The early stages of the offseason were intriguing for the Oklahoma Sooners. [autotag]NFL draft[/autotag] decisions awaited for a number of players like [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] and [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag], who ultimately returned for another year with the Sooners.
One player who was expected to head to the NFL, [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag], surprised everyone when he made the decision to enter the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag]. Ultimately, his portal journey ended with a commitment to Oregon, but it came as a surprise nonetheless.
In an interview with The Athletic’s Christopher Kamrani (subscription required), Gabriel and his family revealed he received a conservative seventh round-undrafted free agent NFL draft grade. That led to his decision to want to return for one more year, but according to the story, it was Oklahoma’s five-star quarterback [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] who was the motivating factor in Gabriel’s decision to transfer.
It wasn’t because of the potential quarterback competition, one Gabriel would have likely won due to his experience. But according to Gabriel’s mom via The Athletic, the former Sooners quarterback was concerned “Jackson might leave, and he didn’t want that for the program.”
Nobody knows how that all would have really played out. Only Dr. Strange using the time stone could see the possibilities. Much like Arch Manning at Texas, Arnold could have very well stuck it out for another year behind Gabriel. Only Oklahoma’s starting quarterback for 2024 knows how that might have played out.
What we do know is that both Dillon Gabriel and Jackson Arnold have opportunities for big seasons. Both Oregon and Oklahoma are moving to new conferences and both programs should contend for a playoff spot this year.
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