Tag: Caleb Kelly

‘Glue guys’ seal the deal for the Oklahoma Sooners vs. the Texas Longhorns

The Oklahoma Sooners got incredible contributions from their star players, but they don’t win without contributions from their “glue guys.”

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Every team has them. They’re the guys that championship teams can’t live without. They aren’t always your best players, but they’re the players that show up in the big moments and make the big plays. Or they’re the guys that quietly go about their business and simply do their job in a big moment.

They’re called “glue guys.” They’re the guys on the roster that hold the team together.

Late in the fourth quarter of the Sooners thrilling comeback win over the Texas Longhorns, Oklahoma’s glue guys came through in big ways.

Af Oklahoma scored to make it 41-39, Spencer Rattler found Drake Stoops at the front of the end zone to complete the two-point conversion attempt and tie the score for the first time since it was 0-0.

On the ensuing kickoff, Oklahoma’s leader, the elder statesman, Caleb Kelly came up with arguably the play of the game. As Xavier Worthy, who’d been killing the Sooners all day, was fighting through tacklers to gain extra yards, Kelly smartly went after the football and ripped it away from the dynamic freshman receiver. Nobody knew what happened, but Kelly had the ball and immediately went over to the Sooners’ fanbase to celebrate the turnover. After replay review confirmed it, OU was set up with fantastic field position with a chance to take the lead.

On Oklahoma’s ensuing drive, Kennedy Brooks was able to take the direct snap and work his way through the Texas defense to give the Oklahoma Sooners their first lead of the game. How was he able to do it? Behind fantastic blocking from his offensive line and glue guys Brayden Willis, Drake Stoops, and Jadon Haselwood.

The Sooners were able to win the game on the exact same play, run the same direction, with the same guys out front leading Kennedy Brooks to the end zone for the 55-48 lead.

The Sooners star players showed up in Saturday’s win, but that game isn’t won without the contributions of other guys on the roster making big-time plays for the Oklahoma Sooners.

While it’s the Caleb Williams’ or Marvin Mims’ of the world that will get all of the attention, the work that guys like Jadon Haselwood, Drake Stoops, Brayden Willis and Caleb Kelly put in shouldn’t go unnoticed. They were fantastic on Saturday and will continue to feature prominently in the Oklahoma Sooners’ success.

3 Stars: Which Sooners shined brightest “deep in the heart of Texas?”

There were a litany of stand-out performances on Saturday for the Sooners, but which stars shined brightest “deep in the heart of Texas?”

If there was ever a game where individual performances reigned supreme, it was the 2021 edition of the Red River Showdown. The Sooners won an all-time classic in dramatic fashion over the Texas Longhorns 55-48. The ups and downs of the game were enough to make the most relaxed person stressed out. When the dust cleared, however, it was the Sooners who were on top.

For the Sooners, it was a team effort. However, several players rose to the occasion in the biggest game of the year (to date).

Third Star: Marvin Mims, Wide Receiver

Mims came into this season looking to cement himself as one of the nation’s best receivers. The first game against Tulane provided that glimpse of what he could be, but as the offense faltered and defenses started playing Oklahoma differently, his production declined.

Last week against Kansas State, Mims came up big with four catches for 96 yards. If that was him softly reminding us he was still capable, Saturday’s effort against Texas was him yelling at the nation, “I’m still that guy!”

Mims made play after play and had two huge catches down the field to help out his true freshman quarterback Caleb Williams. That doesn’t even include his touchdown catch that came after Williams fumbled a shotgun snap in the red zone.

Mims is the undisputed WR1 on this team, and he’s very much back to making explosive plays, which the Oklahoma offense has lacked in 2021.

Up Next: A Star Descends on the Cotton Bowl

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3 Players to watch on defense for the Oklahoma Sooners vs. WCU

As you get ready for the Oklahoma Sooners vs. WCU, here are three players to watch on defense for the Sooners.

OU opens up their home slate against Western Carolina on Saturday evening. On paper, OU is favored in every way. However, that meant nothing to the Green Wave of Tulane, who brought it nonstop for 4 quarters to a talented but unfocused and inconsistent OU defense that just wasn’t completely dialed in.

Expect that to change this week as they ready for a Western Carolina team that just lost a tough game against Eastern Kentucky at home. Let’s take a look at three guys that are players to watch as they look to turn in a more dominant performance.

Perrion Winfrey

Perrion Winfrey is the proverbial BIG DOG inside for this OU defense. He was considered a top 100 pick in almost every mock draft or preseason draft rankings list. Todd McShay, a leading draft analyst even placed him in his top 30 draft prospects. He hasn’t racked up the sacks in his time here at Oklahoma but that’s fine because his value is much more than just sacks. He’s disruptive at the point of attack for teams forcing teams to change whole game plans mid-game. OU struggled to keep the heat on Tulane QB Michael Pratt at times. and he subsequently lit them up for 296 yards and three touchdown passes as they pushed Oklahoma deep into the fourth quarter.

Winfrey has to be dominant and blow up the interior. WCU QB Rogan Wells is nowhere near as mobile as Pratt but he’s a senior and has played a lot of college football. Getting him flushed out of the pocket and forcing him to throw off platform and on the run could lead to mistakes the Sooners can capitalize on. Look for him to cause havoc while in the game.

NEXT: A linebacker and defensive back set to make plays.

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Oklahoma Sooners add Defensive End Isaiah Thomas to group of captains

The Oklahoma Sooners announced that they’ve added Isaiah Thomas to their Royo of captains for the 2021 college football season.

One week into the 2021 college football season and the Oklahoma Sooners have made an addition to their leadership group. After Spencer Rattler, Jeremiah Hall, Caleb Kelly, and Pat Fields were named captains ahead of their week one matchup with Tulane, the Sooners added Isaiah Thomas to their group of captains for the 2021 season.

Since bursting into the scene with a breakout 2020 season, Isaiah Thomas has been one of the Oklahoma Sooners best players. His ability to play on the edge and inside provided Alex Grinch the opportunity to get his three best defensive players on the field at the same time last season in Thomas, and fellow edge rushers, Nik Bonitto and Ronnie Perkins.

After logging just 148 snaps and one sack over his first two seasons, Thomas played 451 snaps, led the Sooners in tackles for loss and was second on the team with 7.5 sacks.

Thomas has shown leadership during the last couple of years with the team. This week when asked how Spencer Rattler has grown into his role as a leader, Thomas said, “Spencer just needs to be Spencer.”

Thomas gave a fantastic and thoughtful answer about the expectations that come with being the Sooners quarterback.

Thomas is already one of the leaders on the defense. As one of the veterans, and one of the best players on the defense, he carries a lot of weight with that unit. Now in an official capacity, Thomas has the clout to lead this team on Saturdays.

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How will the Oklahoma Sooners use their defensive line versus Tulane?

By rotating his defensive line, defensive coordinator Alex Grinch views the Sooners’ depth as a weapon.

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Defensive coordinator Alex Grinch gave the media a peek behind the curtain before the Oklahoma Sooners released their first official depth chart for Saturday’s season opener versus Tulane.

With the hierarchy at defensive end firmly established behind Isaiah Thomas, here’s how Alex Grinch may substitute the rest of his defensive front.

How might Alex Grinch deploy the rush linebackers?

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Oklahoma Sooners name captains for 2021 college football season

Ahead of the Sooners week one matchup with the Tulane Green Wave, OU released their team captains for the 2021 season.

As the Oklahoma Sooners get set to take on the Tulane Green Wave in week one of the 2021 college football season, several items on the agenda must be taken care of. Soon Oklahoma will release its first official depth chart of the season, but tonight they let us know the players representing the 2021 squad as captains.

Two offensive and two defensive players were selected as the Sooners’ captains for the 2021 season — Spencer Rattler and Jeremiah Hall from the offense and Caleb Kelly and Pat Fields from the defense.

While Spencer Rattler represents the most important player on the roster because of his position, he’s arguably the best player as well. The Heisman Trophy frontrunner is coming off a redshirt freshman season where he threw for 3,031 yards, 28 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He averaged 9.7 yards per attempt and recorded a passer rating (NFL version) of 118.4. As important as the stats, the way Spencer Rattler rebounded from his benching during the Texas game spoke volumes. He learned from his mistakes and went on to play really good football down the stretch.

Jeremiah Hall is one of the key cogs in Lincoln Riley’s offense. He won’t get the touches that Marvin Mims or Kennedy Brooks will get, but Hall will be an impact player in the passing game nonetheless. In 2020, Hall had five touchdowns on just 21 targets. Not only has he been an impact player on offense, but he also provides veteran leadership on special teams.

Senior Caleb Kelly is making his return to the lineup after sitting out the 2020 season. Kelly is the elder statesman of the Sooners defense. He’s played in 35 games for Oklahoma and will be a key piece of Brian Odom’s linebacker rotation.

Like Kelly, Senior Pat Fields has played in a lot of games for the Oklahoma Sooners. He had a fantastic 2019 season with two sacks and six tackles for loss. In 2020, he recorded one interception. He’s been a steady hand in the secondary, helping oversee the Sooners’ defensive transformation under Alex Grinch.

As the Sooners embark on what many analysts believe could be a national championship season, the 2021 team captains will play significant roles in Oklahoma’s success.

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DaShaun White on Sooners linebacker depth: Can’t ask for a better setting

The Oklahoma Sooners linebacker group has a ton of experience and talent and is ready to help the Sooners defense take the next step.

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After allowing 40 points per game in the Oklahoma Sooners’ first three Big 12 contests in 2020, the Oklahoma Sooners allowed just 17 points per game the rest of the way. Over the season’s final seven games, including the Big 12 Championship game and the Cotton Bowl, the Sooners defense burst onto the scene and announced this isn’t the same defense that the nation’s come to expect.

In the second half of 2020, the Sooners defense started trending toward why OU was winning games. For several seasons, the Sooners were winning games despite the defense. Heading into 2021, they’re looking to build off of that stellar finish and be part of the reason the Sooners contend for a national championship in 2021.

With a lot of attention paid to the defensive front and the defensive back group, the linebacker depth has quietly become one of the best units on the team. One would be hard-pressed to find a group with the level of experience and depth at a position that the Sooners have entering 2021.

DaShaun White, Brian Asamoah, David Ugwoegbu, Caleb Kelly, Shane Whitter, Jamal Morris, Bryan Mead, and Danny Stutsman make up an ultra-talented group of players. With White, Asamoah, Ugwoegbu, and Kelly, the Sooners have four guys who have played a lot of snaps for the program and will lead the defense into 2021.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday, White discussed the depth the linebacker group brings to the table and the work they’ve put in to get to where they are.

It’s definitely motivating. Just be in a situation where there’s always competition. As a player, you can’t ask for a better setting. Just an opportunity to surround yourself with something like that. Around the country there’s not a lot of place where you get into the three-deep group and it’s still a really, really solid group.  That’s really a just testament to our group and how hard we work. I think the linebackers work extremely hard. We do a lot of extra together.

During his appearance, White was asked how the linebackers performed during the scrimmage. He mentioned that the linebackers “had a great day” and were “getting into the backfield… running relentlessly after the ball carrier” He later went on to joke that he “felt bad for the ball carriers.”

With the Sooners’ talent upfront in Isaiah Thomas, Nik Bonitto, Perrion Winfrey, Jalen Redmond, and La’Ron Stokes, the Sooners’ linebacker corp is poised for a fantastic season. Though they might be the most underrated group on the roster, that doesn’t mean they won’t be as impactful as any position on the team. This is a group that’s ready to compete and wreak havoc on opposing offense.

Oklahoma Sooners’ linebackers provide veteran stability to improving defense

While much of the talk about the Sooners defense in 2021 has focused on the defensive line, OU’s veteran linebackers provide the foundation.

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This offseason, there’s been a lot of talk about the Oklahoma Sooners defensive line as a reason to be optimistic about the Sooners’ chances of contending for a national championship in 2021. There’s also been a lot of talk about the secondary and its youthful playmakers stepping into full-time roles in 2021.

There should be a lot of excitement about the defensive front and the secondary. They’re going to be a lot of fun to watch in 2021.

Offensive coordinators and offensive line coaches will be up late trying to come up with a way to block Nik Bonitto, Isaiah Thomas, Perrion Winfrey, and Jalen Redmond.

Woodi Washington and D.J. Graham will make it incredibly difficult for teams to throw to the outside. The safety group is experienced and won’t be left out to dry as often as they might have been in the past.

This defense is going to be really good. But a position group that often gets left out of the discussion is the linebacker group led by Brian Asamoah and DaShaun White. It might just be the most underrated position group on the entire team. And at the same time, it might just be the deepest group on the squad.

We’re thinking of traditional linebackers for this discussion and not including “rush linebacker” Nik Bonitto.

White, Asamoah, David Ugwoegbu, Caleb Kelly, and Shane Whitter provide the Sooners with five guys capable of making plays for Alex Grinch’s defense.

At the top of the depth chart, you have four guys that have played a ton of snaps for the Sooners and a fifth in Whitter that got his feet wet in 2020 but appears to be a player that has a big future.

White has played more than 1,000 snaps on defense for Oklahoma. Asamoah and Ugwoegbu have played more than 600. Caleb Kelly’s snap counts aren’t available from Pro Football Focus, but according to SoonersSports.com, he’s played in 41 games in his Oklahoma career.

It’s an experienced group that can bring four veterans into the game and contribute to Alex Grinch’s defense. Throw in Shane Whitter that Oklahoma Sooners Linebacker Coach Brian Odom talked about as a player on the rise back in the spring and you’ve got a great group of players.

There may not be a star on the linebacker depth chart (yet), but this group is flying under the radar heading into 2021. The stability, leadership, and experience at the position will be foundational to what Alex Grinch and the Oklahoma Sooners want to accomplish in 2021.

Which under the radar Oklahoma Sooners will make a big impact in 2021?

Every championship contender needs glue guys who help keep the roster together. They may not start for the Oklahoma Sooners, but here are several role players that will have a significant impact.

Every team that is a championship contender has to have a lot of talent. However, when one of your starters goes down with an injury or needs a breather, championship contenders must have enough depth to minimize the talent drop-off. Championship teams also need role players who are good at what they do and are the glue of the roster.

The Oklahoma Sooners appear to be as talented as any team in the country heading into the 2021 football season. Another thing they have going for them heading into what could be a special season is several role players who will have significant impacts for the Oklahoma Sooners.

Former five-star recruit Caleb Kelly entering ‘prove-it’ year in 2021

Oklahoma LB Caleb Kelly falls on 247Sports listing of former five-star recruits in need of a ‘prove-it’ year.

Five-star recruits are the most heavily sought after prospects in each cycle. Some meet expectations on the gridiron and some do not, whether it be a crowded roster or a myriad of injuries that derail a career. But each new year ushers in a fresh start for players and an opportunity for stardom.

It only takes one season to change a player’s trajectory and draft stock. For many, 2021 is the year it is on the line. 247Sports evaluates several former five-star recruits who are in desperate need of a stellar 2021 campaign. Oklahoma Sooner Caleb Kelly fell among the list.

247Sports Composite Rank: No. 24 in 2016

Kelly looked the part of a five-star prospect as an underclassman. He forced his way into the starting lineup as a true freshman in 2016 and drew honorable mention All-Big 12 honors in 2017 as a sophomore. He followed that up with a career-high 61 tackles in just 10 games as a junior. Then injuries piled up. Kelly tore his ACL ahead of the 2019 season and played in just four games near the end of the year. Kelly projected to start as a redshirt senior but he suffered another knee injury that would cost him his entire 2020 season.

Kelly should be part of a deep Sooners linebacker rotation in 2021 that includes five players with starting experience or a claim for a starting role. Kelly’s injury history is a big question, but he remains extremely talented and is among the most experienced defenders on the Sooners’ roster. A strong and fully healthy season would again put him on the NFL’s radar.

Injuries have hindered Kelly from reaching his full potential the past two seasons in Norman. He worked his way back and Kelly is striving for a breakthrough as a sixth-year senior. After back-to-back knee injuries, while he watched his teammates on the field and in the workout facility, Kelly was isolated in the physical therapy center rehabbing. That takes a tremendous toll on one’s mental health but quitting was not an option.

Kelly stressed to media during spring camp that he never considered stepping away from the game despite the mental, physical and emotional hardships. Even though he was not producing on the field and gathering highlights on film, he still had to watch the film cut-up to stay engaged. They say third time’s a charm and Kelly is hoping his third senior year will be a tremendous one.

He concluded the 2018 season with immense promise. Kelly notched seven tackles in the Big 12 Championship game victory over Texas and an additional seven in the College Football Playoff semifinal in the Orange Bowl loss to Alabama. 40 of Kelly’s 61 tackles that season came in the final five games. However, luck did not swing his direction in 2019 and 2020 but this season presents a clean slate for the playmaking linebacker. Kelly will add firepower to the second level of Alex Grinch’s defense come fall.