Jeff Lebby explains where Dillon Gabriel, Oklahoma offense must improve in 2023

While Jeff Lebby‘s offense was not the issue last season for Oklahoma, it certainly did not help. There were plenty of flaws in Year One of the system. However, there is optimism for the 2023 season with quarterback Dillon Gabriel returning and back to full healthy.

Even so, there are places Lebby believes Gabriel and the Oklahoma offense can improve. It all begins with being able to extend drives, something he says the Sooners worked on a ton this offseason.

“The immediate and obvious one is third down, fourth down,” Lebby said. “We’ve got to be better in those situations. We spent a lot of time on that in the offseason — last spring and through the summer.”

Compared to Big 12 opponents, Oklahoma was not too bad on third down. They converted at just over 50%, with only Kansas ahead of them from the 2022 season. Incoming conference member BYU was better as well.

However, fourth down is where Lebby really saw his group struggle.

Of their 29 attempts, just 11 resulted in a first down. A 37.9% slid them down to No. 113 in the country, tied with the Vanderbilt Commodores. That ranking can be skewed if teams are not consistently going for it but the overall percentage tells the story. When Oklahoma was looking to gamble, they were not converting enough.

Lebby continued on with potential areas of improvement, calling for Gabriel to be more accurate at times. He then laid out areas other position groups can make progress, really calling the effort a group process without pinning it all on the quarterback.

“Accuracy is a huge part of it, protection is a huge part of it. And then route details is something we’ve talked a ton about with the receiving crew. So, it’s a group effort. Me putting us in the right play and then being able to go out and execute cleanly.”

Oklahoma averaged nearly 33 points per game last season, even after a donut against Texas in the Red River Shootout. On paper, it’s not too bad of a scoring season in the first year Lebby is in charge.

But everyone in Norman would agree the offense needs to take some kind of step forward. Lebby believes extending drives will lead to their ultimate success. And while everything begins with the offensive coordinator, seeing an experienced quarterback such as Gabriel execute will most likely wind up being the key component.