Former Josh Heupel-coached QB ranked as the No. 1 QB in college football
A former Josh Heupel-coached quarterback is ranked this week as the No. 1 quarterback in college football. CBS Sports ranked Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Dillon Gabriel as the top quarterback in the nation this week, ahead of USC's Caleb Williams. Gabriel played for Heupel at UCF from 2019 to 2020. From CBS Sports: It's not often […]
A former Josh Heupel-coached quarterback is ranked this week as the No. 1 quarterback in college football.
CBS Sports ranked Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Dillon Gabriel as the top quarterback in the nation this week, ahead of USC's Caleb Williams.
Gabriel played for Heupel at UCF from 2019 to 2020.
From CBS Sports: It's not often we see a player go from unranked one week to No. 1 the next, but when you play like Gabriel did to take down your arch-rival, establish your team as a legitimate playoff contender and establish yourself as a Heisman threat, you've got a shot to do so.
Gabriel stuck around at UCF for the 2021 season to play for former Auburn Tigers head coach Gus Malzahn before transferring to Oklahoma ahead of the 2022 season.
After Malzahn was hired at UCF to replace Heupel in 2021, Gabriel seemed to throw some shade at Heupel's style of offense.
“It’s not as fast because of the fact it’s not as simple,” said Gabriel (via 247Sports). “We get to the line quickly but there’s a lot more in the process that goes into it rather than with Heup. We’d line it, call it and try to be as fast as possible. At times it was really rushed [in 2020] because of how fast we played, so you’re just kind of learning on the fly with every play. You’re kinda just running to grass. With Gus, I truly feel like we’re scheming things up, getting into looks you like, giving you answers and if he doesn’t like the look, he checks it, which is something I like.”
Gabriel also mentioned a game against Georgia Tech in 2020 where he only threw 12-yard fallouts and verticals, and a handful of out routes.
Oddly enough, Gabriel is now playing in essentially the same system that he played in under Heupel at UCF. Oklahoma's offensive coordinator is Jeff Lebby, who is a Heupel disciple. Lebby was on Heupel's staff at UCF from 2018 to 2019 (he was the offensive coordinator in 2019).
Lebby and Heupel know each from their time together at Oklahoma in the early 2000s.
Despite Gabriel's criticism of Heupel's offense a couple of years ago, Tennessee's head coach spoke glowingly of his former quarterback this week on the SEC coaches teleconference.
"First of all, Dillon's a winner," said Heupel. "I'm saying that because he's relentless in the way that he works off the field on the practice field, and he competes that way every single Saturday. He's very bright…and understands offensively what you're doing. Because of that, he gets the ball out quick. Extremely accurate with the football, great decision maker."
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