Tag: Da’Jon Terry

Who are Oklahoma’s captains this week against Maine?

Who are Oklahoma’s captains for this week’s game against Maine?

The Oklahoma Sooners will look to snap a three-game losing streak when they host the Maine Black Bears in Norman on Saturday afternoon. Maine is an FCS team, and OU should have no trouble controlling the game.

Head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] has announced Oklahoma’s game captains for this week ten clash. Wide receiver [autotag]Brenen Thompson[/autotag], tight end [autotag]Jake Roberts[/autotag], offensive lineman [autotag]Michael Tarquin[/autotag], defensive lineman [autotag]Da’Jon Terry[/autotag], and linebackers [autotag]Kip Lewis[/autotag] and [autotag]Dasan McCullough[/autotag] will represent the Sooners at home.

Thompson has seen his usage increase in a big way this season with all of the injuries the Sooners have suffered at wide receiver. He’s had a couple of big plays, but OU will no doubt be trying to figure out ways to use his downfield speed better over the final four games of the season.

Roberts is Oklahoma’s best blocking tight end, but plays in a rotational role behind Bauer Sharp. Roberts has nine receptions for 92 yards and a touchdown this season.

Tarquin will be looking to bounce back this week, after he and the offensive line have had a rough couple of weeks. The Sooners have given up 19 sacks in two games. He’ll probably stay on the right side of the offensive line this week if Jake Taylor is unable to go again.

Terry has turned into a very good player up front on OU’s defensive line. He’s a very good run-stuffer and is playing himself into becoming an NFL draft pick come April. He’s a part of a strong defensive tackle rotation that’s allowed the Sooners to be one of the best run defenses in the nation in 2024.

Lewis has blossomed into one of the best players on Oklahoma’s defense this year. The weak side linebacker attacks downhill with speed. He’s recorded 42 total tackles, four tackles for loss, and an interception return for a touchdown this season. He’s positioning himself to be a leader on this defense next year when veterans like Danny Stutsman and Billy Bowman depart for the NFL.

McCullough returned from a foot injury after the bye week, and has been put right back into the action. He brings a physicality to the position, and his best trait is the way he plays against the run. Against Ole Miss, McCullough recorded five total tackles and a tackle for loss.

The Sooners and the Black Bears will square off at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, and the game will broadcast on ESPN+.

 

3 key Oklahoma Sooners vs. the Tennessee Volunteers

The Oklahoma Sooners and Tennessee Volunteers are set for a big-time matchup on Saturday night and these three players will be key to victory.

The stage is set Saturday for a terrific ball game between the No. 7 Tennessee Volunteers and the No. 13 Oklahoma Sooners.

The storylines are plentiful, with Josh Heupel’s return to Norman leading the way.

Oklahoma and Tennessee are in a spot where this game is the first serious test for either team this year. It also begins the conference slate for both squads.

Media and betting pundits have the Sooners as the underdog, with Tennessee the overwhelming favorite to win the game. With that in mind, which players will be the difference makers for Oklahoma and help them pull off the first major home upset for the Sooners since 2008 versus Texas Tech?

Danny Stutsman, LB

Picking [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] as a player to watch feels shallow, but there’s a specific reason. He is the team’s leader, and this is the season’s biggest game.

Tennessee’s running game is potent. They are currently the nation’s No. 3 rushing attack. Stutsman is at the center of the nation’s No. 22 run defense, and as a linebacker, he will be tasked with flowing to the ball and making tackles.

Da’Jon Terry, Damonic Williams, and Jayden Jackson will all play pivotal roles as well, but a team captain and the vocal leader of this defense needs to show up in a big way in what is a monumental game.

Nic Anderson, WR

Saturday is expected to be [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag]’s first game of the season. He fought injuries all offseason and is finally ready to contribute to an Oklahoma offense deprived of consistent playmakers.

He immediately slots back in as a starter, and play-caller Seth Littrell will open things up with a proven threat like Nic Anderson for Jackson Arnold to depend upon. How he responds to his first bit of game action will be vital, but if Anderson can provide one or two big plays, they could go a long way in helping the Sooners pull off an upset.

Jacob Sexton, LT

Jacob Sexton may have the single most challenging matchup on Saturday as he will likely be the tackle opposite of projected first-round pick James Pearce for most of the evening on Saturday.

It will not be easy, but Sexton will have to give Jackson Arnold a chance on Saturday. Tennessee boasts a ferocious and deep defensive line, so Sexton will face challenges regardless of who lines up across from him on Saturday night.

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Former Vol Da’Jon Terry by the numbers with Oklahoma in 2024

Former Vol Da’Jon Terry and Oklahoma will face Tennessee on Saturday.

Defensive lineman Da’Jon Terry has appeared in every game for No. 13 Oklahoma (3-0) in 2024.

The 6-foot-3, 330-pound redshirt senior has recorded seven tackles and one fumble recovery in three contests. In 16 games with the Sooners from 2023-24, Terry has totaled 25 tackles, four tackles for a loss, one sack and one fumble recovery.

He started his collegiate career at Kansas from 2019-20, recording 16 tackles, two tackles for a loss and two sacks with the Jayhawks.

Terry transferred to Tennessee ahead of the 2021 campaign in Josh Heupel’s first season as head coach. He played in 25 games for the Vols from 2021-22, recording 35 tackles, three sacks, six tackles for a loss and one blocked kick.

Terry and the Sooners will face No. 7 Tennessee (3-0) on Saturday (7:30 p.m. EDT, ABC).

Da’Jon Terry (95). Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

Oklahoma Sooners captains for week four vs. Tennessee

Oklahoma Sooners announced captains for this week’s contest against the Tennessee Volunteers.

The Oklahoma Sooners have finally reached [autotag]SEC[/autotag] play, and their first conference game in the new league will come against none other than the Tennessee Volunteers.

Both teams are undefeated at 3-0 as we head into week four, but only one team can walk off of Owen Field unbeaten on Saturday night. The game of the week in college football has massive implications for both teams.

OU has announced their game captains for this prime-time matchup, as head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] has chosen six players to lead Oklahoma into battle at home.

Two players will represent the offense, both coming from the offensive line. [autotag]Febechi Nwaiwu[/autotag] and [autotag]Michael Tarquin[/autotag] are first-time captains in Norman, and both transferred into the program this offseason.

Nwaiwu has been a staple at right guard after coming over from North Texas, serving as a reliable force on the offensive line.

Tarquin transferred in from USC and played tackle on both sides of the line through three games. He’s had ups and downs, but has been able to stay healthy, a desirable trait among OU offensive linemen right now.

Defensively, four players will represent the Sooners. Defensive linemen [autotag]Damonic Williams[/autotag], [autotag]Da’Jon Terry[/autotag] and [autotag]Gracen Halton[/autotag] get the call this week, along with defensive back [autotag]Woodi Washington[/autotag].

Williams was a big-time portal acquisition this spring, coming over from TCU He’s been a big part of a solid unit early this season for the Sooners.

Terry is a run-stuffing specialist up front for the Sooners, having been a part of the program for a couple of years now. He transferred from Tennessee in the 2023 portal cycle and spent time at Kansas. Terry will be facing a number of his former teammates on Saturday.

Halton is another interior defensive lineman who has popped this year for the Sooners, wreaking havoc in the backfield when he’s been in the game. His biggest play so far this season came on a safety against Houston in week two, providing the four-point margin that OU needed to win the game.

Washington is the longest-tenured member of the Sooners’ roster. He has moved around in the defensive backfield a lot this season, especially in the last two weeks. His best position still seems to be cornerback, and his veteran presence is key for the OU secondary.

Venables and the Sooners will kick things off against the Volunteers at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday night. The game will be broadcast on ABC.

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3 freshmen to watch for Oklahoma Sooners against Houston

Oklahoma’s true freshmen stood out in a big way in week one can these three freshmen have another strong performance?

The Oklahoma Sooners look to improve to 2-0 on Saturday night. They’ll welcome the Houston Cougars to Norman at 6:45 p.m. after defeating the Temple Owls, 51-3, last Friday.

OU’s younger players received plenty of playing time in Week 1, as the home team was in control from the beginning. While Houston is a more talented team than Temple, the Sooners are expected to win in convincing fashion again.

Even if the opponent were a tougher one, Oklahoma would still need contributions from the youngest players on their depth chart. [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] and his coaching staff did an excellent job in the [autotag]2024 recruiting class[/autotag]. Now they hope their hard work continues to pay off, beginning with a strong showing against the Cougars. Here are three freshmen players on OU’s roster to watch in Week 2.

1. Jayden Jackson, DT

Making history last week as the first true freshmen starter at defensive tackle since Tommie Harris in 2001, [autotag]Jayden Jackson[/autotag] starts again up front for Venables and Co.

Jackson’s size and strength on the interior of the defensive line will be tested more once the Sooners reach [autotag]SEC[/autotag] play, but against Houston, he should once again have a chance to make some noise.

He wasn’t the player up front that popped the most last week against Temple, but the defensive line dominated the game when he was in. Watch for Jackson to make plays stuffing the run against a porous Cougars offensive line while rotating with [autotag]Damonic Williams[/autotag], [autotag]Da’Jon Terry[/autotag], and [autotag]Gracen Halton[/autotag].

Up Next: Freshmen Playmakers Need More Snaps

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3 Stars from Oklahoma’s 51-3 win over the Temple Owls

The Oklahoma Sooners got off to a great start in their 51-3 win over the Temple Owls, and here are this week’s three stars.

The Oklahoma Sooners opened the season with a 51-3 win over the Temple Owls on Friday night. It wasn’t a perfect performance, but there were a great many positives to take away from the win.

But on both sides of the ball, there were impact players, so let’s take a look at this week’s three stars of the game.

Third Star: Jackson Arnold, QB

Seth Littrell and the Oklahoma Sooners didn’t ask [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] to do too much in this game, but he was effective with what he was asked to do. The first throw of the game was fantastic, a deep strike to Jalil Farooq for 47 yards.

Arnold attempted just two passes beyond 20 yards, which will not indicate his passing chart week-to-week. One was the reception by Farooq and the other was a beautiful deep ball down the sideline to a covered J.J. Hester who let the ball go through his hands.

Behind a patchwork offensive line, Arnold made good decisions, got the ball out quickly and tried to make things happen with his legs when it wasn’t there for him through the air.

Accounting for drops and throwaways, Arnold’s adjusted completion percentage was 83.3% on the evening and finished with an NFL passer rating of 121.8. A strong start to the season for the former five-star quarterback.

Second Star: Deion Burks, WR

Deion Burks was as advertised in the Sooners’ win, catching three touchdowns in the first half, which is the most ever by a player in their Oklahoma debut.

As was the case for the offense, the Sooners didn’t unveil all of the ways in which they’ll utilize Burks, but he was efficient and effective on his targets. He had six catches on seven targets for 36 yards and three touchdowns. He also took three sweeps for 14 yards, showing off his speed.

Burks displayed really good route running, creating separation in the red zone for his scores.

With the wide receiver depth chart taking a hit due to Farooq’s injury, the Sooners will need Burks to have a big season and he’s off to a great start.

Up Next: First Star of the Game

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College Football experts say Sooners freshman DT has a chance to start

Could a freshman defensive tackle be on the verge of starting for the Oklahoma Sooners?

The Oklahoma Sooners worked overtime to reestablish a defensive culture over the last several years. In particular, head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag], co-defensive coordinator and defensive tackles coach [autotag]Todd Bates[/autotag] and defensive ends coach [autotag]Miguel Chavis[/autotag] made improving the defensive line a top priority.

In their first two recruiting classes (2022, 2023), they made splashes, adding four-star prospects [autotag]Gracen Halton[/autotag] and [autotag]R Mason Thomas[/autotag] (2022) and five-star defensive end [autotag]Adepoju Adebawore[/autotag]. But the big recruiting win came in the 2024 recruiting class when they added five blue-chip prospects: [autotag]David Stone[/autotag], [autotag]Nigel Smith[/autotag], [autotag]Wyatt Gilmore[/autotag], [autotag]Danny Okoye[/autotag] and [autotag]Jayden Jackson[/autotag].

There’s a great deal of excitement about the defensive line that’s been put together, but it can be challenging to make the jump from high school football to playing in the SEC. A pair of college football experts believe one of those true freshmen could start up front for the Venables and [autotag]Zac Alley[/autotag]’s defense.

On a recent episode of “The Oklahoma Breakdown” with Sooners legends [autotag]Teddy Lehman[/autotag] and [autotag]Gabe Ikard[/autotag], the duo was asked what they thought the starting offensive and defensive lines would look like for Week 1. Lehman mentioned Jackson could start.

“Well I think defensive line, right now, I would say it’s probably going to be [autotag]Damonic Williams[/autotag]. Then, between [autotag]Jayden Jackson[/autotag] and [autotag]Da’Jon Terry[/autotag], I would probably say I slightly lean toward [autotag]Jayden Jackson[/autotag].”

Ikard said he considered Williams, Jackson and Terry to all be “starters,” with [autotag]Gracen Halton[/autotag], [autotag]David Stone[/autotag] and [autotag]Davon Sears[/autotag] working in rotation roles for the Sooners.

There have been reports Jackson has been having a great camp, continuing the upward trajectory in his development over the last few years. The former IMG Academy prospect had a number of offers out of high school. With his unique blend of size, strength and quickness, Jackson has a chance to be a three-down defensive tackle, making an impact against the run and on passing downs. He plays with really good leverage, and his first step is special. He’s disruptive and does a great job holding his spot when double-teamed.

The Sooners upgraded their defensive tackle room significantly this offseason by adding transfer Damonic Williams. While the hope was their 2024 signees would make an impact, the possibility of Jackson starting signals the potential the class offers in 2024 and beyond.

Along with Williams and Jackson, both Ikard and Lehman agreed [autotag]Ethan Downs[/autotag] and [autotag]R Mason Thomas[/autotag] would be the starting defensive ends for the Sooners Week 1 against Temple.

Downs has been the foundation of the Sooners defensive line over the last few years. His consistent ability as a pass rusher and run defender makes him invaluable along the defensive line. Entering his fourth season, the veteran will lead the way for the Sooners.

Thomas has special athleticism. Injuries have kept him from making a consistent impact, but when he’s been on the field, he’s flashed immense potential. If he can stay healthy this season, he’ll flirt with eight sacks.

The Sooners defensive line is better than what it was a year ago when they improved in short-yardage situations and really across the board. Now it’s only a matter of seeing how much better the defense will be as a whole with an improved unit up front.

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Oklahoma Sooners success isn’t all on Jackson Arnold

The Oklahoma Sooners have a more complete team heading into 2024, taking some of the pressure off of their first year starter at quarterback

Quarterback is the most important position in football. Make no mistake about it. That’s why they’re the highest-paid players in the NFL and why they’re moving the biggest needle on the name, image and likeness licensing front.

But football is the ultimate team sport. Having great quarterback play can elevate a team that may have other deficiencies. That’s what we saw during the [autotag]Baker Mayfield[/autotag], [autotag]Kyler Murray[/autotag] and [autotag]Jalen Hurts[/autotag] era of Sooner football. Those elite quarterbacks were able to put the Sooners into contention despite a defense that wasn’t consistent enough.

That isn’t the case anymore. For what feels like the first time in a long time, the Oklahoma Sooners aren’t solely dependent on their quarterback to be superhuman.

So while all eyes are on [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] and the Oklahoma offense, the Sooners are heading into the SEC in somewhat unfamiliar territory. The strength of the team is on the defensive side of the ball.

Led by a talented and experienced defensive unit, the Sooners look ready to change the narrative that’s persisted for the last decade. Entering Year 1 in the SEC, Oklahoma isn’t going to rely on its quarterback playing Super Saiyan football for an entire season for it to have a chance to win football games.

That’s because they have a defense capable of being one of the best in the conference, which will take the pressure off Arnold and the offense. Gone are the days when the Sooners have to score 40 to have a chance to win. After allowing 30 points per game in the first season under Brent Venables in 2022, the Sooners have improved by nearly a touchdown a game to 23.5 points per game.

They allowed 30 or more in just three games last season and allowed fewer than four yards per carry. This team held the vaunted Texas offense to 23 points in the Red River Showdown, forcing the 2024 Heisman front-runner into two interceptions and stopping the Longhorns short of the end zone four times from the 1-yard line.

They weren’t perfect last year. There’s room to improve, but the Oklahoma Sooners did just that.

Venables convinced [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag], [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag], [autotag]Woodi Washington[/autotag] and [autotag]Da’Jon Terry[/autotag] to return for another season. That gave the Sooners valuable experience and production. In addition to the development of [autotag]Gracen Halton[/autotag], they added one of the more dynamic defensive tackles in the nation, [autotag]Damonic Williams[/autotag], along with true freshmen phenoms [autotag]David Stone[/autotag] and [autotag]Jayden Jackson[/autotag]. Once considered a weakness of the Sooners’ defense, the defensive interior is now a strength. Combine that with the additions of [autotag]Caiden Woullard[/autotag], who had 9 1/2 sacks for Miami (Ohio), [autotag]Danny Okoye[/autotag], [autotag]Nigel Smith[/autotag], and [autotag]Wyatt Gilmore[/autotag] and the further development of [autotag]R Mason Thomas[/autotag] and [autotag]Adepoju Adebawore[/autotag]. The result is a Sooners defensive front that is loaded with experience and promising young players fighting to break into the rotation.

From the front four to the back seven, the Oklahoma defense is ready to take the next step. And that’s great news for Arnold and the Sooners offense.

The Sooners have a more complete team, even with questions on the offensive side of the ball. They have a team more capable of playing complementary football.

As Arnold gets adjusted to life as the starting quarterback and the offensive line comes together, the defense will lead the way for the Sooners in 2024.

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Oklahoma’s defensive leaders confident heading into the SEC

Danny Stutsman, Billy Bowman spoke confidently at SEC media days about the direction of the Oklahoma Sooners defense.

The Oklahoma Sooners defense took a huge step in 2023. They improved from 99th in the nation in scoring defense to No. 49, cutting their points per game allowed by nearly a touchdown in the process. It’s a group that is expected to take another step as the Sooners head into the SEC.

The challenges are different, but there is elite offense being played in the Southeastern Conference by teams like Tennessee, Texas, Ole Miss, Alabama, and LSU. The defensive unit knows they have to continue to grind, but to hear defensive leaders [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] and [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] speak at SEC media days, they’re a confident group.

“When you look at our team, we know what we’re capable of,” Stutsman said. “Like he said before, we’ve got to prove ourselves right. That comes from every single day, every single workout, we have to prove ourselves right. And then eventually you just have seen so much growth, so much progress that it comes to fruition.”

It’s a group that trusts the developmental process. From winter workouts to spring ball to summer workouts and fall camp, which will begin in a couple of weeks, the defense believes in what they’ve done this offseason.

“We’re very confident,” Bowman said. The preparation we have put in, the work we have put in, it allows us to be confident.

“Ever since the game ended in San Antonio versus Arizona, we’ve been hitting the road hard, working, grinding extra, doing everything we can to obviously come out here and perform better than we did last year.”

They’ve put the work in, but it’s also a talented group full of blue-chip players and a ton of experience. [autotag]Woodi Washington[/autotag], [autotag]Ethan Downs[/autotag], Stutsman, Bowman, [autotag]Da’Jon Terry[/autotag], [autotag]Damonic Williams[/autotag], [autotag]Caiden Woullard[/autotag], [autotag]Jaren Kanak[/autotag], [autotag]Kip Lewis[/autotag], [autotag]Kobie McKinzie[/autotag], [autotag]Robert Spears-Jennings[/autotag], and [autotag]Kani Walker[/autotag] have each had at least two years of collegiate experience. A number of those players have played three or more seasons of college ball.

That experience and the success they had in 2023 helped to fuel their offseason work, giving them confidence for 2024.

“It brings a lot of confidence, Bowman said. “Especially bringing back experienced guys all over the defense, from the (defensive line), to the linebacker core to the defensive backs. Going into this year three will be another big jump. We’re in control of our own destiny. I feel like we’re doing a great job of continuing to keep the foot on the pedal, and we know we’re nowhere close to where we need to be.”

It’s a hungry group. As good as they were in 2023, there’s another level they can go to. And for the Sooners to be successful in year one in the SEC, [autotag]Zac Alley[/autotag]’s defense will have to go to that level.

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Arnold says Danny Stutsman, Billy Bowman returning huge for Sooners

Speaking at the Manning Passing Academy, Jackson Arnold shared with Chris Gordy of Locked On SEC about how important it was for OU to get Danny Stutsman and Billy Bowman back.

For the first time in a while, most of the questions about the Oklahoma Sooners center on the offensive side of the ball.

Entering Year 1 in the [autotag]SEC[/autotag] with a new starting quarterback and a completely new offensive line will do that. However, it’s not just any quarterback leading the way for the Sooners. It’s a former five-star prospect, Jackson Arnold.

In limited time last season, Arnold showed many of the tools that helped him win Gatorade National Player of the Year and Elite 11 MVP coming out of high school. He had numerous really good moments in extended runs against BYU and in his lone start against Arizona. There were also moments that revealed further development needed to happen. But many, including Arnold’s head coach, are confident he’ll take the steps necessary to help the Sooners be a contender in 2024.

But the best news, is that the success of the team doesn’t fall completely on his and the offense’s shoulders. Entering Year 3 of the Brent Venables era, the Sooners have a defense that should be able to hold up their end of the bargain and help Oklahoma win a number of games this season. Is it a perfect unit? No. But it is far better situated than a few years ago, and it should be good enough to afford Arnold and the offensive line some growing pains, if there are any this year.

It’s a blue-chip, star-studded defense from front to back as Venables has made splashes on the high school recruiting scene and in the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag]. But with all the talent for [autotag]Zac Alley[/autotag] to work with on defense, two guys lead the way for the Sooners: [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] and [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag].

“I mean, it was huge having guys like Billy and Danny come back,” Arnold told Chris Gordy of Locked On SEC at the Manning Passing Academy. “You know, those are two leaders on our team, and you know those are the guys that are gonna get our guys into battle man. To have your starting Mike linebacker, and your starting strong safety just come back. I mean, it’s really impressive. I think Billy had six picks last year. It’s just incredible. You know, having those guys back it’s gonna be huge for our defense for their confidence and for the performance on the field.”

The experience and the talent Oklahoma boasts on defense is a big reason there’s so much optimism. Stutsman and Bowman, along with [autotag]Woodi Washington[/autotag], [autotag]Ethan Downs[/autotag] and [autotag]Da’Jon Terry[/autotag] provide important leadership and experience as Oklahoma makes its way into the SEC.

Venables has done significant work over the last three offseasons to retool a defensive depth chart that was lacking just that, depth. Oklahoma improved defensively from 99th in scoring defense to 49th between the first and second seasons. By improving nearly a touchdown a game, Oklahoma’s defense made life much easier for the offense.

The hope is further defensive improvement will take place and take the pressure off of an incredibly talented, if inexperienced, offense.

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