Tag: 2021 Oklahoma Sooners

WATCH: Mario Williams make highlight-reel grabs at Sooners practice

In back-to-back practices, Mario Williams carried over his highlight-reel ability making spectacular catches at Sooners’ practice.

It hasn’t taken long for true freshmen Mario Williams to make a name for himself. In the spring game, he made a fantastic contested-catch deep down the middle of the field with D.J. Graham in coverage. His competitiveness has drawn rave reviews, and it has led to him getting work with the first-team offense.

In back-to-back practices on Friday and Saturday, Williams continued his run of highlight-reel catches and looks to be a player who will have a significant impact in 2021.

On Friday, Williams worked a double move (out and up) to get behind the coach in coverage and made a spectacular catch in the corner of the end zone for the touchdown in red-zone work. Working toward the pylon, Williams showed a strong catch radius when he extended his arms while leaping. He showed great awareness and coordination to make the catch and get both feet down before going out of bounds.

Then in team work on Saturday, Williams displayed fantastic hands and coordination again. This time running what looks to be a post route against a Cover-2 look, quarterback Spencer Rattler threw to the spot he knew would be open, expecting Williams to run toward the open spot in the zone.

Williams did just that and as he came out of his break made a nice adjustment to the ball in flight, finishing with a fantastic fingertip catch, diving into the end zone for the score.

Williams may not start for the Oklahoma Sooners at wide receiver, but he will get opportunities in 2021 to display his skills. With what we’ve seen so far from the incoming freshman, it’s certainly possible he could work his big-play ability into the starting lineup before the close of the 2021 season.

Running Back Eric Gray on OU to SEC, new teammates, adjusting to OU

Speaking to the media, Eric Gray discussed a variety of things from his decision to come to Norman and acclimating to OU and the offense.

As the 2021 season inches closer, there isn’t a more anticipated debut than that of Eric Gray’s for the Oklahoma Sooners. After putting on an impressive display of athleticism and big-play ability at Tennessee and in the Oklahoma Sooners’ spring game, the buzz around Eric Gray has crescendoed over the last six months.

Soon, all of the hype will give way to what he does on the field. In a loaded backfield with Kennedy Brooks, Marcus Major and Tre Bradford, Gray and the Sooners will have opportunities for big plays out of the running back position.

Ahead of fall camp, Eric Gray was one of 10 players to meet with the media via Zoom, and he was asked about a host of things including his time in the SEC and the players he faced that are now teammates.

Trevon West stays with the Oklahoma Sooners after entering transfer portal

After putting his name in the transfer portal back in February, Lincoln Riley announced wide receiver Trevon West returned to the Sooners.

The Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver depth chart kept a familiar face in the fold as Lincoln Riley announced at his pre-fall camp press conference that wide receiver Trevon West is back with the team.

West, who had put his name in the transfer portal in February, opted to stay with the Sooners entering his sophomore season.

In 2020, West played in eight games. According to Pro Football Focus, West had four receptions, all of which came in the 2020 opener against Missouri State. In the opener, West played seven snaps and ran a route on all seven snaps. He was targeted four times, catching all four passes for 59 yards, averaging 14.8 yards per reception. All four of his receptions went for first downs.

The only other game where West saw a target was in the Cotton Bowl blowout of the Florida Gators. He was unable to convert either of his two targets into a catch in that contest.

The former three-star recruit out of Lamar High School in Arlington, Texas, returns to a wide receiver group that is very deep. Marvin Mims, Theo Wease, Jadon Haselwood and Mike Woods figure to lead a group that also includes Drake Stoops, Mario Williams, Jalil Farooq and Cody Jackson.

It may be challenging for West to see the field early, but there will be opportunities to carve out a role in Lincoln Riley’s offense with a strong fall camp.

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Sooners Spencer Rattler, Marvin Mims land on award watch list

As the Sooners prepare for the 2021 season, several players will find themselves on postseason award watch lists.

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The start of the college football season is just 47 days away when the Oklahoma Sooners open the season on the road against the Tulane Green Wave. With the season just around the corner, it’s officially watch-list season. With the Sooners expected to be in contention this year, there are several players on both sides of the ball that will be in contention for some postseason awards in 2021.

The Maxwell Award dropped its first watch list today and Spencer Rattler and Marvin Mims have been selected as players to watch for 2021.

The Maxwell Award is given to the college player of the year as voted on by a panel of broadcast and print journalists as well as college football’s head coaches.

First handed out in 1937, previous winners of the Maxwell Award include Baker Mayfield (2017), Jason White (2004), Tommy McDonald (1956).

This is just one of the many watch lists that will feature Spencer Rattler and other members of the Oklahoma Sooners. 2021 looks like a good year to collect some hardware.

Transfer Mike Woods experience provides explosive depth option for the Sooners

In 2021, the Sooners didn’t have a reliable deep threat beyond Marvin Mims. Mike Woods provides another option for Spencer Rattler and OU.

The top of the Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver depth chart appears pretty well solidified at two of the three spots. Marvin Mims takes over the slot wide receiver role, and Theo Wease was mentioned as a player who’s made a big jump by Nik Bonitto at Big 12 media days.

The return of Jadon Haselwood from injury last year provides a player with size and athleticism on the outside. Haselwood’s athleticism and catch radius gives Spencer Rattler someone he can throw to regardless of how well his receiver is covered.

With those three appear locked into playing time and true freshman Mario Williams standing out in spring practice and the spring game, Mike Woods is flying under the radar.

Woods, who transferred in from Arkansas, provides the Oklahoma Sooners with another reliable option to use on the outside in the Sooners’ wide receiver rotation.

Last year, Razorbacks’ quarterbacks had a 120 passer rating when targeting Woods. His 72.7% catch percentage led Arkansas last season.

When Arkansas went deep, it had its most success targeting Woods. On throws more than 20 yards down the field, Woods averaged 52.3 yards per reception and 39.25 yards per route run. Woods’ catch percentage on throws more than 20 yards downfield was 75% on eight targets.

And that’s an element to the passing game that Woods brings to the table. A deep threat who averaged 18.5 yards per reception will help put pressure on opposing defenses. He gives Spencer Rattler another weapon to target downfield. And a weapon that can win downfield more consistently.

In 2020, the Oklahoma Sooners struggled to find consistency with their deep passing attack. Perhaps Woods can be an answer to that.

Mims was the only consistent option for the Sooners down the field last season. But that changes in 2021.

Though the passing offense will likely run through Mims in his second year with the Sooners, don’t overlook Woods as a player that will make a huge impact. Even in a limited role, his ability to stretch the field and threaten a defense with a big play will put stress on the opposition. And with Spencer Rattler’s big arm, there’s no doubt that he can’t wait to unleash some deep passes to the Sooners’ newest deep threat.

Riley at Big 12 Media Day: Oklahoma has two starting running backs

In Kennedy Brooks and Eric Gray, the Oklahoma Sooners have a running back duo with a lot of experience leading the way in 2021.

The Oklahoma Sooners enter the 2021 season in much better shape at the running back position than in 2020. Heading into 2020, the running back depth chart was topped by T.J. Pledger and featured freshmen Seth McGowan and Marcus Major. Pledger was the only one who had carried the football at the college level, and he only had 40 carries to his collegiate career.

Pledger was solid while awaiting the return of Rhamondre Stevenson from suspension. However, the duo of Kennedy Brooks and Eric Gray put the Oklahoma Sooners ahead of the curve at running back heading into 2021.

Speaking at Big 12 Media Day yesterday, Lincoln Riley was asked about the usage of the running backs, and to no one’s surprise, he plans on playing both Kennedy Brooks and Eric Gray a lot.

Kennedy Brooks and Eric Gray come into the 2021 season with nearly 600 combined touches in their respective collegiate careers. That’s a ton of experience heading to the field for the Sooners in 2021.

We’ve seen Lincoln Riley and the offensive staff show an ability to feature two running backs in the offense. Joe Mixon and Samaje Perine both thrived in Riley’s offense in 2015 and 2016.

With Gray and Brooks’ versatile skillsets, the Sooners will rotate them in based on game situation. Gray will likely play more in two-minute drill situations or if the Sooners are forced to play from behind because of his receiving prowess. Brooks will play more in neutral situations or late in games when the Sooners are leading, where Riley and company will look to run the football.

Because both can catch the football out of the backfield, there’s a strong possibility that the Sooners will install packages into the playbook that have both Gray and Brooks on the field at the same time. Putting stress on the opposing defense is the name of the game, and with their ability to create big plays in the run and pass game, Lincoln Riley and DeMarco Murray will get creative to get them on the field together.

In Lincoln Riley’s offense, the starter designation isn’t as important as one might think. He likes to get a lot of players involved in the offense. Even a guy like Marcus Major will get some touches in 2021 though he sits third or fourth on the Sooners depth chart.

Behind what should be another really good offensive line for the Oklahoma Sooners, OU’s starting running backs Kennedy Brooks and Eric Gray are set for a productive 2021.

Trio of Oklahoma Sooners named to 2021 All-Transfer Team

The transfer portal has been kind to the Oklahoma Sooners over the years and that didn’t change in 2021 as they added several starters this offseason.

The transfer portal has become a unique weapon in the arsenal of Oklahoma Sooners Head Coach Lincoln Riley. The portal was instrumental in putting the Oklahoma Sooners on their current trajectory after landing Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Jalen Hurts. And the hits keep on coming.

Yesterday, 247 Sports released their All-Transfer Team heading into the 2021 season, and several Sooners, including one former Sooner, were featured on the list.

Ironically, the pipeline from the Tennessee Volunteers provided the Sooners with three of their biggest 2021 acquisitions in the same offseason. It hires former Oklahoma Sooners quarterback and offensive coordinator Josh Heupel, as their new head coach. Heupel’s Volunteers could have greatly benefitted from having Eric Gray, Wanya Morris, and Key Lawrence on the squad, but that’s what happens when coaches run a program into the ground.

Tennessee’s loss was Oklahoma’s gain in the 2021 transfer portal as they found two starters in Gray and Morris and a potential future starter in Lawrence.

Let’s take a look at the players to make the team.

Oklahoma Sooners’ linebackers provide veteran stability to improving defense

While much of the talk about the Sooners defense in 2021 has focused on the defensive line, OU’s veteran linebackers provide the foundation.

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This offseason, there’s been a lot of talk about the Oklahoma Sooners defensive line as a reason to be optimistic about the Sooners’ chances of contending for a national championship in 2021. There’s also been a lot of talk about the secondary and its youthful playmakers stepping into full-time roles in 2021.

There should be a lot of excitement about the defensive front and the secondary. They’re going to be a lot of fun to watch in 2021.

Offensive coordinators and offensive line coaches will be up late trying to come up with a way to block Nik Bonitto, Isaiah Thomas, Perrion Winfrey, and Jalen Redmond.

Woodi Washington and D.J. Graham will make it incredibly difficult for teams to throw to the outside. The safety group is experienced and won’t be left out to dry as often as they might have been in the past.

This defense is going to be really good. But a position group that often gets left out of the discussion is the linebacker group led by Brian Asamoah and DaShaun White. It might just be the most underrated position group on the entire team. And at the same time, it might just be the deepest group on the squad.

We’re thinking of traditional linebackers for this discussion and not including “rush linebacker” Nik Bonitto.

White, Asamoah, David Ugwoegbu, Caleb Kelly, and Shane Whitter provide the Sooners with five guys capable of making plays for Alex Grinch’s defense.

At the top of the depth chart, you have four guys that have played a ton of snaps for the Sooners and a fifth in Whitter that got his feet wet in 2020 but appears to be a player that has a big future.

White has played more than 1,000 snaps on defense for Oklahoma. Asamoah and Ugwoegbu have played more than 600. Caleb Kelly’s snap counts aren’t available from Pro Football Focus, but according to SoonersSports.com, he’s played in 41 games in his Oklahoma career.

It’s an experienced group that can bring four veterans into the game and contribute to Alex Grinch’s defense. Throw in Shane Whitter that Oklahoma Sooners Linebacker Coach Brian Odom talked about as a player on the rise back in the spring and you’ve got a great group of players.

There may not be a star on the linebacker depth chart (yet), but this group is flying under the radar heading into 2021. The stability, leadership, and experience at the position will be foundational to what Alex Grinch and the Oklahoma Sooners want to accomplish in 2021.

Sooners wide receiver named true freshman with ‘Best Hands’ by ESPN

The Sooners have an experienced group at the top of their wide receiver depth chart, but freshman Mario Williams will have a big impact.

There’s a lot of excitement about the Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver group heading into 2021. With Marvin Mims, Theo Wease, and Jadon Haselwood returning, Spencer Rattler has a solid and experienced group of players to throw to. One player that will get a ton of snaps but may not start wowed observers during the spring with his playmaking ability: true freshman Mario Williams.

Williams, the five-star wide receiver in the 2021 class, stood out in the spring game with a highlight contested-catch win over D.J. Graham. He looks to be a contributor early on for the Sooners.

Earlier this week, ESPN Staff Writer Craig Haubert handed out “superlatives” for college football’s true freshman (link requires subscription), and wide receiver Mario Williams made the list because of his impressive hands.

There’s a reason Williams is the No. 1-ranked wideout. Within this receiver class, the Oklahoma signee is neither the biggest nor the overall fastest, but he has always stood out as a great competitor with sharp technique as a route runner and excellent ball skills. A top-20 player nationally, Williams has consistently exhibited strong, quick hands to snatch the ball out of the air, whether he’s wide open or contested by a defensive back. Having great hands also includes a seamless transition upfield after the catch, and Williams excels at that, too. – Haubert

Having reliable hands will always endear a player to a coaching staff and, more importantly, a quarterback. Showing consistency when the ball is thrown your way is the easiest way to earn playing time.

Mario Williams will attempt to have a similar impact as a true freshman that fellow receiver Marvin Mims had in 2020. Like Mims (fourth in wide receiver snaps in 2020), Williams may not get a ton of snaps, but he’s a player who will make the most of his opportunities when he is in the game.

Sooners safety Pat Fields named 2nd team Academic All-American

Pat Fields racked up another academic all-American award from the College Sports Information Directors of Americaโ€™s preseason awards.

The Oklahoma Sooners continue to rack up preseason awards. This time it was on the academic side of things as Soonersโ€™ safety Pat Fields was named a member of the College Sports Information Directors of America All-American second-team

Fields, a junior on the 2020 OU football squad, has compiled a 3.81 GPA while simultaneously pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in accounting and a master’s degree in accounting. He is projected to complete both in December 2021. He was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District 7 Team last month. -OU Athletics Dept press release

Pat Fields was selected to the Big 12 Academic first-team in 2019 and 2020 and is set to complete both his Bachelorโ€™s in Business Administration in Accounting and Masters in Accounting degrees in December per SoonerSports.com

Fields is projected to start again at safety for the Sooners after playing in 10 games last year for Oklahoma.

One of the leaders in the secondary, Pat Fields has been a steady part of Alex Grinchโ€™s defensive alignment. Playing solid coverage and being tremendous in run support.

Going into his fourth season with the team, the redshirt Junior looks to build upon a season that saw him collect his first career interception and post the best passer rating against (74.4) and completion percentage when targeted (53.3%) of his Sooners career per Pro Football Focus.

If Pat Fields is able to build off his impressive 2020, that would be a huge boon for and Oklahoma Sooners’ defense that is a key to the team’s national championship hopes.

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