NORMAN — At least one massive offensive piece will return for OU football in 2023.
Quarterback Dillon Gabriel introduced his return on Twitter.
“This island boy found a home in Oklahoma,” Gabriel posted.
In his first season with the Sooners after spending three seasons at Central Florida, Gabriel threw for 3,168 yards and 25 touchdowns with six interceptions in 12 video games.
It was the fewest passing yards for OU’s beginning quarterback — together with the mixed Spencer Rattler/Caleb Williams numbers in 2021 — over the previous eight seasons, besides for the COVID-truncated 2020 season the place Rattler threw for 3,031 yards.
It was the fewest passing touchdowns for an OU starter in the course of the span, together with 2020.
More:Tramel’s ScissorTales: College football calendar needs an overhaul, including signing day
How did Dillon Gabriel fare in first season with Sooners?
There had been excessive expectations for the Sooners offense when Gabriel transferred from Orlando, the place he threw for 8,037 yards and 70 touchdowns in 19 video games from 2019-21 earlier than struggling a career-ending harm.
In Norman, Gabriel reunited with offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby, who was the Knights’ offensive coordinator in 2019 when Gabriel threw for a career-high 3,653 yards.
His efficiency was inconsistent at occasions — he accomplished solely 43.8% of his passes in opposition to TCU on Oct. 1 earlier than being injured, and threw three interceptions within the Sooners’ Nov. 5 loss to Baylor, however he additionally threw for greater than 400 yards twice turning into the primary OU quarterback since Baker Mayfield in 2017 to attain the mark a number of occasions in a season.
“From a totality standpoint, I think there was a lot of good,” Lebby stated after the Sooners’ 35-32 Cheez-It Bowl loss to Florida State on Dec. 29 when requested to consider Gabriel’s season. “I thought there was a situation today where he did an unbelievable job of keeping those guys together on the sideline when things weren’t good. He continued to try to play the next play, fight to play the next play, take care of the football and give us a chance to win the game.”
While Gabriel’s efficiency typically annoyed Sooners followers used to watching Mayfield, Kyler Murray, Jalen Hurts and even Rattler and Williams main the offense, Gabriel’s worth was maybe by no means extra evident than Oct. 8 in opposition to Texas when Gabriel was out with an harm.
The Sooners, with Davis Beville stepping in for Gabriel, threw for simply 39 yards in that 49-0 loss.
When he returned the subsequent week in opposition to Kansas, Gabriel threw for 403 yards and two touchdowns.
More:Tramel’s ScissorTales: How Lincoln Riley’s USC defense was no better than his OU defense
His different monster sport got here within the regular-season finale in opposition to Texas Tech, a 51-48 loss on Nov. 26, when Gabriel threw for 449 yards and 6 touchdowns.
Now, the query is will Gabriel’s high goal return?
Wide receiver Marvin Mims, who led the Sooners with 54 catches for 1,083 yards and 6 touchdowns, has but to announce his determination.
But Gabriel’s return figures to improve the probabilities Mims would determine to return.
Drake Stoops, who was tied for second on the Sooners with 39 catches, already introduced his determination to return.
Gabriel’s announcement additionally comes the identical day UCF offensive lineman Matt Lee, who had been the Golden Knights’ beginning middle for the previous three seasons, visited OU after not too long ago getting into the switch portal.
Lee, who has two seasons of eligibility remaining, was UCF’s starter in 2020 when Gabriel threw for 3,570 yards and a career-high 32 touchdowns.
With Nick Evers’ current switch to Wisconsin — the place he’ll possible sit behind one other former OU quarterback, Tanner Mordecai, subsequent season — Jackson Arnold figures to be Gabriel’s heir apparent.
Arnold, a five-star prospect and the No. 13 general participant within the 2023 class in accordance to Rivals, signed with the Sooners in December.
Beville additionally stays on the Sooners’ roster with two seasons of eligibility remaining.
More:What are the biggest areas where OU football must improve in 2023?
Dillon Gabriel’s statistics for 2022 season
Here’s how OU quarterback Dillon Gabriel fared in his first season with the Sooners:
Passing yards: 3,168 (FBS rank: twenty seventh)
Touchdowns: 25 (T-Twenty fourth)
Interceptions: 6 (T-Thirty fifth)
This article initially appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma QB Dillon Gabriel will return to Sooners football for 2023
put up credit score to Source link