On the same day the Oklahoma Sooners received crystal ball projections flipping 2023 four-star safety Daeh McCullough from Cincinnati to Oklahoma, it looks like another McCullough may be joining the Sooners in 2023.
OUInsiders Brandon Drumm and Parker Thune issued crystal ball predictions for Indiana edge rusher [autotag]Dasan McCullough[/autotag] to land with the Oklahoma Sooners through the transfer portal.
Dasan and [autotag]Daeh McCullough[/autotag] are the sons of Notre Dame running backs coach Deland McCullough, who played alongside Sooners cornerbacks coach Jay Valai with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Dasan McCullough was a four-star edge in the 2022 recruiting class, ranking No. 75 in the nation in the 247Sports composite. He was the No. 9 edge in the class and the No. 2 player in the state of Indiana.
As a true freshman season, Dasan played in all 12 games for the Hoosiers and racked up 49 total tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, and four sacks, which tied for the team lead. He was second among edge rushers in defensive snaps according to Pro Football Focus and finished third on the team with 19 total pressures. At 6-foot-5 and 235 pounds, McCullough would bring great size and athleticism to the defensive end room.
With pressure being an issue for the Sooners in 2022, adding a player that was able to make an immediate impact for the Hoosiers pass rush in his first season would be huge for the Oklahoma Sooners.
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Here’s what Jacob Rude of the “Locked On Hoosiers” podcast had to say about Dasan McCullough.
He’s a versatile, uber-athletic player. When John Garcia (Sports Illustrateds director of national recruiting) came on to talk about him, he called him a “monster back” which is a phrase I love. In high school, he played safety but I’m not sure he can do that in college. He split time between LB and as an edge rusher this year, mainly the latter. He played a LOT as a true freshman which is both an indictment on how bad IU is and how good he is. I’d say an edge rusher is probably his best fit long-term, but he’s athletic enough that I could see him playing more LB down the road and definitely in passing situations. He can get into the backfield and disrupt plays and pressure the QB. Really a special talent that is going to make an impact right away anywhere. – Rude, Locked On Hoosiers
Here’s the full episode from six months ago, where Rude and Garcia also discuss Daeh McCullough after his decommitment from the Hoosiers.
After a disappointing season, the Oklahoma Sooners need to significantly improve their pass rush. [autotag]Ethan Downs[/autotag] had a nice close to the season after [autotag]Reggie Grimes[/autotag] started fast but couldn’t keep the momentum. [autotag]R Mason Thomas[/autotag] flashed some and was one of the bright spots from the 2022 recruiting class, but Oklahoma could use some help generating pressure off the edge. If it can land Dasan McCullough, that would go a long way toward helping the pass rush in 2023 and beyond.
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