Tag: Bookie Radley-Hiles

How are Oklahoma football transfers performing with their new programs?

How are former Oklahoma Sooners like Tanner Mordecai doing with their new schools in 2021?

The Oklahoma Sooners have been big-time beneficiaries of the transfer portal over the years. The story on QBU’s been told, but Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and Jalen Hurts transferring in helped pave the way for Lincoln Riley’s tenure in Norman. As much as those players benefited from the transfer portal, there have been some who’ve benefited by finding a fresh start by leaving the Oklahoma Sooners and finding a new place to call home.

SMU and Tanner Mordecai were off to a 7-0 start before dropping Saturday night’s game to Houston, whose only loss came to Texas Tech in the season opener. Mordecai has played great this year and set a single-game SMU record for passing touchdowns in the opener.

After Week 9, let’s take a look at what the players Oklahoma lost in the transfer portal in 2021 have been up to this year.

Projecting Oklahoma’s 2020 defensive depth chart in spring 2020

Saturday would have been Oklahoma’s spring game. Sooners Wire projects the Sooners 2020 defensive depth chart without spring football.

The coronavirus pandemic struck sports just as spring football was starting up for Oklahoma. Saturday would have been the Sooners spring game and the big spring game recruiting weekend would be currently taking place.

Alex Grinch was set to start his year two of install for his Speed D. Players like Perrion Winfrey and Bryson Washington are going to miss the most by not having a spring football season, as will guys like DaShaun White and Caleb Kelly in new(er) roles for the two linebackers.

How Alex Grinch positions the secondary is going to be of most importance, but his front seven is littered with talent and should provide a nice arm for the secondary to lean.

Sooners Wire projects the 2020 defensive depth chart without spring practices and months to go before the season.

DEFENSIVE END

  1. Ronnie Perkins
  2. Marcus Stripling
  3. Isaiah Thomas

Without Ronnie Perkins likely being available for the first five games of 2020, this is going to open the door wide open for second-year player Marcus Stripling. Him losing weight instead of gaining weight after his freshman season is a concern, but not one Stripling can’t overcome by the start of the 2020 season.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE

  1. Perrion Winfrey
  2. Jordan Kelley

I think Alex Grinch may have gotten his next nose tackle. Perrion Winfrey is a load to deal with. Not having much tape from his sophomore year hurts seeing if he got cleaner with some of his technique and habits of playing too high, but if he is anything near his freshman campaign at Iowa Western Community College, Winfrey should have no problem transferring that into Grinch’s scheme.

Jordan Kelley dropped weight over the winter, which is the same exact process Neville Gallimore went through in Jan. 2020. 

DEFENSIVE TACKLE

  1. Jalen Redmond
  2. LaRon Stokes
  3. Kori Roberson

This is by far the deepest spot on the entire defense as a guy like Marcus Hicks will still have to wait his turn. Jalen Redmond’s growing squarely into a 3 or 4i-technique defensive tackle and his athleticism should treat him well there. Don’t take LaRon Stokes lightly and Kori Roberson has a lot of promise.

RUSH linebacker

  1. David Ugwoegbu
  2. Nik Bonitto
  3. Jon-Michael Terry

You could have flipped one and two here, but I think David Ugwoegbu is turning into Oklahoma’s next best pass rusher. His athleticism matched with his frame and size is going to be difficult to deal with for tackles. 

MIKE linebacker

  1. DaShaun White
  2. Caleb Kelly

Go ahead and plug DaShaun White into Kenneth Murray’s role at linebacker. You more than likely won’t see him spin down and rush off the edge, but his instincts and football IQ should allow him to have a lot of success.

WILL linebacker

  1. Caleb Kelly
  2. Brian Asamoah

Coach Kelly makes his long-awaited return to the starting lineup. He’s best in space and more reliable than Brian Asamoah to be in position, even with his limited snaps in 2019. I think Asamoah is the future for Grinch and linebackers coach Brian Odom, though, and will see quite a few snaps in 2020.

corner back

  1. Tre Brown
  2. Joshua Eaton

The starting corners won’t be a surprise, but the backups will be. Joshua Eaton is the prototypical corner for this system with his length and speed. It won’t be long before he’s ready.

strong safety

  1. Delarrin Turner-Yell
  2. Jeremiah Criddell
  3. Bryson Washington

I’m still a big believer in Jeremiah Criddell and he should serve as a quality backup to Delarrin Turner-Yell, who was taking strides to being that safety Oklahoma has been missing since Tony Jefferson. 

Missing this spring is going to hurt Bryson Washington quite a bit. I ultimately think he’s the starter here or at nickel back in 2021, but playing catch up in a simple, but complex system is going to make it difficult.

free safety

  1. Patrick Fields
  2. Woodi Washington

I’m about as positive as can be that Woodi Washington slid over and played where Patrick Fields normally plays in the Peach Bowl while Fields played where Justin Broiles did and Broiles became the nickel for Bookie Radley-Hiles. In that role, Washington looked the part, though only Patrick Fields will decide what happens here. He was as steady as it gets in 2019.

CORNER BACK

  1. Jaden Davis
  2. Tre Norwood

One of the true position battles on defense is here. Jaden Davis showed a lot of promise during his freshman season, but Tre Norwood got resounding praise prior to and after his injury by Grinch. Davis is the future, but I’m sure these two will be in rotation.

NICKEL BACK

  1. Brendan Radley-Hiles
  2. Jeremiah Criddell

The curious case of what to do at nickel back in 2020 is a tough one to figure out. Bookie Radley-Hiles was a solid player and Oklahoma’s best playmaker in the secondary, but played in a role that doesn’t necessarily fit defensive backs quite like him. He can continue to be a serviceable piece, but if a guy like Bryson Washington got a full spring under his belt, we’d be having a totally different conversation.

Bookie Radley-Hiles ejected for targeting against LSU

An already thin secondary following the loss of Delarrin Turner-Yell just got thinner.

An already thin secondary following the loss of Delarrin Turner-Yell just got thinner.

Bookie Radley-Hiles was ejected for targeting LSU running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire on a Joe Burrow scramble.

The hit occurred away from the play as Radley-Hiles gave up on tracking down Burrow.

Radley-Hiles will be eligible to play in the Sooners’ next game as the penalty occurred in the first half.

Filling in for Radley-Hiles is true freshman Woodi Washington from Murfreesboro, Tenn.

Washington was a four-star cornerback coming out of high school according to Rivals. Washington had offers from Alabama, Ohio State, Florida and LSU.

Oklahoma trails LSU 28-7 early in the second quarter.

For live scoring updates click here.

For live thoughts and takeaways click here.

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Observations, thoughts from Oklahoma’s first open practice session of Peach Bowl

Day two of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl week is complete. Here are some observations and thoughts from Oklahoma’s practice.

Day two of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl week is complete.

Oklahoma and LSU went through media availabilities early before hitting the practice field in the late morning, early afternoon.

The media was allowed 15 minutes of the first part of practice to observe.

Here are some observations and thoughts from Oklahoma’s practice ahead of the College Football Playoff on Saturday.

ADRIAN EALY GOES THROUGH DRILLS

After exiting the Big 12 Championship game with an apparent injury, Oklahoma looks to be getting back a key cog to its offensive line.

Starting right tackle Adrian Ealy was back working with the offensive line and looked pain free. Him and backup Erik Swenson went through drill work together.

There has been no update given by Oklahoma football or Lincoln Riley on if he will be inserted back into the starting lineup.

BRENDAN ‘BOOKIE’ RADLEY-HILES DRESSED OUT

Rumors have been true more often than not this season in regards to Oklahoma football.

There was some scuttlebutt that Brendan ‘Bookie’ Radley-Hiles missed practice for an injury a week ago. That, though, was put to rest Tuesday as Bookie was fully dressed out and active for Oklahoma’s practice.

He is Oklahoma’s starting nickel back.

SUSPENDED PLAYERS ON SCOUT TEAM, OFF TO THE SIDE

On Monday, Lincoln Riley confirmed that Ronnie Perkins, Rhamondre Stevenson and Trejan Bridges would be suspended for the College Football Playoff semifinal against LSU.

Stevenson and Bridges were lined up in scout team as Oklahoma did some goal line defense work right before the media was escorted out after 15 minutes. Stevenson actually scored a touchdown on the first play.

Perkins was over with the defensive line prior to practice becoming closed.

A.D. MILLER NOT DRESSED OUT

The Baylor game savior (kidding) was on the sideline with a trainer.

A.D. Miller has been a backup role for most of his Oklahoma career, but did have a big first half in the first game against Baylor in Waco, Texas.

Behind him is true freshman Theo Wease, who caught a touchdown in that first game against Baylor.

TRE NORWOOD BACK TO RUNNING

The next two aren’t as much Peach Bowl related.

Junior defensive back Tre Norwood suffered an unspecified non-contact injury on the third day of fall training camp that had him sidelined for all of the 2019 season.

At Tuesday’s practice, Norwood was going through stretching lines and was seen running off to the side with a trainer.

He should be a big contributor for Oklahoma in 2020.

SPENCER RATTLER …

It is so difficult to see Oklahoma’s true freshman quarterback Spencer Rattler throw and not try to foresee what it is going to be like when he becomes the starting quarterback for Lincoln Riley.

There is just an effortless feel to everything he does, but still has velocity and a tight spiral with the football coming out of his hand. Every throw during drills was on the money and in stride.

Oklahoma fans will have to wait (likely for one year) to see Rattler play.

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Jalen Hurts named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week

The “baddest man in college football” gets yet another weekly award.

The “baddest man there is” gets yet another weekly award.

Jalen Hurts was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week for the third time this season.

His performance, specifically in the second half, helped bring Oklahoma all the way back from being down 28-3 at one point and 31-10 at the half.

Following a poor first half performance, Hurts only had one crucial turnover inside the Baylor five yard line, late in the third quarter. His 411 total yards helped open the flood gates, allowing the Sooners to claw back.

Aside from his three other offensive player of the week honors, Hurts has also earned Big 12 newcomer of the week twice so far this season.

This marks the tenth Big 12 weekly award given to a Sooner. Hurts is responsible for five with CeeDee Lamb named offensive player of the week twice as well as Kenneth Murray and ‘Bookie’ Radley-Hiles being named defensive player of the week once, each.

Oklahoma faces TCU this Saturday at 7p.m. CT on FOX.

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CeeDee Lamb named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week

CeeDee Lamb went off against Iowa State, earning him Big 12 offensive player of the week.

Expect anything different?

CeeDee Lamb went off against Iowa State, earning him Big 12 offensive player of the week.

Being the main offensive weapon against the Cyclones, Lamb could not be contained even if he was covered by three defenders.

Not only was he a threat through the air with his eight catches for 167 yards and a touchdown, but he was a huge help in the run game. Lamb is one of the best blocking wide receivers in the nation, proving his abilities once again last Saturday.

This is the fourth time this season that the offensive player of the week is a Sooner and the second time this season that Lamb has been recognized as the offensive player of the week.

Jalen Hurts has also won offensive player of the week twice and newcomer of the week twice. Safety, Brendan Radley-Hiles and linebacker, Kenneth Murray have each been awarded Big 12 defensive player of the week once. In total, players from Oklahoma have been recognized eight times this season.

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