Stormin in Norman
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Oklahoma football: Jackson Arnold era as Sooners QB1 has begun

By Chip Rouse

Oklahoma’s Jackson Arnold (10) warms up before an NCAA football game between University of Oklahoma (OU) and Iowa State at the Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023.
Oklahoma’s Jackson Arnold (10) warms up before an NCAA football game between University of Oklahoma (OU) and Iowa State at the Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023. /
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College football’s ubiquitous transfer portal opened on Monday and with it came the report that Dillon Gabriel, the face of the Oklahoma football program the past two seasons, is expected to be among those on the move.

Gabriel had not made an official announcement as of this writing, but he sent a fairly strong signal of his intentions with a message on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday. In the message, he thanked Sooner fans for all their support the past two years.

The Oklahoma quarterback will not be the first Sooner to enter the portal after the 2023 season, but he is easily the biggest name regardless of what happens over the next month that the one-time transfer window remains open.

Gabriel finished the 2023 season with what was his best performance in five seasons of college ball. He completed nearly 70 percent of his passes for a career-best 3,660 yards, 30 touchdowns and just six interceptions. In addition, he collected 373 yards on the ground and 12 touchdowns. His career stats rank him seventh all-time in FBS passing yards (14,865) and fourth with 152 passing touchdowns.

The unanimous 2023 All-Big 12 First-Team selection came to Oklahoma from UCF via the transfer portal shortly after Brent Venables was named head coach in December 2021. It was reported that Gabriel was just hours away from enrolling at UCLA when new OU offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby, who coached Gabriel during his freshman year at UCF.

Gabriel leaving is not a complete surprise. With former five-star recruit and Gatorade National Player of the Year Jackson Arnold waiting in the wings and Gabriel having completed five college seasons with hopes of continuing his career at the next level, the expectation was that this would be his final year at OU. He does have one year of college eligibility remaining as a result of the COVID 2020 season.

With Lebby leaving to become the new head coach at Mississippi State, it would be logical to believe that Gabriel might elect to join his former offensive coordinator at his new destination. Oregon might be another possible landing spot with Heisman candidate Bo Nix expected to declare for the NFL Draft.

What all of this presumably means is that Arnold should get his first career start when the No. 12 Sooners face No. 14 Arizona in the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 28 in San Antonio.

Other Oklahoma players who have recently opted for the transfer portal are junior running back Tawee Walker, sophomore tight end Jason Llewellyn, senior wide receiver D.J. Graham, redshirt-junior offensive lineman Marcus Hicks and redshirt-junior offensive lineman Nate Anderson.

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