Tag: Daeh McCullough

All in the Family: Sooners land commitment from 4-star DB Maliek Hawkins

Oklahoma Sooners earn commitment from four-star cornerback Maliek Hawkins.

The Oklahoma Sooners like to keep it in the family. Last year, the Sooners added the Dasan and Daeh McCullough. This year, the roster will feature Peyton and Eli Bowen. Next year, joining the Bowens, the Sooners will have the Hawkins brothers after Maliek Hawkins committed to the Sooners 2025 recruiting class.

The four-star cornerback, according to Rivals and On3’s Industry Rankings committed to Oklahoma on Wednesday.

Hawkins’ is the younger brother of Sooners freshman quarterback [autotag]Michael Hawkins[/autotag].

The younger Hawkins is a talented athlete who will earn his keep on defense. There, he can showcase his elite athleticism and versatility to play multiple spots in the secondary. He’s got great size for the position at 6-foot-1 and displays great change of direction ability, necessary when covering wide receivers in the open field. But he isn’t simply an athlete, Maliek Hawkins is aggressive at the point of attack, bringing a physicality on the outside.

 

From the moment the Sooners were interested in Michael, they became similarly interested in Maliek. From there, the rest took care of itself. It helps that their father, Mike, also played for the Sooners under Brent Venables and Bob Stoops.

In a nutshell, this recruitment was likely to end only one way.  Predictions had been flowing in for Oklahoma to land Maliek Hawkins since last March, which isn’t a coincidence. That’s when Michael committed to Oklahoma. Oklahoma earned Maliek’s commitment over the Texas Longhorns, Arkansas Razorbacks, and the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

With Hawkins in the class, Oklahoma has its second commitment in the secondary, joining three-star safety [autotag]Marcus Wimberly[/autotag].  Hawkins gives Oklahoma its 12th commit of the 2025 class, currently ranked 6th in the country per 247Sports.

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Father-Son Clash Coming to Notre Dame Stadium in 2024

Business is business but it can’t be fun coaching against your son…can it?

Notre Dame has announced 11 of their 12 games for the 2024 football season.  One of those 11 will be played at home, offer the Fighting Irish chance at some revenge from a 2023 loss, and feature a father versus son battle.

Safety Daeh McCullough was a four-star recruit in the 2023 recruiting cycle and spent last season at Oklahoma.  He entered the transfer portal following this regular season and announced he’ll be playing in 2024 at Louisville.

Daeh is the son of Notre Dame’s running backs coach, [autotag]Deland McCullough[/autotag] who has held the post each of the last two seasons.  

So when Louisville comes to Notre Dame September 28 next year it will feature a father-son competition.

Congrats on making the decision and all the best of luck in 2024.  We hope Daeh balls out, even on September 28 but we hope that he makes the trip back to Kentucky that night holding an L that doesn’t stand for Louisville.

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Oklahoma Sooners 2024 signee among On3’s best fits

The Oklahoma Sooners added to their already deep safety room with one of On3’s best fits of the 2024 recruiting cycle.

The Oklahoma Sooners have been on a tear on the recruiting trail since Brent Venables and his staff arrived. In three recruiting cycles since arriving in Norman, Venables has put together three top-10 classes.

The biggest difference in Oklahoma’s recruiting is coming on the defensive side of the ball. One area where Oklahoma has had a lot of success is the safety position.

Venables and Brandon Hall have added [autotag]Robert Spears-Jennings[/autotag], [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag], [autotag]Daeh McCullough[/autotag], [autotag]Jaydan Hardy[/autotag], [autotag]Mykel Patterson-McDonald[/autotag], and [autotag]Reggie Powers[/autotag]. To go along with Billy Bowman, the Sooners may have one of the best safety groups in the nation.

The Sooners earned Powers’ commitment after he decommitted from Michigan State early in the fall. According to On3, Powers to the Sooners was one of the best fits in the [autotag]2024 early signing period[/autotag].

Reggie Powers could be the thunder to Peyton Bowen‘s lightning. Powers is 6-foot and already over 200 pounds that loves to play violently. His demeanor and attitude when it comes to playing near the line of scrimmage is rare for a secondary player. Bowen covers so much grass and is able to play as a true center field safety in the secondary, and he also plays a lot of man coverage in the slot. Having a player like Powers complement him as a downhill weapon from the secondary that can take on a heavier box role could be one of the better pairings in college football. – Cody Bellaire, On3 National Scout

More: Where do the Sooners rank in average team recruiting rankings for 2024?

According to On3, Powers was the No. 10 safety in the cycle and the No. 152 player in 2024. He is the seventh-highest-rated prospect in the Sooners’ 2024 class.

His combination of size, speed, and power, to go along with his versatility, will make him a great fit for the Sooners’ defense. Brent Venables loves to move his safeties around in his multiple defense. Powers could be deployed near the line of scrimmage as a strong safety or the cheetah or could be used as the deep free safety.

The Sooners’ safety depth chart looks like one of the deepest position groups on the roster for 2024. As Oklahoma continues to build its defense, Reggie Powers and the other safeties will be key to their success.

More: “He is serious about defense”: What led to Reggie Powers Oklahoma decision?

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Dynamic in-state playmaker signs with the Sooners

Mykel Patterson-McDonald signs national letter of intent with the Oklahoma Sooners.

The Oklahoma Sooners added another dynamic playmaker to their secondary when Westmoore standout [autotag]Mykel Patterson-McDonald[/autotag] signed his national letter of intent with the Sooners during the early signing period.

A four-star safety over at Rivals, Patterson-McDonald is considered the No. 2 player in Oklahoma and the No. 13 safety nationally. He plays with an edge in the secondary and has a penchant for creating turnovers.

Patterson-McDonald is an aggressive safety who attacks the ball in the air. He’s also a willing tackler, playing with speed and physicality in run support.

The Sooners earned Patterson-McDonald’s commitment in July, beating Missouri, Iowa State and Michigan State. His recruitment and signing reflects the concerted effort from the Sooners coaching staff to lock up the top talent in the state.

Mykel Patterson-McDonald joins a safety group that returns [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag], [autotag]Robert Spears-Jennings[/autotag], [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag], [autotag]Daeh McCullough[/autotag] and [autotag]Erik McCarty[/autotag], along with 2024 signees [autotag]Reggie Powers[/autotag] and [autotag]Jaydan Hardy[/autotag].

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

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Oklahoma safety Billy Bowman returning to Sooners for senior season

The Oklahoma Sooners got great Friday night as Billy Bowman announced he’s returning for his senior season.

Christmas came early for the Oklahoma Sooners on Friday evening as [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] announced he’s returning for his senior season. Bowman had a career year for the Sooners defense and had a chance to be taken in the top 50 of the 2024 NFL draft, but will forego the draft next April to play one more year for the Sooners.

Bowman’s decision was one of the more highly anticipated of this offseason. Now, the Sooners go into 2024, their first in the SEC, with a senior leader for their secondary.

In 2023, Bowman was second in the nation in interceptions with six and led the country in interception returns for touchdowns. He finished second on the team in tackles and also had three tackles for loss. Bowman was second on the team in snaps behind [autotag]Woodi Washington[/autotag].

Bowman earned a first-team All-American selection from CBS Sports and 247Sports and earned first-team All-Big 12 honors.

What would have been an inexperienced group at safety, the Sooners bring back a star who’s played 31 games and more than 1,700 snaps in his three years with the Sooners.

Bowman leads a young but talented group that includes [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag] and [autotag]Robert Spears-Jennings[/autotag], who played a lot for the Sooners in 2023. Oklahoma also has [autotag]Erik McCarty[/autotag] and [autotag]Daeh McCullough[/autotag], who red-shirted this season. Expected to join the group in the 2024 signing class are [autotag]Jaydan Hardy[/autotag], [autotag]Reggie Powers[/autotag], and [autotag]Mykel Patterson-McDonald[/autotag], three guys who are considered four-star prospects by at least one of the recruiting services.

This is a huge win for Brent Venables and a Sooners defense that made a big jump in 2023. With the expected loss of Danny Stutsman to the NFL, getting Bowman back helps mitigate the loss of their defensive leader.

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Sooners expected to host highly-touted Clemson defensive back per report

The Oklahoma Sooners are expected to host Clemson safety transfer Andrew Mukuba.

The Oklahoma Sooners have been active in the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag], targeting guys with experience who can come in and add to the competitive depth on the roster. They’ve added Michigan State offensive tackle Spencer Brown, and it looks like they’re in the mix for one of the top transfers in the portal.

According to Jason Suchomel of Orange Bloods, the Oklahoma Sooners will be one of several teams to host elite Clemson safety Andrew Mukuba. Along with Oklahoma, Mukuba will visit Texas, Oregon, and Ole Miss in the coming week.

Mukuba is a former four-star safety out of Austin, Texas, who has played the last three seasons with the Clemson Tigers. He’s amassed more than 1,700 snaps in his collegiate career.

More: 2023-2024 Oklahoma Sooners Transfer Portal Tracker

The Texas Longhorns are the favorite to earn Mukuba’s commitment in the transfer portal, given they’re the hometown team. However, given Mukuba’s ties to Brent Venables from their time together at Clemson, there’s a chance the Sooners could add Mukuba to their defensive backfield.

Mukuba spends most of his time as the free safety but will also line up in coverage on opposing slot players. In three seasons, he’s totaled 143 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, one interception, and 16 passes defended. In 2023, quarterbacks had an NFL passer rating of 64.7 when targeting Mukuba in coverage, which was the 13th-best opposing passer rating in the ACC among defensive backs with at least 453 snaps on the season.

The Oklahoma Sooners will return [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag], [autotag]Robert Spears-Jennings[/autotag], and [autotag]Daeh McCullough[/autotag] at safety for 2024. There’s still a highly-anticipated decision coming from [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] about his future. Even if Bowman returns, the Sooners could use another difference maker in the secondary with [autotag]Woodi Washington[/autotag] (expected to go to the NFL), [autotag]Key Lawrence[/autotag] (transfer), and [autotag]Reggie Pearson[/autotag] (eligibility) out the door.

Mukuba is a do-it-all player who is good in every aspect that’s needed to play the safety position. He’s excellent in coverage and a sure tackler. His experience would help further solidify the Sooners’ safety position and provide more versatility on the back end.

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‘Not as good as I know it can be’: Billy Bowman looks to take his game to ‘another level’

Billy Bowman is one of the few players on this defense that has flashed All-American type of potential. It’s now time for him to put it all together.

It’s been an up-and-down career so far for former four-star safety [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag]. During his freshman year, he was thrown to the wolves being asked to play multiple positions. There were flashes, but he suffered from being a man without a home.

Bowman’s sophomore year was much better. He finished with 60 tackles and three interceptions and really looked solid in the secondary playing safety full-time. But it wasn’t a perfect season for Bowman.

He told reporters after looking back at the film, there are a few things he wants to get better at.

“When I go back and look at it, it’s not as good as I know it can be or I want it to be or my coaches want it to be,” Bowman said. “So, everything from stance to getting in my pedal faster to tackling to tracking angles to football intelligence, knowing where I’ve got to be to knowing what the other person is doing. Everything for me needs to and will go up to another level.”

That’s the level that has a lot of Sooner fans excited. They know if he takes his game to another level, Bowman could be an All-American type of player.

It’s not just Bowman at the safety position that has fans excited. Bowman acknowledged he feels they have one of the deeper positions on the team.

“I would say so,” Bowman said. “A lot of guys like Daeh (McCullough) coming in, Peyton (Bowen) coming in, Reggie (Pearson) coming in, Key Lawrence still being here, myself, Robert Spears-Jennings, so we’ve got a lot of depth in the safety room.”

There is no doubt the ceiling for that safety room is very high. And so are the expectations. The hope is now they can reach that ceiling and become a dominant group. That’s something the [autotag]Oklahoma Sooners[/autotag] haven’t seen in more than a decade.

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Oklahoma trying to land a pair of brothers, offering Dominick and Darryus McKinley this spring

Dominick and Darryus McKinely both have offers from the Oklahoma Sooners. The eldest, Dominic, plans to take an official to Norman in June.

Oklahoma has the chance to have as many as four pairs of brothers on its roster in the coming years. It’s beginning to add a new meaning to the term “brotherhood” that head coach Brent Venables is working to create in Norman.

A true freshman and former five-star safety, Peyton Bowen, was one of the more high-profile signings for this roster in recent years. Peyton’s little brother plays cornerback at Denton Guyer High School. Eli Bowen holds an Oklahoma offer and could be a Sooner when his recruitment ends.

Current Sooner Dasan McCullough was a big get in the transfer portal for Brent Venables. He’ll likely start at cheetah for Oklahoma. They also added his little brother Daeh McCullough, a four-star safety in the 2023 cycle, providing a pair of athletic defenders that were essentially a package deal. They’ll both be on campus together for the first time this summer.

2024 commit Michael Hawkins’ younger brother Maliek plays defensive back and holds an offer from the Sooners. Maliek Hawkins, a 2025 prospect, is a talented, aggressive cornerback out of Frisco Emerson High School. Brent Venables’ ties to the Hawkins family run deep. He coached the brothers’ father, Mike, during his stint with the Sooners in 2002.

That brings us to the possibility another brother duo. 2024 five-star Dominick McKinley holds an offer from Oklahoma and plans to take an official visit to Norman in June. His younger brother Darryus is a 2026 defensive line prospect who also holds an offer from Oklahoma. While neither recruitment is anywhere near over, the possibility of the Sooners having another duo of brothers is incredible.

For the McKinleys, only time will tell.

Dominick is a five-star prospect on the 247Sports composite, and he hails from Louisiana. Pulling an elite defensive line prospect away from the grasp of the LSU Tigers may prove futile, but the Sooners’ defensive coaches aren’t backing down from that challenge. The eldest McKinley holds offers from Ohio State, Alabama, LSU, Texas, Texas A&M, among others.

McKinley will be in College Station to visit the Aggies the weekend of June 9 through 11. Visits are set for Ohio State on June 2, Oklahoma on June 16, and Texas on June 23.

It will be a busy summer for the five-star prospect, who’s the No. 1 player in the state of Louisiana. Oklahoma will make a strong push as they work to put together a defensive line class that can lead set them up for success with their move to the SEC on the horizon.

The possibilities of the defensive line class the Sooners could land are endless. There’s no turning back now. And if the Sooners were to land the eldest McKinley brother, it would all but put them in a very strong position to land the youngest for the class of 2026.

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Breaking down the Oklahoma Sooners 2023 recruiting class by position

How does the Oklahoma Sooners 2023 recruiting class look broken down by position?

The Oklahoma Sooners have put together a really nice recruiting class through the early signing period of the 2023 cycle. We haven’t even made it to February’s national signing day, and Oklahoma’s sitting with the No. 5 class in 247Sports recruiting rankings.

The Sooners have added a four- or five-star player at every position save for tight end. Even there, the Sooners added one of the best players in the state to Joe Jon Finley’s room.

It’s an incredible collection of athletic, fast and versatile players that will, along with the 2021 and 2022 recruiting classes, be the foundation of Oklahoma’s journey into the SEC.

Let’s break it down by position group.

4-safety Daeh McCullough signs with the Oklahoma Sooners

Making his recent commitment official, four-star safety Daeh McCullough signed with the Oklahoma Sooners.

The early signing period is underway, and the Oklahoma Sooners are beginning to put pen to paper with their [autotag]2023 recruiting class[/autotag].

After the season ended, the Sooners turned their attention to the transfer portal and the recruiting trail. In the McCullough brothers, the Sooners found two highly-regarded players. Dasan from the Indiana Hoosiers via the transfer portal and younger brother Daeh as a flip from the Cincinnati Bearcats.

With Luke Fickell taking the Wisconsin job, the door opened for the Sooners to add the athletic Daeh, a four-star safety in the 2023 cycle to their recruiting class.

Daeh McCullough committed to the Sooners just over a week ago and will be a force in the Sooners’ secondary of the future. McCullough is the No. 4 player in the state of Indiana and the No. 37 safety in the class. He held offers from across the country, including Cincinnati, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Michigan, Penn State, and Oklahoma State.

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