Tag: 2021 Oklahoma Sooners Football

Under Brent Venables, Oklahoma defense will give rise to new stars

The 2022 season will give rise to new stars for the Oklahoma Sooners defense.

Oklahoma is in a much different place than it was on defense a year ago. Heading into 2021, the unit had high expectations with so many returning starters. Yet, it didn’t perform as well as expected for an experienced group that had five players selected in the 2022 NFL draft.

With the start of the 2022 season, the Oklahoma defense doesn’t have the same star power it did a year ago, but many project the unit to be better. A big reason is Brent Venables. However, instead of a unit loaded with stars, the Sooners 2022 defense looks more like a nebula a couple weeks away from the start of the regular season.

Some nebulae form from the explosion of a dying star, a supernova. In other nebulae, stars are born.

And that’s what the Oklahoma Sooners defense has gone through this offseason — a transition phase. Stars Nik Bonitto, Perrion Winfrey, Isaiah Thomas, Brian Asamoah, Delarrin Turner-Yell and Patrick Fields (Stanford) have moved on, providing opportunities for guys on the depth chart to rise to the occasion.

Despite the losses, there’s optimism for what’s being formed in Norman.

Like a nebula before a star is born, the Oklahoma Sooners defense has been under intense pressure from Venables, his defensive staff and Jerry Schmidt’s strength and conditioning program. Under the right amount of pressure, the gasses and particles in a nebula collide, creating a perfect storm for stars to form.

And as the Oklahoma Sooners continue to work through fall camp, the 2022 season will be a coming out party for several individuals and a defense that has the talent but hasn’t quite “arrived.”

The Sooners defense will be better in 2022 because of the collective improvement of the unit as a whole under the coaching staff’s intense pressure.

The list of players that have a chance to explode into stardom in 2022 is long. Reggie Grimes, Ethan Downs, Marcus Stripling, Danny Stutsman, Jalen Redmond, Billy Bowman and several others have been tabbed as potential breakout stars for the Sooners. From the defensive front to the secondary, the Sooners’ defense is loaded with potential star power.

In another season with high expectations, the Sooners will witness the dawn of a new era of Oklahoma defense through the birth of several new stars.

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Oklahoma Sooners the best at recruiting running backs in 2022 according to ESPN

The Oklahoma Sooners running back additions in the 2022 recruiting cycle make OU the best at recruiting the position in 2022 per ESPN.

One of the brightest spots on the recruiting trail over the last few years has been the emergence of running backs coach DeMarco Murray as one of the best recruiters in college football. In the wake of the coaching change at OU, several players made it clear they were planning on staying with Oklahoma as long as DeMarco Murray was with OU.

Two of those players are 2022 signees Gavin Sawchuk and Jovantae Barnes, two highly-ranked running backs and players that could have an immediate impact as freshmen. Recruits weren’t the only ones to take notice, though.

ESPN’s Tom VanHaaren put out a list of the best schools at recruiting each position on offense (ESPN+). The Sooners made his list as the best at recruiting running backs, according to VanHaaren.

Gavin Sawchuk is the No. 60 recruit overall and the fourth-best running back in the class out of Highlands Ranch, Colorado. He’s joined by Jovantae Barnes, who is ranked No. 93 overall and as the No. 7 running back. He’s a 5-11, 185-pound back out of Las Vegas, and both should be able to provide some impact in 2022. – VanHaaren, ESPN

Due to Murray’s success in the NFL and his abilities as a college coach and recruiter, he’s opened access to the western half of the United States, particularly Las Vegas, for the Sooners.

Barnes and fellow 2022 signee Jake Taylor hail from Murray’s hometown in Nevada. 2023 four-star wide receiver DeAndre Moore, who recently withdrew his commitment, was originally from Vegas before moving to Los Alamitos to play with Malachi Nelson and Makai Lemon.

The Sooners lost Moore’s commitment through no fault of Murray’s as Moore relayed a lack of communication from the new coaching staff as part of why he reopened his commitment.

With Barnes and Sawchuk, the Sooners landed two of the top 10 running backs in the country, setting them up for the next several years at the position. But as long as DeMarco Murray is in Norman, Oklahoma will remain at the top of the sport recruiting the running back position for a very long time.

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How did USA TODAY Sports grade each of the Big 12 teams from the 2021 season

There were several surprising performances in the Big 12 in 2021, but how did USA TODAY Sports grade each of the conference members?

The 2021 college football season is fully in the rearview, and the Big 12 squads are looking to the transfer portal and finalizing their recruiting classes to retool their teams ahead of the 2022 season.

It was an up and down year in Big 12 play as several teams surprised, and others failed to live up to preseason expectations. USA TODAY Sports handed out letter grades for each of the 130 teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

As we continue our look back at the 2021 season, let’s look at how they graded each Big 12 team.

4 Sooners’ games land inside the top 50 of ESPN’s 100 best games of 2021

The Oklahoma Sooners kept things interesting in 2021, and four of their games landed inside the top 50 of ESPN’s 100 best games of 2021

It was a wild year for the Oklahoma Sooners. They played a ton of close games in 2021 that left Sooners fans on the edge of their seats all season long. From week one, when they Tulane back into the game to Bedlam, the Oklahoma Sooners rarely made things look easy last season.

For better or worse, Oklahoma provided a ton of excitement on the field and four of their games ended up inside the top 50 of ESPN’s 100 best games of the 2021 season (ESPN+).

 

Top 50 2023 cornerback Malik Muhammad gets re-offer from new-look Oklahoma Sooners coaching staff

As new cornerbacks coach and co-defensive coordinator Jay Valai settles in, the Oklahoma Sooners re-offer 2023 4-star cornerback Malik Muhammad.

The changes on the coaching staff created some changes in the direction that their recruiting efforts would take. Brent Venables and crew have made a concerted effort to target defensive talent and get into recruiting battles with the big guns of the SEC.

Though the coaching change led to some decommitments, the incoming staff brought with them relationships from recruiting efforts at their previous jobs. It’s those kinds of relationships that led the Sooners to landing 2022 four-star players Nick Evers, Jayden Gibson, and Jaren Kanak. Relationships with Brent Venables and Jeff Lebby played a huge part in getting them to Oklahoma.

And this could be the case with another four-star target as cornerbacks coach and co-defensive coordinator Jay Valai takes his place in the Oklahoma Sooners hierarchy.

Valai’s previous efforts on the recruiting trail with 2023 four-star cornerback Malik Muhammad out of South Oak Cliff High School could net the Sooners a top-flight defensive prospect to add to their defense. Valai was the lead recruiter for Nick Saban’s crew at Alabama for Muhammad’s services and as we saw with Kanak, that relationship could be the difference in Muhammed choosing Oklahoma over Alabama.

Muhammad is a two-way player for South Oak Cliff, playing wide receiver and defensive back. On defense, he played boundary corner, in the slot, part of two and single-high safety looks.

At cornerback, he was aggressive in press looks at the line of scrimmage. He was physical in his initial jab and releases quickly when he reads the run play coming to his side. He’s a willing and aggressive tackler. Able to come up from the any spot and sift through the trash to find the ball carrier, wrap up and make the tackle. He brings a physical game to the catch point, often separating the receiver from the ball on arrival. Muhammad displays excellent ball skills. Natural hands catcher who made plays deep down the field as both a receiver and defensive back. He tracks the ball well and can go back and get it when it’s going over his head. The four-star player offers ability as a punt returner as well. Is methodical and elusive with the ball in his hands.

 

Malik Muhammed’s Recruiting Profile

Rating

Stars Overall State Position
247Sports 4 57 12 8
Rivals 4 69 12 11
ESPN 4 41 6 6
247 Composite 4 46 8 6
On3 Recruiting 4 15 4 2
On3 Composite 4 38 11 5

Vitals

Hometown Dallas, TX
Projected Position CB
Height 6-0
Weight 170 lbs

Recruitment

  • Offered on 1/15/2022

Notable Offers

  • Oklahoma
  • Texas
  • Alabama
  • Texas Tech
  • Auburn
  • Georgia
  • Florida
  • Miami
  • Michigan
  • Notre Dame

Crystal Ball

No Crystal Ball Projection at this time

Film

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Where did the Oklahoma Sooners land in USA TODAY Sports latest 1-130 re-rank?

Following a big bowl win over the Oregon Ducks, the Oklahoma Sooners climbed back into the top 10 of USA TODAY Sports 1-130 re-rank.

The Oklahoma Sooners have bounced all around the rankings and polls over the last year. For much of the season, they were a top-five team, but close wins began to take some of the shine off of the Sooners.

When the Sooners lost to Baylor, it gave credence to the notion they weren’t as good as the preseason expectations. Despite the bounce-back win over Iowa State, the Sooners ended the regular season on a low note against Oklahoma State in Bedlam. That loss dropped the Oklahoma Sooners out of the top 10.

Fast forward through a coaching change and a big Alamo Bowl win over Oregon, and Oklahoma ended the season a little more highly thought of than they were at the end of the regular season. The Sooners climbed back into the top 10 of the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll and the AP Top 25.

In USA TODAY Sports Paul Myerburg’s 1-130 re-rank of all of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), the Sooners finished the season No. 9 in the country. They’re the third-highest ranked Big 12 team behind No. 5 Baylor and No. 6 Oklahoma State, each of which earned big bowl wins.

Turning the page on a new chapter of Oklahoma football under Brent Venables, there’s a lot to be excited about. Finishing 2021 on a high note with the win over Oregon should help set the stage for a promising offseason in Norman.

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Oklahoma finishes No. 10 in final USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll

The final USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll and AP Poll were released. Oklahoma finished No. 10 in both. Here’s a full look.

Oklahoma ended its season with a resounding 47-32 victory over Oregon in the Valero Alamo Bowl. The Sooners led 30-3 at halftime and held off the Ducks’ best attempt at a second-half rally.

Interim head coach Bob Stoops got a Gatorade bath after true freshman quarterback Caleb Williams finished with 242 passing yards and three touchdowns and redshirt junior running back Kennedy Brooks racked up 142 rushing yards and three scores on the ground.

OU finished its 2021 season with an 11-2 record. As a result, the Sooners also end the final USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll on an uptick. Oklahoma jumped up three spots in the poll’s final release to finish at No. 10 nationally.

After topping Alabama 33-18 to win the Bulldogs’ first national championship in 41 years, Georgia finishes No. 1.

Alabama was No. 2, Michigan No. 3, Cincinnati No. 4 and Ohio State No. 5 in the final poll.

The rest of the top 10 included three Big 12 teams: No. 6 Baylor, No. 7 Oklahoma State, No. 8 Michigan State, No. 9 Notre Dame and, again, No. 10 Oklahoma.

No other Big 12 teams finished ranked or in the receiving votes category of the final USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll.

Oklahoma opened as the preseason No. 3 team and its season-high ranking came in the Oct. 17 poll when the Sooners were ranked No. 2 behind Georgia. The Sooners’ season-low ranking was at No. 13 in the Dec. 5 poll after conference championships weekend.

With its final ranking of No. 10, Oklahoma secured its seventh consecutive top 10 campaign.

Oklahoma also finished No. 10 in the Associated Press Poll. The final AP Poll top five was Georgia No. 1, Alabama No. 2, Michigan No. 3, Cincinnati No. 4 and Baylor No. 5. Oklahoma State finished No. 7 in the AP Poll.

Final USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll

Rank Team Record Points Change
1 Georgia 14-1 1,550 (62) +2
2 Alabama 13-2 1,488 -1
3 Michigan 12-2 1,398 -1
4 Cincinnati 13-1 1,346 –
5 Ohio State 11-2 1,279 +2
6 Baylor 12-2 1,275 –
7 Oklahoma State 12-2 1,197 +2
8 Michigan State 11-2 1,066 +2
9 Notre Dame 11-2 1,028 -4
10 Oklahoma 11-2 994 +3
11 Ole Miss 10-3 909 -3
12 Utah 10-4 877 -1
13 Pittsburgh 11-3 742 -1
14 Wake Forest 11-3 609 +5
15 Kentucky 10-3 592 +5
16 Clemson 10-3 528 +6
17 Houston 12-2 510 +4
18 ULL 13-1 502 -1
19 NC State 9-3 453 -1
20 Arkansas 9-4 354 +4
21 Oregon 10-4 336 -6
22 BYU 10-3 284 -8
23 Iowa 10-4 276 -7
24 Utah State 11-3 142 +3
25 Texas A&M 8-4 133 -2

Dropped from the rankings:

No. 25: Texas-San Antonio

Others receiving votes:

San Diego State 114; Wisconsin 75; Air Force 42; Minnesota 23; Texas-San Antonio 11; Coastal Carolina 7; Purdue 6; Fresno State 3; Army 1

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Bowl Game Records for every conference; Where does the Big 12 stand?

The Big 12 ended up with the best bowl record among the Power Five, but where do they stand among every FBS conference?

The 2021 college football season is nearly complete with the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs set to compete for the College Football Playoff championship to be crowned the national champion following a wild season of college football.

Though there were a host of bowl games that didn’t factor into the national title discussion, there were quite a few entertaining games. For the Big 12, the conference finished with the best record in the Power Five and went 3-0 against the SEC.

With the 2021 season set to reach its conclusion, let’s take a look at how each conference in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) fared during the 2021 bowl season.

How did CBS rank the Big 12’s bowl games from the 2021 season?

There were some thrilling games during the 2021 bowl season, but did the Big 12’s bowls rank among the 37 played during the 2021 postseason?

Bowl season has come and gone and there’s just one more game remaining on the schedule for the 2021 college football season. While I fall into the camp that generally feels there are too many bowl games, I will say that there were a lot of enjoyable football games this December and January and it’s going to be a long nine months without college football.

The Big 12 went 5-2 during the bowl season and played in some really intriguing contests. Not every game lived up to the pre-game build, but there were still fun matchups nonetheless.

Tom Fornelli over at CBS Sports took the time to rank all 37 bowl games that got played in 2021 and here’s how the games featuring Big 12 teams landed on Fornelli’s list.

Oklahoma Sooners’ 11 wins from the 2021 college football season ranked

The Oklahoma Sooners racked up 11 wins last season, but which one stands out as the best of the 2021 college football season.

The 2021 college football season didn’t go as expected for the Oklahoma Sooners, but at the end of the day, they won 11 games. It was a full of drama and close games. They had last-second wins and blowouts. They beat ranked teams and struggled to win against some of the worst teams in the country. Everything that could happen in a college football season went down with the Oklahoma Sooners in 2021, but they won 11 games for the seventh time in the last nine years (only played 11 games in 2020).

As we look back at the 2021 season for the Oklahoma Sooners, let’s rank each of the Sooners wins from 11 to 1.