Dillon Gabriel has constantly been a talking point since he walked away from Oklahoma after a terrific two-season stint. The sixth-year college starter jumped ship to Oregon during the offseason for his final season of eligibility with Oklahoma as he didn’t earn the NFL draft he always wanted. Despite being one of the standout men in the offensive squad of the Sooners, the 23-year-old couldn’t even make it to the Senior Bowl or the NFL scouting combine. Now, as the young prodigy has settled into the frame of Oregon, contributing to the ongoing Big Ten fight, the rumors of another transfer started swirling in the air until Gabriel’s god reference cleared the air.

The newly appointed Oklahoma coach, Brent Venables, recently chimed in on Dillon Gabriel’s departure controversy. In a bombshell confession, he said that one fine morning, Gabriel let him know that he was skipping the Alamo Bowl as he wanted to vest his final year entirely for the NFL. However, after grabbing an unfavourable NFL draft, he ended up in Oregon. But as per Venables, he is still considering a comeback. Ruling it out right away, Dillon Gabriel noted in an interview Tuesday afternoon. ‘‘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.”

Continuing the ‘happy’ rants, the highly touted Bucks QB noted, ”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 God put me right where I need to be and I think that’s all that needs to be said, honestly.”

However, the transition from Oklahoma to Oregon conceals a lot of layers behind the surface.

Dillon Gabriel’s Oklahoma walkout has more than meets the eyes

Gabriel has a deep-rooted bond with Oklahoma, the city he grew up in. The people, the culture, and everything about it seem to be very close to the heart of the Oregon QB. So, the decision to leave was not an easy call. However, it includes a bigger cause than his own professional expansion related to the NFL dream. Mom Dori Dillon Gabriel revealed he was worried the Sooners’ five-star freshman quarterback Jackson Arnold, who backed up Gabriel last season, might have joined the transfer portal if Gabriel didn’t cut ties. For the overall program health, it would certainly not be a good thing.

Also, another key reason Dillon Gabriel is considering a transfer decision was Oklahoma letting their offensive coordinator, Jeff Lebby, go. Lebby was the man responsible for bringing Gabriel to Oklahoma in the transfer portal. Lebby also worked closely with Gabriel as an offensive coordinator at UCF earlier. So, his absence diluted the bond Dillon Gabriel felt with the program to some extent.

Now, given the former Sooners’ QB is determined and content with his current role in Oregon, we can expect nothing but a banger season loading.

If you want to know about other nitty-gritty of college football, you can refer to our ES Think Tank interview with Doug Sanders, founder of Sanders Sports and Entertainment.