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Oklahoma's Dillon Gabriel Named Big 12 Co-Newcomer of the Week

Oklahoma's starting signal caller received recognition for his big weekend.
Ross Lovelace|
Oklahoma's Dillon Gabriel Named Big 12 Co-Newcomer of the Week
Oklahoma's Dillon Gabriel Named Big 12 Co-Newcomer of the Week

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Oklahoma Sooners

After Oklahoma’s dominating 33-3 win over Kent State, quarterback Dillon Gabriel was named the Big 12’s Conference Newcomer of the Week, the conference announced on Monday.

In addition to Gabriel, Iowa State linebacker Colby Reeder was also named a Co-Newcomer of the Week.

Gabriel was sharp on Saturday, finishing the afternoon with 296 passing yards, three touchdowns and no turnovers. The redshirt junior was also extremely efficient, completing 75 percent of his passes for a 199.2 QB rating.

Last week against UTEP, Gabriel connected on a few big plays but mentioned multiple times there were a few throws he wanted back. On Saturday, Gabriel seemed to be settled in and the nerves were no longer in play. It took a quarter or two to get started, but once he was in rhythm, it was a huge evening for him.

It was clear that Oklahoma’s game plan included establishing the connection between Gabriel and Marvin Mims. Heading into a big non-conference game in Lincoln, NE, the pair seems to be in sync. Mims reeled in seven catches for 163 yards and two touchdowns, including a 58-yard bomb from his quarterback.

In two games with the Sooners, Gabriel is now 36-of-51 for 529 yards, five touchdowns and zero interceptions. His game-managing style, sprinkled in with big plays and strong throws, could be just what Oklahoma needs this season.

Texas Tech's Donovan Smith was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week, Kansas' Cobee Bryant is the Defensive Player of the Week, and K-State's Phillip Brooks is the Special Teams Player of the Week.

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Ross Lovelace
ROSS LOVELACE

Ross has covered the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Oklahoma Sooners since 2018. He's made guest appearances on various radio stations and the Sooners On SI podcast. Ross enjoys public speaking and has done so at multiple churches and high schools across the OKC metro area. In addition to writing, Ross has been the Play-by-Play announcer for Crossings’ basketball and football programs since 2020. In high school, Ross started with Thunder Digest, where he discovered his passion for writing. From there, he worked for the OU Daily as a women's basketball reporter and worked for Sooners On SI and Thunder On SI. Ross holds a bachelor's degree in Public Relations and a minor in Communication from the University of Oklahoma. Born and raised in Oklahoma City, Ross played basketball and wrote for his own Thunder blog at Crossings High School in OKC. He enjoys reading, New York Jets football and a week at the beach. Ross and his wife live in New Orleans, where he is a Marketing and Volunteer Coordinator at the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation and the New Orleans Super Bowl Host Committee. His Twitter handle is @Rosslovelace.

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