Tag: Brandon Hall

Billy Bowman named Oklahoma’s MVP for 2023 by ESPN

Billy Bowman had an incredible year for the Sooners which led to him being named MVP for the Sooners in 2023 by ESPN.

The 2023 season for the Oklahoma Sooners was a year of redemption. The Sooners bounced back from 6-7 the season prior to go 10-3 on the year.

Several key players took their games to a new level like [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag], [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] and [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] to name a few. Stutsman and Bowman will even be returning in 2024 for the Sooners.

ESPN licked the MVP of every top 25 team, and for Oklahoma, it was their All-American safety, Billy Bowman.

OU’s MVP choice sparked some debate, as a strong case could be made for quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who had 3,660 passing yards and 30 touchdowns, and heroically lifted the Sooners past Texas and several other solid opponents (SMU, West Virginia). But the Sooners’ turnaround in coach Brent Venables’ second season could be traced to the defense and players like Bowman, who earned first-team All-Big 12 honors after a season filled with big plays. “Everything you want,” an Oklahoma source said. “Consistent, hardworking, leader. Dillon was Dillon, too. Dillon was tremendous.” Bowman finished with six interceptions, which led the Big 12 and ranked second nationally, and returned three for touchdowns, most in the FBS. His 238 interceptions return yards also led the FBS. – Adam Rittenberg ESPN

Bowman was obviously great this past season and was huge for a secondary and a defense that took leaps in 2023. We’ll see if he can continue to improve his game and help the defense take another step in 2024.

An argument could have been made for Danny Stutsman in addition to Gabriel. The Sooners two losses during the regular season came when Stutsman missed a game and a half of action.

But what Bowman did was special. He had a fantastic season and made a number of game-changing plays.

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

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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Oklahoma Sooners 2024 signee among On3’s best fits

The Oklahoma Sooners added to their already deep safety room with one of On3’s best fits of the 2024 recruiting cycle.

The Oklahoma Sooners have been on a tear on the recruiting trail since Brent Venables and his staff arrived. In three recruiting cycles since arriving in Norman, Venables has put together three top-10 classes.

The biggest difference in Oklahoma’s recruiting is coming on the defensive side of the ball. One area where Oklahoma has had a lot of success is the safety position.

Venables and Brandon Hall have added [autotag]Robert Spears-Jennings[/autotag], [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag], [autotag]Daeh McCullough[/autotag], [autotag]Jaydan Hardy[/autotag], [autotag]Mykel Patterson-McDonald[/autotag], and [autotag]Reggie Powers[/autotag]. To go along with Billy Bowman, the Sooners may have one of the best safety groups in the nation.

The Sooners earned Powers’ commitment after he decommitted from Michigan State early in the fall. According to On3, Powers to the Sooners was one of the best fits in the [autotag]2024 early signing period[/autotag].

Reggie Powers could be the thunder to Peyton Bowen‘s lightning. Powers is 6-foot and already over 200 pounds that loves to play violently. His demeanor and attitude when it comes to playing near the line of scrimmage is rare for a secondary player. Bowen covers so much grass and is able to play as a true center field safety in the secondary, and he also plays a lot of man coverage in the slot. Having a player like Powers complement him as a downhill weapon from the secondary that can take on a heavier box role could be one of the better pairings in college football. – Cody Bellaire, On3 National Scout

More: Where do the Sooners rank in average team recruiting rankings for 2024?

According to On3, Powers was the No. 10 safety in the cycle and the No. 152 player in 2024. He is the seventh-highest-rated prospect in the Sooners’ 2024 class.

His combination of size, speed, and power, to go along with his versatility, will make him a great fit for the Sooners’ defense. Brent Venables loves to move his safeties around in his multiple defense. Powers could be deployed near the line of scrimmage as a strong safety or the cheetah or could be used as the deep free safety.

The Sooners’ safety depth chart looks like one of the deepest position groups on the roster for 2024. As Oklahoma continues to build its defense, Reggie Powers and the other safeties will be key to their success.

More: “He is serious about defense”: What led to Reggie Powers Oklahoma decision?

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Stock Report: Defensive line struggling heading into final regular season game

Oklahoma escaped BYU’s upset bid this past weekend. In our stock report we look at who’s trending up or down before Oklahoma takes on TCU.

Saturday’s win against BYU was all about willpower. Oklahoma didn’t play its best, especially from a defensive standpoint, and yet, the Sooners found a way to escape a scrappy BYU team playing on senior day.

There were some nice moments or individual performances to take away from the game, like Jayden Gibson’s big day, Billy Bowman putting forth his best performance of the season, and Gavin Sawchuk continuing to morph into the bellcow running back his head coach publicly claimed he was looking for.

There were other positives, too, like Jackson Arnold’s performance off the bench, that helped push Oklahoma to victory. With the good comes the bad, and Oklahoma’s front seven was a large part of that bad. They struggled most of the game and were a significant reason BYU was a threat to potentially upset Oklahoma.

When the dust settled, the Sooners came out on top, and with a short week before they play TCU, the Sooners must regroup fast.

In the meantime, here is our stock report to see who is trending up and down as the Sooners prepare for their final Big 12 home game.

Bedlam Stock Report: Sooners 2022 signees making an impact

Taking a look at what’s trending up or down right now in Oklahoma’s program following their lost to Oklahoma State.

Oklahoma is in a tailspin. If things don’t improve quickly, they could begin to resemble the 2022 team that started fast but fell apart against some of the better teams in the Big 12.

There are still three games for the Sooners. They can go out and finish on a high note. While slim, Oklahoma still has a chance to make the Big 12 title game. They would need some help, but they’re not completely eliminated from the conference championship game.

In the interim, it’s all about improving as a team and letting the rest fall into place.

It’s time for this week’s stock report as we look at how things are trending up and down for the Oklahoma football team.[anyclip-media thumbnail=”undefined” playlistId=”undefined” content=”dW5kZWZpbmVk”][/anyclip-media]

‘He is serious about defense’: Sooners commit Reggie Powers shares what led to OU commitment

In Reggie Powers, the Oklahoma Sooners landed a versatile athlete. Powers shared what led to his commitment to the Sooners.

The Oklahoma Sooners [autotag]2024 recruiting class[/autotag] got a boost when they received a commitment from four-star safety prospect [autotag]Reggie Powers[/autotag].

Powers, out of Dayton, Ohio, pledged to the Sooners on Saturday to become the 28th commitment in the cycle. It wasn’t long after Powers received an offer from the Sooners that he backed off his pledge to the Michigan State Spartans.

Down the stretch, it was a race between the Sooners and the UCLA Bruins. Like Oklahoma, the Bruins were experiencing a strong defensive turnaround as well. So what was it about OU that gave the Sooners an edge?

“It is a national program that is all in with football,” Powers shared with Sooners Wire. “I followed Coach (Venables) from his time at Clemson and knew he is serious about defense. Coach V, Coach (Brandon) Hall, and Coach (J.P.) Losman were very aggressive in my recruitment.”

Venables has built a reputation as one of the best defensive coordinators in college football for more than 20 years. He’s been a part of three national titles and played in several more national championship games. [autotag]Brandon Hall[/autotag] has done an excellent job recruiting the safety position since arriving in Norman, and Powers is the latest big-time pickup at safety for Venables and Hall.

Powers is the No. 7 player in the state of Ohio and the No. 154 player in the 247Sports player rankings for the 2024 recruiting class. Powers is currently the fifth-highest-rated prospect in Oklahoma’s 2024 class. His size and versatility give the Sooners a high-ceiling prospect for the safety group.

At 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, Powers already has good size for a player who won’t turn 18 until June of 2024. With basketball athleticism and great play speed, the Sooners plan to put that athleticism to work in several ways.

But how do the Sooners plan to use him when he gets to Norman? “They think I can play all the safety spots,” Powers said. “Cheetah and strong safety for sure, and in certain packages, I would play the deep safety.”

Brent Venables wants to be able to line his defenders up in multiple formations so as not to tip off the offense pre-snap. Powers’ athleticism, speed, and versatility provide Venables and Hall a player who can line up in a number of spots and make an impact in the game.

He was in town for the Oklahoma Sooners win over UCF and said he had a great time on his visit.

“It was a great environment,” Powers said. “Place was packed, and the staff made sure my dad and I felt like priorities. I really had fun myself.”

He joins fellow safeties [autotag]Jaydan Hardy[/autotag] and [autotag]Mykel Patterson-McDonald[/autotag] in the 2024 cycle. Reggie Powers plans to join the Sooners as an early enrollee this winter to get a headstart on his collegiate career. That’ll give him an opportunity to make an impact early in his Oklahoma Sooners career.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on Twitter @john9williams.

Oklahoma Sooners receive two predictions for 2024 4-Star safety

Oklahoma recruiting continues its hot streak, earn crystal ball predictions for 4-Star safety.

The Oklahoma Sooners had an eventful weekend. They picked up a pair of commitments on the defensive side of the ball and then defeated the UCF Knights. The Sooners also received a crystal ball prediction favoring OU in the recruitment of four-star safety Reggie Powers on Friday. Sunday evening, the Sooners picked up two more crystal ball predictions from 247Sports.

Powers is a 6-foot-1, 200-pound safety from Dayton, Ohio. He was once committed to the Michigan State Spartans. Right now, the Sooners are competing with the [autotag]UCLA Bruins[/autotag] for Powers’ services.

Physically strong, well-built prospect who also has a basketball background. Has been to events and verified size and also put up solid testing numbers which include good agility times at his size. Has good play speed, is aggressive and shows instincts and ability to diagnose plays in run support. Is an excellent box defender. Shows that he can also play in coverage. Ultimately is likely a strong safety or hybrid defender depending on the scheme but is a high-floor prospect who can fit into the framework of multiple defenses and be effective. – Allen Trieu National Recruiting Analyst 247Sports

The two predictions the Sooners received Sunday evening came from national recruiting analyst Allen Trieu and director of football recruiting Steve Wiltfong.

Powers was in Norman over the weekend on an unofficial visit and now looks to be trending heavily toward choosing the Oklahoma Sooners. The Sooners have been active in their pursuit of the four-star safety as they look to add him to an already strong defensive recruiting class in 2024.

There has been some speculation Sooners could go on a run in recruiting to end this month and start November. The commitments they’ve received in the last few days combined with the predictions trending for Oklahoma with Powers certainly support that speculation.

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Sooners freshman Peyton Bowen continues to make a name for himself

Peyton Bowen continues to show why stars matter on the football field.

We are six games into the 2023 college football season, and it seems like in every game, [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag] is making a key play. Whether it’s blocking a punt or forcing a fumble in the [autotag]Red River Rivalry[/autotag], Bowen has been everywhere.

The Sooners haven’t had a player like Bowen on the defensive side of the ball in a long time. He’s the perfect example why you bring in a coach such as [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag]: to get those guys to wear the crimson and cream.

Bowen reflected on his first six games as a Sooner.

“It’s been fun,” Bowen said. “There’s games where it’s like the same, but then there’s games that it’s big time. The plays are bigger, the moments are bigger.”

The best attribute Bowen possesses might be how those big games and big moments never seem too big for him. He stays calm and collected at all times.

Bowen doesn’t act like a freshman off the field, either. While everyone is already talking about a rematch, Bowen admitted to feeling that way, too, he knows there’s still work to be done.

“We just have to take care of business,” Bowen said. “Job ain’t finished. There are still teams out there that can give us a little problem. We just have to keep playing. Can’t get complacent.”

That’s been the mindset for the team this season. Time and time again, we hear them talk about wanting to go 1-0 each week and not looking ahead to the future. Saturday was a huge win, but as Bowen said, “job ain’t finished.”

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

Sooners safety Robert Spears-Jennings now healthy and ready to make an impact

Robert Spears-Jennings was one of many Sooners who battled injuries this offseason but now he’s healthy and ready to go.

The Oklahoma Sooners safety room is one of the deeper rooms on the entire team. It is full of experience with [autotag]Reggie Pearson[/autotag], [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] and [autotag]Key Lawerence[/autotag].

It also has some very skilled younger players like [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag] and [autotag]Robert Spears-Jennings[/autotag]. Spears-Jennings battled an injury this off-season but now is back and ready to make an impact on the field.

He told reporters it wasn’t too tough watching Week 1 waiting for his chance to play.

“I told my guys right before the game I’m going to be their biggest fan that game,” Spears-Jennings said. “Every time they made a play, I was the loudest one on the sideline and cheering those guys on.”

But now Spears-Jennings is back as he made his season debut against the SMU Mustangs. He finished with three tackles on the night.

Each one of the safeties brings a different element to the Sooners’ defense which is good to have. Spears-Jennings is someone who can make plays on the ball, but he’s arguably the hardest hitter of the group.

He’s someone who has no issue with laying the wood on someone and helping stop the run game as well.

Safeties coach Brandon Hall has a really good group and so far it has been the best group on the field for the Sooners defense in 2023.

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

Sooners earn crystal ball prediction for 2024 3-star safety

With his commitment coming Monday, the Oklahoma Sooners earn crystal ball for 2024 safety and Westmoore product Mykel Patterson-McDonald

The “Party at the Palace” is coming to a close.

This was another successful recruiting week as they’ve landed commitments from a pair of prospects in the 2025 class, and more 2024 commitments are right around the corner.

The next scheduled commitment is set for Monday when three-star safety Mykel Patterson-McDonald announces his decision.

This recruitment is big in more ways than one. On one hand, he is very good friends with five-star defensive lineman David Stone who will announce his commitment on Aug. 26, 2023. But if you think Oklahoma is just after Patterson-McDonald to land Stone, you haven’t been paying attention.

The Westmoore High School and Oklahoman is a very talented player in his own right. He had 108 tackles, eight pass breakups, and three interceptions as a junior. He shows impressive ball skills and coverage ability. He’s about 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds. He can line up as a free safety or play in the box in nickel situations.

He’s also an impressive track athlete. Patterson-McDonald ran a 22.67 200-meter dash and hit 21-9 in the long jump this spring as a junior.

Patterson-McDonald is the No. 6 player in the state of Oklahoma.

With his commitment a couple of days out, the Sooners picked up another prediction in its favor on Friday. This one comes from Collin Kennedy of Sooners Illustrated and 247Sports.

Oklahoma’s main competition for his commitment seems to be the UNLV Rebels. However, the Sooners have long been the favorite to pick up the talented in-state prospect. 

If the Sooners are able to earn his commitment, he’ll join a talented pair of defensive backs in the 2024 class in Jeremiah Newcombe and Jaydan Hardy.

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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. You can also follow Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.