JD PicKell: How Oklahoma defense can elevate ceiling for Dillon Gabriel

The Oklahoma defense has to be better in 2023. The Sooners struggled in the inaugural season for coach Brent Venables last year, finishing 122nd out of 131 FBS teams in total defense.

As On3‘s JD PicKell explained in a recent episode of The Hard Count, that affected Dillon Gabriel and the offense as well. The quarterback put up solid numbers with 3,168 yards passing, 25 touchdowns and six interceptions but struggled to outscore teams as the defense allowed 40 or more points on five occasions.

“The defense a season ago, it allowed 30 points a game,” PicKell said. “You know how hard it is to call an offense when your defense gives up 30 points a game? You are just consistently in chase mode. ‘Coach, they’re gonna score 30-plus. We’ve got to find a way to score 30-plus otherwise we’re not winning this football game.’ That’s a tough situation to be in Saturday in and Saturday out.”

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Venables addressed the defense this offseason with several big transfer portal additions. Former Indiana linebacker Dasan McCullough is the player generating the most buzz of that group. He led the Hoosiers with four sacks as a true freshman to earn first team freshman All-American honors from ESPN.

OU also added several players on the defensive line, including Notre Dame transfer Jacob Lacey and Wake Forest transfer Rondell Bothroyd. If those new players can help Venables and the Sooners turn things around defensively, PicKell believes it will make life that much easier on Gabriel and the offense.

“Improving, that puts much less pressure on the offense,” he said. “That puts much less pressure on Dillon Gabriel and this offense to have to press. When you’re not able to just sit back and play your game because you’re worried about what the defense is gonna do, it throws you off your rhythm. So if the defense improves, then the offense gets to find their rhythm. Dillon Gabriel gets to dictate turns. That would be crucial for them in 2023. That would be crucial for the direction of Oklahoma as a whole. But Dillon Gabriel improving, I think, is right in line with how the defense is going to improve.”

Oklahoma finished 6-7 last season for its first losing record since 1998, but a new-look defense brings optimism the Sooners can get back on the winning side of things. They’ll kick off the season on Sept. 2 against Arkansas State.