It was hard to understand, at least at the time. There were plenty of questions throughout Oklahoma’s spring football practices about how quarterback Dillon Gabriel had come into the locker room and just took full ownership of it.
Gabriel was just weeks removed from a whirlwind of a transfer timeline that saw him enter the portal at Central Florida, pick UCLA and then ultimately decide on the Sooners just hours away from online classes starting for the Bruins.
That’s seriously how close it became from a whole different story being told, and Gabriel not reuniting with offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby and finding a home at OU.
Yet here he was two months later being lauded repeatedly by players and coaches about his ability to lead and not be hesitant in doing so.
Spring was only the start. Because if Gabriel and the 2022 Sooners wanted to gain that camaraderie, having 75,000 at the spring game couldn’t be the apex. A great moment, for sure, but more would be necessary.
Gabriel heard the call and has answered it emphatically throughout the summer.
“I feel great I can lay my head down at night knowing not just what he has done on the football field but the quality of the person he is,” said head coach Brent Venables last week at media days. “He's about all the right stuff. He's dependable. He's reliable. He's accountable. He's humble.
“He's one of the hardest workers, shows up early. He's last one to leave. Always working to improve. And he leads by example, and guys follow him. He's a galvanizer of people.”
Again, all great words, but where’s the more? Head out to the Lawton area, about 70 miles from campus, and that’s where the more work was being done.
Gabriel said he had always been inspired by NFL quarterback Russell Wilson and the getaways he would create to build team bonding. Now at OU, no better time for Gabriel to give it his shot, and the Dime Time Retreat was born on the third weekend of June (17-19).
“You know, always loved that idea and I think just when I got here, my mindset was go for broke, go all in,” Gabriel said. “And like I said, I made it a point to do it, and love the concept of it. Two nights in a house stuck together, you know, I mean? Like guys sleeping on the ground because we had not enough beds. Whatever it was, you know, it was just the idea of it. Of us all being under one roof, just being all in. Being with the guys.”
Gabriel and the offensive skill guys stayed at an Airbnb on a nine-acre, 5,000-square foot property, hosted by Blake and Sara Ratcliff, that gave them a little touch of everything.
Some swimming at nearby Bath Lake. Some golf at the Fort Sill Golf Course, all very short drives from the ranch. Connecting in a more personal way and leaving the phones behind.
“Made sure to eat every meal together,” Gabriel said. “Breakfast, lunch, and dinner, you know, that was a big point for me just to connect with one another. No phones, just enjoying each other's time whether it's playing pool, out in the back, playing cornhole, it's just a good time.
“And I think that's just had a big impact on us connecting. Obviously, the freshmen coming in in the summer as well. Just being able to connect with them. It was a great time.”
The property has a massive backyard, which did allow them to get some football work in, but that wasn’t the main point of the weekend.
Gabriel spent a lot of the winter and spring developing that oh-so necessary bond with guys like Marvin Mims and Drake Stoops and Jalil Farooq. He knew he couldn’t stop there. If you’re going to be the true leader, the galvanizer (as Venables said) of people, it’s always about going that extra mile.
“I've just learned to invest in the people you care and love for,” Gabriel said. “Whether it's taking the time to just have a conversation or asking the necessary questions to learn more about someone. And that experience, you know, truly made me do that.
“You had to put the phone down and talk to people. So just playing the game, playing Madden with people getting competitive. Playing pool, playing a little pickup basketball.
“I think it really made me branch out and continue to grow with different relationships. And it's done the same for others. So just being able to connect with everyone, it was really fun. And like I said, we had a blast.”
The kind of things that earn the respect of the locker room. The kind of things Mims admits he’s just never seen before.
“Definitely a Dillon thing,” Mims said.
Even though it’s only Mims’ third year in the program, he’s seen quite a bit. He’s seen some interesting personalities at the quarterback position, from Spencer Rattler to Caleb Williams to now Gabriel.
Rattler is making his home at South Carolina, while Williams is doing the same at USC. It’s Gabriel manning the ship in Norman
“He definitely wants to be here,” Mims said. “He’s not worried about the glitz and the glamour about being at Oklahoma. He just wants to come in and play football and execute to the highest level.
“He just wants the team to play as good as they possibly can. That’s something everyone has in common. That’s why his leadership is so good.”
There’s still another step. There was a social media blitz from the offensive players about the Dime Time Retreat in the days following the event. Gabriel is attempting to do the same thing with his linemen and even with the defense just in a different way.
It won’t be some massive Airbnb ranch, but it’s Gabriel continuing to find ways to reach and connect and be who he is.
“Just the other day, he took me, KeShawn Lawrence and Justin Broiles out for dinner just to do something with the defense,” cornerback Woodi Washington said. “Instead of having the entire defense, he told just a few guys and then he's going to choose a few the next time he goes so just doing little stuff like that. It definitely builds relationships with the team.
“You don't hear it all the time so for him to come in and just do that, it already makes me want to make him my quarterback even more.”
Washington echoed what Mims said in that no quarterback he has been around went that extra mile to develop the chemistry.
Gabriel understands the lineage of quarterbacks at OU. From a familiar face he would know like Josh Heupel, who coached Gabriel at UCF. To Jason White and Sam Bradford and Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray and Jalen Hurts and all the Heisman Trophies garnered by the group.
It means something to be in this position at OU. Not everyone is meant for it, but for Gabriel? Well, he’s embracing it. The accountability, the responsibility, every last bit of it. He’s ready.
“You know, the quarterback position is not just an add-on. It's like, it's been the reason why we've been successful in every level of football,” Venables said. “If you're going to be successful, you know, it's driven by having great quarterback play and leadership.”
The leadership part keeps getting checked off. Now it’s just about time to see how it all translates onto the field.
