It's Time To Take This Player Seriously In The Heisman Discussion
Norman, OK - Caleb Williams, Shedeur Sanders, Michael Penix Jr, etc..., all of the flashy names are dominating the Heisman discussion, but there's one that's not getting his due. Dillon Gabriel is quietly making an incredible case for himself. Let's break down what he's done, and why he has a chance to be on top of this whole thing by the end of this season.
Blazing Start To 2023
Gabriel has started this year off with a bang. Three games in, Gabriel has just over 900 yards passing, 11 TDs (12 total), and just one interception. Oklahoma has won all three games handily, and most staggeringly, he's completing passes at a ridiculous 82.5% completion rate and has a rating of over 220, which is third in college football currently. The accolades have started rolling in - Gabriel was named Big 12 offensive player of the week off of his Tulsa performance.
What makes this even more impressive is the fact that Gabriel has missed almost three full quarters of play, largely due to his own dominance. He's averaging over 11 yards an attempt, a clip that is symptomatic of his explosiveness this year. He's looked more confident than ever early this year and has Oklahoma playing the same way.
Actual Systematic Improvements From 2022
Gabriel had a fairly good 2022, having over 3000 yards passing in 10 games of action, and throwing for 25 TDs to just 6 interceptions. However, his overthrow issues and occasional inability to make plays in the biggest moments contributed to costing Oklahoma a large number of single-digit games.
While Oklahoma hasn't been in a wire-to-wire battle, Gabriel scored two extremely important fourth-quarter touchdowns against SMU to clinch a game that was tight for three quarters. While it wasn't quite a "Heisman moment", in a game in which the offense struggled mightily, he avoided turnovers and scored four necessary touchdowns.
He has also been far more aggressive with the deep ball than last year and has been far more accurate - the overthrows from last year are looking to be a thing of the past. With yet another year of experience under Lebby under his belt, and him now having a year at OU, he and Oklahoma are far better set up than last year. The learning curve is gone - it's time for him to explode.
Chances To Prove Himself On A Big Stage Are Coming
Dillon Gabriel hasn't really been in the national spotlight yet, and that's about to change. Starting with big noon this week against Cincinnati, Gabriel's conference schedule will provide him with plenty of opportunities to thrive against a national audience. This week's game will be important for him to make a big statement ahead of the Texas matchup.
Should he be up to the task in his first two conference games, a game between a pair of highly-ranked 5-0 Oklahoma and Texas teams could end up clashing in Red River Rivalry that has more implications than any OU-Texas game in recent memory. Between Gabriel and Ewers, Heisman contention could be on the line, and between Oklahoma and Texas, Big 12 and even CFP implications could be on the line.
On the side of his competitors, not everybody in the Pac-12 contender cluster of Caleb Williams, Shedeur Sanders, and Michael Penix can come out of that race equally unscathed. At this rate, the opening is there for Gabriel, should he be able to take it. In large part, it will predicate on whether or not he can follow up these last three games, and whether Oklahoma can do the same to keep him in the national limelight. If they keep winning, he won't be a dark horse for long.
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