Tag: Danny Stutsman

Best photos from the Oklahoma Sooners’ 45-13 win over the UTEP Miners

Relive the magic from Brent Venables’ Oklahoma debut with some of the best photos of the Sooners’ 45-13 win over the UTEP Miners.

The Oklahoma Sooners enjoyed a great start to the Brent Venables era with a 45-13 win over the UTEP Miners.

It wasn’t always pretty, but Dillon Gabriel was an efficient 15 of 23 for 233 yards and two touchdowns. He added a touchdown on the ground to help Oklahoma jump to a 21-0 first-quarter lead. Brayden Willis caught both of Gabriel’s touchdown passes, and Marvin Mims led Oklahoma in receiving with three receptions for 81 yards.

Oklahoma ran for 259 yards as a team, averaging 6.8 yards per carry, led by Eric Gray’s 102 yards. Marcus Major added 57 yards and two touchdowns.

The Sooners defense made plays in the backfield, recording six sacks and nine tackles for loss. Reggie Grimes led the way with 2.5 sacks. Danny Stutsman and Billy Bowman each had nine tackles for a Sooners defense that held the UTEP Miners to 28 yards rushing.

Sooners cruise to 45-13 win over UTEP in Brent Venables’ head coaching debut

Led by a strong rushing attack and relentless pass rush, Oklahoma opened the season with a 45-13 win over the UTEP Miners.

Brent Venables will go to sleep a happy man tonight. His first game as head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners was a comfortable 45-13 win over the UTEP Miners.

Oklahoma hit the ground running and showcased the offensive tempo we heard so much about that will undoubtedly cause problems for other programs on OU’s schedule.

The defense came out flying, recording multiple stops on defense, and Oklahoma jumped out to a 21-point lead by the end of the first quarter.

Transfer quarterback [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] looked razor sharp and in control as he completed 15 of 23 passes for 233 yards and two touchdowns to go along with one rushing score. He showed off his athleticism on his first score as a Sooner when he kept the ball on a zone read play call and found his way into the end zone.

Both of Gabriel’s touchdown passes went to fifth-year senior tight end [autotag]Brayden Willis[/autotag], who had three receptions for 40 yards and two touchdowns.

 

Willis is taking over ask the starting tight end after being a tight-end full-back hybrid for the last few years under Lincoln Riley.

An end-around to walk-on freshman wide receiver [autotag]Gavin Freeman[/autotag] turned into a 46-yard rushing touchdown that electrified the crowd.

The Sooners’ tempo was a noticeable change from how things had operated in recent years, as the first three scoring drives for the Sooners were under two minutes long. They were moving at warp speed, affecting the UTEP defense as they struggled to substitute and get lined up properly.

Both teams would settle in, and UTEP would eventually find the scoreboard to make it 21-10 late second quarter.

After going flat for a few drives offensively and defensively, Oklahoma tacked on another touchdown before the half to go in up 18 and never looked back.

The Sooners came out of the locker room in a bullying mood as their defense began to hit a little harder, and offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby was adamant about using his offensive line to just punish UTEP’s front by running the ball. The Sooners would finish with 259 yards rushing. Oklahoma averaged 8.1 yards per play and 6.8 yards per carry.

Eric Gray led the way with 102 yards on 16 carries, and Marcus Major added seven carries for 57 yards and two touchdowns.

Defensively, it was clear early on that Oklahoma didn’t want to give away any of their best defensive looks and coverages with much more challenging and meaningful opponents on the schedule.

They played off zone coverage much of the game and hardly did anything exotic with their blitz packages. Reggie Grimes made a statement during the game with his performance, as he ended up with 2.5 sacks in the first half. His sack at the end of the first half potentially took points off the scoreboard for the Miners.

Linebacker Danny Stutsman was an enforcer, laying heavy hits that were audible to the crowd. The defensive backs had solid games all around, with sophomore Billy Bowman breaking up a pass and playing tight coverage all day. Stutsman and Bowman tied for the team lead with nine total tackles on the afternoon.

True freshman R Mason Thomas used the opportunities he was given and even recorded half a sack. Fellow true freshman Gentry Williams shut down a UTEP scoring threat at the end of the game with an interception in the end zone.

The Sooners’ defense finished the game with six sacks and nine tackles for loss to help Oklahoma start the season 1-0. Oklahoma’s physicality on both sides of the ball offensively were the difference as the Sooners start this 2022 campaign on a winning note. They’ll host Kent State on September 10.

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5 Oklahoma Sooners to watch on defense vs. UTEP

Oklahoma suits up for the first time in 2022 against UTEP. Here are five defensive players we’ll be watching:

Oklahoma’s defense was far from bad last year. Make no mistake though, it wasn’t great either. According to Sports Reference, they were 60th in team defense. Pair that with inconsistent offensive outputs, and it makes up a team that missed out on a chance to win their seventh straight Big 12 title.

Alex Grinch is now at USC preparing his new team for their 2022 campaign. Oklahoma replaced Grinch with a guy whose Clemson team hadn’t finished outside the top 20 in team defense since 2015. Oh, and that year? They finished No. 25 out of 128 teams.

There’s a chance that if Oklahoma had any of that caliber of defense, they would’ve won a national title considering the offensive play they put on the field.

Brent Venables won’t be the defensive coordinator in Oklahoma, but you can bet the defense that you’ll see while he’s the head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners is his defense. Ted Roof will run the defense, but Venables will undoubtedly have his hands in the pot. It’s fast, violent, suffocating, and multiple, and it helped Clemson win national titles in 2016 and 2018.

The Sooners are replacing six defensive starters from a year ago. Nik Bonitto and Isaiah Thomas will be hard to replace, but someone has to. Similarly, for the back end of the defense, where the starting safety duo of Delarrin Turner-Yell and Pat Fields is no more, the Sooners will need to find some answers.

With UTEP coming to town, the Sooners will get to showcase in full just how hard they’ve worked to understand and learn this new defensive scheme. We’ve rounded up some defensive players to watch when the Sooners take on the Miners.

Versatility gives DaShaun White an opportunity to shine as Sooners’ ‘Cheetah’

Moving from WILL linebacker, DaShaun White has the versatility to be productive as the Sooners’ “Cheetah” in Oklahoma’s defense.

A new defensive scheme brings new deployments to the Oklahoma Sooners. Unlike the 3-3-5 of the Alex Grinch era, Brent Venables runs more of a traditional 4-3 defense in base packages.

To combat the passing and spread evolution that’s occurred in college football over the last 20 years, teams are looking for versatile athletes to play hybrid positions on defense. For Brent Venables, his answer has been the development of the “Cheetah” position in his defense.

The player in recent years that’s best displayed the versatility that the “Cheetah” requires is former Clemson star, Isaiah Simmons.

The “Cheetah” serves as a hybrid between a linebacker, slot cornerback, and safety. A player that can provide support in the running game and be a difference maker in coverage. They can also rush the passer when called upon. Not only does a player have to have the requisite athleticism to cover a variety of pass catchers and be effective in the running game, but they also have to have the football IQ to understand his responsibilities at a variety of positions within the defense.

The “Cheetah” will line up all over the field, and that’s what the Oklahoma Sooners are asking of senior linebacker DaShaun White. White, who was also elected captain for the week one matchup against UTEP, made the move from WILL linebacker over to Cheetah, and Oklahoma defensive coordinator Ted Roof spoke on how he feels White will fit in there at Cheetah.

“Well, it starts with the versatility, the ability to play coverage and at the same time be physical enough to get in the box and be efficient in there,” Roof said during media availability on Monday. “So, [it’s] a lot of versatility there when you start looking at the overall skill set and job description of that position. And that’s where it starts. So, that’s where we are. But DaShaun’s had a great camp, has adjusted really well because, you know, he was playing WILL earlier in camp, and we moved him to the Cheetah position. But he still has the ability to play WILL as well.”

While [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] and [autotag]David Ugwoegbu[/autotag] will man the Sooners’ traditional linebacker spots, White’s ability to play “Cheetah” allows the Sooners to keep three linebackers on the field in a lot of situations. Even when teams go with three or more wide receivers, Oklahoma won’t give up anything in the running game because of White’s ability to play the run.

Changing positions in the middle of fall camp can provide a challenge, but White’s experience as a three-year starter in the Sooners’ defense provides him the opportunity to find success because of his versatility. He’s seen a lot in his time with the Sooners, and that experience will help White thrive in his new position.

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Oklahoma Sooners release first depth chart of 2022 ahead of season opener vs. UTEP

Days away from the 2022 season opener vs. UTEP, the Oklahoma Sooners released their first depth chart of the season.

Wee one of the 2022 college football season has arrived, and the Oklahoma Sooners have released their first depth chart ahead of their opener against the UTEP Miners.

One of the goals of Brent Venables’ first offseasons with the Oklahoma Sooners was to create competition on the depth chart. Though several spots were solidified heading into fall camp, we still didn’t have an answer at right tackle, one of the wide receiver spots, defensive end, or at linebacker.

Now with the depth chart released, we get a glimpse at how the coaching staff sees the roster as they prepare for the first game of the Brent Venables era.

Several spots indicate an ongoing competition or those players will rotate at those positions with an “OR” designation. In Brent Venables’ defense, instead of deploying a “slot” or “nickel” cornerback, he utilizes the “Cheetah” position, a hybrid between a safety and a linebacker. Someone who can cover and provide support in the running game.

With that, let’s take a look at the first Oklahoma Sooners depth chart heading into week one vs. the UTEP Miners.

Jaren Kanak included on ESPN’s true freshman All-American team

Ahead of his first season with the Oklahoma Sooners, Linebacker Jaren Kanak was named to ESPN’s true freshmen All-American team.

The arrival of [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] brought a new culture and defensive identity to the Oklahoma Sooners. The other thing it brought was the arrival of four-star athlete [autotag]Jaren Kanak[/autotag].

Kanak, who was committed to the Clemson Tigers, was encouraged to stay committed to Venables’ former team, but the Hays, Kansas, native wanted to play for Venables. He even went the [autotag]Baker Mayfield[/autotag] route of enrolling at the University of Oklahoma without the promise of a scholarship.

Kanak was a priority target for Venables when he was still at Clemson, creating significant excitement for what he might bring to the Oklahoma Sooners.

The Sooners have solid depth at the top of the chart in [autotag]DaShaun White[/autotag], [autotag]David Ugwoegbu[/autotag] and [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag]. However, the linebacker room took a hit with the season-ending injury to transfer [autotag]T.D. Roof[/autotag]. That creates a situation where Kanak could work his way onto the field sooner rather than later.

The Sooners already have a strong linebacking corps, but Kanak is going to be a great player. Whether it’s special teams or in a hybrid safety/linebacker role (like Isaiah Simmons at Clemson under Venables), Kanak is too good a football player to keep out of the lineup. – Luginbill, ESPN

Kanak has the athleticism to be a difference-maker early in his Oklahoma career. Kanak has track speed that will allow him to contribute on special teams early, but he could also be a player the Sooners’ defensive staff deploy in certain matchups.

According to reports, Kanak was one of the guys that stood out during the strength and conditioning program.

We’ll more than likely see a lot of Kanak in the first couple of games against UTEP and Kent State. If he can get on the field early in those contests or find meaningful snaps against Nebraska in Week 3, we’ll get a better indication of what his role might be with the Oklahoma Sooners defense in Year 1.

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Fall camp position battles to watch for the Oklahoma Sooners

With fall camp underway, what are some key position battles to watch for the Oklahoma Sooners?

Fall camp is underway, and the Oklahoma Sooners are now about the task of figuring out how their depth chart will lay out when they head into the season opener against the UTEP Miners on September 3.

What it looks like week one doesn’t mean that’s how the depth chart will stay for week two, but it will give us a good indication as to how the coaches feel about certain positions going into the season.

Recently, I attempted to project what the offensive depth chart could look like for Oklahoma to start the season. However, several position battles will help the depth chart take shape.

Let’s take a look at some key position battles for the Oklahoma Sooners in fall camp.

Oklahoma linebacker David Ugwoegbu named to Butkus Award watch list

Ahead of the 2022 season, linebacker David Ugwoegbu was named to the 2022 Butkus Award watch list. Oklahoma is tied with Alabama for the most all-time.

The Oklahoma Sooners have a rich tradition at the linebacker position and in 2022 have a chance to add to their history of [autotag]Butkus Award[/autotag] winners as David Ugwoegbu was named to the award watch list for 2022.

Legend from the 1980s, [autotag]Brian Bosworth[/autotag], was the first recipient of the collegiate award and the only two-time winner of the Butkus. Since the award was first handed out to “The Boz” in 1985, the Oklahoma Sooners are tied with the Alabama Crimson Tide, with the most Butkus Award winners at four.

[autotag]Rocky Calmus[/autotag] and [autotag]Teddy Lehman[/autotag] also received the award as part of Oklahoma’s dominant defensive teams of the early 2000s.

[autotag]Caleb Kelly[/autotag], now a member of the program’s S.O.U.L. Mission, was a high school recipient of the Butkus Award.

Heading into 2022, Ugweogbu will be relied upon to fill the void left by Brian Asamoah, who now plays for the Minnesota Vikings. In 2021, Ugwoegbu played just the 11th-most snaps on the Oklahoma Sooners defense yet finished sixth in tackles.

The Linebacker room for the Oklahoma Sooners is deep heading into 2022, and Ugwoegbu will have to find a way to differentiate himself from a group featuring DaShaun White, Danny Stutsman, and T.D. Roof. Incoming freshman Jaren Kanak, Kobie McKinzie, and Kip Lewis might also factor into the linebacker rotation, especially early in the season.

With Ugwoegbu’s length and athleticism, he has the potential to be fantastic for the Oklahoma Sooners in 2022. With Brent Venables and Ted Roof coaching the linebackers, this could be Ugwoegbu’s best season as a Sooner.

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Oklahoma projected to have the best Linebacker unit in the Big 12 in 2022 by Bleacher Report

Led by DaShaun White, Oklahoma’s linebacker corp was picked to be the best in the Big 12 in 2022 by Bleacher Report.

Much is going to look different for an Oklahoma Sooners defense that was supposed to be the best unit they’d deploy under former defensive coordinator Alex Grinch.

A lot of the defensive front that helped produce sacks and tackles for loss is gone to the NFL, and so is [autotag]Brian Asamoah[/autotag], the linebacker that led the Sooners in tackles in 2021. While they’ve experienced a bunch of turnover, one spot where they have good experienced depth is at linebacker with the return of [autotag]DaShaun White[/autotag], [autotag]David Ugwoegbu[/autotag], [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag], and [autotag]Shane Whitter[/autotag]. That was already a solid unit with the chance to be Oklahoma’s best defensive group, and then they added [autotag]T.D. Roof[/autotag] in the transfer portal and a good young trio of linebackers in the 2022 recruiting class with [autotag]Jaren Kanak[/autotag], [autotag]Kobie McKinzie[/autotag], and [autotag]Kip Lewis[/autotag].

But even with the talent and the depth that the Sooners have at linebacker, potentially the most important addition to the linebacker group was head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag].

Venables’ experience at the position, tenacity, and drive will bring out the best versions of the returning Oklahoma Sooners. With Venables and the experience returning at the position, the Oklahoma Sooners were picked by David Kenyon of Bleacher Report to be the best linebacker unit in the Big 12 for the 2022 season.

Most importantly, Oklahoma has the players. DaShaun White notched 61 tackles last season, while David Ugwoegbu made 48 stops. Danny Stutsman added 38 in his injury-shortened year, and Shane Whitter contributed 27 more as a rotational player. For good measure, Appalachian State transfer T.D. Roof brings four seasons of experience and recorded 68 tackles last year. Similar to Cincinnati, the head coach is another positive. Brent Venables played linebacker in college and has coached the position for nearly three decades, building a reputation for strong development that figures to continue in Norman. – Kenyon, Bleacher Report

Much of the optimism surrounding the Oklahoma Sooners on defense stems from the addition of Brent Venables and what he’s been able to accomplish as a defensive coordinator for more than two decades. Venables was a part of three national championship-winning teams and played for several more because of the defensive prowess he brought to the field.

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Oklahoma Sooners 7th in ESPN’s updated future rankings

Though the Oklahoma Sooners saw a ton of turnover after 2021, the future is still bright as ESPN ranked them 7th in their future rankings.

Change can be tough. The Oklahoma Sooners saw a lot of change in a short time in November and December. While it created many questions about the program’s future, new head coach Brent Venables provided a steady hand at the wheel to restore confidence in Oklahoma.

That’s why, despite all of the turnover, Oklahoma remains in high regard across the country and is considered a contender in the Big 12 and for a playoff spot. The Sooners will face challenges from Baylor, Oklahoma State and Texas (as they do seemingly every year), but after the Sooners’ work in the transfer portal and in their 2022 recruiting class, folks are confident Oklahoma will be competing for the conference title at the end of the season.

Every offseason, ESPN takes a look at where each team stands in regard to the present and the future. After being ranked No. 4 in the 2021 version of these rankings, the Sooners fell to No. 7 in 2022. Let’s take a look at what Adam Rittenberg had to say about the Sooners’ rankings.