UCF quarterback flips transfer commitment following Caleb Williams news
Just hours after Oklahoma quarterback Caleb Williams announced his plans to enter the transfer portal, the Sooners have picked up another quarterback through the portal. Former UCF quarterback Dillon Gabriel announced on Twitter he plans to transfer and join the Sooners’ quarterback room.
Gabriel, who missed most of the season with an injury, had previously announced his transfer commitment to UCLA. Suddenly, the Bruins are left without a quarterback and Oklahoma has rebounded from the news of Williams’ decision.
During his first two years at UCF from 2019-20, Gabriel threw for 7,223 yards and 61 touchdowns while completing 59.7% of his passes during that span. Prior to his injury this season, he went 70 for 102 for 818 yards and nine touchdowns in three games.
He’s a former three-star recruit and was the No. 7 recruit out of Hawaii from the Class of 2019, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.
Gabriel’s move reunites him with Jeff Lebby. The new Oklahoma offensive coordinator was Gabriel’s offensive coordinator back in 2019 at UCF. Together, the quarterback threw for 3,653 yards and 29 touchdowns as the Knights ranked fifth in the nation in total offense.
What this means for Caleb Williams, Oklahoma
When Williams announced he was entering the portal earlier Monday, he did not rule out Oklahoma as an option. That could change now with the news of Gabriel’s decision.
Williams’ ascension to stardom was one of the more positive storylines to come out of Norman this season. He took over for Spencer Rattler in the Red River Rivalry game against Texas, leading Oklahoma to a 21-point comeback and 55-48 victory.
After that, the freshman remained the starting quarterback to finish out the season. He threw for 1,912 yards and scored 27 total touchdowns as OU closed the year with an 11-2 record.
Williams came to Oklahoma as the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2021 class according to On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.
With Lincoln Riley’s move to USC and Oklahoma hiring Brent Venables as its next head coach, Williams’ decision to enter the transfer portal and reassess his options made since. The thought of going back to Norman might not be as simple now.