Tag: Brayden Willis

Oklahoma Sooners have the weapons to be great on offense

Though the Sooners lost a lot of talent to the NFL draft, there’s still the talent for the offense to be dynamic in 2023.

The Oklahoma Sooners are in the midst of a minor retooling on the offensive side of the football. They’re working to replace three starters along the offensive line, their top two pass catchers ([autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag] and [autotag]Brayden Willis[/autotag]), and their leading rusher ([autotag]Eric Gray[/autotag]).

[autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag] led the Oklahoma Sooners in receiving yards each of his three seasons in Norman.

Despite all of the turnover, the Oklahoma Sooners are still an incredibly talented offense.

Replacing [autotag]Anton Harrison[/autotag] at left tackle is [autotag]Walter Rouse[/autotag]. Rouse started 38 games at Stanford, a program known for producing good to great rushing attacks. That should play well in a [autotag]Jeff Lebby [/autotag]offense that wants to run the rock and run it a lot.

At right tackle [autotag]Tyler Guyton[/autotag] is replacing one-year starter Wanya Morris. There may not be a player in Oklahoma’s starting lineup that has as high a ceiling as Guyton. Jared Verse, a future top 10 pick in the 2024 NFL draft, called Guyton the best tackle he’d faced. Though he doesn’t have a ton of experience, the expectations are high for the incredibly athletic offensive tackle.

[autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag] slides over to right guard to replace Chris Murray, and at the moment, it looks like [autotag]Savion Byrd[/autotag] is the frontrunner at left guard. Byrd has just one collegiate start under his belt but was good in the Sooners matchup with Florida State. Byrd helped the Sooners have a fantastic day on the ground against the Seminoles.

Oklahoma is hoping for a similar breakout from [autotag]Austin Stogner[/autotag] that Willis experienced a year ago. In a thin tight end room, Stogner has to have a big season. He has the athletic prowess to be a game-changer in the passing game. His only question is his health. If Stogner can stay healthy for an entire season, there’s a chance he surpasses Willis’ receiving totals from a year ago.

Wide receiver still has some questions. Namely, who will start on the outside opposite [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag]? [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag] will likely start in the slot in three or more wide receiver sets. Then it comes down to a host of wide receiver talents that are vying for that No. 2 spot. There are a lot of really good options, like [autotag]Brenen Thompso[/autotag]n, [autotag]Andrel Anthon[/autotag]y, [autotag]LV Bunkley-Shelton[/autotag], [autotag]Gavin Freeman[/autotag], [autotag]Jaquaize Pettaway[/autotag], [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag], and [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag]. There’s a good chance the Sooners roll two deep at each wide receiver spot in games to keep everyone fresh in the Sooners’ uptempo offense.

But they have a good amount of depth to work with.

Speaking of depth, there’s no position on the offensive side of the ball as deep as the Sooners running back room. Led by [autotag]Jovantae Barnes[/autotag] and [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag], the Sooners are loaded with talented runners. In addition to the sophomore running backs, the coaching staff is high on [autotag]Marcus Major[/autotag] and [autotag]Tawee Walker[/autotag] and the roles they’ll be able to play this year. Throw in true freshmen [autotag]Kalib Hicks[/autotag] and [autotag]Daylan Smothers[/autotag], and the Sooners have six guys they feel can help them run the football.

Featuring guys like Farooq and Barnes provide a physical dynamic that should allow Oklahoma to pick up dirty yards after contact and after the catch.

In addition to becoming a more physical team, the Sooners emphasized adding speed this offseason. Freeman and Sawchuk return and Oklahoma also added Smothers, Thompson, and Pettaway to their ranks. That’s a group of guys that are threats to score from any spot on the field any time they touch the ball because of speed.

At quarterback, the Sooners have an experienced veteran who threw for more than 3,100 yards and 25 touchdowns in Dillon Gabriel last season. 2022 was his first at the Power Five level and he was good. Now, he needs to take a step to improve the Sooners fortunes on third and fourth down and in the red zone.

The Sooners lost a lot of talent to the draft this offseason, but that doesn’t mean their devoid of talent. It’s a deep offensive roster that can help the Sooners be even better than they were in 2022.

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Five Sooners named to College Sports Wire’s Preseason All-Big 12 teams

5 Oklahoma Sooners were included on College Sports Wire’s preseason All-Big 12 teams.

Fall camp has started for many programs across America. Oklahoma is in that mix, with the Sooners starting practice this week. It’s been a long time coming, but the light at the end of the tunnel is here, and football is close.

With camp underway, figuring out which players will be the cream of the crop is what’s on everyone’s mind. College Sports Wire’s Patrick Conn ranked the top 25 players in the Big 12 heading into 2023. Who are the players that have taken a step, and who will come out of nowhere to have breakout seasons?

College Sports Wire selected their preseason All-Big 12 teams. We take a look at the five Oklahoma Sooners that made the list.

Oklahoma TE Austin Stogner named to Mackey Award watch list

Oklahoma’s Austin Stogner was named to the Mackey Award watch list.

Watch list season is upon us as several different lists come out just about every day. One that came out Friday is the [autotag]Mackey Award[/autotag] watch list which goes to the nation’s best tight end.

[autotag]Austin Stogner[/autotag], who returns to the Oklahoma Sooners after one year playing for the [autotag]South Carolina Gamecocks[/autotag], made the list. Stogner has had an up-and-down career, but is hoping to experience a similar breakout as Brayden Willis did a year ago.

In his first year getting a lot of action in 2020, he had more than 400 yards and three touchdowns. The future looked bright before an injury at the end of that season almost ended his football career.

In 2021, he never looked the same. He looked like he had lost some of that burst and separation ability. He then transferred and had a little more than 200 yards and only one touchdown.

Now he’s back and has to be the leader in a very young room. Stogner, now three seasons removed from his injury, hopes to show the flashes he had in 2020. This is an offense that uses the tight end a lot. We saw it just a year ago with [autotag]Willis[/autotag].

Prior to 2022, Willis hadn’t eclipsed 200 yards in a season. He had just six total touchdowns in four seasons. In his final season, he had more than 500 yards and seven touchdowns. He arguably was the most important player to the offense a year ago because of what he did in the passing game and as a run blocker.

Stogner has the ability to do what Willis did a year ago, and if he can return to his athletic form, could surpass the breakout year from Oklahoma former tight end.

Oklahoma is a school that has done pretty well at tight end historically. [autotag]Mark Andrews[/autotag] is the only Sooner to take home the award. But there’s a strong argument to be made that [autotag]Jermaine Gresham[/autotag] should have won in 2008. It still baffles me he was first-team All-Big 12, and the guy that won the award was selected to the second.

But that’s a conversation for a different day. For Stogner, he just needs to be that safety blanket and go-to guy in the red zone. Something he is definitely capable of being and something [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] and the Sooners need.

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‘Best receiver coming out of spring’: Brent Venables on WR Gavin Freeman’s offseason

Oklahoma Sooners fall camp opens this week and Brent Venables had high praise for wide receiver Gavin Freeman.

As the Oklahoma Sooners open fall camp this week, wide receiver is one of the position battles garnering the most attention. With a group of guys competing for opportunities, fall camp will be the next step to delineate who will get the most playing time in 2023.

One of the guys that’s stood out in the mind of head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] is sophomore Gavin Freeman.

Freeman, the former walkon earned a scholarship early in the offseason and has done nothing but impress ahead of his second year with the Sooners. According to Venables, Freeman was the “best receiver coming out of spring.”

And as spring gave way to summer workouts, the playmaking wideout has continued to impress. In addition to his attitude and his work ethic, Venables said, “You look at his measurables. He’s one of the fastest guys on our team. You know, both linear and changing direction.”

“He wins everything out there,” Venables said. “If (Strength and Conditioning coach Jerry Schmidt) stood up here right now wanting to talk about Gavin Freeman, he’d be here until midnight.”

Though Freeman didn’t get many opportunities in 2022, Freeman took advantage when the ball came his way. He saw five targets a year ago and converted that into three receptions for 46 yards. One of those was one of the longest plays of the season, a 41-yard diving reception down the left sideline to put the Sooners in scoring position against Kansas.

Weeks before the big-time grab against the Jayhawks, Freeman made his presence felt on his first touch as an Oklahoma Sooner, a 46-yard run on a reverse where he bounced off defenders and, with [autotag]Brayden Willis[/autotag] leading the way, outran them to the end zone for a touchdown.

And while his speed, agility, and playmaking ability will what shows up on gameday, it’s the stuff in his head and his heart that’s garnered the attention of the Oklahoma Sooners coaching staff.

“And so I say that with all appreciation and thankfulness for Gavin in his mindset, his attitude and what he’s done,” Venables said. “He makes everybody around him better.”

While it looks like Freeman is the heir apparent to [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag] as the starting slot wide receiver, don’t rule out the possibility that he could be the answer on the outside in three wide receiver sets with Stoops and [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag].

Playmakers make plays, and in Gavin Freeman’s short time with the Oklahoma Sooners, he’s done nothing but make plays.

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5 Sooners who will be new starters for Oklahoma in 2023

When you have a below .500 season, there’s going to typically be quite a bit of turnover the following season.

When you have a below .500 season, there’s going to typically be quite a bit of turnover the following season. That’s exactly what people should expect for the 2023 season in Norman, Oklahoma.

There are going to be several positions with new starters, some familiar faces and some unfamiliar faces the fan base should get to know.

The defensive line might be the position that sees the most turnover. The position that could have a star step into a starting role is most likely in the secondary.

It might not be who you think, either. The offense also is bringing in some new starters this season after leading receiver Marvin Mims and starting tight end Brayden Willis were selected in the 2023 NFL draft.

Here are five players I expect to start this season for the Sooners that didn’t a year ago.

Projecting Oklahoma’s offensive depth chart before summer practice

Summer offensive depth chart projection for the 2023 Oklahoma Sooners.

Oklahoma has started summer preparation for the upcoming season. Currently, the players are getting in their strength and conditioning work. There have been no padded practices, and there will not be any for a while, but that will not stop us from trying to figure out what Oklahoma’s starting offense and defense will look like when the Sooners take the field on Sept. 2 against the Arkansas State Red Wolves.

Offensively, the Sooners starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel returned to help quarterback an offense that was 13th nationally in total offense last season. Much was made about Gabriel’s performance but a team finishing in the top 20 in total offense is probably doing many things right. Blaming the quarterback for a 6-7 season seems a bit excessive. In the one game Gabriel didn’t play, Oklahoma scored zero points in its biggest game of the season versus Texas.

Outside of that, Oklahoma underwent departures to the NFL by their starting right and left tackles, Wanya Morris and Anton Harrison, respectively. The latter was selected in the first round by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Marvin Mims went in the second round to the Denver Broncos. Starting running back Eric Gray was drafted in the fourth round by the New York Giants. Starting tight end Brayden Willis is a San Francisco 49er after being drafted in the seventh round.

Oklahoma will have holes to fill. We took our best shot at projecting an offensive depth chart while considering transfer portal acquisitions, recruiting, general roster maturation and turnover from last year’s team.

Jalil Farooq is part of what makes Oklahoma’s offense one of the best in the Big 12 for 2023

The Oklahoma Sooners will have one of the best offenses in the Big 12 in 2023 and one of the big reasons why is wide receiver Jalil Farooq.

The Oklahoma Sooners are looking to replace a large amount of production that departed for the NFL in the 2023 draft. Gone are [autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag], [autotag]Brayden Willis[/autotag] and [autotag]Eric Gray[/autotag], and [autotag]Theo Wease[/autotag] is off to Missouri in the transfer portal.

With players departing comes opportunities for guys to step into bigger roles. One player that showed he is capable of stepping into a bigger role in 2023 was [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag], who had significant playing time for the first time in his collegiate career. He turned in 37 receptions for 466 yards and five touchdowns. He also carried the ball 15 times for 140 yards.

Farooq may not be a household name across the country yet, but in 2022, he displayed a playmaking ability that was enough for our friends at Longhorns Wire to take notice. In their rankings of every Big 12 offense, the Sooners came in at No. 3 and Farooq is one of the reasons.

The more film I watch on Oklahoma receiver Jalil Farooq, the more he reminds me of great Sooners receivers of the Bob Stoops era. Dillon Gabriel is perhaps the most proven quarterback in the league and his offense should score plenty in 2023. — Hickey, Longhorns Wire

Farooq proved a valuable asset in Oklahoma’s multi-dimensional offense, which asks its wide receivers to run reverses and jet sweeps, catch screen passes and run a traditional route tree. Farooq’s size and ability to run with the ball in his hands gives offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby a wide receiver that fits exactly what he’s looking for in a wideout.

With the departure of Marvin Mims and Brayden Willis, the Sooners need Farooq to take the step many are expecting. He has the skills to see 100 targets in Oklahoma’s offense and that should turn into a big-time season for the former four-star wide receiver.

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2 49ers draft picks received rare ‘gold helmet’ designation from front office

The 49ers don’t give out a ton of gold helmets to draft prospects, but they managed to snag two this year.

The 49ers don’t give out ‘gold helmet’ designations to just any draft prospect. A select few get that label for their performance on the field, but also because of intangible things like leadership and football IQ. Two of San Francisco’s draft picks this year reached gold helmet status according to Matt Barrows of the Athletic.

Barrows wrote a fascinating piece where he dove deep on each of the 49ers’ prospects from this year’s draft with assistant general manager Adam Peters. Penn State safety Ji’Ayir Brown and Oklahoma tight end Brayden Willis were the two gold helmet prospects the 49ers landed.

Brown was the player San Francisco traded up to get at No. 87 overall. He has the physical tools to be a good player in the NFL and he posted 10 interceptions across his last two seasons with the Nittany Lions. However, Peters told Barrows that other things stood out to the team about Brown.

Via the Athletic:

“They call him ‘The Voice’ because he was the voice of the defense, the leader of the defense,” Peters said. “And it’s not just what he says, it’s how he plays. Like one of my notes was, ‘He plays every play like it’s his last.’ He plays really, really hard.”

It’s not a huge surprise that the 49ers loved Brown’s playing style. He’s all over the place and constantly around the ball on virtually any Penn State game from the last two years.

Willis, one of the 49ers’ trio of seventh-round selections, also got tabbed as a gold helmet prospect. His toughness stands out on tape as a blocker and as a runner after the catch.

Barrows said it was Willis’ two-year team captaincy and competitive spirit that earned Willis the gold helmet. Peters elaborated via the Athletic:

“We loved his run-after-the-catch (rate),” Peters said. “That was backed up by our R&D guys. He had the highest broken-tackle percentage of all the drafted tight ends.”

Adding another TE who can make plays in the passing game has been something the 49ers have been aiming to do over the last few offseasons. This time they invested two draft picks in TEs who put up good receiving numbers in college.

The 49ers didn’t receive high praise for their draft, but it’s clear that Peters and San Francisco’s front office are high on their picks despite all of their selections coming at No. 87 or beyond. Finding a couple gold helmet players in that mix is a nice win for a team that badly needs to hit on some picks this year and next to extend their Super Bowl window.

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Dillon Gabriel No. 2 in College Sports Wire’s post-spring Big 12 quarterback rankings

Dillon Gabriel No. 2 in College Sports Wire’s post-spring Big 12 quarterback rankings.

After a spring game that provided some entertaining moments, the Oklahoma Sooners have some intriguing position battles at offensive line, defensive line, cornerback, and safety.

One place where the starter is locked in is at quarterback. Dillon Gabrel is QB1 for Oklahoma and enters his second year in the Big 12. Regional Editor Patrick Conn over at College Sports Wire believes Gabriel is the second-best signal-caller in the conference. Gabriel comes in at No. 2 behind Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels.

Gabriel was a huge acquisition for the Sooners prior to the 2022 season. A move that almost didn’t happen after the former UCF passer originally committed to transfer to UCLA. But as has been the case for a good chunk of his collegiate career, he missed time due to injury. Of course, that injury occurred due to a late hit by TCU during their game. The Big 12’s leading passer is hoping for a repeat of last year if Oklahoma wants to avoid back-to-back losing seasons. – Conn, College Sports Wire

Oklahoma enters year two under Venables looking to improve in every facet. Last year’s team was the worst in 20+ years. Bringing back their quarterback will help the Sooners rebound from their 6-7 season.

Improving his pocket presence was a point of emphasis for Gabriel this offseason. Making more routine throws consistently would also help the Sooners’ offense reach another level of production.

If Gabriel can do those two things and the Sooners find consistent playmakers to replace Marvin Mims, Brayden Willis, and Eric Gray, Oklahoma will score a plethora of points in its final season in the Big 12.

Gabriel won Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year by the league’s coaches and earned All-Big 12 honorable mention recognition. He was also named AP Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and garnered second-team all-league acclaim from the Associated Press and Pro Football Focus.

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Redrafting the Tennessee Titans’ 2023 NFL draft class

After the Titans had a polarizing 2023 NFL draft, Shaun Calderon shares what he would’ve done with the picks.

The 2023 NFL Draft is officially in the rearview mirror, and to say some of the Tennessee Titans’ selections was polarizing would be drastically underselling it.

National media outlets have largely been major fans of the Titans’ draft class, resulting in strong grades across the board. However, those outlets often grade the picks in a vacuum and don’t take into account the state of the roster, who they passed up, etc.

The Titans made it known that they played the board and took advantage of several opportunities in which they felt a player was too good to pass up on.

When it comes to drafting, weighing value versus need is on a case-by-case basis, but there has to be a happy balance between the two. Yes, they made several good value picks, but they came at the expense of arguably the biggest need on the team at wide receiver.

There’s no denying Tennessee needed depth at several spots, but the Titans desperately needed to walk away with a starting-caliber wide receiver, yet somehow only left with more questions than at the position than anything.

This article is going to revisit each round and discuss whether or not we would rather stick with the Titans’ original selections.

Without further ado, let’s find out what we would keep the same, as well as what we would have done differently if we were the ones in charge last weekend.