Top-5 questions for the Oklahoma Sooners at SEC media day
By Brandon Self
5. To Venables: "Was it Dillon Gabriel's desire to leave OU or was he not encouraged to stay?"
Former Sooner quarterback Dillon Gabriel transferred to Oregon in the offseason. Now, Gabriel is among many of the nation's experts picked to be the frontrunner for the Heisman.
I do not think Gabriel was forced out. I also can't see a legitimate reason why he would really want to leave before last season. If Gabriel had transferred to Mississippi State with former offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby, I could see the reason to leave.
When Gabriel approached the staff wanting to enter the portal, I wondered what the reaction was. Obviously, the Sooners' coaching staff knew Gabriel was talented, but did they truly try to get him to stay? Or was the staff ready to transition to the Jackson Arnold era and let Gabriel go?
It would be interesting to see if Head Coach Brent Venables tried to get Gabriel to stay or simply said, "Ok, thanks for everything, good luck," when he was approached with the news.