Tag: 2023 Oklahoma Sooners Football

College coaches name Oklahoma Sooners a winner in the transfer portal

College coaches pick the Oklahoma Sooners as one of the winners of the transfer portal per ESPN.

The Sooners had to do something this offseason to improve the talent on both sides of the ball. [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] and his staff did just that through the first stage of the [autotag]2022-2023 transfer portal[/autotag].

They’ve added impact players like [autotag]Dasan McCullough[/autotag], [autotag]Rondell Bothroyd[/autotag], [autotag]Reggie Pearson[/autotag], [autotag]Trace Ford[/autotag], [autotag]Jacob Lacey[/autotag], and [autotag]Davon Sears[/autotag] to a defense that needed an infusion of talent. In particular, they needed to add more pass rushers to give them more consistency.

Oklahoma’s also done a good job on the offensive side of the ball. To help mitigate the loss of [autotag]Anton Harrison[/autotag], [autotag]Wanya Morris[/autotag], and [autotag]Chris Murray[/autotag] along the offensive line, Oklahoma brought in [autotag]Walter Rouse[/autotag] and [autotag]Caleb Shaffer[/autotag] to add to a line that will feature [autotag]Andrew Raym[/autotag], [autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag], and [autotag]Tyler Guyton[/autotag] in 2023. The Sooners also added [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] from Michigan and brought back [autotag]Austin Stogner[/autotag] to be the presumptive starter at tight end.

The work Venables and his staff have done to improve the talent has garnered the attention of college coaches around the sport who named the Sooners as one of the winners of the transfer portal, according to ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg (ESPN+).

“They struggled so badly last year,” a Big 12 assistant said. “The portal, if you do it the right way, it can change things. They’ve taken a good hold in the portal.”

Coaches expect edge rusher Dasan McCullough, a transfer from Indiana, to immediately impact the unit. Oklahoma emphasized its defensive line in the portal, adding Oklahoma State end Trace Ford, Wake Forest end Rondell Bothroyd and Notre Dame tackle Jacob Lacey. Former Sooners tight end Austin Stogner will return after a season at South Carolina, where he had 20 receptions. Wide receiver is an area Oklahoma likely will continue to pursue in the portal when it reopens. – Adam Rittenberg

The Sooners currently sit eighth in the nation in the 247Sports transfer portal rankings after the first period of the portal.

This coaching staff has done a really nice job at attacking weaknesses in the portal to give themselves an opportunity to improve upon their 6-7 season from 2022. It won’t be an easy task, but in a wide-open Big 12, the Sooners will be a Big 12 contender late in the season.

If there’s one thing this coaching staff has shown they can do, it’s recruit. Whether it’s in the 2023 recruiting class or the transfer portal, Brent Venables and his staff have done a fantastic job in the talent acquisition department.

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Where did Oklahoma signees from the 2023 recruiting class land in the final ESPN 300?

Which Oklahoma Sooners were ranked in the final ESPN 300 for the 2023 recruiting class?

The Oklahoma Sooners had a field day in the 2023 recruiting cycle, closing with a recruiting class that ranked in the top five according to 247Sports and ESPN and were seventh nationally according to On3 and Rivals.

With the early signing period, much of the 2023 cycle is finished, which has led several publications to release their final player rankings for the class. Over at ESPN, 13 of Oklahoma’s signees for the recruiting class were ranked inside their top 300. By comparison, Alabama had 23 players and Georgia had 21 of the top 300. The Sooners still have a ways to go to get the number of top recruits like the Crimson Tide and Bulldogs. Another team relevant to the Sooners, the USC Trojans, only earned signatures from five players in the ESPN 300.

Led by Jackson Arnold, Oklahoma had seven players in the top 100, including four on the defensive side of the football. And that’s the biggest difference in this recruiting class compared to those from the past. The Sooners added a ton of defensive talent, 10 blue-chip prospects on defense, according to 247Sports.

Here’s a look at where each player ranked in the ESPN 300 and where they ranked at their position.

247Sports includes Oklahoma among programs ‘facing pivotal seasons in 2023’

247Sports believes the Oklahoma Sooners are facing a pivotal season in year two under Brent Venables.

2022 wasn’t a good season for the Oklahoma Sooners. There’s no way around it. However, it wasn’t a program-defining season in Brent Venables’ first in Norman. It was every bit of the “transitional year” that we hear about in college football.

At the same time, there’s an expectation that comes with being the Oklahoma Sooners. And those expectations haven’t changed. The 2023 season will be key to defining the future of this program under Brent Venables.

247Sports’ Brad Crawford believes the Sooners are a program facing a pivotal season in 2023. Other programs include Florida, Texas A&M, and Ohio State.

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Sooners receive Rivals Futurecast for recent 2023 offer Taylor Heim

After issuing an offer on Friday, the Oklahoma Sooners received a Rivals Futurecast for 2023 3-Star ATH Taylor Heim out of Bethany, Oklahoma.

The Oklahoma Sooners aren’t done on the recruiting trail just yet. They made an offer yesterday to 2023 Athlete Taylor Heim out of Bethany, Oklahoma.

Heim, who’s listed as a three-star prospect over at 247Sports, is projected as a linebacker, stands 6-foot-3, and weighs 190 pounds. He’s the No. 11 player in the state of Oklahoma and holds offers from 13 universities. The Sooners represent his first Power Five offer.

He’s an athletic player that had a prolific career as a tight end and quarterback as well. His versatility and the knowledge that comes with it will help inform his play at linebacker at the collegiate level.

He’s been pursued by Army, Air Force, and Navy. Additionally, Brown, Incarnate Word, Tulsa, North Texas, Louisiana Tech, Ohio, South Dakota State, and Missouri State have made efforts to land the surging prospect.

If Heim does commit, he’d join a linebacker crew in the 2023 class that includes Samuel Omosigho, Lewis Carter, and Phil Picciotti. It’s

Taylor Heim’s Recruiting Profile

Projections

  • Josh McCuistion of SoonerScoop.com at Rivals issued a Futurecast for Taylor Heim

Film

Hudl

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Oklahoma Sooners playing numbers game to replace WR Marvin Mims

While the Oklahoma Sooners have a hole at wide receiver, they have several promising players to work with to replace Marvin Mims.

The Oklahoma Sooners lost several players to the NFL after the 2022 season. Perhaps none were a bigger loss than wide receiver [autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag].

Mims, who emerged as a true freshman, led the Oklahoma Sooners in receiving yards each of his three seasons in Norman. His penchant for the big play was a huge part of Oklahoma’s offensive success over the last three seasons.

New wide receivers coach [autotag]Emmett Jones[/autotag] and offensive coordinator [autotag]Jeff Lebby[/autotag] have a tall task ahead of them to find someone to replace Mims in the starting lineup.

[autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] and [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag] are back and are likely two of Oklahoma’s starting wide receivers in three receiver sets. Stoops is a steady present out of the slot and had his most productive season in 2022. Farooq had a strong season in his first year as a starter and will look to build on it in 2023.

But what will Oklahoma do on the outside opposite Farooq? There’s not a clear answer as the Sooners begin their offseason workouts. As opposed to fill in the blank, Oklahoma will be answering a multiple choice or select all that apply test for outside wide receiver two.

The Sooners have a host of guys that will compete for snaps on the wide receiver depth chart. Returning are [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag] and [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag], two members of the 2022 signing class that have a ton of potential but didn’t see many opportunities last season for varying reasons.

Then there are the transfer additions Oklahoma made late last spring. [autotag]J.J. Hester[/autotag] and [autotag]L.V. Bunkely-Shelton[/autotag] will get a full offseason of work in Jeff Lebby’s offense. They have experience from their original schools that could help the Sooners mitigate the loss of Marvin Mims and, to a lesser extent, [autotag]Theo Wease[/autotag]. Oklahoma added [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] in the portal this offseason. He’s a big-play threat similar to Hester. Those three transfer additions don’t bring elite production, but they’ve done some things at the collegiate level that Jones and Lebby can develop.

The Sooners added a couple more wide receivers in this signing class that have a chance to have an early impact. [autotag]Keyon Brown[/autotag] may be ready to go from a technical perspective, while [autotag]Jaquaize Pettaway[/autotag]’s speed is going to be a game-changer for this offense. Pettaway won’t be in Norman till the summertime, but it won’t take long for the coaching staff to see the difference his speed makes.

The Oklahoma Sooners may not know who slides into the starting lineup at this point. But that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. There will be quite the competition at wide receiver to see who emerges from a deep group of players with promise.

As the offseason churns along, this will be one of the position battles to watch for 2023.

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Dillon Gabriel among best draft-eligible players returning for 2023

Barrett Sallee of CBS Sports included Dillon Gabriel among his 20 best draft-eligible players returning for the 2023 season.

One of the more important dominos to fall this offseason was the decision of Dillon Gabriel. He didn’t wait long after the Cheez-It Bowl to make it known that he was sticking around Norman, saying Norman was his “Forever Home.”

Gabriel had a really good year for the Oklahoma Sooners. It wasn’t worthy of a Heisman, but he had the offense humming, helping put Oklahoma in a position to win every game. The only two games in which the Sooners lost by more than a touchdown, Gabriel missed all or most of the game. The TCU game, when he suffered a concussion on a brutal hit and the subsequent Texas matchup in the Cotton Bowl.

Oklahoma averaged 32 points per game, even when factoring in the 49-0 shutout vs. Texas. There’s no guarantee Oklahoma wins the Texas game, but it takes on a much different look if he’s available.

Take the Texas game out of the equation, and the Sooners’ offense averaged 35 points per game over the other 12 games.

Gabriel’s return is one of the reason’s there’s optimism surrounding the Sooners heading into the offseason. Continuity at the game’s most important position allows Oklahoma to build on what they did in 2022.

While it’s unlikely Gabriel would have been selected with a premium pick in the 2023 NFL draft, his return was critical for the Sooners. Barrett Sallee of CBS Sports ranked his top 20 returning draft-eligible players for 2023. Gabriel comes in at No. 14.

Gabriel was named the Big 12’s Newcomer of the Year after throwing for 3,168 yards, rushing for 315 yards and accounting for 31 touchdowns in 2022. The Sooners desperately need stability after a disappointing 6-7 season, and Gabriel’s presence should go a long way toward bring them back into Big 12 contention. – Sallee, CBS Sports

The Sooners’ offense has work to do on third and fourth down and in the red zone. They’ve got to be better in those situations. At the same time, the offense was far from the biggest issue in their 6-7 season. Oklahoma’s defense allowed 35 points or more in seven games and went 1-6. In games where they allowed 25 or less, they were 5-1.

Only one of the games decided by a touchdown or less did the defense hold the opposition to less than 30 points, the overtime loss to West Virginia. It wasn’t a good performance from the offense on a wet day. But that was the one bad performance the offense had all season in which Gabriel played the entire game.

Dillon Gabriel’s return allowed the Sooners coaching staff to focus their efforts in the transfer portal elsewhere. They didn’t have to spend time and resources looking for their next quarterback.

Instead, they added a couple of offensive linemen, a tight end, and a wide receiver to supplement the talent in-house. They made significant moves on the defensive side of the ball as well, which will be the greater determining factor as to how Oklahoma’s season goes in 2023. If the defense can take significant steps in 2023, Oklahoma could be contending for the Big 12 title.

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‘They aren’t far from an SEC offense’: Power Five coaches share thoughts on Oklahoma for 2023

Oklahoma’s offense is ready to roll for 2023, but can the Sooners defense improve enough to make them players in the Big 12?

In a season the Oklahoma Sooners played five one-score games and went 0-5, one could say the Sooners were clo … err, not far from keeping their streak of winning seasons alive.

It’s really hard to lose that many one-score games. It takes a great many bad breaks, so 2023 should see offer a regression to the mean. All the Sooners had to do was win one of those one-score games to prevent their first losing season since 1998. However, maybe that losing season is just what the doctor ordered to reset the program.

Oklahoma hasn’t laid back on the recruiting trail or in the first month of the 2022-2023 transfer portal. It has made significant additions to the defensive front and in the secondary to bolster a unit that allowed 30 points per game and allowed 35 or more points in seven games in 2022.

“Based on where they fell to this past year, they’re probably thinking that they’ve got to make a quick fix,” a Power Five coordinator told Adam Rittenberg of ESPN.

To that end, the Sooners have added [autotag]Dasan McCullough[/autotag], [autotag]Rondell Bothroyd[/autotag], [autotag]Jacob Lacey[/autotag], [autotag]Davon Sears[/autotag], [autotag]Reggie Pearson Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Trace Ford[/autotag] to improve their defense. Each should have a significant role if not start for the Sooners in 2023. McCullough, Bothroyd and Pearson, in particular, will bolster the Sooners’ defense. They were playmakers in their previous programs, something the Sooners lacked in 2022, especially from the pass rush. If the Sooners can improve their defense, there’s no telling how good they could be with the offense they have.

“They aren’t far from an SEC team on offense,” a defensive coordinator who faced Oklahoma shared with Rittenberg. “To say that team’s 6-6, I don’t know why. If you’ve got a quarterback and guys that can catch the football, you’re going to be able to score points.”

Oklahoma was 1-6 in games the defense allowed 35 points or more. The Sooners were 5-1 in games the defense held opponents to fewer than 30 points. The path to returning to the top of what will be a convoluted Big 12 in 2023 is getting the defense closer to 20-25 points per game allowed. Of course, that’s easier said than done. However, if the parts can come together, the Sooners will have a chance to do something significant in 2023.

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‘Oklahoma is next year’s TCU’: Joel Klatt believes the Sooners are a team to watch in 2023

Joel Klatt of Fox Sports believes the Oklahoma Sooners could be 2023’s TCU Horned Frogs.

There were many remarkable aspects to the TCU Horned Frogs’ run to the College Football Playoff national championship game. A team that was 5-7 in 2021 and brought in a new head coach, Sonny Dykes, had a remarkable turnaround in Dykes’ first season.

With 2022 behind us and Georgia the back-to-back national champions, the question on Fox College Football analyst Joel Klatt’s mind is who could be 2023’s TCU. His answer: the Oklahoma Sooners.

“I already told you earlier, they were 0-5 in one score games,” Klatt said during his show on YouTube a few days ago. “All they have to do is start winning close games, which they should do, and they’re easily a 10-win team, maybe an 11-win team. And if they’re an 11-win team, in particular in the regular season, 11-1, they’ll be playing in the Big 12 championship game. And if you’re playing for the Big 12 championship game at 11-1,  guess what? You’re probably vying for a playoff spot. And if you’re vying for a playoff spot, guess what? You’re next year’s TCU.”

If the Sooners had gone just 2-3 in the five one-score games, Oklahoma would have won eight games in 2022. Four of those five losses came by a field goal. With what the Sooners have done this offseason to upgrade the defensive side of the ball, the Sooners should be better equipped to get one more stops or have the depth to sustain their defensive effort late in games.

Getting Dillon Gabriel back and adding some veteran pieces to the offensive line should help Oklahoma maintain or improve its offensive production from 2022. Coming up with a consistent big-play threat to replace Marvin Mims will be key, but Oklahoma has several options at wide receiver that could win downfield.

As we saw in the Cheez-It Bowl, the Sooners should be able to run the ball with great effectiveness; Jovantae Barnes and Gavin Sawchuk lead the way. If they can get a better defensive performance in 2023, Oklahoma will have a chance to make its 6-7 season a footnote.

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Oklahoma Sooners land Stanford offensive tackle transfer Walter Rouse

Oklahoma beefs up its offensive line with Stanford transfer offensive tackle Walter Rouse.

Oklahoma has been hot in the transfer portal. That didn’t stop Saturday afternoon when transfer offensive tackle Walter Rose, a former member of the Stanford Cardinal, committed to the Sooners.

Rouse, a seasoned collegiate tackle, has one year of eligibility remaining and fits a need for Oklahoma’s offensive line in the wake it losing both tackles to the NFL draft. Tyler Guyton looks set to replace Wanya Morris at right tackle. The left tackle spot vacated by Anton Harrison could be a battle between the incoming Rouse, Jacob Sexton, Savion Byrd or Aaryn Parks.

 

Rouse was committed to Nebraska and looked set to enroll at mid-year, but Bill Bedenbaugh flipped the offensive tackle to the Sooners. Rouse started 39 games with over 2,552 snaps at left tackle in David Shaw’s run-heavy offense. Rouse also tied for 12th in fewest pressures allowed in the Pac-12 last season and allowed five sacks. He was penalized once in 2022.

Rouse’s commitment gives the Sooners their 11th portal commitment of the offseason. With Rouse and Caleb Shaffer on the way, the Sooners have stabilized the two spots along the offensive line that desperately needed a veteran presence.

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Pair of Sooners transfer additions considered perfect fits for Oklahoma

The Sooners have been active in the portal, but these two transfer additions could be “perfect fits” for Oklahoma.

The Oklahoma Sooners haven’t been shy about adding talent to their depth chart via the transfer portal over the last two offseasons. They’ve been active on both sides of the ball.

Two of their more recent additions were dubbed perfect fits for the Sooners by Hawkeyes Insider at 247Sports writer Brandon Sonnone. Among his list of perfect fits were defensive lineman Rondell Bothroyd and wide receiver Andrel Anthony.

This is a projection of upside, but Andrel Anthony to Oklahoma makes a lot of sense. If players were stocks, buy low on Anthony after he amassed only 19 catches for 328 yards and four scores in 22 career games.

Anthony has the smooth aspect to his game, and that should be utilized well in Jeff Lebby’s super spread system. The idea of getting Anthony in space or isolated in 1 vs. 1s on deep shots is super intriguing. – Sonnone, Hawkeyes Insider

Anthony provides a big-play threat for the Oklahoma Sooners. As a true freshman in 2021, Anthony averaged 20.7 yards per reception for the Michigan Wolverines. That number dropped considerably in 2022, but depending on his usage, the Sooners could have a new big-play threat to replace Marvin Mims on the outside.

One of the things the Oklahoma Sooners have to figure out this offseason is their pass rush. The pass rush had a couple of really strong games in wins over Nebraska and Oklahoma State and in the first half of their loss to West Virginia. In an effort to find a more consistent pass rush, the Sooners added Bothroyd.

In terms of scheme fit, this might be one of the best matches that we’ve seen so far this pgortal cycle. Rondell Bothroyd is listed at 6-foot-4, 265 pounds, but he might be a little closer to 280. That size, combined with his strength made him a movable piece in Wake’s 4-man front this past season, and it could lead to him being an ideal defensive end in the 3-man Tite Front that Brent Venables has popularized.

Boyd brings pass-rush juice (14 sacks over two seasons) and is solid versus the run. He had some experience lining up over the tackle at Wake Forest, but figures to do that a ton at Oklahoma. His versatility will be a plus. – Sonnone, Hawkeyes Insider

In addition to Bothroyd, the Sooners added Trace Ford, Dasan McCullough, Jacob Lacey and Davon Sears to their defensive front. Bothroyd is easily the guy on the defensive front with the most production. If he can bring that to Oklahoma and the Sooners can get a guy like Ethan Downs to improve upon his strong finish to the 2022 season, Oklahoma mighty have the answers it is looking for rushing the passer.

For the Sooners to get back to the top of the Big 12 standings, they’ll need big-time contributions from their transfer portal additions. And if Anthony and Bothroyd are indeed perfect fits for the Sooners, they should have a big season in Norman.

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