JD PicKell: Dillon Gabriel needs to make statement vs Oklahoma State, Baylor to win Heisman

With various big name college quarterbacks switching teams this offseason with increased activity in the transfer portal , many are looking at which ones have the best chance to take home the Hesiman trophy in December on their new squads. Oklahoma signed former UCF quarterback Dillon Gabriel earlier this year, and On3’s JD PicKell believes there is a path that leads to Gabriel taking home this year’s Heisman. On The Hard Count with JD PicKell, he said that Gabriel’s Heisman campaign all starts with the overall performance of the Sooners.

“Oklahoma, they’ve got to put Dillon Gabriel in position to win this award by how many games they win and where they’re at in the College Football Playoff race, because as much as it pains you and it pains me that’s where this award goes, it goes to the brand team and the brand name on the brand team. And so Oklahoma is a team that could definitely be in that conversation, but they got to make sure they’re on that stage for Dillon Gabriel to get this award,” PicKell said.

PicKell believes that if the Sooners are successful and Gabriel can lead them to victory in two big games against the two teams that were in the Big 12 championship last year, that he may be poised for a December invite to New York.

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“So there’s two big games I’m looking at that could be his Heisman moment, because that’s another thing that goes into this, you got to have your Heisman moment with your team in striking distance of the College Football Playoff,” PicKell said. “The two games I’m looking at, they’re both at home, you’ve got Baylor November 5th and you have Oklahoma State November 19th, two big games in November, two games that will likely have a big impact on the college football playoff race, certainly the Big 12 race.”

PicKell said Gabriel is his dark horse to win the Heisman, and Las Vegas currently has Gabriel at +3000 odds to win the award. If him and Sooners can tear through the Big 12 and their best teams, don’t be surprised to see that +3000 number shrink.

“If Dillon Gabriel can come out and ball against both of these teams and Oklahoma can be a one loss team at least heading into both of these games, they can be undefeated even better, those are going to be two games that the nation is watching all things considered right now at least. Those are going to be two big stages for Dillon Gabriel to put on a show at home and make his case for the Heisman trophy,” PicKell said.