Tag: Cayden Green

College Football expert says it all starts up front for Oklahoma’s offense

On3’s J.D. PicKell says the Oklahoma Sooners offensive line is the key to the 2024 season.

It’s been an offseason of transition for the Oklahoma Sooners. A new quarterback, new coordinators, and a new conference have highlighted much of the change that is being experienced in Norman.

But at no spot is turnover more deeply felt than along the offensive line. Gone are [autotag]Tyler Guyton[/autotag], [autotag]Walter Rouse[/autotag], [autotag]Andrew Raym[/autotag], and [autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag], who are preparing for their first NFL training camps. Gone is [autotag]Cayden Green[/autotag], who transferred to Missouri.

Those five players played an average of 762.2 snaps for the Sooners last season. Raym, Mettauer, and Rouse led the way for the Sooners offense in snap counts, according to Pro Football Focus.

It’s no small task to replace that much experience. And with a unit like offensive line where so much depends on the chemistry, communication, and continuity of the unit, the turnover is significant.

Oklahoma did a lot over the offseason to help replace the lost experience. They added [autotag]Michael Tarquin[/autotag], [autotag]Geirean Hatchett[/autotag], [autotag]Branson Hickman[/autotag], [autotag]Febechi Nwaiwu[/autotag], and [autotag]Spencer Brown[/autotag] through the transfer portal. That group of five brings a lot of snaps at the collegiate level to combine with Bill Bedenbaugh’s blue-chip recruits that he’s been developing the last couple of years.

Tarquin, Hatchett, Hickman, and Nwaiwu each figure to compete for a role or will start for the Sooners week one against Temple. Mix in ascending players like [autotag]Jacob Sexton[/autotag] and [autotag]Jake Taylor[/autotag], four-star offensive tackles in the [autotag]2022 recruiting class[/autotag], and four-star interior offensive linemen from the 2023 recruiting class [autotag]Heath Ozaeta[/autotag] and [autotag]Joshua Bates[/autotag], and the Sooners have options along the offensive line.

If there’s any position group that will determine how much success the Sooners have this season, it’s the offensive line. But On3’s J.D. PicKell argues that if the Sooners get good offensive line play, all of the other pieces are there for OU to be dynamic on offense once again.

“If you give him time to throw the football, they’re gonna have a chance to make some real noise and kind of rattle the cage in the SEC a little bit their first year out there because they replace pretty much the whole offensive line that’s been well documented.”

PicKell goes on to say, “But if they can make that mechanism work the way that it needs to give him time to get through his reads and progress and get comfortable. They got more than enough firepower that wide receiver room to make some shake.”

The talent that Oklahoma has at wide receiver, quarterback, and running back is impressive. Led by quarterback [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag], the Sooners have the players capable of creating another explosive offense. But Arnold will need time to throw and Sawchuk will need lanes to run through.

There is enough talent and experience in Norman for offensive line wizard [autotag]Bill Bedenbaugh[/autotag] to put another strong unit together once again. We’ve seen him do it before and when fall camp gets underway, competition will provide the answers up front to help lead this team into the SEC.

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Where does Oklahoma’s offense rank in EA Sports College Football 25?

How did EA Sports rate the Oklahoma Sooners offense for EA Sports “College Football 25?”

EA Sports is releasing “College Football 25” on July 19 and fans are excited for the return of the college football video game series.

On Thursday, EA released its offensive rankings for the 25 best offenses in the game, and the list featured the Oklahoma Sooners.

“College Football 25” has OU as the 23rd best offense in 2024, and the 8th best offense in the [autotag]SEC[/autotag]. This comes following the departure of [autotag]Jeff Lebby[/autotag] as offensive coordinator and the promotion of co-OCs [autotag]Seth Littrell[/autotag] and [autotag]Joe Jon Finley[/autotag].

On the field, the Sooners lost quarterback [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag], who transferred this offseason. He leaves the job to [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag], a more than suitable replacement.

Offensive line is the key for the OU offense, as the unit will see five new starters from a year ago. [autotag]Cayden Green[/autotag]’s exit in the portal was the biggest blow of the offseason. Nationally, offensive line has been the biggest talking point for the Sooners this offseason.

In the passing game, [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag] and [autotag]Austin Stogner[/autotag] are gone, but everyone else returns, including [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag], [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag], [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] and [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag]. Transfer [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag] joined this winter to form a very dangerous unit.

In the run game, OU loses both [autotag]Tawee Walker[/autotag] and [autotag]Marcus Major[/autotag] to the transfer portal. However, [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag] is expected to take full control at running back after leading the Sooners in rushing a year ago. [autotag]Jovantae Barnes[/autotag] will get plenty of carries as well, as a change-of-pace back.

The Sooners will have an 83 overall offense in “College Football 25”, tied with Florida State, Virginia Tech, and USC. But they look like a group, that if the offensive line comes together, could see that rating skyrocket.

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Oklahoma Sooners are a wild card in 2024 according to On3’s Andy Staples

Andy Staples of On3 thinks the Sooners will be a “wild card” in Year 3 under Brent Venables. Could they make the expanded playoff?

The Oklahoma Sooners are at an interesting inflection point two and a half months from the beginning of the 2024 college football season.

The Sooners are entering year three of the [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] era in Norman. After he was hired to be OU’s next head coach in December of 2021, a disappointing 6-7 campaign in 2022 followed.

Oklahoma rebounded in 2023 with a 10-3 mark in year two, and there’s no question that this is a Brent Venables program now. He’s got his guys in place on the field and on the coaching staff.

But the Sooners head to the [autotag]Southeastern Conference[/autotag] in 2024, after a long run atop the [autotag]Big 12 Conference[/autotag] that featured fourteen conference titles. That’s ten more than anyone else.

The SEC will be a much tougher road than the Big 12 was, and On3’s Andy Staples has some concerns for the Sooners in 2024, calling them a mystery.

According to Staples, the floor for this Oklahoma team could be 6-6. However, he also thinks the ceiling could be a trip to the [autotag]College Football Playoff[/autotag].

“If they’re 6-6, if they’re 7-5,” Staples said, “What do you do about Brent Venables? How do you feel about Brent Venables if you’re [autotag]Joe Castiglione[/autotag], their athletic director?”

Staples and others present the offensive line as a concern for the team in 2024. Oklahoma is replacing the entire unit this season. [autotag]Tyler Guyton[/autotag] was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round of the [autotag]NFL Draft[/autotag] and [autotag]Cayden Green[/autotag] transferred to Missouri. The Sooners also lost [autotag]Walter Rouse[/autotag], [autotag]Andrew Raym[/autotag] and [autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag] up front.

Staples notes that the Sooners added pieces via the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] to fill those holes. [autotag]Spencer Brown[/autotag] came over from Michigan State in the winter portal window. [autotag]Branson Hickman[/autotag] is a plug and play piece at center, transferring in during the spring window from SMU. [autotag]Michael Tarquin[/autotag], [autotag]Febechi Nwaiwu[/autotag] and [autotag]Geriean Hatchett[/autotag] also arrived via the portal and will have an impact along the offensive line this fall.

These players will form the core of the unit along with young pieces like [autotag]Joshua Bates[/autotag], [autotag]Jacob Sexton[/autotag],[autotag]Troy Everett[/autotag] and [autotag]Jake Taylor[/autotag], but it is a patchwork O-line that will have to protect quarterback [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] if the Sooners want to be successful in 2024.

Staples thinks the Sooners are the deepest they’ve been in a while on defense,  and he knows why the OU staff and fans are excited for Arnold. He praised the wide receiver group as well.

Many in the national media don’t seem to have the faith in Venables quite yet that most Sooner fans do. They site the SEC presenting a challenge that Oklahoma hasn’t seen before.

But Venables is one of the great defensive minds in college football. He’s leading the way for the program, in addition to all of the skill and depth on that side of the ball. Then, of course, there’s that talented but young quarterback stepping into the starting role.

The Sooners may very well be a wildcard in year one in their new conference. But if the offensive line can hold up long enough for Arnold to have time to throw, it could be a very fun year in Norman.

If not, it could be detrimental to Arnold’s development, and 2024 could be a long season in the SEC.

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Sooners pick up another offensive lineman via the transfer portal

The Oklahoma Sooners have added their third offensive lineman in the transfer portal, former Florida and USC tackle Michael Tarquin.

The Oklahoma Sooners had work to do heading into the offseason. Even prior to the transfer of true freshman [autotag]Cayden Green[/autotag], Oklahoma was set to lose four starters along the offensive line heading into 2024.

They’ve made moves in the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] to add offensive tackle Spencer Brown from Michigan State and [autotag]Febechi Nwaiwu[/autotag] from North Texas. Now, the Sooners have added another experienced player to add to Bill Bedenbaugh’s group.

Former Florida Gators and USC Trojans offensive lineman Michael Tarquin is heading to Norman to join the Sooners, according to OUInsider’s Parker Thune.

Tarquin has started 28 games in his collegiate career with more than 1,110 snaps per Pro Football Focus. He’s predominantly been a right tackle at the collegiate level.

A former four-star player in the 2019 recruiting class, Tarquin has been on Bedenbaugh and the Sooners’ radar for a long time. Most recently, the Sooners attempted to recruit Tarquin to Norman after the 2022 season.

In the portal this offseason, the Sooners have added a trio of offensive linemen that provide a lot of experience to a young offensive line group.

With [autotag]Jacob Sexton[/autotag], Spencer Brown and now Tarquin with experience at right tackle, Bedenbaugh and the Sooners’ offensive staff will have to make some decisions to make with how they deploy their offensive linemen. It’s possible one of their tackles will move inside to guard. Tarquin could be a viable option to bump inside to right guard.

In addition to the 2024 offensive line class, the Sooners have done a nice job retooling their offensive line room in the wake of their five departures up front. Now it’s a matter of once again making the pieces fit together as the Sooners head into the SEC.

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Oklahoma Sooners must solve their offensive line problem heading into 2024

The Oklahoma Sooners have their work cut out for them with the offensive line but could any of the young guys be an answer?

There is no doubt the Oklahoma Sooners’ biggest question mark heading into 2024 and their inaugural season in the [autotag]SEC[/autotag] is the offensive line. The Sooners lose five guys who started a bunch of games last season.

[autotag]Walter Rouse[/autotag], [autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag], [autotag]Andrew Raym[/autotag], [autotag]Cayden Green[/autotag] and [autotag]Tyler Guyton[/autotag] are gone. Four are off to the [autotag]NFL[/autotag]. The other found a new home in Missouri. That means the Sooners will have their work cut out for them to replace those five.

[autotag]Troy Everett[/autotag] played some at guard but started the bowl game at center, which is probably his more natural position. We’ll see if he wins that job, but it appears he’s the leader to take over for Raym. [autotag]Jacob Sexton[/autotag] started the last few games after Guyton went down with an injury and did pretty well. The Sooners also brought in two transfers [autotag]Spencer Brown[/autotag] and [autotag]Febechi Nwaiwu[/autotag], who look poised to take over at tackle and guard.

But that still leaves spots unfilled. The Sooners are almost certainly going to remain active in the portal, but it’s also possible an incoming freshman gets a look. Most people have assumed that would be [autotag]Eddy Pierre-Louis[/autotag], seeing how highly thought of he is. But a constantly mentioned top performer at the Under Armour All-American events is [autotag]Eugene Brooks[/autotag].

“I don’t know where it will start for me, but I’m just going to go in there and ball out,” Brooks said. “I’m going to work my butt off. I’m going to go in there every day and give it 110% and be the first one in and the last one out.”

It seems with Brooks, [autotag]Daniel Akinkunmi[/autotag], Pierre-Louis, [autotag]Isaiah Autry[/autotag] and [autotag]Josh Aisosa[/autotag], the Sooners have a class of offensive linemen that are physical and bring some nasty back to the offensive line.

That’s something they’ve been missing the last few years, and something we know Bedenbaugh wants out of his linemen. Combine that with what appears to be a strong work ethic from each, and Oklahoma could have a better offensive line class than many thought initially.

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Seth Littrell not looking to change things up ahead of Sooners Alamo Bowl contest

Though the offensive coordinator will be different, the Sooners offense will remain the same in their Alamo Bowl matchup with Arizona.

Anytime there’s a coordinator change, you can expect things to look different on that side of the ball. However, that won’t happen just yet with the Oklahoma Sooners as they get set to take on the Arizona Wildcats.

Gone is [autotag]Jeff Lebby[/autotag]. Insert [autotag]Seth Littrell[/autotag] and [autotag]Joe Jon Finley[/autotag] as the new offensive coordinators. Littrell will call the plays. While the play-caller will be different, the offense will look a lot like the one Lebby produced with the Sooners.

Speaking with the media in the buildup to the [autotag]Alamo Bowl[/autotag], Littrell spoke about maintaining continuity for the Sooners in their bowl preparation.

“The offense that we’re running will stay consistent with what we’ve done throughout the year,” Littrell said. “Then we can look up after the season and figure out what we need to do moving forward as far as adjustments and kind of evolving and how we grow. But this isn’t the time for that. This is the time for these guys to go out there and play fast and have that camaraderie together.”

The tenets of the offense that have been so good this year will still be evident in Littrell’s execution. They’ll want to play fast, run the football, and try to hit big plays in the passing game. With [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] in at quarterback, the Sooners will have a bigger arm to help push the ball down the field.

The question is, will the true freshman have time? Oklahoma will be missing their left guard and center from the final three games of the season after [autotag]Cayden Green[/autotag] transferred and [autotag]Andrew Raym[/autotag] opted out of the bowl to prepare for the NFL draft.

The Alamo Bowl may provide our first look at the offensive philosophy of Seth Littrell. Though the scheme and the plays will remain the same, how they’re called, the flow of the game and Littrell’s offensive demeanor may look different.

Oklahoma Sooners receive three predictions for transfer offensive lineman

Oklahoma Sooners could be getting some more good news, this time in the transfer portal.

It’s no secret, the Oklahoma Sooners have a lot of work to do along the offensive line before next season. The Sooners must replace all five starters from this season, although [autotag]Jacob Sexton[/autotag] and [autotag]Troy Everett[/autotag] started a few games in 2023.

[autotag]Walter Rouse[/autotag], [autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag], [autotag]Andrew Raym[/autotag], [autotag]Cayden Green[/autotag] and [autotag]Tyler Guyton[/autotag] are gone. Sexton replaced Guyton at the end of the season due to an injury. Everett played some guard earlier in the year when they were trying to solidify that position before Green took over.

The Sooners brought in [autotag]Eddy Pierre-Louis[/autotag], who is the top interior offensive lineman in the 2024 recruiting class, according to Rivals. While [autotag]Bill Bedenbaugh[/autotag] showed he will play freshmen, we know that’s not what he wants to do.

So, the Sooners have hit the portal hard. They’ve received one commitment, former Michigan State Spartans offensive tackle [autotag]Spencer Brown[/autotag]. Now, they’ve received three predictions from SoonerScoop’s Josh McCuiston, Michigan State insider Justin Thind and national recruiting analyst Brian Dohn for his running mate at guard, [autotag]Geno VanDeMark[/autotag].

VanDeMark and Brown started on the right side of the line, so they have chemistry playing together. Given Sexton played right tackle, those two could be moved to the left side or they could move Sexton to the left side if VanDeMark were to sign.

Michigan State had an up-and-down season, and so did VanDeMark, although his best games came against his best competition. According to Pro Football Focus, he had pass-blocking grades of 71.7, 76.6, and 86.4 against the Michigan Wolverines, Ohio State Buckeyes and the Penn State Nittany Lions.

He definitely is better at pass blocking than run blocking, although he’s solid at that as well. Ultimately, he would bring experience and depth to a depleted offensive line.

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Oklahoma Sooners land Rivals’ top interior offensive lineman

It was a long recruiting battle but the Sooners officially land the signature of one of the most sought offensive linemen.

The Oklahoma Sooners will have to replace five starting offensive linemen from this season’s team. [autotag]Walter Rouse[/autotag], [autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag], [autotag]Andrew Raym[/autotag], [autotag]Cayden Green[/autotag] and [autotag]Tyler Guyton[/autotag] are gone in 2024.

That’s why it was so important Bill Bedenbaugh landed the nation’s top interior offensive linemen, according to Rivals, [autotag]Eddy Pierre-Louis[/autotag]. He did just that by earning his commitment less than a week ago. The commitment became official Wednesday when Pierre-Louis signed his letter of intent with the Sooners.

The 6-foot-3, 335-pound guard is a freak of nature. He recorded 25 reps at 225 pounds on the bench press at a camp last summer which would have been the 16th most at the NFL combine by an offensive lineman in 2023. He also ran a 12.97 100-meter dash in high school.

He could compete immediately for playing time given the losses Oklahoma has had on the offensive line. As long as he gets the details down, he’ll have a chance to make an impact. Regardless, he has a very bright future.

More from the [autotag]2024 Early Signing Period[/autotag]

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State of Oklahoma’s top interior offensive lineman has officially signed with the Sooners

Josh Aisosa is on board as he has signed his National Letter of Intent with the Oklahoma Sooners.

There might not be anyone in the country who is better at their job than [autotag]Bill Bedenbaugh[/autotag]. He’s produced countless offensive linemen that have gone on to have successful NFL careers.

He hopes to have more of that success with his 2024 recruiting class. One of those guys is three-star and the state of Oklahoma’s top interior offensive lineman, [autotag]Josh Aisosa[/autotag]. Aisosa is a 6-foot-4 and 305-pound offensive lineman who will probably play guard at Oklahoma.

He also has a wrestling background, which usually pays dividends for offensive linemen. [autotag]Creed Humphrey[/autotag] is a name that comes to mind for that.

For his role in 2024, typically Bedenbaugh likes his linemen to sit a year while developing their bodies with [autotag]Jerry Schmidt[/autotag]. That’s not to say he won’t play true freshmen, as we’ve seen. Especially with the loss of [autotag]Cayden Green[/autotag], a true freshman offensive lineman could earn a role in 2024.

But most likely, Aisosa will have a developmental year before taking on a bigger role in the future.

More from the [autotag]2024 Early Signing Period[/autotag]

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Report: Former Oklahoma OL Cayden Green to take visit to Oregon

Former Oklahoma Sooners OL Cayden Green is expected to take a visit to see the Oregon Ducks over the weekend.

One of the more intriguing names in the 2024 transfer portal has been Oklahoma offensive lineman Cayden Green, who was on of the top true freshmen in the nation last year. He shocked many Oklahoma fans and coaches earlier this month by entering his name in the transfer portal when he was expected to be one of the cornerstones of the roster going forward.

There have been some rumors that the Oregon Ducks were in on Green, and trying to get him to Eugene for a visit, and that reportedly is taking place, according ton On3’s Hayes Fawcett. The soon-to-be sophomore OL is expected to take a visit to Oregon this coming weekend.

As a true freshman, Green was one of the top players for the Sooners, starting seven games in 2023 and playing in 11 of the 12. He primarily played at left guard, but has shown the ability to move out to the tackle position when needed as well.

According to Pro Football Focus, Green had a pass-blocking grade of 71.4 as a freshman.

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