Things are finally looking up for Oklahoma football after a turbulent couple of months.

Last week, new OU coach Brent Venables finished signing a incoming freshman class that was rated No. 8 in the nation. The Sooners signed six freshmen to unofficially close out the class last week.

That followed an abrupt departure of former coach Lincoln Riley to USC and his taking a handful of OU’s top players – including quarterback Caleb Williams – with him to the West Coast.

But Venables, who did not actively recruit any players from Clemson, got his replacement quarterback Dillon Gabriel. Gabriel, who transferred from Central Florida, passed for 8,037 yards and 79 touchdowns in three seasons for UCF. And he was recruited to UCF by OU offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby, so Gabriel is familiar with Lebby’s offense.

“Dillon’s our guy right now,” Lebby said. “We’ve got one guy on our roster that’s thrown a college football pass. Obviously, he’s thrown a bunch of them. He’s thrown them really, really well. We’re going to move forward that way and go get ready.”

And Venables got a boost in the quarterback room by signing freshman Nick Evers, a quarterback from Flower Mound, Texas.

Evers, 6-foot-3, 190-pounds, is a four-star prospect who had originally committed to Florida but decommitted after a coaching change there. He was Venables’s first commitment after getting the OU job on Dec. 7. Evers was the only quarterback the Sooners wanted to sign. It was an important move with the departure of Caleb Williams and Spencer Rattler, who transferred to South Carolina.

OU will have at least 29 new players on their roster next season. One of the top additions was Gentry Williams from Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa. Williams had committed in October but didn’t want to sign until he met the new staff.

Williams is a multi-positional player. He has experience at both quarterback and defensive back, although he should join OU as a cornerback. Williams is always one of the fastest players on the field

One surprise last week was when defensive end/outside linebacker Kevonte Henry signed with OU after committing to Michigan.

OU signed wide receiver Robert Spears-Jennings of Broken Arrow, a four-star recruit. Spears-Jennings, 6-foot-2, 195 pounds, had been pursued by Michigan State, Arkansas and others.

Jayden Rowe, a 6-foot-3, 205-pound cornerback from Tulsa Union, has a four-star rating. He had offers from Arkansas, Baylor and others.

“(I) couldn’t be more excited about the group of guys that we have,” Venables said. “We’ve covered every position and (are) fortifying our depth charts and reloading across the board on both sides of the football and both sides of the line of scrimmage.”

OU signees

  • Nicholas Anderson, WR, Katy, Texas
  • Jovantae Barnes, RB, Las Vegas
  • Jamarrien Burt, CB, Ocala, Fla.
  • Nick Evers, QB, Flower Mound, Texas
  • Jayden Gibson, WR, West Orange, Fla.
  • Gracen Halton, EDGE, San Diego, Calif.
  • Kaden Helms, TE, Bellevue, Neb.
  • Kevonte Henry, WDE, Lawndale, Calif.
  • Jaren Kanak, OLB, Hays, Kan.
  • Kip Lewis, OLB, Carthage, Texas
  • Jason Llewellyn, TE, Aledo, Texas
  • Kobie McKinzie, ILB, Lubbock, Texas
  • Cedric Roberts, DT, Pflugerville, Texas
  • Jayden Rowe, CB, Tulsa Union
  • Gavin Sawchuk, RB, Highlands Ranch, Colo.
  • Jacob Sexton, OT, Deer Creek
  • Robert Spears-Jennings, WR, Broken Arrow
  • Alton Tarber, DL, Deerfield Beach, Fla.
  • Jake Taylor, OT, Las Vegas
  • R Mason Thomas, EDGE, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
  • Gentry Williams, ATH, Tulsa Booker T. Washington