Tag: Caiden Woullard

Oklahoma addition listed as one of the top graded edge transfers in the country by PFF

The Oklahoma Sooners might have found a steal in the transfer portal as a new edge rushers was graded as one of the top transfers by PFF.

The Oklahoma Sooners once again hit the transfer portal hard, hoping to fill holes heading into the SEC next season. One thing that has been glaring these last two seasons is the lack of a pass rush.

So, the Sooners went out and signed one of the best in the portal. Miami (OH) transfer [autotag]Caiden Woullard[/autotag] signed with the Sooners. He finished last season with 41 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks. That helped Pro Football Focus grade him as the sixth-best edge rusher who hit the portal this offseason.

That was massive for Oklahoma. The Sooners have to get more of a pass rush next season where they don’t have to blitz all of the time to generate that pass rush. If they are able to do that, that will allow them to do a lot more things defensively with their linebackers as well as helping out their defensive backs in the back end.

 

The Sooners already possess one of the more experienced defenses in college football, and Woullard’s three years of playing experience helps. While last year was his breakout year, he had a steady sophomore season, finishing with 29 tackles, five tackles for loss, and four sacks.

The question now is, is the speed of the game too much for him to handle with him moving up from a Group of Five conference to the premier conference in the land? Only time will tell.

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5 positions where the Oklahoma Sooners are better than they were a year ago

Every year there is roster turnover, but where are the Sooners better? Here are five positions Oklahoma’s better than they were a year ago.

Every offseason teams around college football have to deal with a significant amount of turnover to their roster. That’s been the case for the Sooners each season of the Brent Venables era.

No position group was hit harder than the offensive line. They lost the five guys that were starters for the majority of the season. Though they’ve been able to retool the lineup with transfer portal additions, it will be months before we know if those additions will work out.

Elsewhere, however, the Sooners look to be in really good shape, especially when you compare it to how several positions looked this time last year.

Here are five position groups that look better compared to where they were a year ago.

Have the Oklahoma Sooners adequately addressed their needs in the transfer portal?

The Oklahoma Sooners were active in the transfer portal, but have they done enough to address their needs?

The Oklahoma Sooners went into the offseason with a number of needs to address via the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag].

Bryant Crews highlighted five positions that the Sooners needed to address in the portal, namely offensive line, defensive line, tight end, secondary, and kicker.

But how well did the Sooners address those needs and where else have they added talent?

With the coaching carousel extending into January with the Alabama and Washington jobs opening up, the transfer portal has heated up again for the next 30 days. Could the Sooners add more talent? We’ll see if they take advantage of the opportunity to add talent from the Crimson Tide or the Huskies.

But until then, let’s take a look at what they’ve done in the portal thus far and if they’ve addressed their needs.

Sooners add transfer portal EDGE rusher Caiden Woullord

The Oklahoma Sooners added a proven EDGE rusher, earning the commitment of Miami (Oh.) transfer Caiden Woullord.

The Oklahoma Sooners added some pass rush help to their ranks in the form of Miami (Oh.) transfer EDGE rusher Caiden Woullard.

Woullard, who’s played three seasons for the Red Hawks, led the MAC in sacks in 2023 with 9.5. He recorded 12 tackles for loss and 41 total tackles, and two forced fumbles. Woullard tied for the conference lead in sacks this season, helping Miami win the conference championship.

According to Woullard’s social media, he held transfer offers from Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, Mississippi State, Texas A&M, Indiana, and Minnesota.

Originally a three-star prospect in the 2021 recruiting, Woullard raised his stock and was one of the better pass rushers in the transfer portal this offseason.

He joins a Sooners defensive front that needs to improve its pass rush as it gets ready to join the SEC. With his experience and production, Woullard is another promising defensive end to add to Oklahoma’s rotation.

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Oklahoma Sooners get prediction for productive edge transfer

The Oklahoma Sooners continue their work in the transfer portal this time landing a prediction for a productive EDGE defender.

The 2024 recruiting class is pretty much finished barring any last-second offers, so the Oklahoma Sooners staff has shifted its focus to the[autotag]transfer portal[/autotag].

The Sooners continue to visit with transfer prospects. Recently they hosted [autotag]Caiden Woullard[/autotag], a highly productive edge defender from Miami (Ohio). He is a 6-foot-5, 252-pound rusher who finished the season with 12 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks.

Oklahoma is the heavy favorite in his recruitment after earning a prediction from On3 and SoonerScoop’s Josh McCuiston.

We’ll see how Woullard factors into the team next season if he commits. The Sooners obviously need more pass rush productivity and more depth at defensive end. The potential signing of Woullard would address both needs.

The Sooners have another visit scheduled with another talented pass rusher later this week. The thought is Oklahoma would take both if they wanted to commit.

Woullard is a four-star prospect on On3’s transfer ranking. The Sooners also hold a 99.3% chance of landing the talented pass rusher per On3’s recruiting prediction machine.

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Report: Ohio State’s Larry Johnson reaches out to portal defensive end

This would be a solid portal addition for the Buckeyes. #GoBucks

For the second year in-a-row, Ohio State has slow played the transfer portal, waiting for its players to make decisions for the 2024 season.

Many have wondered why they haven’t taken a commitment, canceled visits and haven’t shown much interest in transfers. That might be changing soon, as the Buckeyes will finish their season on Friday against Missouri in the Cotton Bowl.

With players finally making their decisions, Ohio State may be turning up the transfer portal heat and this report by Bill Kurelic (subscription required) of 247Sports confirms that. Defensive line coach Larry Johnson has reached out to Miami (OH) edge rusher, [autotag]Caiden Woullard,[/autotag] according to Kurelic.

The junior had a very impressive season for the RedHawks, registering 9.5 sacks along with two forced fumbles and 41 tackles. Woullard’s sack production would have led this seasons Buckeye team by a wide margin.

Since it looks like Jack Sawyer could be returning, this may be a signal that J.T. Tuimoloua is off to the NFL after the Cotton Bowl. It would make a lot of sense as to why Johnson is turning up the heat on Woullard even though they have yet to offer at this point.

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Texas A&M offers former Miami (OH) DL Caiden Woullard out of the transfer portal

Texas A&M has fielded an offer to productive former Miami (OH) defensive lineman Caiden Woullard out of the transfer portal.

The transfer portal offers continue to roll in, as new Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko has officially offered productive former Miami (OH) defensive lineman Caiden Woullard, who has one season of eligibility remaining heading into the 2024 season.

Elko has continued to utilize the portal, knowing that finding one to two more starting-level defensive linemen is an absolute must, as former New Mexico States DL Dion Wilson Jr. received an offer from the Aggies earlier this week.

Woullard, who stands at 6’5″ and weights over 250 pounds, appeared in 14 games during the 2023 campaign, recording career highs in multiple categories, including 41 tackles (19 solo tackles), 12 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles on the year.

After losing three defensive linemen to the portal, McKinnley Jackson, Walter Nolen (transferred to Ole Miss), and Isaiah Raikes’s departures seem detrimental, but adding a veteran presence like Woullard in the trenches should at least put a bandage on the losses going into the 2024 offseason.

However, Wednesday night’s TaxAct Texas Bowl game vs. No. 20 Oklahoma State should tell us more about the future of the defensive line; redshirt freshman Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy freshman David Hicks Jr. will have a chance to make a real impact for the first time this season.

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