Tag: 2023 Oklahoma Sooners Football

Oklahoma Sooners land transfer offensive linemen Caleb Shaffer

Oklahoma continues its portal shopping spree by adding grad transfer offensive lineman Caleb Shaffer from Miami of Ohio.

[autotag]Bill Bedenbaugh[/autotag] is not satisfied with his offensive line room as the Sooners prepare for the 2023 season. It’s hard to blame him as the Oklahoma Sooners lost two starters, [autotag]Anton Harrison[/autotag] and [autotag]Wanya Morris[/autotag], to the NFL Draft process and Chris Murray to graduation.

Instead of waiting idly, Bedenbaugh went portal shopping and helped land interior offensive linemen Caleb Shaffer out of Miami-Ohio. Shaffer announced his commitment to Oklahoma on Thursday evening.

Shaffer projects best as a guard and marks the third time in the last four years that Oklahoma’s offensive line coach has landed a transfer guard in the offseason. Previous guards [autotag]Chris Murray[/autotag] and [autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag] ended up becoming starters for Bedenbaugh, and it’s quite possible that Shaffer could become the next starter for the Sooners at guard.

He has a wealth of experience, with 35 starts and over 2,200 snaps to his collegiate resume. Shaffer was an Academic All-MAC player as well. Since he is a grad transfer, he will have one year of eligibility.

Shaffer’s commitment gives Oklahoma a wealth of options if senior [autotag]Chris Murray[/autotag] is not granted another year. It also allows younger interior linemen like [autotag]Savion Byrd[/autotag], [autotag]Jake Taylor[/autotag], and others to continue developing at a steady pace.

Shaffer won’t be given a starting job, but he’ll undoubtedly be in the mix for one all offseason. Shaffer also marks just the second offensive transfer portal addition, along with the return of tight end Austin Stogner.

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‘Forever Home’: Dillon Gabriel to return to Oklahoma Sooners for 2023

Dillon Gabriel returning to the Oklahoma Sooners for the 2023 season.

Dillon Gabriel isn’t done wearing crimson and cream just yet. The veteran signalcaller announced that he will return to the Oklahoma Sooners for his fifth college season.

No player was as vital to the OU offense as Gabriel. The 49-0 loss to Texas is proof enough of that. With Nick Evers’ transfer to Wisconsin, the Sooners needed a proven commodity at quarterback. While Jackson Arnold looks incredibly promising, betting on a true freshman to be able to start from day one is not a good idea, especially after a 6-7 season.

Gabriel will almost certainly be the week one starter, and if he stays healthy, will hold on to the job throughout the season. Gabriel played solid football in 2022, throwing 25 touchdowns to six interceptions and just over 3,000 yards in 12 starts. He also ran for 386 yards and six touchdowns in his first season in Norman.

Gabriel is far more valuable in the Sooners QB room than outside of it. No one knows Jeff Lebby’s offense better than he does. His presence will pay dividends both when he is on the field and when he passes the torch.

Jackson Arnold will be the heir apparent, but until his time comes, he’s looking forward to learning from Dillon Gabriel. With Gabriel returning, the Sooners have stability at the position for the first time in a few years.

After leading one of the nation’s best offenses in 2022, Gabriel and the Oklahoma offense are looking for an encore performance in 2023.

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Incoming transfer Dasan McCullough makes ESPN’s true freshman All-America team

Incoming transfer Dasan McCullough was named to ESPN’s true freshman All-American team after a standout season with the Indiana Hoosiers.

When the game-winning kick sailed through the uprights in the Oklahoma Sooners’ overtime loss to Texas Tech, the biggest offseason priority was plain to see. Brent Venables and the Oklahoma staff needed to address the defense.

After looking strong to start the season against UTEP, Kent State, and Nebraska, the Sooners struggled for nearly the entirety of Big 12 play. One of the major culprits was the Sooners’ pass rush. Linebacker depth was also an issue.

One player that will have an impact on improving Oklahoma’s defense is incoming Indiana transfer Dasan McCullough. McCullough, who played on the edge for the Hoosiers, could also factor into the Sooners’ cheetah competition to replace DaShaun White.

Coming off a strong true freshman season for the Hoosiers, the incredibly athletic McCullough was named to ESPN’s true freshman All-American team by Tom VanHaaren.

McCullough was the highest-ranked recruit to sign with Indiana since the ESPN 300 was formed in 2006 at No. 43 overall. He played in 12 games this season for the Hoosiers and had 49 total tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and four sacks along with three quarterback hurries. He transferred to Oklahoma after the season finished and will try to improve a Sooners defense that allowed 29.6 points and 450.5 yards per game in 2022. – VanHaaren, ESPN

At 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds, McCullough has the size to be a terror for offensive tackles as a pass rusher. A former high school safety, McCullough has experience in coverage and will be a piece that Brent Venables can either use as a linebacker or drop into coverage at Cheetah. The possibilities are endless.

With a strong freshman season to build on, McCullough is an important addition via the transfer portal and will have a huge impact for the Oklahoma Sooners.

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Sooners DT Isaiah Coe returning to Oklahoma for 2023

Oklahoma Sooners defensive tackle Isaiah Coe to return for 2023.

With the season over, there are a lot of decisions to be made for many of Oklahoma’s players. It’s a period of self-reflection which lines up perfectly with the start of the new calendar year. As they consider their future, several players have decisions to make.

Oklahoma’s seen plenty of defections to the transfer portal, with a number of them coming before the Sooners departed for Orlando to play in the Cheez-It Bowl. On top of the additions to the portal, the Sooners also lost five (and counting) starters to the NFL Draft.

Needless to say, some gaps need to be filled for Oklahoma if they truly hope to improve on their 2022 record of 6-7.

Receiving confirmation that one of their more impactful interior defensive linemen is returning is huge news for the Sooners.

Isaiah Coe announced via social media that he is returning for the 2023 season. With the departure of [autotag]Jeffery Johnson[/autotag] to graduation and [autotag]Jalen Redmond[/autotag] early to the NFL draft, Coe’s return gives Oklahoma some veteran stability in the interior.

Coe and [autotag]Jordan Kelley[/autotag] become the elder statesman of the defensive tackle room. They look to be front runners to start at defensive tackle in 2023.

In 2022, Coe only recorded two sacks 2022. Still, his ability to take on double teams, get penetration and disrupt plays, especially in the run game, was especially evident in the latter parts of the season. He finished fourth on the team in tackles for loss with eight behind Ethan Downs, Danny Stutsman, and Jalen Redmond. All while playing 80 fewer snaps on the season than Redmond and finishing tied for third among interior defensive linemen in snaps.

With Jeffery Johnson and Jalen Redmond moving on, look for Coe to be a crucial part of the defense and a leader in the defensive tackle rotation in 2023.

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Woodi Washington to return to the Oklahoma Sooners for 2023

Oklahoma Sooners starting cornerback Woodi Washington to return for the 2023 season.

Now that the 2022 season is over for the Oklahoma Sooners following their 35-32 loss to the Florida State Seminoles in the Cheez-It Bowl, many players will be deciding on their futures.

With one more year of eligibility remaining, Woodi Washington has opted to stick around Norman. Having played more than 1,700 snaps in Oklahoma’s defense, Washington is a veteran presence for a unit that will lose DaShaun White and David Ugwoegbu to the NFL.

According to Pro Football Focus, Washington was the fifth-highest-graded Sooner on defense this season, which was also the best defensive grade of his career.

Going back and forth between cornerback and safety due to injuries, Washington’s flexibility proved invaluable to Brent Venables and the Sooners’ defense.

In 2022, Washington allowed more than 60 yards receiving in just one game, according to PFF. That was back against Iowa State when he was targeted 13 times and allowed 87 yards on 10 receptions. That game also was the third-lowest quarterback rating against Washington on the season.

Washington’s experience will be valuable to the Sooners as they hope to see an expanded role for Gentry Williams and Jayden Rowe. His leadership will help welcome cornerbacks Jacobe Johnson, Makari Vickers, Kendel Dolby, and Jasiah Wagoner.

As Oklahoma builds its depth, it’s huge that they’re able to retain upperclassmen with a lot of experience. Guys like Woodi Washington. Someone who will help with the defensive progression of the young guys.

The Sooners have one of their starting cornerback spots answered for next season. Whether or not C.J. Coldon returns for another season with Oklahoma will be one of the top storylines this offseason.

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Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. Let us know your thoughts, and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today. You can also follow John on Twitter @john9williams.

Will Dillon Gabriel return to the Oklahoma Sooners in 2023? Let’s hope so

Will Dillon Gabriel return to the Sooners in 2023? Oklahoma will be better for it. From @bendackiw

Neither Brent Venables or Dillon Gabriel confirmed that the quarterback would be returning to the Oklahoma Sooners in 2023 following their loss to Texas Tech.

If this was Gabriel’s only year as a Sooner, it was one to remember. The southpaw quarterback was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year while tossing 24 touchdowns to only six interceptions. Gabriel was good. Gabriel was very good.

However, there’s a bit of a problem. His name is Jackson Arnold.

The five-star quarterback from Denton Guyer is one of the top prospects in the 2023 class and is currently on a playoff run. Arnold will be taking on Southlake Carroll in the 6A Division 2 quarterfinals this week.

Arnold has the makings of a future stud, and he’s coming to Norman very soon. The last time a highly touted QB prospect came through Norman, the older quarterback was booed. We all remember the “we want Caleb” chants.

Will Dillon Gabriel stick around?

His draft stock is nowhere near good enough to justify declaring for the draft as a redshirt junior and he’s already used his one transfer. If he wants to do so again, he will need a waiver.

So, it seems likely that Gabriel will return to Norman in 2023. Here’s where we could run into some trouble.

If Gabriel has one bad game, god forbid a bad game at home, the fans will be calling for Jackson Arnold to come in. The “we want Jackson” chants will rain down on Owen Field.

Dillon Gabriel doesn’t deserve that, nor did Spencer Rattler.

Gabriel was the perfect guy to run Jeff Lebby’s offense in year one. He is the one who made the offense work. The Sooners were a complete disaster without him. Is he the greatest quarterback in the world? No, he’s not. But he’s a darn good one.

Will he come back? Probably. Hopefully he will be welcomed back with open arms.

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