Oklahoma football coach Brent Venables cleared up the narrative Tuesday surrounding the transfer of now-Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who left the Sooners after two seasons in the offseason.
The Sooners have experienced offensive issues in 2024, including from the quarterback position. Amid inconsistencies at the quarterback position — along with Jackson Arnold, the 2024 starter being benched for his true freshman backup, Michael Hawkins Jr. — questions have arisen regarding how Venables handled the transfer of Gabriel, who left for Oklahoma for Oregon in the offseason.
Venables, who explained the situation unprompted at his weekly news conference on Tuesday, said he met with his former quarterback prior to last season’s Alamo Bowl loss to Arizona, in which Gabriel revealed to Venables he was opting out and not returning to Norman due to then-offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby taking the head coaching job at Mississippi State.
REQUIRED READING: OU football coach Brent Venables says Sooners did not run off QB Dillon Gabriel after 2023
Venables said he thought Gabriel was opting out of the bowl game to prepare for the NFL, but Gabriel told him he planned on staying in college and playing closer to Hawaii, his home state.
“I didn’t even know I had to fight this fight,” Venables said. “I didn’t realize (Gabriel) was even considering coming back.”
Venables later added:
“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.”
Gabriel was asked about Venables’ comments at his own interview at Oregon later on Tuesday.
“Honestly it’s so far gone,” Gabriel said….
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/brent-venables-says-oklahoma-didnt-221521668.html
Author : USA TODAY Sports
Publish date : 2024-09-24 22:15:21
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