Oklahoma
Oklahoma’s Dillon Gabriel, Marvin Mims two of ESPN’s top 100 players for 2022
Oklahoma is slightly below three weeks from the beginning of its 2022 season. Extra particularly, they’re three weeks from the start of a brand new period underneath first-year head coach Brent Venables.
This time final 12 months many anticipated the Oklahoma Sooners to contend for a nationwide title underneath then head coach Lincoln Riley. In a loopy calendar 12 months a lot has modified, however excessive expectations stay the identical for Oklahoma Soccer.
They go into the season with a plethora of questions in regards to the roster, Venables’ expertise, their future, and lots of different issues however the cabinet isn’t utterly naked.
ESPN compiled a listing of what they imagine to be the highest 100 gamers in faculty soccer for 2022. Oklahoma has two of these high 100 gamers; Marvin Mims and Dillon Gabriel.
Marvin Mims is available in at No. 64 and is clearly Oklahoma’s primary goal within the passing sport. ESPN had this to say about Mims:
Regardless of catching simply 32 passes final 12 months, Mims averaged 22.0 yards per reception (first in Large 12, fourth nationally), ending with 705 yards and 5 touchdowns, down from 9 TD catches as a freshman. He has led Oklahoma in receiving yards each seasons he has been in Norman and may gain advantage from Jeff Lebby’s spin on the brand new OU offense. – ESPN Employees
Mims’s freshman season was the right tease of what he’s able to in Norman. Whereas the anticipated leap didn’t happen a loopy 12 months for Oklahoma’s offense in 2021, it’s anticipated that underneath Lebby, Mims will exceed the efficiency of his freshman 12 months.
One factor’s for sure: Mims will likely be fed alternatives in bunches. Lebby has by no means shied away from force-feeding his greatest playmakers and there’s no motive to imagine that may begin now. Generally being a terrific offensive thoughts is about not overthinking or complicating issues, letting your nice gamers be nice.
The opposite Sooner to characteristic within the high 100 for 2022 is the brand new beginning quarterback and essentially the most integral a part of this staff’s whole success, switch quarterback Dillon Gabriel. Gabriel ranks No. 70 in ESPN’s high 100.
After beginning 25 of 26 video games in his profession at UCF, the place he threw for 8,037 yards, 70 TDs to 14 INTs, Gabriel transferred to Oklahoma and can rejoin Jeff Lebby, his previous offensive coordinator. Gabriel went down with an harm after simply three video games final 12 months, however ranked second nationally in complete offense (373.9 ypg) in 2020. – ESPN Employees
Gabriel, a switch from UCF reunites with the person who helped make him a freshman All-American, Jeff Lebby. After seeing the numbers he put up as a freshman and what Lebby has carried out the final two years at Ole Miss with quarterback Matt Corral, optimism is legitimate.
Gabriel could make all of the throws and has expertise on this system. That have ought to translate to significant outcomes early within the 2022 season.
Gabriel has the expertise, weapons, and help employees to be thought-about the Large 12’s greatest quarterback. Will he personal that title by December? We’re about to search out out.
Extra importantly, for the Sooners to reclaim the highest spot within the Large 12, they’ll want their two greatest offensive gamers to play prefer it in 2022.
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Story initially appeared on Sooners Wire