This is a huge year for the Oklahoma program. Year one under new head coach Brent Venables will bring the challenge of maintaining a historic offensive reputation, while finally fixing a much-maligned defense. Venables may be a defensive-minded head coach but the offense has been Oklahoma’s bread and butter as of late, especially the quarterback position.
The Transfers
Venables and his staff secured top transfer quarterback Dillon Gabriel from UCF to help fill the gap left by both Spencer Rattler (South Carolina) and Caleb Williams (USC). Gabriel has already been named the starter by new offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby. Lebby and Gabriel have familiarity, as Gabriel played one of his best seasons for Lebby at UCF as a true freshman.
Gabriel’s history with Lebby was key to Oklahoma landing him and Sooner fans should be very excited about him. Gabriel was electric at UCF under Lebby and has 25 games under his belt. Gabriel was limited to just four games in 2021 due to a collarbone injury. He’s healthy now and the easy choice to be the next starting Oklahoma quarterback.
Venables and his staff also added Davis Beville from Pitt. Beville saw limited action at Pitt, behind first-round pick Kenny Pickett, but was effective when called upon. Coming out of high school in Greenville, South Carolina he was a three-star prospect. Beville left Pitt after former USC starter Kedon Slovis announced his intention to join the program. Beville’s most significant playing time at Pitt came in the Peach Bowl against Michigan State, where he threw a touchdown. He will have two remaining years of eligibility.
The staff also added a highly rated junior college transfer, General Booty. Booty’s name probably rings a bell to USC fans who may recall his uncle John-David Booty. The elder Booty played there from 2003 to 2007 and later in the NFL. General is an athletic RPO playmaker with rushing upside who should find a role in the offense, if not right away. The Allen, Texas product made headlines when he threw for over 500 yards and 8 touchdowns in a game against Navarro College last season. He has three remaining years of eligibility.
The Returnees/Freshmen
Also on the roster is true freshman Nick Evers. Evers was a 4-star recruit out of Flower Mound, Texas. He’s already been named a potential future Heisman trophy winner by 24/7 Sports’ Chris Singletary. That may seem like high praise given he hasn’t taken a snap but it’s not hard to see why. Evers shows off highly elite athletic traits and an arm that has a lot of pop. He’ll benefit greatly from sitting behind Dillion Gabriel and learning from a more experienced quarterback.
Evers, Booty, and Beville will likely compete for the job of backup quarterback but beyond them is Ralph Rucker. Rucker is an interesting case as he was not a highly recruited high school quarterback coming out of Lovejoy, Texas but instead walked on at Oklahoma. He was a three-sport high school athlete and his athleticism helped him make the roster and earned him praise from the coaching staff last fall.
The Sooners are very deep at the quarterback position and should have years of security with Evers and Booty. Venables has big shoes to fill when it comes to replacing quarterback guru Lincoln Riley but the talent is certainly there for him to make it happen. Whoever ends up being the long-term starter, the Oklahoma quarterback is always gonna have huge expectations. Gabriel seems ready to fill the job.
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