Brent Venables reveals what special attributes Dillon Gabriel brings to Oklahoma

Brent Venables is confident that Dillon Gabriel is the quarterback Oklahoma needs this season. A transfer from UCF, Gabriel is set to start for the Sooners in 2022 following the departures of both Caleb Williams and Spencer Rattler.

Gabriel has the benefit of working new Sooners offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby, who served in the same role at UCF during the 2019 season. That familiarity with the system was evident during spring practice, but more than that Venables saw the qualities that make Gabriel such a special player.

“It was a fun spring,” Venables said on the College Football Daily podcast. “At times for coach Lebby probably frustrating because everything was new for everyone other than Dillon. Dillon was the one guy that had experience within the system. The rest of them really hadn’t thrown a ball in a college game at Oklahoma. Dillon really transitioned quickly. Very calm. He’s not a big ‘Rah-Rah’ guy. Incredibly confident and shows tremendous humility day in and day out. He’s got a positivity, good juice and a great presence to him. He’s always ready. He’s a ball junkie always around the football offices nonstop and players like him. They’re attracted to his work ethic and his humility. He’s got a can-do, get-to mindset with everything that he does.”

Dillon Gabriel has plenty of expectations to live up to at Oklahoma, which has become known for its high level of quarterback play over the years. The Sooners have sent three quarterbacks to the NFL over the past five seasons in Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and Jalen Hurts.

A three-star recruit in the 2019 class, Gabriel brings college experience as a starter the past three seasons with the Knights. In 2019 as a true freshman under Lebby, Gabriel showed that he was a special player, finishing with 3,653 yards and 29 touchdowns while leading the Knights to a 10-3 record.

He followed that up with 3,570 yards and 32 touchdowns as a sophomore, as it appeared primed to become a star in 2021. However, Gabriel suffered a broken clavicle in the third game of the season and sat out the rest of the year. How he bounces back from that injury will be a major storyline to monitor heading into next season.

But Venables has seen enough already to know that Gabriel has qualities that every coach dreams of.

“The great ones, the great playcallers, the great CEOs, the great players compete with this different level of anticipation no matter what it is,” Venables said. “So he does a great job from an anticipation standpoint if that’s pocket presence or throwing the ball on time even if that window is closed. He knows it’s getting ready to open up. He has those instinctual things to him that you can’t coach and you love about the really good ones.”

Dillon Gabriel is set to make his Oklahoma debut on Sept. 3 when the Sooners open the 2022 season against UTEP.