Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel still in concussion protocol but likely to play against Kansas

Though he remains officially in concussion protocol, Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel appears on track to return Saturday when the Sooners host No. 19 Kansas.

“He’s full-go at practice,” Sooners coach Brent Venables said Tuesday. “I think they’ve just continued … whatever all those tests are, they do those to make sure they are on the right side of it. If he continues to stay out of harm’s way in regards to that protocol, I would expect him to play.”

While Gabriel remains on a path to return, Venables said he would know for sure by Thursday whether or not the redshirt junior would be cleared for the game.

Gabriel has been out since suffering a hard hit early in the second quarter of OU’s loss to TCU on Oct. 8.

With Gabriel out, Davis Beville took over, though in last week’s 49-0 loss to Texas, the Sooners largely went with a wildcat offense using a series of running backs and wide receivers to take snaps.

Beville is just 13-of-28 passing for 88 yards with no touchdowns and an interception in nearly seven quarters since Gabriel’s injury.

Venables said the concussion protocol procedures wouldn’t hold Gabriel back.

“I don’t know if it hinders his preparation. I don’t know what the concussion protocol (entails),” Venables said before noting Gabriel has been a full participant in practice. “I think they continue to evaluate him every day. I don’t get in the deep weeds. Tell me what he can do, what he can’t do.”

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Gabriel said he’s felt good for much of the last week and that he’d never dealt with a similar situation before.

“Body feels good. Mind feels good,” Gabriel said. “Took it very seriously — that part of recovery. And thankfully I’m at this point thanks to all the trainers and everyone.”

He said he spent much of the early part of last week resting, but hoped to return against Texas until a couple days before the game.

“Obviously, it didn’t get approved,” Gabriel said. “But I know it’s just the doctors protected me and are trying to keep my best interests in mind.”

Before the Red River Showdown, Gabriel was on the Cotton Bowl field and went through what looked to be a normal pregame warmup.

While it was clearly part gamesmanship as the Sooners wanted to maintain some element of doubt over who would be their quarterback for as long as possible, Gabriel said it was a helpful exercise.

“That was part of the preparation but also the progression and me getting back,” Gabriel said. “It was just good for me to get back out there and get a warm up in and sweat as much as I could and then, like I said, then get ready for (Monday).

“I feel really good going into this week.”

Gabriel watched from the sidelines in shorts and a cap while the Sooners suffered their worst loss to the Longhorns in the series’ long history.

““Obviously, I wanted to be out there and be there for my guys because we put in all this work together,” Gabriel said. “It was tough. Tough to watch. Tough because I’m a part of it.”

Gabriel’s absence was the first time an Oklahoma quarterback had missed a start due to injury since Trevor Knight missed the final three games of the 2014 regular season with Cody Thomas starting in his place.

Gabriel said the biggest hurdle to his return would come in the middle of the week.

“Having a good Tuesday and Wednesday (practice). Just because those are our hard days,” Gabriel said. “Continue to talk with the trainers. I feel really good. Me being out here on a Monday is very positive news for me. I feel really good and just gotta keep stacking days.”

The Sooners are in the midst of their first three-game losing streak since 1998.

“Just got to keep putting your right foot in front of the other and keep walking and keep striving to get better every single week and every single day. It is tough,” Gabriel said. “It’s uncharted territory for a lot of the guys and something we got to just continue to strive through and be great and find ways to be better because the margin of error is really slim. And we’re really close. But just got to continue to strive to get better every single day and find a way.”

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel likely to play against Kansas