Tag: Anton Harrison

What’s next for Oklahoma? 5 offseason storylines follow

Oklahoma may not play for almost a month but there are still plenty of things to monitor in the coming weeks. From @thatmanbryant

It’s been just over a year since Lincoln Riley’s defection to Southern California. The Oklahoma Sooners have just completed their first regular season under first-year head coach Brent Venables. It wasn’t pretty but the Sooners find themselves bowl-eligible after a 6-6 season.

The only thing consistent about this team was their inconsistency.

Week to week we never knew what we would get from them. With only the bowl game remaining, Oklahoma has the ability to showcase itself one more time and get over .500 with a win.

With that said, there are notable storylines to follow as we get closer to the offseason even while the Sooners prepare for the eventual bowl game to come. Take a look at the five storylines we’ll be looking at with the regular season behind us.

Report Card: Sooners defense can’t hold up in finale vs. Texas Tech

Oklahoma’s defense was unable to get stops at the end as the Sooners fell 51-48 to Texas Tech. From @thatmanbryant

With an opportunity to solidify themselves above .500, Oklahoma traveled to Lubbock, Texas to take on the Texas Tech Raiders. Texas Tech took the first couple of punches from the Sooners on the chin before fighting their way back into the game. The game would eventually go to overtime, where a missed Zach Schmit field goal would lead to Texas Tech kicking the game-winner for a 51-48 victory to leave the Sooners at 6-6 for the regular season.

It was far from a horrible performance for the team as a whole, but it followed a similar script we’ve seen too many times this year. Oklahoma came out on fire before they eased up and let the other team back in the game.

The offense did a magnificent job from the opening snap, while the defense and special teams left a bit to be desired.

Here’s our report card from the Sooners’ loss to Texas Tech.

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Anton Harrison taken in the first round of the Draft Wire’s latest mock draft

Oklahoma left tackle Anton Harrison was taken at the end of the first round in the Draft Wire’s latest 2023 mock draft. From @thatmanbryant

On the final weekend of the regular season, several NFL draft hopefuls are hoping to make a statement. It’s been a fascinating season, and on the heels of Thanksgiving, there are many players college teams can be thankful for.

For Oklahoma, Anton Harrison’s contributions to the Sooners’ offensive success have been immeasurable. He has been a steady and dominant force at left tackle, no matter who lined up under center for Oklahoma.

While OU’s season won’t see them compete for any championships, the Sooners still have a bowl game to win after they finish their regular season on the road against Texas Tech. Anton Harrison’s availability may be in question for the bowl game should he decide to declare for the NFL Draft.

Harrison’s play this year has helped solidify himself as one of the nation’s best offensive linemen and very much deserving of NFL draft consideration.

The conundrum for Harrison is if leaving school would be worth it instead of returning for one more year to further solidify himself as a first-round draft choice. Our friends at Draft Wire shared their post-Thanksgiving mock draft and have Anton Harrison headed to Kansas City to join another Sooners offensive lineman.

Former Sooner Creed Humphrey is the center for the vaunted Chiefs offense. A selection of Harrison could signal the end of another Sooners’ time in Kansas City. Orlando Brown Jr., is playing on the final year of his contract and has yet to agree to an extension with the Chiefs. So picking Harrison would allow him to slide in at the tackle spot vacated by Brown.

Harrison’s improvement as a run blocker has been the biggest development in his game on top of his improved strength, thanks in no small part to Sooners’ director of strength and conditioning, Jerry Schmidt.

There remains the chance Harrison could return if the early feedback he gets doesn’t align with what he may want. According to Pro Football Network, Oklahoma has already made a NIL offer to keep Harrison for one more year. The talented offensive lineman has some big decisions to make in the coming weeks.

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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, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today. You can also follow Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.

Report Card: Oklahoma Sooners defense shines in Bedlam win on Senior Day

Oklahoma’s defense led the way in this week’s report card, while Oklahoma’s offense cooled off after a tremendous first quarter. From @thatmanbryant

In a game that didn’t have championship implications for the Sooners this year, a lot of other things were on the line for Oklahoma. Senior Day, over 20 prospects in the building, and the fact that in-state rival Oklahoma State was in the building. Oklahoma couldn’t take a loss, and they came out firing on all cylinders.

They won a 28-13 game that, for 15 minutes, looked like Oklahoma was going to put up 60 points on Oklahoma State. That wasn’t the case, but a win is a win, and Oklahoma handled its business.

With the win, they also became bowl eligible, an achievement considering how poorly Oklahoma has looked at times.

A Herculean effort from the Sooners’ defense is the biggest story of the day. Taking a big-picture approach, how did the rest of the team fare as we grade out the performance? Here’s a look at this week’s report card.

5 Sooners with tough decisions to make as the seasons nears its end

Oklahoma has multiple players facing tough decisions following the season’s end. Will they head to the NFL or return to improve their draft status? From @thatmanbryant

In a year where youth and a lack of experience has dominated storylines for Oklahoma, some of their more veteran players will be reaching a crossroads for their careers. Will guys like Marvin Mims, Anton Harrison, and Jalen Redmond opt to come back after a disappointing season for the team? Or was Saturday their last time playing in front of a sold-out crowd in Norman?

We decided to take a look at five guys that have some very tough decisions to make in the coming weeks.

Oklahoma Sooners vs. No. 24 Oklahoma State Cowboys: Sooners Wire staff predictions

Oklahoma looks to get back on the right side of the win column when they host No. 24 Oklahoma State. Here are this week’s Sooners Wire Staff predictions.

The Oklahoma Sooners (5-5 and 2-5) will host their Bedlam counterparts the Oklahoma State Cowboys (7-3, 4-3) on what will be a cold Saturday night in Norman.

The Sooners need a win in the worst way. They’re on a two-game losing streak and haven’t clicked on either side of the ball in crunch time. Taking on an Oklahoma State team that’s also in the midst of a disappointing season, the Sooners are 7.5-point favorites at home.

Can the Sooners end their losing skid and reach bowl eligibility? let’s take a look at how the Sooners Wire staff predicted the 117th matchup between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State in Bedlam.

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Up Next: Sooners Wire Staff Predictions

The Cowboys were hit hard when [autotag]Jim Knowles[/autotag] left for Ohio State. Their defense ranks at the bottom of the Big 12 in nearly every category.

The OU offense is going to attack, attack, and attack some more. This has the potential to be like the Kansas game, in which the Sooners racked up over 700 yards.

The nonsense ends tonight. The Sooners WILL get a decisive Big 12 victory against Oklahoma State at home under the lights. Eric Gray will run hog wild all over the Pokes for 150 and a score.

Marvin Mims will have a bounceback game, getting a score and over 100 yards.

Sooners 52, Cowboys 38

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Up Next: More Sooners Wire Staff Predictions

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Report Card: Lack of execution dooms Sooners as they hit a new low

Oklahoma traveled to West Virginia to take on the Mountaineers and took a horrific loss to last place West Virginia. Here’s this week’s report card. From @thatmanbryant

With two games left, Oklahoma can only go up after its loss to West Virginia. The Mountaineers are the worst team in the Big 12, and the Sooners lost 23-20 on Saturday afternoon. It never felt as if Oklahoma was ever fully in control. As time expired, West Virginia nailed a kick to cap its first win against the Sooners in Big 12 play.

The performances as a whole weren’t all bad, especially considering the weather. But it was simply not good enough to get the job done against a bad West Virginia team.

With the game behind us, here’s how we graded each position group.

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Multiple Sooners included in Mel Kiper’s positional top 10 for the 2023 NFL draft

Several Oklahoma Sooners included in Mel Kiper’s positional top 10 for the 2023 NFL draft. Who missed the cut? From @bendackiw

Mel Kiper isn’t as high on the Oklahoma Sooners as others have been this year. However, he does have a few Sooners inside his top ten position rankings for 2023 (ESPN+).

[autotag]Brayden Willis[/autotag] is an interesting one. He’s a great blocker and moves well for a guy his size. I’m not sure how much draft buzz he’ll get, but NFL teams that value the running game should be all over him in the later rounds. As a receiver, he’s having a career year. He’s second in receptions and yards and leads Oklahoma with five touchdown receptions.

His ability to do it all as a tight end will make him draftable, but the question is where he’ll go. He’s shown a diverse skill set to be an every-down tight end in the NFL. His run blocking will get him drafted, but it’s the receiving ability that will determine how high he’ll get selected.

[autotag]Anton Harrison[/autotag] came in as the No. 8 offensive tackle on the list. He’s putting together another strong season for the Sooners. He’s allowed just one sack this season.

[autotag]Michael Turk[/autotag] came in at No. 10 among Kiper’s top 10 kickers and punters in the 2023 NFL draft. He’s been a weapon all season long in the punting game, and in 2022, he’s also shown some ability to run fakes as the holder. Turk has been great at flipping field position and he’s not allowing returners opportunities. Only 8 of his 40 punts have been returned on the season, and he’s allowing just 1.6 yards per return, good for fourth in the nation among punters with at least 30 kicks. He’s tied for fifth in the nation in hangtime at 4.14 seconds among punters with at least 30 attempts.

While [autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag] has been good this season, his exclusion outside of Kiper’s top 10 wide receivers for the 2023 NFL draft isn’t all that surprising. Wide receiver is annually the deepest position in the draft, and there are a lot of really good draft-eligible receivers for 2023. Mims has some work to do to put himself in a position to be a top-100 pick in 2023.

[autotag]Eric Gray[/autotag], however, has no business being behind ten running backs. Gray’s speed and ability to find running lanes alone should have him high enough on draft rankings. No, he isn’t [autotag]Bijan Robinson[/autotag] or Jahmyr Gibbs, but he’s a very good running back. Also left out of the top 10 was Kansas State’s [autotag]Deuce Vaughn[/autotag]. It’s not as deep of a position group as wide receiver, but running back provides a lot of options in the draft.

Gray may not have the prototypical size or production for a player in his third college season, but he’s displaying this season that he has a chance to be a playmaker at the next level. Currently on pace for nearly 1,200 yards and nine touchdowns, Gray is having a career year for the Sooners. Let’s see if he can change his draft stock over the final four weeks of the season.

Running backs aren’t as highly valued as they have been in the past. Three running backs have been selected in the first round of the NFL Draft in the last three years: Najee Harris, Travis Etienne, and Clyde Edwards-Helaire. When Gray’s name is called in April, it won’t be until day two or three.

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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, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today. You can also follow Ben on Twitter @bendackiw.

Report Card: Trench warfare, special teams set the tone for Oklahoma win over Iowa State

Oklahoma was stout in the trenches, and the special teams shined in Oklahoma’s win over Iowa State. Here’s how each position group performed in the weekly report card. From @thatmanbryant

Oklahoma’s win against Iowa State wasn’t a flashy endeavor. But it was a two touchdown win over a team that hadn’t lost a Big 12 game by more than a touchdown.

The Sooners’ 27-13 win over Iowa State was a combined effort that saw some inspired performances from several areas. It truly was a team win.

Here’s how Oklahoma graded out by position group for their performance against Iowa State.

Stock Report: Sooners defense on the rise after three interception day vs. Iowa State

The Oklahoma Sooners’ defense and special teams is trending in the right direction after their win over Iowa State. From @thatmanbryant

Oklahoma won just its second true road game of the year. They went to Iowa State and won 27-13 behind a solid day from their defense and some timely plays from their offense and special teams. After being dismantled by TCU on the road a few weeks ago, Oklahoma needed to erase the stench of that road defeat from their minds and they did that.

Outside of Eric Gray’s 20 carries for 101 yards and a touchdown, Oklahoma didn’t have a 100-yard receiver, and Dillon Gabriel failed to throw for more than 200 yards but the offense made plays when they had to. They didn’t have to do much in this one as the defense carried the day. The Sooners stymied Iowa State’s ground game for just 66 yards.

The win sets Oklahoma’s record at 5-3, putting them just one win away from securing bowl eligibility. As the Sooners now turn their focus to Baylor, here’s our weekly stock report, where we see who’s trending up and who’s trending down.