OU QB TO PORTAL; UCLA COMMIT RENEGES
It was hard to keep track of all the comings and goings Monday after Oklahoma’s Caleb Williams entered the transfer portal, touching off a mad scramble by the university to keep him while prompting Central Florida’s Dillon Gabriel to switch his allegiance from UCLA to the Sooners.
Eighteen days after posting social media pictures of himself in a UCLA jersey amid palm trees and in front of the Hollywood sign while also looking to throw a pass at the Rose Bowl — got all that? — Gabriel deleted those images in favor of ones showing himself in an Oklahoma jersey.
“They say life’s a gamble like rolling the dice,” wrote Gabriel, who led the nation by averaging 357 passing yards per game as a sophomore in 2020 before a broken collarbone ended his junior season after only three games. “DIMETIME.”
Gabriel was believed to be lured by the departure of Williams and the arrival of new Oklahoma offensive coordinator Jeffy Lebby, who was Gabriel’s
quarterbacks coach at Central Florida. Williams referenced the coaching turnover at Oklahoma involving the exit of coach Lincoln Riley for USC in his message about entering the transfer portal.
“With all of the recent changes,” Williams wrote on Twitter, “I need to figure out what is the right path for me moving forward.”
Williams’ move touched off what amounted to an open recruiting letter from Oklahoma Athletic Director Joe Castiglione and coach Brent Venables trying to keep the true freshman who passed for 1,912 yards and 21 touchdowns with four interceptions last season after replacing Spencer Rattler as the team’s starter.
UCLA’s best-in-the-Pac-12 offense may or may not suffer with Gabriel apparently headed elsewhere. Senior QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson has not announced whether he will depart for the NFL or return for the extra season of eligibility granted all players because of the pandemic.
Notable
Marshall QB Grant Wells ,a two-year starter, said he is transferring. He completed 66 percent of his passes for 3,532 yards with 16 touchdowns and 13 interceptions this season.
Wisconsin LB Leo Chenal is entering the NFL Daft.