Tag: 2024 Oklahoma Sooners Football

What did 247Sports give the Oklahoma Sooners for Christmas this year?

247Sports shared what they’d give each of the top 25 teams in the nation for Christmas, so what did they give the Oklahoma Sooners?

The Oklahoma Sooners went into the final week of 2023 with another top-10 recruiting class and are preparing for their Alamo Bowl matchup with the Arizona Wildcats.

Ahead of the bowl, 247Sports shared what it would give each of the top 25 teams in the nation for Christmas. For the Oklahoma Sooners, it was a more favorable 2024 schedule.

The SEC unveiled its 2024 schedule earlier this month, and it did no favors to conference newcomer Oklahoma, which received one of the most difficult draws in league play. Battles with LSU, Alabama, Texas, Tennessee, Ole Miss and Missouri headline the slate. – Carter Bahns, 247Sports

More: Oklahoma Sooners Full 2024 schedule

The Oklahoma Sooners have five programs on the schedule inside the top 13 of the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll. Texas and Alabama highlight the list as they prepare for the College Football Playoff, but Ole Miss and Missouri have been making moves on the recruiting trail to try to take another step next season. The road trip to LSU at the end of the year will make for an incredibly difficult atmosphere. Throw in Tennessee, which has become one of the better offensive teams under [autotag]Josh Heupel[/autotag]. Oh, and let’s not forget traveling to face Auburn or hosting a South Carolina team with an improving defense. The Sooners have one of the more difficult schedules in the country in 2024.

But that’s to be expected heading into the SEC. The Sooners wouldn’t want it any other way. That was the point of joining the conference. A schedule full of marquee matchups is what the Oklahoma brass was hoping for when they made the move to the SEC.

More: Way too early 2024 schedule prediction

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How does Oklahoma stack up against the SEC in team recruiting rankings for the 2024 cycle?

A look at how the Oklahoma Sooners stack up with the SEC in average team recruiting rankings for the 2024 recruiting cycle.

The 2024 signing class will be the Oklahoma Sooners first freshman class in the SEC. With the move to the SEC, the stakes for the Sooners and the Texas Longhorns just got a lot higher.

They’ve been going head-to-head with SEC schools on the recruiting trail for some time, but now, they’ll have to put their recruiting results to the test on the gridiron.

The 2024 class may not show its full potential for a couple of years, but it will have an impact on the Sooners’ first season in the SEC next fall.

So, how does Oklahoma’s 2024 signing class compare to their future conference foes? Here’s how the SEC ranks in 2024 recruiting based on an average of the team rankings from 247Sports, On3, and Rivals.

More from the [autotag]2024 early signing period[/autotag].

‘There’s just not as many of them’: Brent Venables on the difficulties of recruiting elite defensive linemen

The defensive line is one of the most important position groups on the football field but it’s also one of the most difficult to recruit.

When the announcement was made that the Oklahoma Sooners would be heading to the [autotag]SEC[/autotag], there was one thing that had to change about this football program. They had to start winning battles for elite defensive linemen.

That’s one of the reasons why [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] got the job. They knew his track record of building elite defenses that started with elite defensive linemen. He brought with him his defensive line coach [autotag]Todd Bates[/autotag], who is an elite recruiter, and also brought [autotag]Miguel Chavis[/autotag] with him, who has proven to be a very good recruiter as well.

They’ve done a very good job so far, landing two five-star defensive linemen in two years. They could add a third in February. Venables talked about the difficulties of recruiting elite defensive linemen in his press conference on Wednesday.

“It’s the law of supply and demand,” Venables said. “There’s just not as many of them. It’s been that way since football became a sport. Rushing the passer, stopping the run, the lines of scrimmage is where the game has always been won or lost. So, that’s not a new thing, but there’s just not as many of them that are able to play at a really, really high level.”

The Sooners have signed five defensive linemen so far this cycle. Those five gave the Sooners one of the best defensive line classes the program has had in the last 20 years. So, you can see Venables is building it the right way.

They just now have to start developing those players and then getting the results on the field.

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Brent Venables feels Skip Johnson deserves the credit for ‘2 Sport U’

The Sooners uniquely signed two players who will also be playing baseball but how does that work?

The Oklahoma Sooners have had a history of players playing multiple sports. The most notable one, of course, is [autotag]Kyler Murray[/autotag], who played football and baseball.

Murray became the first player drafted in the first round of both the [autotag]NFL[/autotag] and [autotag]MLB[/autotag] draft. He ultimately decided on a football career. In the [autotag]2024 recruiting class[/autotag], the Sooners have two more who are set to play both sports. [autotag]James Nesta[/autotag] will play linebacker for the football team and will pitch for the baseball team. [autotag]Taylor Tatum[/autotag] will play running back and then, most likely, in the outfield.

But this wouldn’t work if it wasn’t for the plan in place that [autotag]Skip Johnson[/autotag] has. He’s been through it with Murray and knows how to make this work. It was his plan that both Nesta and Tatum have talked about as to why they chose Oklahoma.

Brent Venables talked about how this plan came to be. “I wouldn’t say it’s as much as me. Skip and the baseball team is willing to do it,” Venables said. “I think the attractiveness of how well our baseball program has done. The history, the tradition, certainly they did a great job of selling those things. I think that attracted them as much as anything. That combination of the excellence of Oklahoma football and what it’s represented and the excellence of baseball. I personally don’t think we would have gotten either one of them had the football been a powerhouse and excellent and had the history and tradition and then the baseball program stunk. I don’t think we would have gotten either one of those guys.”

It’s a testament to how good of a job Johnson has done since taking over. It’s also why Oklahoma has become “2 Sport U.”

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Where does Oklahoma rank among the top 25 recruiting teams in college football in 2024?

Where do the Oklahoma Sooners rank in 2024 team recruiting rankings after securing their signing class?

The Oklahoma Sooners finished the 2024 recruiting cycle without a whole lot of issues, signing all 27 of their committed prospects.

It secured the Sooners a third-consecutive top 10 signing class under head coach Brent Venables in his two years in Norman. The 2024 class has a chance to help set the Sooners on a trajectory to help them contend for SEC and national titles.

It all starts up front with a defensive line class that includes five blue-chip prospects, headlined by five-star defensive tackle David Stone. But beyond Stone, the Sooners have a number of talented players who will be big-time contributors for Oklahoma in 2024 and in the coming years.

With the early signing period wrapping up, let’s take a look at how Oklahoma’s 2024 signing class compares to the rest of the country. Here’s a look at the top 25 teams in recruiting based on an average of the team rankings from 247Sports, On3, and Rivals.

More from the [autotag]2024 early signing period[/autotag].

Oklahoma Sooners receive three predictions for transfer offensive lineman

Oklahoma Sooners could be getting some more good news, this time in the transfer portal.

It’s no secret, the Oklahoma Sooners have a lot of work to do along the offensive line before next season. The Sooners must replace all five starters from this season, although [autotag]Jacob Sexton[/autotag] and [autotag]Troy Everett[/autotag] started a few games in 2023.

[autotag]Walter Rouse[/autotag], [autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag], [autotag]Andrew Raym[/autotag], [autotag]Cayden Green[/autotag] and [autotag]Tyler Guyton[/autotag] are gone. Sexton replaced Guyton at the end of the season due to an injury. Everett played some guard earlier in the year when they were trying to solidify that position before Green took over.

The Sooners brought in [autotag]Eddy Pierre-Louis[/autotag], who is the top interior offensive lineman in the 2024 recruiting class, according to Rivals. While [autotag]Bill Bedenbaugh[/autotag] showed he will play freshmen, we know that’s not what he wants to do.

So, the Sooners have hit the portal hard. They’ve received one commitment, former Michigan State Spartans offensive tackle [autotag]Spencer Brown[/autotag]. Now, they’ve received three predictions from SoonerScoop’s Josh McCuiston, Michigan State insider Justin Thind and national recruiting analyst Brian Dohn for his running mate at guard, [autotag]Geno VanDeMark[/autotag].

VanDeMark and Brown started on the right side of the line, so they have chemistry playing together. Given Sexton played right tackle, those two could be moved to the left side or they could move Sexton to the left side if VanDeMark were to sign.

Michigan State had an up-and-down season, and so did VanDeMark, although his best games came against his best competition. According to Pro Football Focus, he had pass-blocking grades of 71.7, 76.6, and 86.4 against the Michigan Wolverines, Ohio State Buckeyes and the Penn State Nittany Lions.

He definitely is better at pass blocking than run blocking, although he’s solid at that as well. Ultimately, he would bring experience and depth to a depleted offensive line.

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How ready are the Oklahoma Sooners to compete in the SEC?

Brent Venables and co. did great job recruiting the past three years but are they ready to compete in the SEC?

The [autotag]2024 recruiting[/autotag] class for the Oklahoma Sooners is their first class in a new conference. The Sooners finished with the No. 6 class according to Rivals, which was good for No. 4 in the [autotag]SEC[/autotag].

While the 2022 and 2023 classes were top 10 classes as well, this was their best defensive haul, especially along the defensive line.

It’s obviously going to take some time to develop this class and continue to develop the 2023 class even though many members of that 2023 class received significant playing time this season. Brent Venables spoke about just how ready they are to compete in the SEC.

“We’re always working to be better,” Venables said. “We are certainly competitive. We want more. We’re going to need more. Whatever that means. It’s all-encompassing. It’s incredibly competitive. It’s relentless. It’s year-round. It’s challenging. There are some smart coaches, and there are a lot of programs that have a lot of resources. Just like Oklahoma. So, it’s a very real competition. One that’s not going to go away. You are going to win some and then not win some but you need to win some more than you lose.”

Oklahoma has had a class that would rank in the top five among SEC schools every year since Venables took over at Oklahoma. Gone are the days, however, where the Sooners have only one school to compete with in their conference.

This is a new challenge. A tough challenge. But it is one Venables and his staff are up for.

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Nation’s No. 1 running back in the class of 2024 officially signs with the Oklahoma Sooners

The Oklahoma Sooners add Taylor Tatum to the team after he officially signs his National Letter of Intent.

The [autotag]2024 early signing period[/autotag] is here, and the Oklahoma Sooners have received the signature from one of their most sought prospects. [autotag]Taylor Tatum[/autotag] is a five-star prospect and the nation’s top running back in the class of 2024.

Tatum could come in and immediately contribute to a running back room for Oklahoma that was up and down in 2023. He has a very similar playing style to former Sooners running back [autotag]Joe Mixon[/autotag].

He’s not as big as Mixon, though, listed at 5 feet, 11 inches and 205 pounds. He can help in the passing game as well as the running game. He’s also a dual sport athlete who is expected to play both football and baseball at Oklahoma.

Here is what Gabe Brooks, a national scouting analyst for 247Sports, had to say about Tatum:

Instinctive lane-finder. Plays with patience. Presses blocks to allow for holes to materialize. Also knows how to buy a couple more strides of time on perimeter runs to help blockers re-route defenders. Quick-footed in the hole. Regularly makes something out of nothing when penetration disrupts play in the backfield. – Brooks

More from the [autotag]2024 Early Signing Period[/autotag]

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Davon Mitchell officially signs his National Letter of Intent with the Oklahoma Sooners

The Sooners big time tight end target is officially on board as he signs with Oklahoma.

In 2023, the tight end position was one of the weaker groups on the team. That’s why it was important for [autotag]Joe Jon Finley[/autotag] to restock that position as the Oklahoma Sooners head to the [autotag]SEC[/autotag].

He did just that by getting the commitment from four-star tight end [autotag]Davon Mitchell[/autotag]. Mitchell was considered a five-star prospect and the No. 1 tight end in the 2025 class before reclassifying to 2024.

Mitchell is someone who could compete for a lot of playing time right away. This position is losing the only player that had any real production in [autotag]Austin Stogner[/autotag]. It’ll be hard for a true freshman to come in and play right away but he’s a guy that may just be too talented to keep off of the field.

More from the [autotag]2024 Early Signing Period[/autotag]

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No. 4 player in the state of Oklahoma signs National Letter of Intent with OU

The state’s No. 4 overall player has officially signed with the Oklahoma Sooners.

Since stepping into the role as cornerbacks coach for the Oklahoma Sooners, [autotag]Jay Valai[/autotag] has done an outstanding job both with development and with recruiting. The Sooners’ cornerbacks, when healthy, made big strides in 2023.

Valai also did a good job on the recruiting trail, earning three commitments. One of those was the No. 4 player in the state, [autotag]Devon Jordan[/autotag].

Jordan played at Tulsa Union and is a 5-foot-11 and 168-pound four-star cornerback. He’s someone who probably will not see the field much in 2024 unless it’s on special teams.

The Sooners return a number of young players who saw the field in 2023. But if 2023 is any indicator, that could change at any moment. There were guys last year who probably weren’t expected to play a whole lot before the season but had to due to injury.

Jordan has great speed. In fact, 247Sports reported he ran a wind-aided 10.71 100 meters and 21.93 200 meters times as a junior in spring 2023 at the OSAA 6A regional meet. He placed fifth at the OSAA 6A meet in the 100 with a wind-legal 10.91. Speed is something the Sooners can use in the secondary.

More from the [autotag]2024 Early Signing Period[/autotag]

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