Tag: 2024 Oklahoma Sooners Football

Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver poised to make a major impact in 2024 per On3

The Sooners may have gotten a steal in the transfer portal as one of their wide receivers is poised for a major impact per On3.

Heading into the offseason, the Oklahoma Sooners weren’t really in the market to find a wide receiver in the transfer portal. They had plenty of depth returning despite the loss of Drake Stoops and had a nice group of signees in the early signing period. But they weren’t past adding a player if it made sense.

That’s exactly what happened when [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag] entered his name into the portal. Oklahoma won out in his recruitment, and he’s been turning heads since arriving in Norman. Some even believe he could be the next star wide receiver for the Sooners.

But that hyperbole isn’t coming only from inside the house. It’s also being felt by On3. Burks was picked as one of 10 transfers poised to make a major impact this season.

Poor Purdue, Nic Scourton wasn’t the only ex-Boilermaker to turn heads this spring, as Deion Burks looks like a future star in the SEC. The talk of the Sooners’ spring practice followed up a month’s worth of buzz with a monster Red & White Game, finishing with nearly 200 yards and two touchdowns. – Jesse Simonton On3

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Zac Alley has been great so far in his new role at Oklahoma

Zac Alley has just been the defensive coordinator for a few months now but Brent Venables is pleased with where he is at.

Saturday’s spring game was the first time we’ve seen new defensive coordinator [autotag]Zac Alley[/autotag] call a game at Oklahoma. Obviously, the defense was very vanilla and didn’t show a whole lot. It’s still good practice to have him call plays and see how his defense communicates and executes.

Alley has spent a lot of time with his head coach, [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag]. Alley was an assistant when Venables was defensive coordinator for the Clemson Tigers. Adding Alley to the staff allows Venables to take a step back from the defense and become more of a CEO head coach.

Venables discussed how Alley has done this spring.

“He’s been great,” Venables said. “Everything has been good all spring. He’s gotten adjusted quickly, as we anticipated. He’s done a variety of things that have helped us continue to move forward, progress and get better. A lot of it language-wise. Trying to simplify some things from a language standpoint.”

Venables mentioned that when you get outside of a system and go to several places where everyone is new, you figure out how to be even more efficient. That’s something Alley has done so far, he said.

The question now for Alley is how well he will do as the play caller. He hasn’t been a play caller for very long and hasn’t done it at this level. Alley’s been incredibly successful at every coaching stop and has a talented roster. We’ll have to wait and see when the time comes this season.

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Brent Venables seeing great improvement from the back seven on defense

The Sooners defense is miles ahead in the back end than they’ve been in almost a decade.

Last offseason, the Oklahoma Sooners coaching staff lauded the improved competitive depth on the roster. That proved true, and it was arguably the most depth the Sooners have had in quite some time. It was most noticeable on the defensive side of the ball.

This year, it feels like that competitive depth has taken another significant step in the right direction. There are a number of guys that could make an impact this season. But there are ultimately not going to be enough snaps in the game to get them all playing time in the fall.

Still, Brent Venables believes they have more depth than last season.

“We’ve got tremendous experience and playmaking,” Venables said. “I really like where we’re at. We’ve made great improvement in our back seven, particularly at corner and safety. Developing the depth there and not just having guys who can go play but play at a high level. I really like what we’ve done this spring at corner. I just feel great about where we’re at. Doing the little things better than we were a year ago.”

Venables mentioned one area they don’t have a lot of experience is the interior of the defensive line. That obviously gained a boost with the commitment from Jermayne Lole on Monday, and the Sooners hope to add another player to that spot.

All in all, Venables is building a team that can compete for a national championship. That starts with having the depth necessary to compete at that level.

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Oklahoma Sooners add transfer defensive tackle Jermayne Lole

Transfer defensive tackle Jermayne Lole committed to the Sooners Monday evening, giving Oklahoma an experienced piece for their young defensive tackle group.

Since the day Brent Venables arrived in Norman, the mission has been clear. Get the Oklahoma Sooners ready for the SEC. To that end, Venables and his coaching staff have been working tirelessly to overhaul the Sooners’ defense, in particular the defensive line.

And they added another significant piece on Monday with the commitment of Louisville transfer defensive tackle Jermayne Lole.

Lole started his career at Arizona State before transferring to Louisville. After a couple of productive seasons with the Sun Devils, Lole battled injuries from 2020-2022. However, as a sophomore in 2019, Lole recorded 71 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks.

He played in 12 games in 2023 and only recorded 19 total tackles, five tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. He started nine games and tallied 13 total pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.

In five seasons, he has played more than 1,800 snaps, bringing a wealth of experience to the Sooners’ defensive tackle position.

Lole joins an ever-improving defensive tackle group that includes Da’Jon Terry, Gracen Halton, Jayden Jackson, Davon Sears and David Stone. It’s a group with substantial potential but lacking experience.

And the Sooners may not be done. Oklahoma is still in heavy pursuit of TCU transfer defensive tackle Damonic Williams. By all accounts, Williams enjoyed his weekend in Norman, but is still exploring his options for the 2024 season.

Lole provides another legit nose tackle for the Sooners to deploy in a rotation with Terry, giving Todd Bates and the Oklahoma coaching staff an experienced piece.

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Sooners defensive end Ethan Downs proving irreplaceable on and off the field

Ethan Downs showing once again he’s as reliable as it comes on the defensive line.

There might not have been a more impressive defensive player during the spring game than [autotag]Ethan Downs[/autotag]. Downs finished with four tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and a sack.

He looked a little faster than he had in the past. There was a play the Sooners attempted to run to the boundary that down stretched out, bringing the ball carrier down for a loss. Every time it feels like someone will come and take his starting job, Downs answers and shows why he’s a consistent and steady player. He’s someone you can always count on to do his job.

He may not be the biggest, strongest, or fastest player on the defensive line. But he always does his job. He’s also an important leader in the Sooners locker room.

Ethan Downs shared what he’s seen from his defensive line this year compared to years past. “Every year, it’s easy to say the room is deep, we’re competitive, but this year it feels just like that,” Downs said. “What I think is going to separate us from the previous years is how we’re going to attack the offseason. Will the room be consistently challenging for one another throughout the offseason? How are guys going to grow?”

Downs went on to say when guys earn their spots, players start to fall off and it’s not as competitive. He said his challenge will be to make sure that competitiveness is still there even after that happens.

That right there is why Downs is a player every team needs to have in their locker room and why he might be headed for a career year.

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‘Exciting to do that in Norman’: Deion Burks shows out at Sooners spring game

We’ve heard the offseason chatter but Deion Burks showed during the spring game that they hype might be real.

The Oklahoma Sooners’ wide receiver room might be the deepest position group on the team. It’s arguably among the top five in the country.

The question now is who will be the guy who emerges as the best of the bunch? [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag] has received the most buzz. He did nothing to quiet that noise with two 50+ yard touchdowns in the spring game.

He finished with five catches for 174 yards and two touchdowns. He showed flashes of being Oklahoma’s next great wide receiver. It looks like he’ll give Oklahoma something they didn’t have last season, thanks to his elite speed.

Deion Burks spoke after the game about his 64-yard touchdown catch on the opening drive. “I’m just looking in the air and like, man this is a great ball right here I just have to go and catch it,” Burks said. “Props to the o-line for holding up and get that pass down the field. J.A. (Jackson Arnold) making a great pass down the field it was just exciting to do that in Norman.”

It won’t be the last time the Oklahoma Sooners faithful see something like that from Burks in Norman. He was a big play threat every time he touched the ball at Purdue. And with an upgraded quarterback situation and better talent at wide receiver around him, Burks will get far more favorable coverages to play against than he did with the Boilermakers.

With a strong connection with Jackson Arnold, the two will hook up for several more big plays before Burks’ time in Norman is done.

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Best photos from the Oklahoma Sooners spring game

Best photos from the Oklahoma Sooners spring game.

The Oklahoma Sooners had another fantastic showing inside the friendly confines of Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. With another strong attendance in front of around 100 recruits, the Sooners put on a show on Owen Field.

[autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] and [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag] got it started with a 64-yard touchdown pass. The two connected a little bit later for another 50-plus-yard scoring strike. But it wasn’t just Arnold and Burks that flashed during the spring game.

A number of defenders like [autotag]Ethan Downs[/autotag], [autotag]Adepoju Adebawore[/autotag], [autotag]R Mason Thomas[/autotag], [autotag]Jayden Jackson[/autotag], and [autotag]David Stone[/autotag] got after the quarterback, helping the defense battle a talented offense throughout.

The offensive line did a lot of good things in the game, showing that they’ll be more than capable of progressing and being a winning unit for the Sooners in their first season in the SEC.

With the offensive line playing well, the quarterbacks had enough time to throw for the most part, and the running game was able to pick up big yards on several occasions.

They’re far from a finished product, but there was a lot to like. As we continue to react to the Sooners spring game, here are the best photos from the action on the field.

More: 5 takeaways from the Oklahoma Sooners Spring Game

Can Jackson Arnold be the next great Oklahoma quarterback?

Being the quarterback at Oklahoma brings a lot of pressure and Jackson Arnold is ready to live up to the hype.

Being the starting quarterback at a blue-blood program brings a lot of pressure. Being the starting quarterback at a place like Oklahoma with all of its recent success is another animal all on its own.

That’s what [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] is stepping into. He’s following [autotag]Josh Heupel[/autotag], [autotag]Jason White[/autotag], [autotag]Sam Bradford[/autotag], [autotag]Landry Jones[/autotag], [autotag]Baker Mayfield[/autotag], [autotag]Kyler Murray[/autotag], [autotag]Jalen Hurts[/autotag] and [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag].

That doesn’t even include the guys pre-2000 or even guys like [autotag]Spencer Rattler[/autotag] and [autotag]Caleb Williams[/autotag]who were extremely talented but finished their careers elsewhere.

Arnold spoke about how much that played into his decision to come to Oklahoma.

“It definitely impacted my decision,” Arnold said. “Just knowing the caliber of QBs that came before me and just knowing that I wanted to be a part of that group really stood out to me. Being in the lineage of Heisman winners is obviously something I want to join and follow those footsteps. This is the place that I wanted to be.”

The thing for Arnold is for him not to try to be too much like them and let that pressure get to him. Instead, he just needs to be himself. That’s what earned him five-star status. It’s why the expectations are so high for Arnold.

He’s got all the talent in the world to be a successful college quarterback. But so much of what goes into playing the position goes beyond the scouting report or the box score. But early in his career, Jackson Arnold has shown he’s capable of overcoming adversity. He’s made up of the right stuff. 2024 is the season we see Arnold have a breakout year.

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Pair of Sooners portal targets among The Athletic’s top 10 transfer options

Branson Hickman and Damonic Williams considered top 10 transfer options by Max Olson of The Athletic.

The Oklahoma Sooners spring game provides an opportunity for the OU Football program to put its best foot forward for a number of high school and transfer targets.

A trio of transfers options is set to make their way to Norman for this year’s spring game. [autotag]Damonic Williams[/autotag], [autotag]Branson Hickman[/autotag], and [autotag]Jermayne Lole[/autotag] are all slated to be in attendance this weekend.

Each of those guys would provide immediate competitive depth for the Oklahoma Sooners in 2024. The Athletic’s Max Olson believes Williams and Hickman are two of the best transfer portal options in the spring window.

2. Damonic Williams, DT

He started all 15 games up front at nose as a true freshman for a Horned Frogs team that played for a national title in 2022 and earned Freshman All-America honors, then started every game in his sophomore year to pick up honorable mention All-Big 12 recognition. He has two more seasons of eligibility and will have lots of Power 5 contenders competing for him. Oklahoma is expected to get his first visit followed by Texas, Colorado and LSU. – Max Olson, The Athletic

Damonic Williams would instantly upgrade Oklahoma’s defensive tackle options for the fall and beyond. Though they bring back Da’Jon Terry and there’s a lot of optimism about Jayden Jackson, the Sooners could use an experienced defensive tackle option to help fortify their ranks.

10. Branson Hickman, OL

Hickman was a three-year starter at center for SMU who earned second-team All-AAC honors last year and finished as the fourth-best starting center in the country by PFF’s grading. The 6-foot-3, 294-pound senior has two more seasons of eligibility and has taken official visits to TCU and Arkansas with Oklahoma up next.

If there’s an area that’s the biggest concern, it’s along the offensive line. And at center in particular. That’s not because Josh Bates isn’t capable. It’s because he lacks experience. And if there’s one thing we know about Brent Venables and his coaching philosophy, it’s that experience matters. And Branson Hickman has that in spades.

Hickman would provide the Sooners a day-one starter if Bates isn’t ready to roll in the fall. And like Williams, he’d have more than one year of eligibility, which would help the offensive line further coalesce.

The Sooners don’t have many holes on the roster that they need to fill, but up front, OU could stand to get better heading into the 2024 season.

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Helmet communication, 2-minute warning coming to college football

The NCAA approved a proposal that will allow for on-field helmet communication during games as well as the inclusion of a 2-minute warning.

College football is a constantly evolving environment. NIL, the transfer portal, and conference realignment have been at the forefront of the conversation for the last several years. On the field, the game is changing too.

On Friday, the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved the use of helmet communication and tablets on the sideline. Additionally, starting in 2024, there will be a two-minute warning added to the end of each half.

The addition of helmet communication comes after a trial run during bowl season that seemed to go off without a hitch.

According to The Athletic’s Chris Vannini, one player on the field can use the helmet technology. The player will be identified with a green dot on the helmet, the same designation used by the NFL.

Teams will have until the 15-second mark on the play clock or the snap of the ball to use helmet communication, whichever comes first. For a team like Oklahoma that wants to go fast, this may not impact them much. But there will be critical downs that Seth Littrell and Jackson Arnold will take more time. Though teams use an elaborate display of hand signals and billboards to relay the play or any adjustments, this new communication model will allow the offensive coordinator to speak directly to the quarterback. Defensively, Zac Alley will have a voice in Danny Stutsman’s ear, which should only benefit the Sooners defense.

Last year, the NCAA made a change that kept the clock running in the final two minutes of each half. The two-minute warning rule at the end of each half provides a little more gamesmanship at the end of games, allowing defensive teams to use their timeouts in an attempt to get the ball back.

College football as we knew it is long gone. Coming are Saturdays that feel more like Sundays as networks and conferences work to get games played in tighter television windows.

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