Tag: 2024 Oklahoma Sooners Football

What does Zac Alley bring to the table as defensive coordinator?

The Sooners are expected to hire Zac Alley as their next defensive coordinator but what can fans expect from the new hire?

On Thursday the Oklahoma Sooners announced they would be mutually parting ways with Ted Roof who had been the defensive coordinator at Oklahoma since 2022. That immediately brought speculation about who the next guy would be for the Sooners.

Would they promote from within with [autotag]Brandon Hall[/autotag], [autotag]Todd Bates[/autotag] or [autotag]Jay Valai[/autotag]? Or would they look for someone outside the program? Reports started surfacing Thursday night the Sooners were expected to hire Jacksonville State defensive coordinator Zac Alley.

Now, it hasn’t been made official yet but let’s take a look at what Oklahoma could be getting from Alley as defensive coordinator.

Alley has a lot of familiarity with [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag]. He worked for four years (2015-18) under Dabo Swinney as a graduate assistant at Clemson. Alley spent the entire time on the defensive side of the football, where he worked primarily with the defensive tackles and linebackers.

He would leave there and head to Boise State to be the co-special teams coordinator and linebackers coach. His first opportunity as a defensive coordinator came from Louisiana-Monroe.

He turned what was the No. 125 ranked rushing defense in FBS in 2020 into the 69th-ranked rush defense in 2021. The Warhawks improved in 11 of 14 defensive categories from 2020 to 2021.

He took the same position with Jacksonville State in 2022. 2023 was their first season in FBS.

In 2023, they allowed 352.8 yards per game, 111.5 rushing yards per game, 241.3 passing yards per game and teams converted 32% of their third downs. They also ranked No. 8 in the nation in stop rate, in the 96th percentile in run defense success and 67th percentile in pass defense success.

Jacksonville State led Conference USA in almost every statistical defensive category including, total yards, rushing yards, yards per carry, sacks, forced fumbles, total touchdowns allowed and was second in interceptions.

More: Social media reacts to reports that Zac Alley will be the next defensive coordinator

From reports, Alley is a “mini” Venables. In fact, in an interview with the Post and Courier back on Nov. 2, 2023, he talked about the similarities.

“I laugh about it,” said Alley, the JSU defensive coordinator who learned the trade while working as a student assistant and graduate assistant when Venables was defensive coordinator on Clemson’s best teams. “But I talk like Coach V. I coach like him. My parents tell me my mannerisms are like him on the sidelines.” – exceprt from the Post and Courier article

He also requires the services of a “get back coach” just like his new boss used to. You can even see the similarities from practice when he was Mic’d up at ULM.

All signs pointed to this type of move. Bringing in someone Venables had trust in to run the defense and had a similar philosophy. Venables can hand his defense off to someone so he can be more of a “CEO” type of head coach.

That doesn’t mean he won’t have any part in the defense because he will. Every head coach still has a say in everything going on. It just means he can now focus on other things more because he has someone he trusts leading the defensive group.

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Sooners and defensive coordinator Ted Roof mutually agree to part ways

The Oklahoma Sooners will be looking for a new defensive coordinator as they part ways with Ted Roof.

The Oklahoma Sooners will head into the [autotag]SEC[/autotag] with new offensive and defensive coordinators. The program announced on Thursday that [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] and [autotag]Ted Roof[/autotag] mutually agreed to part ways.

Roof spent the last two seasons teaching Venables’ new scheme. Venables said in a press release:

“Ted is an incredibly knowledgeable coach and teacher, and his players love playing for him. Our program is thankful for his extreme dedication the last two seasons and for helping make us better.”

Venables said in the release that he told Roof on Wednesday he would be moving in another direction and asked if Roof wanted to stay on in a different role. He told Venables he has a deep desire to keep coaching and will look to do that at a different school.

The Sooners displayed much improvement in Year 2 under Roof. After ranking 98th in scoring defense (30 ppg) and 121st in total defense (461 ypg) in 2022, OU improved in both categories in 2023, ranking 46th (23.5 ppg) and 78th (389.4 ypg), respectively.

The defense ranked second nationally in interceptions (20), sixth in turnovers gained (26), seventh in tackles for loss per game (7.5) and 14th in third-down conversion percentage defense (.311; up from .409 in 2022).

The search for the defensive coordinator position will begin immediately per Venables.

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Oklahoma Sooners get prediction for productive edge transfer

The Oklahoma Sooners continue their work in the transfer portal this time landing a prediction for a productive EDGE defender.

The 2024 recruiting class is pretty much finished barring any last-second offers, so the Oklahoma Sooners staff has shifted its focus to the[autotag]transfer portal[/autotag].

The Sooners continue to visit with transfer prospects. Recently they hosted [autotag]Caiden Woullard[/autotag], a highly productive edge defender from Miami (Ohio). He is a 6-foot-5, 252-pound rusher who finished the season with 12 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks.

Oklahoma is the heavy favorite in his recruitment after earning a prediction from On3 and SoonerScoop’s Josh McCuiston.

We’ll see how Woullard factors into the team next season if he commits. The Sooners obviously need more pass rush productivity and more depth at defensive end. The potential signing of Woullard would address both needs.

The Sooners have another visit scheduled with another talented pass rusher later this week. The thought is Oklahoma would take both if they wanted to commit.

Woullard is a four-star prospect on On3’s transfer ranking. The Sooners also hold a 99.3% chance of landing the talented pass rusher per On3’s recruiting prediction machine.

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Oklahoma Sooners land visit from highly touted edge transfer target

The Oklahoma Sooners are in the running for arguably the best EDGE defender in the transfer portal.

The Oklahoma Sooners have been hard at work building their 2024 roster. After signing their 2024 recruiting class and the Alamo Bowl, the Sooners refocused their attention on the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag].

The Sooners landed one on Tuesday from the portal and could land another later this week if all goes according to plan. They are scheduled to get a visit from arguably the best edge defender in the transfer portal.

Purdue Boilermakers [autotag]Nic Scourton[/autotag] (formerly Caraway) announced he plans to visit the Sooners on Saturday. Oklahoma is one of four schools getting visits from the talented pass rusher. The Sooners will host Scourton on Jan. 6 after he takes trips to Texas A&M, Florida State and Missouri.

Scourton had a monster season, leading the Big Ten in sacks with 10. He had 50 tackles and 15 tackles for loss. The 6-foot-4, 280-pound lineman fits the mold of [autotag]Rondell Bothroyd[/autotag] and [autotag]Jalen Redmond[/autotag]. He can play both inside and outside if needed. He would provide a dominant pass rusher, something the Sooners haven’t had in recent years.

The issue is the first visit on his list. Oklahoma fans know all too well how hard it is to overcome the Texas A&M Aggies in recruiting. This time will be no different. Scourton’s hometown is 11 minutes away from College Station, Texas. Missouri has proven a thorn in Oklahoma’s side, and you can’t discount what Mike Norvell is building at Florida State.

The Sooners have one advantage. Scourton’s former teammate, [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag], joined the Sooners through the transfer portal this offseason.

He has been actively recruiting Scourton to the Sooners.

The Sooners’ coaching staff is hard to beat. They’ve done a great job of reeling in guys when many don’t think they have much of a chance. If they can pull him away from College Station, it would be a massive recruiting win heading into the SEC.

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Former Oklahoma high school star transfers to the Sooners

The Sooners add another player in the transfer portal, this time with a person familiar with the state.

The Oklahoma Sooners continue to add depth to their cornerback room as they head into the [autotag]SEC[/autotag] in 2024. Not only did the Sooners get good news with Woodi Washington announcing he’ll be back for his final season, but they also added a transfer to the cornerback room.

This transfer addition is a former Oklahoma high school star from Bethany, [autotag]Jocelyn Malaska[/autotag]. Malaska is going into his redshirt sophomore season and he has three years of eligibility. He accepted a preferred walk-on spot after transferring from the Utah Utes.

The former four-star recruit played in eight games in his two seasons at Utah. In 2023, he played in five games, primarily on special teams. In 2022, he saw reserve action in three games, including in the Pac-12 championship and Rose Bowl.

 

In high school, he did just about everything. He was first-team all-district. Totaled 93 receptions for 1,148 yards and seven touchdowns and garnered 1,182 all-purpose yards. He had one punt return and two kickoff return touchdowns.

Defensively he collected 107 total tackles over four years, snagged seven interceptions and deflected 18 passes. Fifty-four of his 107 tackles came during his senior year.

Malaska joins fellow transfer addition [autotag]Dezjhon Malone[/autotag] at the cornerback position. The Sooners return both starting cornerbacks and several young players [autotag]Jacobe Johnson[/autotag], [autotag]Jasiah Wagoner[/autotag], [autotag]Kani Walker[/autotag] and [autotag]Makari Vickers[/autotag] who played a lot of snaps in 2023.

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Woodi Washington returning for another year with Oklahoma Sooners

The Oklahoma Sooners received some good news with the announcement that Woodi Washington is returning for 2024.

The Oklahoma Sooners’ defense continues to get good news this offseason with the return of veteran cornerback [autotag]Woodi Washington[/autotag] for his sixth season. Using his extra year of eligibility available to him due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Washington provides the Sooners with another experienced piece for Brent Venables and Ted Roof’s defense.

Washington joins other vetarn leaders on the defense like [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag], [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag], and defensive tackles [autotag]Da’Jon Terry[/autotag] and [autotag]Jacob Lacey[/autotag] to help give that side of the ball a ton of experience heading into the SEC.

Oklahoma had issues at cornerback in 2023, largely due to inexperience and a number of injuries that plagued the position. But Washington was a mainstay, starting each of Oklahoma’s 13 games and finishing first on the team in defensive snaps with 851. Bowman was second, 70 snaps behind Washington.

Though Oklahoma’s defense was 112th in the nation in passing yards allowed, they were also 22nd in the country in completion percentage against. With Washington returning, they have a chance to continue to improve on their defense that jumped from 99th in the nation in scoring in 2022 to 48th in 2023, improving their points per game allowed by a touchdown.

With Washington, the Sooners have security. As they continue to develop their cornerback talent, they know they have a good veteran option to rely upon for 2024.

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‘I left room for no doubt as the best D-lineman here’: David Stone stands out at Under Armour All-American practices

Several future Sooners have shown out at the Under Armour All-American practices but David Stone shines above them all.

The Oklahoma Sooners’ 2024 recruiting class is pretty much done, barring any last-second signees on national signing day.

Sooner fans are holding out hope for five-star defensive lineman [autotag]Dominick McKinley[/autotag]. But it seems like that possibility is out of reach: McKinley flipped his commitment from the Texas A&M Aggies to his home state LSU Tigers.

But the Sooners have put together a great class. They’re in the top 10 on each of the major recruiting sites and are as high as No. 7 according to 247Sports.

A few Oklahoma signees have been participating in the [autotag]Under Armour All-American[/autotag] game festivities. From all accounts, it looks like everything is going well, especially for the players in the trenches.

One of the stars has been five-star defensive tackle [autotag]David Stone[/autotag]. Stone told OUInsider he’s felt good about how well he’s performed during the one-on-one and practice sessions.

“I know I did a great job,” Stone said. “I left room for no doubt as the best D-lineman here. People have no choice but to watch everything. If you want to do your job as an evaluator, I left the best product out there.”

Stone even went on to say he’s pushing to be the nation’s top player in the class when the final rankings are released. He has his eyes set on being named the MVP of the All-American game on Jan. 4, 2024.

Watching his combination of speed and power has been fun the last few days and something Sooner fans hope carries over to Norman.

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‘I feel like he definitely could be special’: Daniel Akinkunmi turns heads at Under Armour All-American events

Akinkunmi has done nothing but show he belongs at the Under Armour All-American game with several good performances.

The Oklahoma Sooners may have found their hidden gem of the 2024 recruiting class: three-star offensive lineman [autotag]Daniel Akinkunmi[/autotag].

Akinkunmi is coming to Norman via the NFL Academy in London, England. He has only played football the past few seasons. That’s why people were anxious to see how he’d hold up against some of the nation’s best high school players at the Under Armour All-American practices.

Not only has he held up just fine, but he’s impressed a lot of people, including myself. He’s becoming my favorite player in the class.

From him talking about asking [autotag]Bill Bedenbaugh[/autotag] for the playbook moments after signing to being the last one on the field earlier this week working on his technique by himself long after the events concluded to his early morning workouts with his future teammates, there’s no question his work ethic is there. And his peers are taking notice.

“We were up at, I think, 3 a.m. lifting,” Stone said. “Me, him and Von (Davon Mitchell) were all in the weight room and I ended up calling J.J. (Jayden Jackson) and I was like, ‘Hey man this dude is going to be special; his work ethic is just like ours.’ I feel like we could definitely make a case to be like [autotag]Trent Williams[/autotag] and that [autotag]Gerald McCoy[/autotag] class that we had. I feel like we could really be like that. Us going first round in the same draft class, I feel like he definitely could be special just like that.”

Being the next McCoy and Williams is a lofty goal. That duo went top four in the 2010 NFL draft. But the work ethic is there for both.

Akinkunmi spoke with OUInsider about his relationship with Bedenbaugh.

“We talk every single day,” Akinkunmi said. “He calls my mum every single day. He and my mum are best friends, they talk all of the time. We absolutely love each other. That’s my coach, and I’m never going to change up on him. Unless he gets fired, and let’s be honest, he’ll never get fired, so I’m rocking with Coach B all of the way.”

Akinkunmi said he’s headed straight to Norman after the Under Armour events conclude this week and will immediately get to work on becoming Bedenbaugh and Oklahoma’s next hidden gem.

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Oklahoma Sooners must solve their offensive line problem heading into 2024

The Oklahoma Sooners have their work cut out for them with the offensive line but could any of the young guys be an answer?

There is no doubt the Oklahoma Sooners’ biggest question mark heading into 2024 and their inaugural season in the [autotag]SEC[/autotag] is the offensive line. The Sooners lose five guys who started a bunch of games last season.

[autotag]Walter Rouse[/autotag], [autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag], [autotag]Andrew Raym[/autotag], [autotag]Cayden Green[/autotag] and [autotag]Tyler Guyton[/autotag] are gone. Four are off to the [autotag]NFL[/autotag]. The other found a new home in Missouri. That means the Sooners will have their work cut out for them to replace those five.

[autotag]Troy Everett[/autotag] played some at guard but started the bowl game at center, which is probably his more natural position. We’ll see if he wins that job, but it appears he’s the leader to take over for Raym. [autotag]Jacob Sexton[/autotag] started the last few games after Guyton went down with an injury and did pretty well. The Sooners also brought in two transfers [autotag]Spencer Brown[/autotag] and [autotag]Febechi Nwaiwu[/autotag], who look poised to take over at tackle and guard.

But that still leaves spots unfilled. The Sooners are almost certainly going to remain active in the portal, but it’s also possible an incoming freshman gets a look. Most people have assumed that would be [autotag]Eddy Pierre-Louis[/autotag], seeing how highly thought of he is. But a constantly mentioned top performer at the Under Armour All-American events is [autotag]Eugene Brooks[/autotag].

“I don’t know where it will start for me, but I’m just going to go in there and ball out,” Brooks said. “I’m going to work my butt off. I’m going to go in there every day and give it 110% and be the first one in and the last one out.”

It seems with Brooks, [autotag]Daniel Akinkunmi[/autotag], Pierre-Louis, [autotag]Isaiah Autry[/autotag] and [autotag]Josh Aisosa[/autotag], the Sooners have a class of offensive linemen that are physical and bring some nasty back to the offensive line.

That’s something they’ve been missing the last few years, and something we know Bedenbaugh wants out of his linemen. Combine that with what appears to be a strong work ethic from each, and Oklahoma could have a better offensive line class than many thought initially.

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What does ESPN have to say about incoming quarterback Michael Hawkins?

Oklahoma’s incoming quarterback Michael Hawkins has a chance to be a big-time player due to his dual-threat ability, says ESPN.

The Oklahoma Sooners have long been a place where quarterbacks find success. That’s in part due to the offenses that the Sooners playcallers have put on the field, but also because the university attracts some of the nation’s best quarterbacks.

In the [autotag]Alamo Bow[/autotag]l, we’ll get to see [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] make his first start, but Oklahoma’s quarterback future goes beyond Arnold. The Sooners added two quarterbacks in the 2024 recruiting class, [autotag]Michael Hawkins[/autotag] and [autotag]Brendan Zurbrugg[/autotag].

Hawkins, it could be argued, was severely underrated in the 2024 recruiting class as he showed off a number of tools that will make him successful at the collegiate level. 247Sports and On3 were lower than ESPN and Rivals on the Oklahoma legacy, where he was considered a four-star prospect in the 2024 cycle.

It’s the dual-threat nature of Hawkins’ game that has Todd Luginbill of ESPN (ESPN+)  excited for his future with the Sooners.

Hawkins is going to be a dynamic runner for the Sooners. He has a live arm but is not a classic passer. He timed at 4.9 seconds in the 40-yard dash in 2021 and now runs 4.6. If Oklahoma and new OC Seth Littrell want to really challenge defenses with a running QB, Hawkins fits the bill. – Tom Luginbill, ESPN

At a camp at SMU back in 2021, Hawkins posted a time of 4.43 in the 40-yard dash.

There’s no telling at what point Hawkins could see the field. It could very well be in 2024 as he’s gotten a jump start on his Oklahoma Sooners career, joining the team for Alamo Bowl practices. But when he does, you can bet, he’ll put a lot of stress on the defense with his ability to beat teams with his legs.

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