Tag: Brian Darby

Sooners extend offer to Lousiana Tech transfer WR Tre Harris

With the departure of multiple receivers to the portal, Oklahoma sends out an offer to LA Tech receiver Tre Harris.

While the portal casualties for Oklahoma have risen into the double digits, it opens the door for Oklahoma to upgrade the talent that will don the Crimson and Cream.

After submitting offers to Ra Ra Thomas and Dante Cephas, the Sooners are targeting another wide receiver. This time, it’s Louisiana Tech’s Tre Harris.

At 6-foot-2, Harris had 65 receptions for 935 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2022. He was a first-team All-Conference USA selection in 2022 after earning honorable mention honors in 2021.

He ranks fourth nationally in scrimmage plays over 40 yards (6), and fifth in plays over 30 yards (9). Simply put, Harris is one of the best receivers in the portal, regardless of his former school. He’s a big play waiting to happen and would be a nice addition should the Sooners land him.

The Sooners have lost three wide receivers to the portal: Theo Wease, Brian Darby, and Trevon West. Wease is the only notable contributor from the bunch and based on Harris’ stats, he could very easily fill that void.

Harris has also received offers from Mississippi State and West Virginia.

Here are a few of his catches below.

There’s no timetable for a decision yet but expect things to move along fairly quickly as transfers typically would prefer to get to their newest destination as fast as possible in time for winter workouts and the new semester that starts in January.

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5 positions the Oklahoma Sooners should target in the transfer portal

The Oklahoma Sooners have some roster reconfiguration to accomplish and will look at the transfer portal to complete it. From @thatmanbryant

Oklahoma’s season is down to one last game against the Florida State Seminoles in the Cheez-It Bowl in Orlando, Florida. However, their preparation for Team 129 has already begun.

Numerous players have already entered the transfer portal or declared for the 2023 NFL draft.

Players like left tackle [autotag]Anton Harrison[/autotag], running back [autotag]Eric Gray[/autotag], defensive tackle [autotag]Jalen Redmond[/autotag], and right tackle [autotag]Wanya Morris[/autotag] were starters on this year’s squad and have already declared their intention to go to the NFL. Oklahoma will have to fill those voids for next season. Their replacements may be on the team already, but there’s a real possibility they aren’t.

The losses have left a hefty amount of bodies missing from the program right now, and while the recruiting class will fill some of them, the Sooners would love to have immediate answers via the transfer portal by guys with collegiate experience.

As Oklahoma looks to retool its roster for 2023, here are a few positions they should look to add talent to via the transfer portal. 

Oklahoma Sooners targeting a pair of wide receivers in the transfer portal

Oklahoma is looking to add to their wide receiver ranks with offers to a couple of transfer portal wideouts, RaRa Thomas and Dante Cephas. From @john9williams

As the transfer portal officially opened on Monday, the Oklahoma Sooners saw some depth walk out the door. Mostly, it’s been players that saw little to no playing time for Oklahoma in 2022, but at wide receiver, they’ve seen a bit more attrition.

[autotag]Theo Wease[/autotag] made it known last week he’d be entering the portal, and on Monday, [autotag]Brian Darby[/autotag] and [autotag]Trevon West[/autotag] also put their names in the transfer portal.

With the college football world doing some portal shopping, it looks like the Sooners are targeting a couple of wide receivers early in the process. Oklahoma offered Mississippi State transfer wide receiver [autotag]RaRa Thomas[/autotag] and Kent State wideout [autotag]Dante Cephas[/autotag].

Thomas was a three-star prospect in the 2021 cycle and put up 44 receptions for 626 yards and seven touchdowns for the Bulldogs in 2022. Cephas was also a three-star player in the 2019 class and recorded 48 receptions for 744 yards and three touchdowns.

Cephas had four receptions for 50 yards against Oklahoma in week two of the season, but his high moment came against Ohio, where he posted 13 receptions for 246 yards and a touchdown.

Thomas posted 5 receptions for 134 yards and a touchdown in a win against Texas A&M, went for 8 and 73 against Alabama, and recorded six catches for 84 yards and two touchdowns against Auburn.

Though [autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag] is playing in the bowl game, there’s a strong possibility that’s his last for the Sooners with an NFL draft decision looming. If Mims were to declare for the draft, that would leave Oklahoma with [autotag]Jalil Faroo[/autotag]q and [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag] as the only Sooners wide receivers to play significant snaps in Norman.

The Sooners added [autotag]J.J. Hester[/autotag] and [autotag]L.V. Bunkley-Shelton[/autotag] in the portal late last spring, but they didn’t see the field much, so it’s difficult to know where they stand with the coaching staff. Both have experience from their previous stops and have playmaking ability, but Oklahoma would be wise to add some more depth.

Oklahoma will have quite a few young guys competing for snaps, like [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag], [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag], and Freeman, along with incoming freshmen [autotag]Keyon Brown[/autotag] and [autotag]Jaquaize Pettaway[/autotag] (assuming they sign).

We’ll see if Oklahoma’s able to close on either Cephas or Thomas, but it’s clear they believe they need to add some wide receiver depth in the portal this offseason to put them in a better position to contend in 2023.

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2022-2023 Oklahoma Football Transfer Portal Tracker

What’s happened in the transfer portal for the Oklahoma Sooners in the 2022-2023 offseason?

The 2022 regular season is behind us, leaving the Oklahoma Sooners eagerly awaiting their bowl destination with one last chance to close a disappointing season in Norman above .500.

While the Sooners wait to find out their bowl location and matchup, they’ll be working to secure their 2023 recruiting class and retool the roster through veteran transfers. They’ve already added to their interior defensive line depth with the addition of [autotag]Jacob Lacey[/autotag] and will probably add more depth on a defense that wasn’t good enough in 2022.

While the portal giveth, it also taketh. In just a few days since the end of the regular season, Oklahoma has lost Theo Wease, Jordan Mukes and Joshua Eaton to the portal. While Mukes and Eaton didn’t play much for the Sooners, the loss of Wease will be felt.

In his last hurrah as an Oklahoma Sooner, Wease posted a career-best 123 yards on just three receptions and had a big-time touchdown for the Sooners.

There will be much more activity on the transfer portal horizon over the next few months, and we’ll keep track of all the comings and goings with our handy-dandy transfer portal tracker.

Updated Dec. 12 at 8 p.m. CT

Sophomore WR Cody Jackson has opted to enter the transfer portal

After finishing spring ball, the Sooners see wide receiver Cody Jackson enter the transfer portal.

Much of the news after the spring game has been extremely positive in for the Oklahoma Sooners football program. However, the harsh reality of the transfer portal has led to a wide receiver deciding to move on. Wide receiver [autotag]Cody Jackson[/autotag] entered his name in the transfer portal Monday and it looks like he’ll find a new place to play in 2022.

This is similar to last spring when [autotag]Mike Woods[/autotag] played in Arkansas’ spring game only to transfer to Oklahoma shortly thereafter.

Jackson, who caught just five passes for 45 yards in his freshman season enters the portal with three years of eligibility remaining. He was one of the earliest commitments to the Sooners’ 2021 recruiting class. He committed nearly 2 years before signing with the Sooners and remained steadfast to his commitment the whole process.

He was a four-star recruit out of Foster, Texas (the same high school where Sooners legend [autotag]CeeDee Lamb[/autotag] came from) and only saw action in two games last year. He played in the Sooners’ wins in Norman against Western Carolina and Nebraska.

 

 

Jackson looked prime for more of an opportunity under offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby with several receivers departing via the transfer portal or to the NFL. But after sticking with the Sooners through the spring Jackson appears will be looking for a new home.

The Sooners’ receiver room looks pretty thin all things considered with [autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag], [autotag]Theo Wease[/autotag], [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag], and [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag] at the top of the depth chart. [autotag]Brian Darby[/autotag] and [autotag]Trevon West[/autotag] will figure into the rotation as well, while [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag] and [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] have the potential to contribute in year one.

There is a good chance the Sooners will use the portal as a means to get one or two more receivers into the room if nothing else for depth purposes.

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2022 spring preview: How does wide receiver look for Oklahoma?

Oklahoma replaces three of its top four wide receivers entering 2022. How does the position group look heading into the spring?

As spring practices for Oklahoma get underway on March 22, it’s time to begin taking stock of what the Sooners have on campus in each respective position group. At wide receiver, OU is replacing three of its top four receiving yardage leaders.

With that said, there’s plenty of talent returning for Oklahoma and the Sooners added a pair of talented pass catchers in their 2022 signing class. Let’s take a look at Oklahoma’s wide receivers entering the spring.

Top 5 returning Oklahoma Sooners receiving yardage leaders for 2022

Marvin Mims leads the way for Oklahoma pass-catchers set to return in 2022. Who else returns production for OU?

There’s no getting around it. Oklahoma is replacing a lot when it comes to receiving yardage leaders. In fact, OU is set to replace four of its top five in that category.

Oklahoma’s second-leading receiver was Michael Woods II who declared for the 2022 NFL Draft. Woods caught 35 passes for 400 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The Sooners’ No. 3 receiver, Jadon Haselwood, transferred to Arkansas. Haselwood finished just behind Woods in yardage, pulling in 39 catches for 399 yards and had six touchdown receptions.

Mario Williams ranked fourth for Oklahoma with 35 receptions for 380 yards and four touchdowns, but he’s off to USC with former head coach Lincoln Riley and former starting quarterback Caleb Williams. Tight end Jeremiah Hall also declared for the 2022 NFL Draft after recording 32 grabs for 334 yards with four touchdowns.

Where does it leave Oklahoma entering 2022 with returning receiving yardage leaders?

Oklahoma’s Jalil Farooq among Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded wide receivers during bowl season

Oklahoma wide receiver Jalil Farooq was one of Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded Power Five wide receivers during bowl season.

Oklahoma freshman wide receiver Jalil Farooq enjoyed his best performance of the season in the Sooners’ 47-32 win over Oregon in the Valero Alamo Bowl.

Farooq led the Sooners in receiving yardage versus the Ducks with three receptions for 64 yards. The Landham, Md., native played in eight games this season.

Most of his work came on special teams, though. Prior to the Oregon game, Farooq’s only grab was against Kansas on Oct. 23 when he caught one pass for five yards.

Farooq was the second-highest graded Power Five wide receiver during bowl season with an offensive grade of 90.7 according to Pro Football Focus. That was also the highest grade any Sooner received from PFF against Oregon.

Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba earned the highest offensive grade among Power Five wide receivers during bowl season with a grade of 91.6 after his record-setting Rose Bowl performance against Utah.

Smith-Njigba hauled in a school-record 15 receptions for an FBS bowl game record 347 receiving yards. The sophomore also had three touchdown grabs in Ohio State’s 48-45 win over Utah.

Kentucky’s Wan’Dale Robinson earned an offensive grade of 90.0 from PFF after nabbing 10 grabs for 170 yards in the Wildcats’ 20-17 Citrus Bowl win over Iowa.

With Oklahoma true freshman quarterback Caleb Williams’ decision to enter the NCAA’s transfer portal, what the Sooners’ wide receivers will look like entering 2022 has been a primary topic of conversation.

Freshman wide receiver Mario Williams also entered his name into the transfer portal following his starting quarterback’s decision. Former five-star recruit Jadon Haselwood has already transferred to Arkansas.

There’s been speculation that other wide receivers could follow suit.

Farooq came to Oklahoma as a consensus four-star recruit across the four recruiting services. The 6-foot-1, 203 pound freshman was rated as the nation’s No. 109 player overall by ESPN, No. 158 by Rivals, No. 174 by 247Sports and No. 238 by On3.

If Farooq chooses to stay, his performance against Oregon is an indicator that he’s ready to step into a primary pass-catching role for Oklahoma in 2022.

Oklahoma expects to return its leading receiver from the past two seasons in Marvin Mims.

Mims caught 32 passes for 705 yards with five touchdowns this season. In 2020, Mims recorded 37 receptions for 610 yards with nine touchdowns.

The Sooners are also set to return Drake Stoops who had 16 grabs for 191 yards and a pair of touchdown receptions in 2021. Oklahoma’s other wide receivers include Brian Darby, Cody Jackson and Trevon West.

It appears that former five-star Theo Wease plans to stay at Oklahoma as well. Wease didn’t play in a game this season and has battled injuries throughout his career. During his time at OU, Wease has 45 receptions, 666 receiving yards and six touchdowns.

OU has also signed four-star wide receivers Nicholas Anderson and Jayden Gibson in its 2022 signing class. Gibson is rated as the nation’s No. 49 player overall according to Rivals, while Anderson is listed as the nation’s No. 106 player by ESPN.

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Oklahoma Sooners and Oklahoma State Cowboys tied 24-24 at halftime of Bedlam

At halftime of Bedlam, the Oklahoma Sooners and the Oklahoma State Cowboys are in a barn burner tied at 24 apiece.

In what many thought would be a defensive battle, the complete opposite has broken out in this 2021 version of Bedlam. The Oklahoma Sooners and Oklahoma State Cowboys enter the half tied at 24 apiece after an interception by cornerback Woodi Washington set the Sooners up in the red zone leading to a beautiful touchdown pass from Caleb Williams to Brayden Willis.

Williams has seemingly freed himself from the funk that he was in for the last two games. His arm has kept the Sooners in the game and has them going blow for blow with an Oklahoma State team that has completely deviated from the ball control, run-heavy offense many expected.

The two teams traded punts on their opening possessions before Spencer Sanders found Tay Martin on the outside for a 30-yard touchdown. The Sooners would answer as Caleb Williams hit H-Back Jeremiah Hall for a huge gain, setting up Williams and Brian Darby’s 9-yard connection for a touchdown.

They would trade touchdowns back and forth before the Sooners would have to settle for a field goal on their first possession after giving up a 100-yard kick return to Brennan Pressley to make it 21-17 Cowboys.

The Cowboys would answer once more with a field goal of their own after being stymied in the red zone thanks to a massive tackle for loss by All-American Nik Bonitto. The play was huge as a touchdown would’ve given the Cowboys an 11 point lead.

Instead, with Oklahoma State driving late in the second quarter, Woodi Washington jumped a route, picked off Sanders, returning it to the red zone. Caleb Williams then threw a beautiful ball to H-back Brayden Willis for the game-tying touchdown.

To round out the half, Williams ended up 14 of 21 for 204 yards and three touchdowns. Perhaps the best throw of the first half was this one to Austin Stogner, who made an incredible catch before throwing up the “X,” former Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant’s touchdown celebration.

Heading into the second half, the Sooners will need to figure out the Cowboys’ offense as they often looked confused and out of place multiple times in the first half.

Best Pro Football Focus Grades from Oklahoma’s win over Texas Tech

How did Pro Football Focus grade the Oklahoma Sooners in their 52-21 win over Texas Tech?

With their win on Saturday, the Oklahoma Sooners moved to 9-0 on the season and are well situated to make their annual “Championship November” run to the Big 12 championship.

With their toughest games on the schedule still to be played, Oklahoma will need to come out of the bye ready to play their best football of the season. If their performance vs. Texas Tech was any indication, they might be on the verge of streaking into December, a trip to Arlington, and hopefully a chance at the national title in the College Football Playoff.

The Sooners played a complete game in their 52-21 win over the Red Raiders and received standout performances from several players on both sides of the football.

Like we do each week, let’s take a look at how Pro Football Focus graded the Oklahoma Sooners in the win.