HE’S BACK AGAIN: Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables announces the return of Dillion Gabriel from…………read more

HE’S BACK AGAIN: Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables announces the return of Dillion Gabriel from…………read more

Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables spoke at his weekly press conference on Tuesday and discussed his former quarterback, Dillion Gabriel.

Venables cleared the air about why Gabriel left Oklahoma for Oregon this past offseason. Venables was blunt, saying the Heisman hopeful left Norman for Eugene because he wanted to be closer to home. “You can’t make a guy stay,” Venables said. “The guy is trying to find the next thing; the next chapter for him. I’m sure there was probably some disappointment that (Gabriel) wasn’t more highly thought of in the NFL. He had an amazing year. He was a fantastic quarterback. But we didn’t run anybody off or things like that.

While Venables shared his side of the story, Gabriel reportedly opted out and did not return to Oklahoma because then-offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby had taken the head coaching job at Mississippi State. Venables also thought Gabriel was not playing in the last game of the 2023 season because he was preparing for the NFL.

Instead, he entered the transfer portal and wanted to play closer to his home state of Hawaii. Gabriel told his side of the story in a press conference in Oregon on Tuesday. “Honestly it’s so far gone,” Gabriel said. “I just know God’s got me right where I need to be. I’ve got a smile on my face every day because I’m in Eugene, Oregon, around a bunch of great guys. Of course, those are guys that are my brothers for life and guys I’ve played with. Like I said, it’s people I still talk to on the team, players-wise. You focus on what you can control and that’s right where I’m at. Like I said, I’m happy. I know God put me right where I need to be and I think that’s all that needs to be said, honestly.” The topic of Gabriel came up with Venables due to the poor quarterback play his team has experienced thus far through the 2024 season. The Sooners have been inconsistent at that position thus far, led by Jackson Arnold and Michael Hawkins Jr