100 Days to Football Time in Oklahoma: #8 Dillon Gabriel By: Ryan Lewis Posted on: August 26, 2022

Player Profile

Position: Quarterback

Height: 5’11”

Weight: 204

Class: Redshirt Junior

Seasons at OU: 0

Hometown: Mililani, HI

The Path to Norman

Dillon Gabriel has played football all over the country. He played high school ball in Hawai’i, where he was a three-start recruit, earned several Player of the Year honors his senior season, and set a state record for career passing yards. Originally, the quarterback committed to Army, but landed at UCF to start his college football journey. There, he put together two prolific seasons before a season-ending injury cut short his 2021 season. Following his third year, Gabriel entered the transfer portal and committed to UCLA. However, the new Sooner staff (including Gabriel’s freshman season OC / QB coach Jeff Lebby) came calling and Gabriel joined the Sooners.

Career so Far

Gabriel was an impact player in his first season with UCF. UCF was coming off a 25-1 record from 2017-2018; 2019 was another successful season. Gabriel started all games but one at quarterback, leading UCF to a 10-win season and setting several school records. Coach Lebby was the OC / QB coach for the season.

Expectations were high for 2020; in a shortened season, Gabriel met those expectations. He was a semifinalist for both the Maxwell and Davey O’Brien awards, ranked second nationally in offensive yards per game, and ranked fourth nationally in passing touchdowns. Despite a step back in wins for UCF, Gabriel was an impact player.

Unfortunately, 2021 was a short season for the QB. Gabriel started the first three games of the season before a season-ending injury sidelined him. He sat out the rest of the year, then entered the transfer portal. UCLA was initially his landing spot, but Coach Lebby and the Sooners came calling and Gabriel headed to Oklahoma, before he knew if he would even be the starter.

Stats

Years: 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | Career

Games Played: 3 | 10 | 13 | 26

Pass Comp.: 70 | 248 | 236 | 554

Pass Att.: 102 | 403 | 398 | 903

Pass %: 68.6 | 60 | 59.3 | 187.9

Pass Yards: 814 | 3570 | 3653 | 8037

Pass TD: 9 | 32 | 29 | 70

Interceptions: 3 | 4 | 7 | 14

Carries: 24 | 72 | 71 | 167

Rush Yards: 125 | 169 | 78 | 372

Rush TD: 2 | 2 | 4 | 8

Stats via Soonersports.com

Highlights

This Season

Gabriel is set to be the starter in his first season in Norman. He was bold enough to become a Sooner knowing that he might have stiff competition (which quickly evaporated) because he is working with an OC / QB coach he knows and is in a place he can excel. The offense will look completely different in 2022, but it will most certainly be Gabriel’s to command.