Tag: abram smith

2022 NFL draft: Seahawks have met with these 4 RB prospects

That’s one of the reasons why they seem to take a running back every year in the NFL draft.

Right or wrong, running back play is a core component of Seahawks coach Pete Carroll’s philosophy on offense. That’s one of the reasons why they seem to take a running back every year in the NFL draft. This time around it may be a necessity.

With Rashaad Penny and Alex Collins set to become free agents and Chris Carson with a neck injury, reloading at this position with fresh talent seems like a good idea regardless of the optics.

Here are four running back prospects Seattle has talked with that are currently at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine.

1. Isaiah Spiller: Texas A&M (6-foot-1, 215 pounds)

Rushing stats: 541 carries, 2,993 yards (5.5 YPA), 25 touchdowns

Receiving stats: 74 catches, 585 yards (7.9 YPC), one touchdown

2021 highlights: 

2. Dameon Pierce: Florida (5-foot-10, 215 pounds)

Rushing stats: 329 carries, 1,806 yards (5.5 YPA), 23 touchdowns

Receiving stats: 45 catches, 422 yards (9.4 YPA), five touchdowns

2021 highlights:

3. Max Borghi: Washington State (5-foot-10, 205 pounds)

Rushing stats: 369 carries, 2,158 yards (5.8 YPA), 32 touchdowns

Receiving stats: 156 catches, 1,134 yards (7.3 YPC), nine touchdowns

2021 highlights:

4. Abram Smith: Baylor (5-foot-11, 221 pounds)

Rushing stats: 269 carries, 1,647 yards (6.1 YPA), 13 touchdowns

Receiving stats: 14 catches, 78 yards (5.6 YPC), zero touchdowns

2021 highlights:

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Baylor RB Abram Smith would be the impact the Texans need in the run game

Former Baylor running back Abram Smith is the type of ball carrier that could make an impact for the Houston Texans.

Last week at the Senior Bowl, Abram Smith was voted by defensive players as the running back of the week for the National Team. This came after an excellent week of practice against some of the best draft eligible prospects in the nation where Smith flashed his talent to NFL scouts from all 32 teams. He capped off the great week of practice with a receiving touchdown from Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett in the Senior Bowl game itself on Saturday. No doubt about it, Smith was a huge winner from the week.

This, however, came as no surprise to anyone in Texas who watched Baylor this past year as they went on to run the Big 12.

While the national media focused their discussion on future first rounder and 2023 draft prospect Bijan Robinson from Texas, Smith made a quiet campaign for the best running back in the Big 12. On the season he tallied 257 carries for 1,601 yards and 12 touchdowns, a monster campaign. This included a 188-yard game on 27 carries against a ranked BYU team and 172 yards in the Sugar Bowl against Ole Miss.

I caught up with Scotty Swingler (Twitter @Pastor_Scotty), a Baylor Bears podcast creator and staff writer for 247Sports, to discuss Smith and what he brings to the table. He brought a ton of attention to Smith’s history at Baylor, where he was originally recruited as a running back before switching to linebacker and then back to running back. The Lonnie Johnson of the Baylor Bears, per se:

“He was a highly-touted 3-star back out of Abilene who moved to the defensive side of the ball under the defense-first mentality of Matt Rhule, who was lacking linebacker depth during his tenure. Smith was a competent linebacker, but many Baylor fans had clamored for years to see him back at running back. When Jeff Grimes arrived from BYU during the 2021 offseason, bringing with him his wide-zone scheme, he was looking for a back who could run hard behind his pads with enough athleticism to break big runs. Based on stories from spring camp, Grimes put Smith in the backfield and after just five called plays, told Dave Aranda, “That’s my guy.”

Any team that drafts Smith will be acquiring a player that isn’t afraid of contact and running between the tackles, clearly evident with his three years spent playing defense. However, Smith frequently showed off the necessary speed, both last season and in Mobile, to run a zone scheme and breakout huge runs when tasked. His hands were untested at Baylor however we’ve seen in recent years that, barring a Nyheim Hines-role, running back catches are largely game plan drive.

When asked for a comparison for Abram Smith’s play style, Swingler pointed to Indianapolis Colts’ Jonathan Taylor, the 2021 NFL leader in rushing yards, as a comparable player.

“Overall, I think Smith projects to be a high-end early-down back in the NFL. He is fairly comparable to 2021 NFL rushing leader Jonathan Taylor in size and skillset… He will be a weapon on first and second down running between the tackles to pick up consistent yardage and will be a reliable goal-line back as well. Teams like the San Francisco 49ers who run a wide-zone scheme, similar to what Grimes has installed at Baylor, would be the best immediate fit, but Smith has the chops to succeed in any offense.”

Currently, Smith projects to be drafted in either the fourth round or potentially the third if he can follow up a great Senior Bowl with a strong performance at the NFL Combine next March in Indianapolis. Houston has picks 68 and 80 in Round 3.

Everyone is curious to see what style offense new offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton will install under new coach Lovie Smith. However, regardless of scheme, it looks like Smith could be an excellent fit to stay in state and help the Texans.

5 Bold Predictions for the Oklahoma Sooners vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys

5 Bold Predictions as the Oklahoma Sooners get set to take on the Oklahoma State Cowboys in Bedlam.

In a highly anticipated matchup of top 10 teams in the College Football Playoff rankings, the No. 10 Oklahoma Sooners travel to Stillwater to take on the No. 7 Oklahoma State Cowboys.

Oklahoma faces their rival on the heels of back-to-back subpar performances for an offense that was rolling through Texas, TCU, and Texas Tech. The Cowboys look to be playing the best football they’ve played all season. Oklahoma State boasts one of the best defenses in the country, which will pose a significant challenge to Lincoln Riley and Caleb Williams.

As the Sooners get set to take on the Cowboys, here are 5 Bold Predictions for this week’s matchup.

3 Defensive Keys to an Oklahoma Sooners win vs. the Iowa State Cyclones

What does the Oklahoma Sooners defense need to do to slow down the Iowa State Cyclones on Saturday? Here are 3 keys to the game.

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It’s put up or shut up time for these Oklahoma Sooners. A win against Iowa State keeps a flicker of hope for the College Football Playoff alive while a loss in their final home game seals their CFP hopes and puts their Big 12 title defense in really choppy waters.

Baylor bludgeoned this Sooners defense into a corner like a boxer. Body shots rained down until the fourth quarter when the Bears would eventually land the major haymakers needed to knock down the Sooners. For Dave Aranda’s Baylor Bears, the running game did the trick. As the Sooners are ready for the Iowa State Cyclones, the tune is eerily similar to last week, with an added focus on Iowa State’s tight ends.

The Cyclones feature Breece Hall, who some consider the second-best back in the conference. Hall will play on Sundays for sure. He’s a tough, hard-nosed back that can make one cut and get moving.

Brock Purdy mans the quarterback position. He’s a veteran in Matt Campbell’s offense and plays behind a veteran offensive line the Sooners defense is quite familiar with.

The Iowa State passing game will rally around wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson and a pair of good tight ends in Charlie Kolar and Chase Allen.

With that said, how does the Sooner defense bottle up this Iowa State defense enough that it gives their offense a chance to succeed?

Up Next: Won’t be a Breeze

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Trending: Stock Up, Stock Down following the Sooners loss to Baylor

After their first loss of the season, which players saw their stock rise and which players fell in this week’s Sooners’ Stock Report?

While their Sooners lost their first game of the season, it would be easy to write about just the loss. Football is arguably the sport that most requires a team effort to win. And while it was a team effort, several individuals stood out, both positively and negatively.

As we continue to dig into the Oklahoma Sooners 27-14 loss to the Baylor Bears, let’s look at which players are trending in the right direction and which players aren’t with two games left in the regular season.

8 Takeaways from the Oklahoma Sooners 27 to 14 loss to the Baylor Bears

The Oklahoma Sooners were outplayed in every phase of the game in their 27-14 loss to the Baylor Bears, falling to 9-1 on the season.

It was a disappointing performance for an Oklahoma Sooners team looking to make its annual “Championship November” push for the Big 12 title and potentially a place in the College Football Playoff.

Both goals are technically still in play, but they just became a lot more difficult to grasp moving forward.

The Sooners were outplayed in just about every facet. Even though the defense played a great game through the first three quarters, the inability of the offense to sustain a drive meant the Sooners’ defense was forced to stay on the field longer than it should, and the Bears pounded away on the ground.

A lot went wrong for Oklahoma on Saturday, and now they head back to Norman looking to make corrections before hosting a hot Iowa State team looking to get back into the Big 12 title picture themselves.

RECAP: Oklahoma Sooners fall to 9-1 after 27-14 loss to Baylor Bears

Oklahoma Sooners drop their first game of the season 27-14 on the road to the Baylor Bears, who rushed for 296 yards on the day.

After a few weeks of feeling as if the CFP playoff rankings disrespected them, the Sooners laid a massive egg when presented with the opportunity to prove the committee wrong. Coming off a much-needed bye week, the Oklahoma Sooners fell to the Baylor Bears 27-14, ending their November winning streak at 23 games.

The Sooners looked disorganized and overwhelmed, especially on offense. Caleb Williams was in limbo from the first snap as he and his offensive teammates were knocked back for consecutive negative plays leading to a punt from Oklahoma to start the game.

The Oklahoma defense largely came to play. The numbers and stats won’t support it, but they played well enough for this team to win the game. However, the offense’s lack of success ultimately undid the team as Baylor’s offense made a few more plays.

Quarterback Caleb Williams struggled. He often held the ball too long, looked confused in the pocket, and largely looked out of it. In the third quarter, Caleb Williams would eventually be replaced by Spencer Rattler, who also struggled in his brief relief performance.

The Sooners hung tough, entering the half tied at 7-7 despite missed scoring opportunities by Baylor and missed opportunities by the Sooners in the form of two missed Gabe Brkic field goals. Each team both threw interceptions in the first half as well. Despite that, the Sooners never came out of the half with any sense of urgency. The Baylor Bears took a 10-7 lead in the third quarter and never looked back. The Sooners were outscored 20-7 in the second half of the football game.

Running back Abram Smith and quarterback Gerry Bohanon led the Bears’ offensive attack combining for 255 yards rushing.

Kennedy Brooks led the Sooners in rushing with 13 carries for 51 yards and a touchdown while Mike Woods paced the Sooners in receiving with four catches for 53 yards. The Sooners offense could only muster 260 total yards.

The Oklahoma Sooners couldn’t hang with the Bears on this day and now have some work to do to rebound to finish the 2021 season on a high note.

The Sooners return home to Norman for their last home game of the year to take on the Iowa State Cyclones. The Bears travel to Manhattan, Kansas, next to take on the Kansas State Wildcats.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions.

Oklahoma Sooners deadlocked with Baylor Bears at halftime

It’s a dogfight in Waco. The two teams traded missed field goals, interceptions and scoring drives. After a half, it’s all even 7-7.

On paper, it looked like Oklahoma’s most difficult test of the season so far going in. After one half of play, that’s held true. Oklahoma and Baylor ended the first half in Waco deadlocked at 7-7.

The Sooners won the coin toss and elected to take the football first. On the game’s opening series, Oklahoma went backwards. Redshirt junior running back Kennedy Brooks lost four on the first snap and then true freshman quarterback Caleb Williams was sacked for a six-yard loss.

Faced with a 3rd-and-20, OU kept it conservative and handed it back off to Brooks for a gain of one yard.

Baylor looked like it was driving down for the game’s first points on the ensuing drive after the Bears converted a 4th-and-2 snap from the OU 45-yard-line with a five-yard run from senior running back Abram Smith.

But, Baylor head coach Dave Aranda elected to gamble again on 4th-and-goal from the Sooners’ 2-yard-line and Bears junior quarterback Gerry Bohanon’s pass was incomplete intended for Tyquan Thornton.

Deep in its own end of the field, Williams tried to connect with wide receiver Jadon Haselwood into double coverage and the pass was intercepted by Baylor’s Kalon Barnes.

Oklahoma redshirt junior linebacker Brian Asamoah then made one of the key plays of the first half. On a 3rd-and-1 snap from the OU 28-yard-line, Asamoah dropped Bears running back Trestan Ebner for a loss of five.

That set up a Baylor field goal try, which Isaiah Hankins missed from 51 yards out. Oklahoma’s next possession ended with OU kicker Gabe Brkic missing his own 51-yard field goal try.

Senior safety Delarrin Turner-Yell gave the Sooners the momentum right back, intercepting Bohanon and setting Oklahoma up with the football back at their own 22-yard line.

Finally, the Sooners were able to kick their offense into gear. Oklahoma engineered a nine-play scoring drive that covered 78 yards. Junior running back Eric Gray delivered the most important play of the series.

Gray caught a pass from Williams out of the backfield and shook away from Baylor defenders to turn a 3rd-and-7 from the Baylor 17-yard-line into a first-and-goal from the 2.

Williams did the rest from there, keeping it himself on a 2-yard rushing touchdown.

Baylor answered back with a 10-play, 75-yard scoring drive of their own. Facing a 3rd-and-goal, Bohanon connected with Thornton on an eight-yard strike as sophomore defensive back Key Lawrence was beat on the fade route.

At the half, Baylor outgained Oklahoma with 163 yards of total offense to the Sooners’ 131. The Bears did the bulk of their damage on the ground, rushing for 106 yards. Smith carried it 11 times for 60 yards, while Ebner rushed seven times for 20 yards.

Bohanon completed 5-of-12 passes for 57 yards with the one touchdown to Thornton against his pass that was intercepted by Turner-Yell.

For Oklahoma, Williams ended his first half 6-of-12 passing for 65 yards. The Sooners’ leading rusher was Brooks with eight carries for 27 yards.

Baylor gets the football first to start the second half.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions.

How will the Oklahoma Sooners contain this Baylor Bears’ running game?

The Baylor Bears’ much-improved running game serves as a stiff test for this Oklahoma Sooners’ defensive line.

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As Oklahoma wraps their final preparations for their trip to Waco, Texas, the Sooners’ minds are squarely on winning this game. How they go about winning the game is an entirely different situation. Baylor presents unique challenges on both sides of the ball, but for Oklahoma’s defense, they must overcome one big obstacle: Baylor’s rushing attack.

Baylor’s running game is the foundation of their offensive attack. Gerry Bohanon is a solid college quarterback in his own right, but it’s his duo of running backs that make this offense go. Abram Smith and Trestan Ebner run a version of the zone running scheme to near perfection.

After struggling with the running game in 2020, Baylor’s rushing numbers did a complete 180 in the spring thanks to tinkering by Jeff Grimes, their new offensive coordinator who spent time recently at BYU. Baylor averaged a very light 90.3 rushing yards per game last season, and that was very close to the bottom of the totem pole across all of the FBS. Currently, they are 7th with 230.9 YPG at a clip of 5.89 yards per rush.

The “wide zone” is used in the professional ranks as well, and it simply allows your ball carriers to give their offensive linemen time to out-leverage their assignments until a hole opens up. It allows for teams to be very multiple and versatile in formations as well. Baylor dresses their wide zone runs on film quite a bit, but they’ve run it out of at least 12 different formations this year.

The Sooners will trot out a likely starting defensive line of Perrion Winfrey, Jalen Redmond, Isaiah Thomas, and Nik Bonitto as the edge. When defending against this scheme, teams struggle because their interior defensive linemen get double-teamed far too easily. Whichever way the play comes, there’s likely some sort of combination block by the center and the play side guard, which becomes a double team. Too many people leave the double team too soon, allowing for the defensive linemen to penetrate. That’s where Oklahoma can make its stand. Perrion Winfrey is very disruptive, and so is Jalen Redmond.

Both have excellent play strength and can shed blocks before offensive linemen can truly engage them and dictate where they want them to go. If they can do that right, it should leave gaps for their linebackers to fill. The other side to this equation is the linebackers finishing plays by wrapping up and tackling these Bears’ running backs.

Tackling has been a significant issue for Oklahoma this year. If they tackle and play good football with good gap integrity, there’s no reason to believe they can’t stymie this Bears rushing attack enough to walk away victorious.

The Sooners have faced some good running backs this year. Names like Bijan Robinson, Deuce Vaughn, Kendre Miller, and SaRodorick Thompson are just a few. The Sooners have fared pretty well against them all. If the Sooners are to remain undefeated, Alex Grinch and his defensive staff will have to conjure up another good performance.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions.

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Oklahoma Sooners vs. Baylor Bears: Sooners Wire Staff Predictions

Get ready for Saturday’s matchup between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Baylor Bears with our Sooners Wire Staff Predictions.

On Saturday, the Oklahoma Sooners will take their 9-0 record into Waco to take on the 7-2 Baylor Bears in a game with Big 12 and College Football Playoff implications.

The Oklahoma Sooners have been knocked in the first two playoff rankings primarily because they don’t have a win over a team currently in the Top 25. Though wins over Nebraska, Texas and Kansas State were solid, the close nature of those wins rings hollow in the eyes of the committee.

Blowout wins over TCU and Texas Tech in recent weeks didn’t move the needle much either.

That changes this week as the Sooners take on the Baylor Bears, who are 13th in the College Football Playoff rankings. Though the Bears were upset by the TCU Horned Frogs last week, they dropped only one spot in the rankings.

This week is an excellent opportunity for the Oklahoma Sooners to start Championship November with a statement win over a program that’s very well balanced. The Bears have a defense capable of controlling the game and have one of the best offenses in the Big 12, led by their prolific running game.

With that, let’s take a look at this week’s Sooners Wire Staff Predictions!

Up Next: Sooners Wire Staff Predictions.

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