Let’s face it, Oklahoma fans have been spoiled by the quarterback place since the turn of the century. From Josh Heupel to Jason White to Sam Bradford to Landry Jones the Sooners have witnessed some fantastic quarterback play..
Arguably, the best of the bunch came recently with Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, Jalen Hurts, and Caleb Williams for a season.
It’s one of the reasons Dillon Gabriel has been so heavily criticized. Sure, he has his flaws, but he’s a very good quarterback who should end up top 10 in the NCAA in career passing yards. He could even pass Mayfield at No. 7 if he has a decent year.
While he’s a good college quarterback, he’s not all-time great like his predecessors. But it is all of the success that has Oklahoma holding onto the top spot as “QBU” in ESPN’s updated position U rankings (ESPN+)
Dillon Gabriel was a solid addition to Oklahoma’s QB legacy, which includes Heisman Trophy winners Jason White, Sam Bradford, Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray, along with runner-up Jalen Hurts, but it’s hard not to consider the one who got away. When Lincoln Riley left for USC, he took Caleb Williams with him, and the Trojans’ new star won the Heisman last season. That cut Oklahoma’s lead at QBU in half from 2022, setting up a potentially huge swing next year, should Williams go No. 1 overall in the NFL draft, as many pundits expect. – David Hale ESPN
That last line however is key. The USC Trojans are No. 2 on the list. They have a guy who could win a second Heisman or, at the very least, go first in next year’s draft.
Rich Storry-USA TODAY Sports
Beyond how the Sooners rank in ESPN’s position U rankings, Oklahoma needs a big season from Dillon Gabriel on the gridiron to push them back into Big 12 title contention. If Gabriel improves in some of the critical areas of the game (third and fourth down and in the red zone), the Sooners will be a better football team.
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
While Oklahoma had some great wide receivers, this is a more recent honor. Starting in the early 2000s with Mark Clayton and then to Ryan Broyles, Sterling Shepard, DeDe Westbrook and CeeDee Lamb. The Sooners have had quite a few playmakers.
Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Oklahoma has had some of the best offensive lines in the country for a long time. That has only continued under Bill Bedenbaugh. Right now, the NFL is littered with former Oklahoma offensive linemen, including some of the best in the game, with Trent Williams, Lane Johnson, Creed Humphrey, and Orlando Brown. Anton Harrison was the latest Sooners offensive lineman to go in the first round.
Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
It’s funny sitting back and thinking about Oklahoma being dominant on defense after recent years, but that’s exactly what they’ve been.
The linebacker position is stacked with elite players like Brian Bosworth, Rocky Calmus, Teddy Lehman and guys who don’t get the appreciation they deserve like Travis Lewis, Curtis Lofton or Kenneth Murray.
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.