One week does not an offseason make, but the Oklahoma Sooners got off to a great start in the transfer portal. With [autotag]Jacob Lacey[/autotag] already locked in, the Sooners brought back former tight end [autotag]Austin Stogner[/autotag] and landed the top edge rusher in the transfer class, [autotag]Dasan McCullough[/autotag].
That start earned the Sooners mention in last week’s recap of the portal from ESPN’s Tom VanHaaren.
The Sooners are a winner for bettering the offense with tight end Austin Stogner, who transferred to South Carolina last year but will return to Norman for 2023, and the defense with Indiana linebacker Dasan McCullough, a former top-50 recruit who wreaked havoc for the Hoosiers’ defense in 2022. And while it doesn’t count toward the portal, the staff also landed a commitment from McCullough’s younger brother, Daeh, an ESPN 300 safety in the 2023 class. – VanHaaren, ESPN
The addition of McCullough provides the Sooners with a player that can either take over at Cheetah or mix in immediately with their EDGE rotation. A former safety, McCullough led the Indiana Hoosiers with four sacks and was third in tackles for loss with 6.5. As a true freshman. His length and athleticism will create nightmares for opposing offensive coordinators.
On the other side of the ball, Austin Stogner returns with an opportunity to put up a career year in Jeff Lebby’s offense, just like [autotag]Brayden Willis[/autotag] did in 2022.
Stogner, arguably a better receiver, should thrive with a full-time role after sharing tight end/H-back duties each of the last two seasons. He had just 26 targets with the Sooners in 2021 but recorded three touchdowns. That’s a touchdown every 8.67 targets. With seven touchdowns on 53 targets, Willis had a TD every 7.57 targets. That’s a lower rate, but with [autotag]Theo Wease[/autotag] gone and more of a full-time opportunity, Stogner could experience a similar breakout as his former teammate Willis.
With little experience at the tight end position as Oklahoma looks toward 2023, the Sooners needed to add a veteran presence. And tight ends coach [autotag]Joe Jon Finley[/autotag] brought in a familiar face.
Oklahoma still has some work to do in the portal as they look to lock up their recruiting class. But if their first week in the transfer portal is any indication, the Sooners will be in great shape.
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