Tag: Da’Jon Terry

How did EA Sports rate Oklahoma’s defense in ‘College Football 25?’

When “College Football 25” drops, the Oklahoma Sooners will open with one of the best defenses in the country.

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 defensive ratings for the 25 best defenses in the game, and Oklahoma is just outside the top 10.

“College Football 25” has OU as the No. 12 defense ahead of the launch of the highly anticipated video game. It’s the No. 4 best defense in the [autotag]SEC[/autotag]. This comes following the mutual parting of ways between the program and former defensive coordinator [autotag]Ted Roof[/autotag] and the hiring of his replacement, [autotag]Zac Alley[/autotag].

On the field, the Sooners have plenty of experienced talent returning on the defensive side of the ball. The secondary is led by [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] at safety and [autotag]Woodi Washington[/autotag] at cornerback, but features plenty of young talent as well.

[autotag]Gentry Williams[/autotag] and [autotag]Kani Walker[/autotag] will battle for the spot opposite of Washington. [autotag]Robert Spears-Jennings[/autotag] and [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag] will see an increase in snaps this year with the departures of [autotag]Key Lawrence[/autotag] and [autotag]Reggie Pearson[/autotag].

The defensive line sees some change but still has [autotag]Ethan Downs[/autotag] leading the way up front. [autotag]Da’Jon Terry[/autotag] and [autotag]Trace Ford[/autotag] are veterans who will aid in the development of younger players like [autotag]Damonic Williams[/autotag], [autotag]R Mason Thomas[/autotag], [autotag]Jayden Jackson[/autotag], [autotag]Adepoju Adebawroe[/autotag] and [autotag]David Stone[/autotag]. The defensive line is in a solid place moving forward even after losing [autotag]Jordan Kelley[/autotag], [autotag]Isaiah Coe[/autotag], [autotag]Jonah Laulu[/autotag] and [autotag]Rondell Bothroyd[/autotag]. The Sooners also saw [autotag]Jermayne Lole[/autotag] flip his commitment from OU to Texas in the spring portal window.

The strength of the defense is the talent and depth at linebacker. At the inside spots, [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] returns as the heart and soul of the unit. [autotag]Jaren Kanak[/autotag], [autotag]Kobie McKinzie[/autotag], [autotag]Kip Lewis[/autotag] and [autotag]Lewis Carter[/autotag] will all see plenty of snaps alongside Stutsman. The loss of [autotag]Justin Harrington[/autotag] at the cheetah position stings, but [autotag]Kendel Dolby[/autotag], [autotag]Dasan McCullough[/autotag] and [autotag]Samuel Omosigho[/autotag] provide Alley will plenty of options at that spot.

The Sooners open with an 88 overall defense in “College Football 25,” tied with Texas, Penn State, Utah, Florida State and Iowa.

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3 reasons the Oklahoma Sooners will win big in 2024

The Oklahoma Sooners are a talented football team, but for them to win big, these three things have to happen.

The Oklahoma Sooners have a better idea of what the 2024 season will look like with the SEC’s release of game time windows on Tuesday. How they and the Texas Longhorns will fare in their first year in the SEC is anyone’s guess.

Texas made the playoffs last season, and the Sooners are one of the winningest programs over the last 25 years. [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] was brought in to prepare Oklahoma for this conference move.

His experience with the Clemson Tigers certainly informs Venables about what it takes to be successful in their new conference home. Each of his first three offseasons has been about getting Oklahoma “SEC ready.”

At the same time, the Sooners provide a new challenge for Alabama, Ole Miss, Tennessee and LSU. OU is considered a blue-blood program for a reason. With seven national titles and 50 conference championships, the Sooners will be a contender in the [autotag]SEC[/autotag]. Can they do it in Year 1? That’s the question everyone’s asking. Here are three reasons OU will win big in 2024 and make the College Football Playoff.

More: College Football Playoff Projections for 2024

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Anonymous SEC coaches share thoughts on Brent Venables and the Oklahoma Sooners

Anonymous SEC coaches share their thoughts on Brent Venables and the Oklahoma Sooners ahead of 2024.

The SEC is holding their annual league meetings in Destin, Florida this week, creating a lot of conversation about where the league is heading in 2024. We’ve received a few kickoff times, including a 2:30 p.m. CT start for the Red River Rivalry game in 2024.

Additionally, coaches have met with the media on a number of topics. Over at Athlon Sports, they put together their annual piece on what coaches said anonymously about their colleagues.

Brent Venables Defense is coming together

They’re starting to round out on defense to a unit you’d expect Brent [Venables] to be coaching at Clemson. That’s the good news entering the SEC. The bad news is that they could be bad on the O-line if they can’t pull some guys together late in the portal. – Anonymous SEC Coach

This is the expectation. Brent Venables was brought to Oklahoma to restore defensive football in Norman. There have been some growing pains, but the growth is evident. The Sooners went from 99th in scoring defense in 2022 to 49th, improving by nearly a touchdown a game.

After retaining [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag], [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag], [autotag]Woodi Washington[/autotag], and [autotag]Da’Jon Terry[/autotag], bringing in big-time additions like [autotag]Damonic Williams[/autotag], and a top-flight defensive recruiting class, the Sooners look ready to make another jump despite the move to the SEC.

I don’t think they’ll be bad along the offensive line. Did they have a lot of turnover? Absolutely. But the Sooners boast one of the best offensive line coaches in the nation and [autotag]Bill Bedenbaugh[/autotag] has proven to be able to reconstruct offensive lines via the portal in recent years. There’s a lot of talent for the Sooners to work with upfront.

Is Oklahoma Ready in the Trenches?

Oklahoma is a legit top program, but the secret to the SEC is the line play, and they won’t be able to do what they want on offense if they can’t protect against the average DL in this league. – Anonymous SEC Coach

The Sooners are one of the premiere programs in college football. Seven national titles and 50 conference championships speak to that reality. At the same time, they’re taking on a different animal when they enter the SEC. Every week, the Sooners are going to be challenged up front.

Oklahoma’s added Michael Tarquin, Febechi Nwaiwu, Branson Hickman, Spencer Brown, and Geirean Hatchett to the offensive line depth chart via the transfer portal. Tarquin, Nwaiwu and Hickman could be week one starters up front and provide a ton of experience and upside to the Sooners offensive line.

2022 signees Jacob Sexton and Jake Taylor look ready to ascend into the starting lineup. Both guys had great offseasons and look the part of big-time offensive line prospects.

Hickman’s new to the group, arriving in the spring portal window. However, with more than 2,400 snaps under his belt and should get acclimated to the unit by week one.

This is a unit that feels less concerning now than it did when the offseason started and Bedenbaugh and the players will pull it together.

Seth Littrell brings the goods

If you’re looking for a new offense, it won’t be drastically different from [former offensive coordinator Jeff] Lebby, but they’ve got to run the ball more effectively than they did when he was there. Seth [Littrell] is a made-to-order kind of OC, a really experienced guy who is going to scheme to fit. – Anonymous SEC Coach

Oklahoma turned over both coordinator positions this offseason, but they went to an experienced guy in Seth Littrell. As important as his time spent as a playcaller is the time he spent as an offensive analyst with the Sooners in 2023. He’s familiar with the roster, with Jackson Arnold, and in turn, the players are familiar with Littrell.

With Littrell, the hope is a more physical offense with a more aggressive mindset. Jeff Lebby was good, but too often, Oklahoma struggled in short-yardage situations and Lebby often looked risk-averse. If Littrell can help the offense have a more physical mindset it will go along way in the SEC.

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Sooners set to host TCU defensive tackle transfer Damonic Williams

The Oklahoma Sooners continue their pursuit of defensive tackle help as they are reportedly set to host TCU transfer Damonic Williams.

The Oklahoma Sooners have a nice young corps of defensive tackles along with senior Da’Jon Terry, but it’s a group that’s inexperienced. So the Sooners have been working the transfer portal to find some experience to add to their defensive line rotation.

Reportedly, Oklahoma’s already been in contact with Indiana transfer Philip Blidi and Louisville transfer Jermayne Lole. Just a day after the transfer portal period opening for the spring, the Sooners are targeting another defensive tackle. According to a report from Hayes Fawcett of On3, the Sooners will host TCU transfer Damonic Williams for their spring game on Saturday.

At 6-foot-2, 320 pounds, Williams is a legit nose tackle prospect who’s been productive in his two years at TCU. He played in 26 games and recorded 60 total tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks.

Williams was an All-Big 12 selection in 2023 and a freshman All-American in 2022. He played 477 snaps for the Horned Frogs last season, which is more than any defensive tackle the Sooners have on the roster for 2024.

He had 19 total pressures last season, according to Pro Football Focus, including two against the Sooners.

He’s an ascending nose tackle who has already had an impressive start to his collegiate career. He’d be a factor in the nose tackle rotation immediately for the Sooners and provide experience to go along with Terry and the Sooners young corps.

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‘We have a lot more cohesion now,’: Oklahoma Sooners’ star linebacker on Year 3 in Brent Venables’ defense

Year 3 in Brent Venables’ system is usually when you see the biggest jump and that shouldn’t be any different at Oklahoma.

Coming into the 2024 college football season, there might not be a more experienced group than the Oklahoma Sooners’ defense. Now, they have to take the step many think they can which has been common in year three under [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag].

Historically, year three is when his defenses have taken the biggest jumps. Getting guys like [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag], [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag], [autotag]Woodi Washington[/autotag], and [autotag]Da’Jon Terry[/autotag] to decide to come back for their final seasons was huge for Oklahoma to continue the growth they’ve made.

Stutsman spoke about what it’s been like for him now that he’s in his third year running the show. “We have a lot more cohesion now,” Stutsman said. “We’re not really trying to explain so much. Just trying to tweak everything out.”

That’s what we’ve seen from Venables’ defenses in the past. They eventually get to the point where the players are able to be coaches on the field. It helps the players learn it faster and limits a lot of the confusion with his already complex defense.

That’s a big reason why people think Oklahoma can have a top 20-30 unit in 2024. Knowing the defenses they’ve had in the past, that would be a major jump and improvement.

There isn’t much question the defense is the better unit at this point and is expected to lead the Sooners in 2024 this upcoming season. It’s been a long time since Oklahoma has relied on their defense to be the catalyst for their success. But with a first-year starter at quarterback and the turnover they’re facing on the offensive line, the Sooners defense will need to be a their best for Oklahoma to contend this season.

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Oklahoma Sooners transfer target announces official visit date

Looking to add some more depth to the defensive tackle room, the Oklahoma Sooners will be hosting transfer target Philip Blidi on an official visit in April.

The [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] may have windows, but those windows seem to never truly close. The Oklahoma Sooners are looking to add to their defensive line depth this offseason with a pursuit of Indiana defensive tackle transfer Philip Blidi.

The former Hoosier announced he’d be visiting OU on an official visit the weekend of April 19-21. (UPDATED after Blidi corrected his tweet that stated April 12).

Blidi, who spent three years at Texas Tech before transferring to Indiana in 2023, recorded 30 tackles and four tackles for loss for the Hoosiers last season.

In 2022 with the Red Raiders, Blidi had 18 total tackles, four tackles for loss, and two sacks. At 6-foot-3 and 295 pounds, Blidi is a force in the middle.

The Oklahoma Sooners are light on experience at defensive tackle after Jacob Lacey was forced to medically retire. The only defensive tackle that played more than 100 snaps for the Sooners a year ago is [autotag]Da’Jon Terry[/autotag].

Oklahoma has some talented up-and-comers like [autotag]Gracen Halton[/autotag], [autotag]Ashton Sanders[/autotag], [autotag]Markus Strong[/autotag], [autotag]David Stone[/autotag], and [autotag]Jayden Jackson[/autotag]. However, if the Sooners feel like they need more experience taking snaps next to Terry, Blidi would be a good option.

In 2023, Blidi played 444 snaps for Indiana’s defense and was the third highest-graded player on Indiana’s defense, according to Pro Football Focus.

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Oklahoma Sooners are being overlooked, per 247Sports’ Josh Pate

Could teams be sleeping on the Oklahoma Sooners in 2024? One national sports show host thinks so.

It is a new era of college football for the Oklahoma Sooners. They are no longer in the [autotag]Big 12[/autotag] conference but instead are off to the [autotag]SEC[/autotag].

That means new teams, new rivalries and some old rivalries will be on Oklahoma’s schedule going forward. After going 10-3 last season, there are still many who think Oklahoma has no clue what it’s getting itself into. The SEC is considered the best conference in football and it’ll definitely be a tougher task week in and week out than what they are used to.

There have even been some predictions that have Oklahoma winning only seven or eight games in Year 1. So, are the Oklahoma Sooners being overlooked heading into next season? 247Sports’ Josh Pate thinks so.

“Everyone pays attention to what you lose in college football and they don’t pay enough attention to what you have,” Pate said. “Oklahoma did lose a lot on the offensive line. Oklahoma did lose a starter at quarterback but they also have the former Elite 11 MVP, Jackson Arnold, who is two years in. He’s not a true freshman. They have recruited at what has them at a top 10 talent roster status. So, it’s not like they are going to put potato sacks out there on the offensive line. You don’t know their names so you automatically think they’re going to be subpar. So do the odds makers. That over/under, 7.5. Is Oklahoma being overlooked? I think they are.”

More: SEC win projections ahead of spring ball

I also think Oklahoma is being overlooked.

Pate brings up a great point. It’s valid to talk about all of the things Oklahoma has lost but why aren’t we talking about what they return? Yes, they lost [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag], but there were people before the season last year who wanted Arnold to be the starter. We know he’s more talented. He just has to clean up the mental mistakes that plagued him in the bowl game like it would just about any true freshman.

The offensive line is a fair and valid worry. It has work to do. But on the flip side, this is arguably the best and deepest wide receiver room since maybe 2018. At running back, [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag] has to stay healthy because when he is healthy, he’s a very good running back.

Then, on defense, this might be the most experienced defense in college football. It’s the best secondary Oklahoma has had in over a decade. It’s the deepest the linebacker room has been in probably over a decade as well. The defensive ends are deep and just need a star to emerge. The interior defensive line is the worry. [autotag]Da’Jon Terry[/autotag] is a very good player but he’s the only proven one in there. So, someone else is going to have to step up.

I’m not saying Oklahoma is going to win 11 games and compete for a championship in Year 1. I get that’s the standard but that’s unrealistic going into next year. I’m just saying as soon as I saw the over/under at 7.5 wins, I would have happily and quickly bet the over.

More: SEC quarterback rankings ahead of the 2024 season

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‘Definitely handling my business’: David Stone knows what he needs to do to see the field early

With the loss of Jacob Lacey, it’s time for the younger guys to step up and David Stone knows what he needs to do.

The Oklahoma Sooners will return one of the more experienced defenses in all of college football in 2024. The one spot that doesn’t have a lot of snaps to its ledger is the interior defensive line.

They bring back [autotag]Da’Jon Terry[/autotag], who played 306 snaps at defensive tackle last season. [autotag]Davon Sears[/autotag], who played a lot for Texas State prior to his arrival to Norman, didn’t play much for the Sooners in 2023. Neither did former four-star [autotag]Gracen Halton[/autotag] or 2023 signees [autotag]Ashton Sanders[/autotag] or [autotag]Markus Strong[/autotag].

Outside of Terry, no other Sooners defensive tackle played more than 100 snaps last season

There are some talented players with potential, but not much in the way of experience.

That’s why it was such a big loss when Jacob Lacey stepped away from the game due to a medical issue. Lacey led the defensive tackle position in snaps last season and was expected to start in 2024. With experienced depth lacking on the roster, the younger guys will have every opportunity to get on the field and make plays.

Someone who has an opportunity to fill that void is [autotag]David Stone[/autotag]. Last week the newcomers did a round of interviews and Stone spoke about what he needs to do to get on the field.

“Definitely handling my business,” Stone said. “Limiting the amount of errors that I make. As a freshman, that’s something that people tend to do is make mistakes but if I want to see the field, I know that’s something I’ve got to limit. I have very small room for error when it comes to technique so I just have to make sure I stay on top of things like that and learning the playbook.”

Defensive tackle is one of the positions that be difficult to make an impact early. They level of talent and physicality takes a significant step up from high school to college and from college to the NFL.

While the physical side is always tough, the mental side can be just as tough, if not more so, for incoming freshmen, especially in a complicated Brent Venables defense. But if Stone can figure things out and get the mental side down, he could be in for a big year.

Stone is no stranger to transition after moving from Del City to IMG Academy to play out his final two years of high school ball. He’s also no stranger to playing against the best as IMG attempted to schedule as difficult a slate of games as possible to highlight their athlete.

Every step of the way, David Stone has risen to the occasion. With his ability and mentality, there’s no reason to doubt he can’t come in and be an impact player in year one.

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5 positions where the Oklahoma Sooners are better than they were a year ago

Every year there is roster turnover, but where are the Sooners better? Here are five positions Oklahoma’s better than they were a year ago.

Every offseason teams around college football have to deal with a significant amount of turnover to their roster. That’s been the case for the Sooners each season of the Brent Venables era.

No position group was hit harder than the offensive line. They lost the five guys that were starters for the majority of the season. Though they’ve been able to retool the lineup with transfer portal additions, it will be months before we know if those additions will work out.

Elsewhere, however, the Sooners look to be in really good shape, especially when you compare it to how several positions looked this time last year.

Here are five position groups that look better compared to where they were a year ago.

Woodi Washington returning for another year with Oklahoma Sooners

The Oklahoma Sooners received some good news with the announcement that Woodi Washington is returning for 2024.

The Oklahoma Sooners’ defense continues to get good news this offseason with the return of veteran cornerback [autotag]Woodi Washington[/autotag] for his sixth season. Using his extra year of eligibility available to him due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Washington provides the Sooners with another experienced piece for Brent Venables and Ted Roof’s defense.

Washington joins other vetarn leaders on the defense like [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag], [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag], and defensive tackles [autotag]Da’Jon Terry[/autotag] and [autotag]Jacob Lacey[/autotag] to help give that side of the ball a ton of experience heading into the SEC.

Oklahoma had issues at cornerback in 2023, largely due to inexperience and a number of injuries that plagued the position. But Washington was a mainstay, starting each of Oklahoma’s 13 games and finishing first on the team in defensive snaps with 851. Bowman was second, 70 snaps behind Washington.

Though Oklahoma’s defense was 112th in the nation in passing yards allowed, they were also 22nd in the country in completion percentage against. With Washington returning, they have a chance to continue to improve on their defense that jumped from 99th in the nation in scoring in 2022 to 48th in 2023, improving their points per game allowed by a touchdown.

With Washington, the Sooners have security. As they continue to develop their cornerback talent, they know they have a good veteran option to rely upon for 2024.

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