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Oklahoma football: Top 5 “What if?” scenarios for the 2023 Sooner football season

By Brandon Self

Dec 29, 2022; Orlando, Florida, USA; Oklahoma Sooners running back Gavin Sawchuk (27) runs with the ball against the Florida State Seminoles in the second quarter during the 2022 Cheez-It Bowl at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 29, 2022; Orlando, Florida, USA; Oklahoma Sooners running back Gavin Sawchuk (27) runs with the ball against the Florida State Seminoles in the second quarter during the 2022 Cheez-It Bowl at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports /
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What if Dillon Gabriel gets hurt? 

Oklahoma Red Team’s Jackson Arnold (10) passes the ball during a spring scrimmage game at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman Okla., on Saturday, April 22, 2023.Ou Spring
Oklahoma Red Team’s Jackson Arnold (10) passes the ball during a spring scrimmage game at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman Okla., on Saturday, April 22, 2023.Ou Spring /

Answer: We hope it doesn’t happen but the backup has 5-stars.

It’s never a good thing to think about guys getting hurt. Let me make this official again: I WANT DILLON GABRIEL TO START EVERY SNAP OF THIS SEASON AT QUARTERBACK. Gabriel has earned the job and is a leader of this team. His athletic ability is proven, and he is the conference’s leading production-earning quarterback. Gabriel is the most efficient quarterback in the conference and near the top nationally. The Oklahoma football team is at its best, with Dillon Gabriel playing quarterback. However, Gabriel gets hurt.

Throughout his career, Dillon Gabriel has seen several injuries. We won’t return to his UCF days, but last year is proof. He was concussed, to no fault of his own, against TCU and Texas. Both were blowout losses. Both resulted in abysmal quarterback play. The stat line from the quarterback position during those two games (not naming any names): 13 for 28 for 88 yards and 0 scores. 3 picks with an average of 7.6 qbr. That’s a record-breaking low.

5-star freshman backup Jackson Arnold is young, inexperienced, and raw… but he isn’t that. If Gabriel gets hurt, Jackson Arnold will be in a difficult position, especially if the injury comes in Big 12 play. Making your first start against Texas, BYU, or even Kansas (this year) would be tough. But Arnold has much better odds of serving as a serviceable backup than last year’s choices.

Remember Sooner Nation, Dillon Gabriel is our guy. Nobody wants to see the pilot of the plane go down, especially the one flying the one you’re on. However, in the slightly elevated chance it happens, the co-pilot is “supposed” to be really good.

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