and [autotag]Landry Jones[/autotag]. Depending on how his career finishes, he has an opportunity to pass Mayfield and Boise State Broncos’ quarterback Kellen Moore to move into No. 7 all-time. Also, last weekend Gabriel accounted for eight touchdowns which broke Mayfield’s single-game touchdown record.

That’s not all Gabriel did this past weekend. Gabriel’s 50 yards rushing put him over 1,000 yards for his career, making him just the second player in NCAA history to throw for more than 14,000 yards and run for 1,000 yards joining Mayfield.

Oregon Ducks‘ Bo Nix has a chance to join the group this weekend if he throws for just 21 yards. They take on the Arizona State Sun Devils.

There’s no question it’s been an incredible career for Gabriel, and yet he doesn’t get the recognition he deserves. Many before the season were hoping Jackson Arnold would take over the reins, but Gabriel kept working.

He’s having a career year and a Heisman-type season. If Oklahoma didn’t slip up twice, he’d probably be right in the Heisman race. Also, he led one of the greatest drives in program history to knock off Oklahoma’s biggest rival.

He might not be better than Mayfield, [autotag]Kyler Murray[/autotag] or [autotag]Sam Bradford[/autotag], but he’s very good, and Oklahoma fans should be thankful once [autotag]Caleb Williams[/autotag] decided to enter the portal, Gabriel came to Norman.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.

Oklahoma Sooners name captains for Week 12 against the BYU Cougars

The Oklahoma Sooners have announced who the captains will be for this week’s game against the BYU Cougars.

The Oklahoma Sooners head to Provo, UT for the first time in program history to take on the [autotag]BYU Cougars[/autotag]. The Sooners and Cougars have met only two times before.

The first meeting came in the 1994 Copper Bowl, which saw a 31-6 Cougars win in a decade that was one of the worst in program history. The other matchup occurred at the start of the 2009 season in Arlington, TX. It’s a game many Sooner fans remember. That 2009 team had a ton of national hype before the season, but Heisman winner [autotag]Sam Bradford[/autotag] got injured in that game and essentially missed the rest of the season. The Cougars won 14-13.

Now the Sooners head to Utah for their one and only meeting as conference foes. In the build up to the game, the Sooners have announced their captains as Oklahoma attempts to get on the board in the all-time series.

This week’s captains will be [autotag]Kendel Dolby[/autotag], [autotag]Cayden Green[/autotag], [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag], [autotag]Jacob Sexton[/autotag], [autotag]Da’Jon Terry[/autotag] and [autotag]R Mason Thomas[/autotag].

It’s a young group with three freshmen and a sophomore. You also get a true freshman in that group.

Green has become a mainstay at guard since coming into the game in the Sooners Red River win in the Cotton Bowl.

Terry has been a force for the Sooners defensive line, eating up blocks to allow the linebackers to fly around. He’s been a key player in the Sooners’ goal-line stand success this season.

Thomas is someone who came in to the season with a lot of hype but has battled injuries for much of the season. He seems to finally be healthy getting his footing. [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] mentioned Thomas was their best EDGE defender in the offseason before getting injured.

Sexton has played as a role player on the offensive line since coming back from injury. But last week, with the injury to [autotag]Tyler Guyton[/autotag], Sexton got the start and played really well. Guyton’s status is one of the key injuries to watch this week, but Sexton could be in line for another start.

Sawchuk has really found a rhythm the last few weeks and has given Oklahoma stability at the running back position. He’s rushed for more than 100 yards in back-to-back games.

Dolby has been one of the mainstays on the defensive side of the ball. He’s taken over Justin Harrington’s role as the defensive back version of the cheetah and become an impact player as one of the Sooners’ best cover guys.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.

Josh Dobbs wins NFC Offensive Player of the Week award

Dobbs won the award after his Sam Bradford esque performance on Sunday

Once again, a Minnesota Vikings player was honored with an award. After playing Madden against the Atlanta Falcons, quarterback Josh Dobbs wins the NFC Offensive Player of the Week award.

We can talk about it for days upon days with Dobbs, as his performance against the Falcons is one that will sit in Vikings lore forever.

Dobbs’ play was similar to that of Sam Bradford in week two against the Green Bay Packers in 2016. Bradford had 13 days to get the playbook down and led the Vikings to an impressive victory.

Dobbs did something very similar in throwing for 150 yards, rushing for 68 yards and three total touchdowns. Imagine what he could do with time in the playbook. He will have a chance to do that on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints.

This is the second player of the week award with inside linebacker Jordan Hicks having won after the week six win against the Chicago Bears.

[lawrence-related id=85784,85782,85779,85771,85768,85739,85759]

Dillon Gabriel named a finalist for two prestigious awards

Dillon Gabriel has had a great season for the Sooners so far and that has landed him as a finalist of two awards.

[autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] has been as good as advertised this season for the Oklahoma Sooners. He’s currently completing a career-high 71.4% of his passes for 2,302 yards, 19 touchdowns and only four interceptions.

His play this season has earned him a spot as a finalist for two prestigious awards; the [autotag]Davey O’Brien[/autotag] QB Class of 2023 and the Unitas Golden Arm Award.

Gabriel is a member of the 35-player Davey O’Brien QB Class making him an official candidate for the 2023 Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award, which will be presented on Dec. 8, 2023.

A Sooner has won the Davey O’Brien award six times. [autotag]Billy Sims[/autotag] won the first one in 1978 when it was given to the most outstanding player and not just the most outstanding quarterback. [autotag]Jason White[/autotag] won the award twice, in 2003 and 2004. [autotag]Sam Bradford[/autotag] won the award in 2008. [autotag]Baker Mayfield[/autotag] in 2017, and [autotag]Kyler Murray[/autotag] in 2018.

He was announced as a top-10 finalist for the [autotag]Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award[/autotag] on Tuesday. That award is given to the top quarterback who is a college senior or fourth-year junior on schedule to graduate with their class. White is the lone Sooner to win the award.

Gabriel is certainly deserving of both of those awards. Per a release from the University of Oklahoma, He ranks in the top 10 nationally in points responsible for per game (20.2; third), total offense (324.5 yards per game; fifth), pass completion percentage (.714; eighth), passing efficiency rating (169.6; ninth) and passing touchdowns (19; 10th). He also leads the Big 12 in passing offense (278.8 yards per game; 13th nationally) and yards per pass attempt (9.1; 14th nationally).

He has a big opportunity to build upon his stellar season with a rivalry game this weekend.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.