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Oklahoma QB Dillon Gabriel Calmly Navigated His First Big 12 Media Days Appearance

The new signal caller for the Sooners was composed in the spotlight at AT&T Stadium on Thursday.

ARLINGTON, TX — A lot has changed for Dillon Gabriel over the past seven months.

At one point, the former UCF Knight appeared to be headed to UCLA.

Instead, he spent his Thursday afternoon representing the Oklahoma Sooners as the team’s starting quarterback at Big 12 Media Days.

Throughout his first trip to AT&T Stadium, Gabriel was ushered from sideline-to-sideline to sit down at different tables and participate in radio interviews, as well as making the rounds with ESPN and FOX Sports.

Gabriel embraced the experience, maintaining he just wanted to do right by the program.

“I just want to represent my university, my coaches, my teammates in a positive way,” Gabriel said. “And anyway I can do that, shoot I’m gonna be that for my team.”

As he takes a step into the massive spotlight at OU, Gabriel said he’s ready for the challenges ahead.

From taking the field in the Cotton Bowl to his first Bedlam bout, the Hawaiian said going to be achieving his goals for the Sooners.

“Football is football and I’m excited that it is on a bigger stage,” Gabriel told a group of reporters. “I’m excited for the opportunity. But man you dream for moments in big games and you dream of leading a two-minute drill to win the game.

“… I’m just living out my dream and all my dreams came true.”

That doesn’t mean life in Norman hasn’t come without adjustments, however.

Stepping up to the Power 5 on a weekly basis, Gabriel said he wasn’t bothered by the uptick in size and speed from the OU defense he went up against every day in spring practice.

His relationship with offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby as well as his ability to adapt to the moment helped smooth that transition, and Gabriel also drew on his wealth of experience as as starter from UCF.

“I’ve played at the college level, but I will say there are bigger, faster guys,” Gabriel told AllSooners.com. “… But more importantly there’s more all around, you know, mature human beings that make them the much better not he mental side.”

Gabriel will continue to lean on Lebby headed into the season, as their relationship from UCF will help him attack his first year at Oklahoma.

“He’s evolved, I’ve evolved, we’ve grown,” Gabriel said. “… Him being here now and being back together, man, that’s family. And (I) love him to death.”


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