Oklahoma 2023 Report Cards: Dillon Gabriel Closes OU Stay With Career Year

The 2023 season saw Oklahoma’s quarterback return to the Heisman Trophy race — at least for a few weeks.

Dillon Gabriel was sensational in his fifth season as a signal caller in college football, raising his game in his final season in Norman.

The veteran finished with a career-best mark in completion percentage (69.3 percent), passing yards (3,660), yards per pass attempt (10.4), rushing yards (373) and rushing touchdowns (12) while also throwing 30 touchdowns and just six interceptions.

Entering the yearly battle against Texas, Gabriel was one of the most efficient players in the country, guiding the Sooners through close contests against SMU and Cincinnati while torching Arkansas State, Tulsa and Iowa State.

Before the heroics against Texas, Gabriel totaled 366 passing yards and three scores, punching in another two touchdowns on the ground to drop 50 points on Iowa State — a feat that simply doesn’t happen against Jon Heacock’s Cyclone defense.

And somehow, he topped that performance against the Longhorns. 

2023 Oklahoma Report Cards

• Jan. 9: Offensive line
• Jan. 10: Defensive end
• Jan. 11: Wide receiver
• Jan. 12: Defensive tackle
• Jan. 13: Tight end
• Jan. 14: Linebacker
• Jan. 15: Running back
• Jan. 16: Defensive back
• Jan. 17: Special teams
• Jan. 18: Cornerback
• Jan. 19: Quarterback
• Jan. 20: Coaches

Gabriel became the first Oklahoma quarterback to throw for 250 yards and rush for 100 yards against Texas, but he’ll forever be remembered for the final 1:17 in the Cotton Bowl.

It took him only five plays to march OU 75 yards, eventually hitting Nic Anderson just in front of the Pride of Oklahoma as the pocket closed around him to send the crimson half of the Cotton Bowl into pandemonium.

The signature moment not only erased nightmares of OU’s 49-0 defeat at the hands of Texas in 2022, but announced Brent Venables’ Sooners to the college football world and thrust Gabriel into the middle of Heisman talk. Momentum was lost over the following bye week, but to even be considered halfway through the year seemed like a dream to OU fans in September.

Gabriel’s season hit a speed bump in Lawrence after his offensive coordinator took the ball out of his hands following an early pick six.

The OU quarterback was only asked to throw the ball 19 times, even though he finished 14-of-19 for 171 yards and a touchdown.

Bedlam was much better, though Gabriel and Drake Stoops were unable to convert on fourth-and-4 to extend the game at the end.

Gabriel rebounded with an eight-touchdown showing against West Virginia the next week, but then disaster struck.

In the middle of a tight battle in Provo, BYU knocked Gabriel out of the game at halftime and the Sooners had to turn to true freshman Jackson Arnold.

Despite being dealt poor field position for much of the third quarter, Arnold did what was necessary — including converting a pair of key third downs late in the fourth quarter — to keep the Sooners mathematically in the Big 12 title hunt.

Gabriel finished the year on a high, leading the Sooners to an easy win over TCU on Black Friday, before he truly handed the keys over to Arnold by entering the transfer portal, where he would eventually land at Oregon.

In 12 games of action, Gabriel finished as the third highest ranked quarterback at the end of the year by Pro Football Focus, trailing only Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels and Oregon’s Bo Nix.

Arnold’s first start in the Alamo Bowl was rocky, with much promise in the second and third quarters bookended by a turnover-heavy first and fourth quarter.

The true freshman finished the contest completing 26-of-45 passes for 361 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions while also fumbling at the end of the game when protection broke down in front of him.

Still, Arnold displayed poise both in Provo and after a tough start in San Antonio, showing plenty of promise for his first season as QB1 in 2024.

AllSooners Quarterback Grades

• Hoover: A
• Chapman: A
• Sweet: B+
• Lovelace: A+

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