Oklahoma football in better shape than many think for 2022, no foolin’
By Chip Rouse
Cale Gundy has been part of Oklahoma football for almost three decades — four as a player in the early 1990s and going on 24 as an assistant coach.
He’s played for or worked under four Sooner head coaches during that time, all with different personalities, philosophies and designs on the game. No one has a better feel for Oklahoma football right now — past present and future.
Everyone assumes that the defense will see much improvement with Brent Venables, one of the best defensive minds in college football today, returning to Oklahoma as the 23rd head coach in the storied history of Sooner football. That may not happen overnight, but it is almost a certainty over the next year or two, similar to what we saw when Bob Stoops, another great defensive mastermind came onboard as OU head coach in 1999 and brought Venables with him from the Kansas State coaching staff.
The bigger question for Sooners fans and the media that follow Oklahoma football is: What impact will Lincoln Riley leaving have on the Sooner offense, which has been one of the most prolific in college football since Riley arrived in Norman as offensive coordinator ahead of the 2015 season?
“Lincoln was a great offensive mind,” said Gundy in a press briefing this week when asked to discuss the difference between the current offense and the one we’ve seen in recent years under Riley.
“You know in his background and his history, it was mainly throwing and passing and getting the ball in space. He learned the run game over time, and I think he would tell you he became a better coach when he got her because we ran the ball more.”
As for the new offense the Sooners are installing, “Jeff (Lebby the new offensive coordinator) is already polished in all those areas,” Gundy said. “It’s very, very impressive, and it’s only going to make us better.
“There’s not anything in the offense that has anything to do with any of the 11 players that he does not know assignment, alignment or technique,” he said.
"“All you have to do is look at the history of Lebby’s offenses at UCF and more recently at Ole Miss and look at the players and quarterbacks who have had success in it, Gundy said. “He’s knocking on the door as one of the top offensive minds in college football.”"
Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? And that has played out pretty well at Oklahoma in recent years.
Asked what has stood out about Dillon Gabriel, the transfer from UCF who has already been designated as the Sooner starter at quarterback:
"“You could tell (from the players) how they react when he’s in the facility, in a meeting room or on the field. They just absorb to him. They love his attitude. They love his demeanor. He’s been in this (Jeff Lebby’s) system for a long time. He knows it like the back of his hand.”"
Gundy went on to point out that Gabriel takes time to meet with the players and spends extra time to help them learn and understand the new offensive system and prepare for the practices. “That’s what leaders do,” Gundy said. “That’s what great players do,”
And that’s what the Sooners are getting in Gabriel.
Gundy says he’s as excited as he’s ever been about the coming season. “I’m not just saying that,” he says. “I think OU football is heading in the best direction that we’ve ever been in a long time. And it starts with the top, with our leadership.”