OU’s Dillon Gabriel putting together a Heisman-worthy campaign
Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel drops back to attempt a pass during the second quarter against Iowa State Saturday October 29, 2022 at Jack Trice Stadium. (Lynn Harrington/stayaliveinpoweer5)
The veteran gunslinger is having a remarkable season in his second year at Oklahoma, and it seems like the best is yet to come.
After all, Dillon Gabriel has led the Sooners to a 7-0 start, and they’re No. 6 in this week’s AP Poll, which is the highest of any Big 12 team. Everything appears to be coming full circle for the Hawaii native this fall. Gabriel just took down his former team last week, and he got to put on the Golden hat earlier this month.
The 22-year old leads the Big 12, and is ninth in the FBS in completion percentage, and passing yards per game. Not to mention Gabriel’s 19 touchdown tosses are also No. 1 in the conference. On top of that, the quarterback has taken Oklahoma’s offense to new heights.
The Sooners are first in the Big 12, and fourth nationally in scoring offense, averaging 43.1 points per game. Oklahoma is nearly averaging 500 yards of total offense per game too. That’s because of Gabriel’s experience, production and leadership. The 5-foot-11, 204-pounder clearly makes others around him better, and his teammates always feed off his energy.
His jaw-dropping production shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering Gabriel led the entire FBS in passing yards per game at UCF in 2020. He was also named the Big 12’s Newcomer of the Year at Oklahoma last season. Now that the Sooners are sitting atop the Big 12 standings, they’re going to get every opponent’s best.
The next five games will be challenging, starting with a dangerous road trip to Kansas this Saturday. The Jayhawks are coming off a bye-week, and they definitely watched every minute of the Sooners’ tight battle with the Knights. Kansas’ offense is explosive enough to give Oklahoma problems. So Gabriel should be ready to answer the bell if the game turns into an offensive shootout. The former three-star prospect passed for 403 yards in last year’s win over the Jayhawks.
He’ll also need to take advantage of the spotlight with FOX Big Noon Kickoff set to host the event. The Big 12 needs the Sooners to go unscathed to guarantee a spot in the Playoffs. There’s no denying Oklahoma control its’ own destiny, and Gabriel is guiding the ship. His last outing was a subpar performance, but that can be attributed to Gabriel’s history with Gus Malzahn and the Knights.
Washington’s Michael Penix Jr., struggled last week, as well as Florida State’s Jordan Travis. So with a stellar afternoon against the Jayhawks, Gabriel can potentially become the favorite to win the Heisman. The last Hawaiian to accomplish such an amazing feat was Oregon’s Marcus Mariota. Gabriel has a chance to make his home state proud like Mariota, if he continues to play at a high level, Oklahoma goes undefeated and wins the Big Title.
With each game the stakes become higher, so there’s a slim margin for error. After the Sooners’ close call last week, expect Coach Brent Venables to field a focused team in Lawrence, and for Gabriel to play lights out. However, the weather forecast will be rainy, and that could lead to sloppy play. The College football world will see if Gabriel can put the Sooners on his back and carry them to the finish line again.
