Tag: Cody Jackson

Oklahoma safety Jordan Mukes to enter transfer portal

Oklahoma sees former four-star safety Jordan Mukes head to the transfer portal. From @thatmanbryant

With days left before guys can officially enter the transfer portal, things are getting spicy across the country. Tuesday saw an insane amount of players dropping tweets, posts, and other edits to announce their intentions to join the portal come December 5.

Oklahoma already has one player in Theo Wease who plans to put himself in the portal per the folks at 247Sports. They now have a verified second as safety Jordan Mukes shared on Tuesday that he plans to enter the portal.

Mukes, a local kid from Tulsa will have three years of eligibility wherever he decides to go. Mukes, a four-star saw action in 2021 at safety but per Pro Football Reference saw no time on the field this year under Brent Venables and defensive coordinator Ted Roof.

Mukes joins five other 2021 signees from Oklahoma to transfer. He follows Caleb Williams (USC), Mario Williams (USC), Latrell McCutchin (USC), Nathan Rawlins-Kibonge (South Alabama), and Cody Jackson (Houston) who all have left the program via the portal. The Sooners now have just 10 players remaining from the 2021 class on the roster.

It’s possible Mukes made this decision after a careful conversation with Brent Venables and his position coach. Despite his size and athleticism, Mike’s was never able to see the field at safety over Trey Morrison, Justin Broiles, Damond Harmon, and Key Lawrence. With Gentry Williams and Robert Spears-Jennings also getting some snaps, a way to playing time looked like an uphill battle for Mukes.

With the regular season over and the portal opening up next week, expect for several more players to enter the transfer portal.

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Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today. You can also follow Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.

Former Auburn wide receiver target has entered the transfer portal

A potential target has entered his name into the transfer portal.

The transfer portal is the best solution for teams to rebuild their roster and fill holes for immediate success. On Monday, former Auburn Tigers wide receiver targets entered the transfer portal. Cody Jackson signed with Oklahoma in the 2021 class but a year later, he put his name in the transfer portal.

Jackson picked up an offer from Auburn on Apr. 25, 2019, but ultimately chose to sign with the Sooners in the early signing period in 2020. He was used minimally with Oklahoma last season as he was buried on the depth chart behind players such as Marvin Mims. Perhaps a change of scenery is just what Jackson needs and Auburn has a need.

Here’s the breakdown on Jackson per Sooners Wire:

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 CeeDee Lamb came from) and only saw action in two games last year. He played in the Sooners’ wins in Norman against Western Carolina and Nebraska.

Given the questions at wide receiver, WR coach Ike Hilliard should at least check in on Jackson.

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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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‘Super hard working’: Sooners QB Dillon Gabriel on freshmen wide receivers Nicholas Anderson and Jayden Gibson

In their first few months with the program Nicholas Anderson and Jayden Gibson have turned heads for their work ethic as much as their size.

The Oklahoma Sooners lost three of their top five wide receivers from the 2021 season. Jadon Haselwood and Mario Williams transferred out and Mike Woods is continuing his career at the professional level.

All’s well though as [autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag] and [autotag]Theo Wease[/autotag] return for the Sooners. [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag] will still play a significant role. [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] is expected to have a breakout season and [autotag]Cody Jackson[/autotag] will see more opportunities this year.

It doesn’t look the same, but there’s still quite a bit of depth at the wide receiver position. And that doesn’t include true freshmen wideouts [autotag]Nicholas Anderson[/autotag] and [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag] who could be factors in year one, but certainly have bright futures ahead.

“I think Jayden Gibson and Nick Anderson. They’re super talented. You can’t teach athleticism and their build and what they can do,” Sooners quarterback [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] shared with the media on Tuesday.

Their size, Gibson is 6-foot-5 and Anderson is 6-foot-4, is the first thing that stands out about them. And Gabriel’s right, you can’t teach that. But they bring more to the table than just being tall. Both were four-star wide receivers who were once committed to other Power Five schools that the Sooners flipped.

Gibson decommitted from Florida after the Gators moved on from Dan Mullen while Anderson was once headed to Oregon. Both guys are fluid athletes that posses strong route running chops. But even that’s not the thing that stands out most to Dillon Gabriel.

It’s the work ethic.

Gabriel said, “I think they’re super hard working, the way they attack every single day. I think when you’re a freshman, especially early freshman, early enrollee, I think there’s just a lot more challenges than just any typical freshman would go through. First, you know, they should be going to graduation and going to prom and things like that, but they’re here and they made that decision to get ahead and to better themselves. So I’m super proud of them and how they continue to fight every single day. Whether it’s a good or bad day the day before, you know they just continued to attack every single day.”

However the wide receiver snap count is distributed in 2022, the true freshmen early enrollees are turning heads with how they’ve approached their first semester at Oklahoma. That could lead to opportunities in year one, but even if it doesn’t, Jayden Gibson and Nicholas Anderson provide the Sooners with a bright future at wide receiver.

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5 under the radar Oklahoma Sooners to keep an eye on in spring ball

With spring practice underway, here are 5 under the radar Sooners to keep an eye on in Oklahoma’s preparation for the 2022 season.

Spring practice is underway for the Oklahoma Sooners. Though he’d been on campus for three months, Tuesday’s practice felt like the unofficial start of the Brent Venables era.

There are personnel questions with this team after it lost 12 starters to the transfer portal and the NFL draft following the coaching change. At the same time, there’s a lot to be excited about this spring as the Oklahoma Sooners prepare for the 2022 college football season.

Earlier in the offseason, we discussed five position battles to watch in spring practice and today, let’s look at five under the radar Oklahoma Sooners.

 

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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Lincoln Riley updates injury situation on several Sooners ahead of Kansas State matchup

As the Oklahoma Sooners get set to play the Kansas State Wildcats on Saturday, Lincoln Riley provided an injury update on several Sooners.

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The Oklahoma Sooners made it through their win against West Virginia relatively unscathed. Delarrin Turner-Yell was a major loss from the game after his leg was landed on inadvertently by a West Virginia player. Key Lawrence would come in and provided a solid performance in this stead, but facing recent nemesis Kansas State, the Sooners could use their veteran safety.

Speaking with the media on Tuesday, Lincoln Riley said that Turner-Yell should be back for their trip to Manhattan this Saturday. The Sooners’ safety had an impressive interception against West Virginia that helped set the tone for the Sooners’ defense after giving up a touchdown on the Mountaineers’ first drive of the game.

Riley also said that linebacker Danny Stutsman is a game-time decision for their matchup with Kansas State. Stutsman injured his elbow in the blowout of Western Carolina but otherwise had been playing really good football in his first couple of games with the Sooners. Though the linebacker unit is playing well for Oklahoma, Stutsman’s energy and speed off the bench could prove useful to slowing down Kansas State’s read-option game and running back Deuce Vaughn.

Cody Jackson, who has been a real bright spot in the passing game as a depth option in the wide receiver rotation won’t play against Kansas State due to an undisclosed “medical issue.”

Woodi Washington is still out of action as is Jalen Redmond. As of last week, both were expected to miss significant time.

The Sooners’ depth across the board continues to be a real strength for them as they’ve had to rely upon it this season with several players forced to miss time in a game or games altogether. They’ll need their depth to continue to perform well with a tough matchup against the Kansas State Wildcats on the horizon.

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5 takeaways from the Sooners 76-0 win over Western Carolina

There was a lot to like from the Sooners dominant performance over WCU. Both the offense and defense did what they wanted in the 76-0 win.

There was a lot to like in the Oklahoma Sooners 76-0 win over the Western Carolina Catamounts on Saturday. The offense had their way with the WCU defense and the the OU defense kept the Catamounts from mounting any serious offensives.

There were touchdowns for everyone and the defense forced three turnovers and recorded four sacks.

Most importantly, after building a huge halftime lead, the Sooners didn’t let up. The backups were relentless in the second half of the game, flying around the football and making plays.

It was encouraging to see both the offense and defense put it on Western Carolina after the second half let down they endured last week.

With that, here are five takeaways from last night’s game.