Tag: Dasan McCullough

Oklahoma Sooners inside the USA TODAY Sports way too early top 25 for 2023

Oklahoma looks to be a bounce-back candidate for the 2023 season, making USA TODAY Sports way too early top 25 for next year.

Coming off of a 6-7 season in which the defense struggled for most of the Big 12 schedule, it’s a bit surprising that the Oklahoma Sooners find themselves inside the top 25 of these way too early 2023 power rankings.

Whether it was CBS Sports or 247Sports, it appears the Sooners will be a popular bounce-back candidate this offseason. To that end, Oklahoma was included in the top 25 of USA TODAY Sports’ way too early power rankings for 2023 by Paul Myerburg.

It has to get better. There’s plenty of talent on offense to team with established starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel. Based on his track record, it feels very safe to expect the defense to take a huge leap in Brent Venables’ second season. The Sooners will also be a deeper and more experienced team after almost completely redoing the roster last winter and making significant headway in the transfer portal this offseason. Don’t forget that five of OU’s seven losses came by a touchdown or less, so simply returning to the mean in these close games would bring OU back into the eight-or-nine win range. – Myerburg, USA TODAY Sports

Myerburg makes a great point, that if Oklahoma split the five games in which they lost by a touchdown or less, the Sooners would have been at least an eight-win team. Four of those five losses came by a field goal. Improved depth on defense could help the Sooners better withstand late surges by their opponents. P

Getting [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] back is a great start to rebounding after the Sooners’ first losing season since 1998. Having quarterback continuity amid some key losses on the offensive side of the ball will help calm the waters. But more important than that is the work Brent Venables and his staff have done to add immediate difference-makers to the defense in the [autotag]2022-2023 transfer portal[/autotag].

Guys like [autotag]Rondell Bothroyd[/autotag], [autotag]Jacob Lacey[/autotag], [autotag]Trace Ford[/autotag], [autotag]Reggie Pearson[/autotag], and [autotag]Dasan McCullough[/autotag] are ready-made players that will step in and either start or be a part of the two-deep on the Sooners’ initial depth chart when they break camp next fall. Bothroyd, Ford, and McCullough, in particular, bring pass rush productivity to Norman to help a defensive front that struggled with pass rush consistency in 2022. Add that group to Reggie Grimes, who started 2022 hot and Ethan Downs, who finished strong down the stretch, and the Sooners are building quite the arsenal at defensive end.

Improving the defense is the key to the Sooners returning to contention in the Big 12 in 2023. Moving the needle from 30 points per game to closer to 20 will make the biggest difference for the Sooners. It’s too early to tell how all the pieces will come together, but based on what they’ve done in the transfer portal thus far, the Oklahoma Sooners are trending in the right direction.

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Oklahoma Sooners going all-in to improve defense for 2023

The Oklahoma Sooners are going all-in via the transfer portal to fix a defense that was one of the worst in the country in 2022.

The transfer portal has created a bit of a chaotic element in the world of college football. Players that coaches expect to be around for three to five years may depart after just one season with the immediate eligibility transfer rule.

At the same time, there’s beauty in the transfer portal as well. A team like the Oklahoma Sooners, coming off its worst season since 1998, isn’t forced to stand pat and wait on its players to develop.

After the 2022 season, in which the defense ranked in the bottom 30 of college football and allowed 30 points per game, the Sooners are aggressively improving the talent on the defensive roster for 2023.

[autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] and the Oklahoma Sooners have added six players on the defensive side through the transfer portal. And that doesn’t include [autotag]Kendel Dolby[/autotag], who they brought in as a junior college addition through the 2023 recruiting class. So far, they’ve earned transfer commitments from:

  • [autotag]Jacob Lacey[/autotag], DT from Notre Dame
  • [autotag]Dasan McCullough[/autotag], Edge/LB from Indiana
  • [autotag]Reggie Pearson[/autotag], S from Texas Tech
  • [autotag]Trace Ford[/autotag], DE from Oklahoma State
  • [autotag]Rondell Bothroyd[/autotag], DL from Wake Forest
  • [autotag]Davon Sears[/autotag], DT from Texas State

That’s a lot of experience and a lot of production at the collegiate level to add to the defensive depth chart for 2023.

Rondell Bothroyd brings 14 sacks and 26.5 tackles for loss over the last two seasons to Norman. Dasan McCullough had a standout season as a true freshman for the Hoosiers and was an ESPN true freshman All-American. We were witnesses to the thunderous tackling ability that Reggie Pearson brings to the Sooners’ secondary in Oklahoma’s loss to Texas Tech in 2022. Jacob Lacey didn’t play much for Notre Dame in 2022, but he was effective in the three games played.

Trace Ford has battled injuries in Stillwater but has been productive when he played. In his first two seasons at Oklahoma State, Ford procured 7.5 sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss as a true freshman and sophomore. Davon Sears has taken the winding road to the Power Five after spending time at Ellsworth Community College and Texas State. He was an effective interior defensive line presence for the Bobcats, even if the numbers aren’t eye-popping.

The Sooners have some defensive building blocks to work with, including [autotag]Ethan Downs,[/autotag] [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag], [autotag]R Mason Thomas[/autotag], [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag], [autotag]Isaiah Coe[/autotag] and [autotag]Jordan Kelley[/autotag].

They have some young guys from the 2022 recruiting class that will have a chance to be impact players in 2023, such as [autotag]Jaren Kanak[/autotag], [autotag]Kobie McKinzie[/autotag], [autotag]Kip Lewis[/autotag], [autotag]Gracen Halton[/autotag], [autotag]Gentry Williams[/autotag], [autotag]Robert Spears-Jennings[/autotag] and [autotag]Jayden Rowe[/autotag]. The Sooners have signed arguably the best defensive recruiting class they’ve had in years.

However, Venables and his coaching staff aren’t waiting around. After a 6-7 season, they felt the mandate to make significant additions to the roster to improve the talent, and they’ve done that. It doesn’t mean Oklahoma will contend for the Big 12 title and the College Football Playoff, but they’re not sitting back to see if the young talent will take the steps this offseason to be the difference makers the Sooners’ defense needs to make significant strides in 2023.

They’ll have a lot to prove when they get into the Big 12 part of their schedule next season. Nonconference play will not give us much of an indication of where this defense is next season. However, with what they’ve done in the transfer portal, the defense should be on an upward trajectory.

[autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] and his staff are doing everything they can to fix the defense, and their work in the transfer portal is indicative of those efforts.

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New Sooner Dasan McCullough one of College Wire’s 10 best true freshmen of 2022

After being named to the ESPN True Freshmen All-American team, Dasan McCullough was one of College Wire’s ten best true freshmen of 2022.

There’s a lot at stake for the Oklahoma Sooners in year two of the [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] era. After a 6-7 season in which the defense struggled for much of the year, allowing 30 points per game, the Sooners much show improvement in 2023.

In an effort to improve a defense that allowed 35 points or more in seven games this season, Venables and his staff have been aggressive in the transfer portal. They brought in the top EDGE portal option, [autotag]Dasan McCullough[/autotag]. McCullough was named to ESPN’s true freshmen All-American team after posting 6.5 tackles for loss and four sacks in his only season with the Indiana Hoosiers.

A versatile and athletic player, McCullough could step in and play defensive end but also may be an option at Cheetah for Venables. After a strong true freshman season, McCullough was ranked the No. 10 true freshman in 2022 by Regional Editor of the College Wires at USA TODAY Sports Patrick Conn.

McCullough had offers to play at Ohio State, Alabama, and Georgia among others but opted to stay home with Indiana. The No. 9 edge player of the 2022 class finished out his freshman campaign with 6.5 TFLs (third on the team), and 4.0 sacks (first on the team). McCullough will join his brother on the Oklahoma Sooners in 2023. – Conn, Regional Editor – College Wires at USA TODAY Sports

McCullough figures to be an impact player for the Sooners in 2023. With his athleticism, length, and versatility, the Sooners could line him up at a variety of spots and make him a mismatch nightmare.

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Incoming transfer Dasan McCullough makes ESPN’s true freshman All-America team

Incoming transfer Dasan McCullough was named to ESPN’s true freshman All-American team after a standout season with the Indiana Hoosiers.

When the game-winning kick sailed through the uprights in the Oklahoma Sooners’ overtime loss to Texas Tech, the biggest offseason priority was plain to see. Brent Venables and the Oklahoma staff needed to address the defense.

After looking strong to start the season against UTEP, Kent State, and Nebraska, the Sooners struggled for nearly the entirety of Big 12 play. One of the major culprits was the Sooners’ pass rush. Linebacker depth was also an issue.

One player that will have an impact on improving Oklahoma’s defense is incoming Indiana transfer Dasan McCullough. McCullough, who played on the edge for the Hoosiers, could also factor into the Sooners’ cheetah competition to replace DaShaun White.

Coming off a strong true freshman season for the Hoosiers, the incredibly athletic McCullough was named to ESPN’s true freshman All-American team by Tom VanHaaren.

McCullough was the highest-ranked recruit to sign with Indiana since the ESPN 300 was formed in 2006 at No. 43 overall. He played in 12 games this season for the Hoosiers and had 49 total tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and four sacks along with three quarterback hurries. He transferred to Oklahoma after the season finished and will try to improve a Sooners defense that allowed 29.6 points and 450.5 yards per game in 2022. – VanHaaren, ESPN

At 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds, McCullough has the size to be a terror for offensive tackles as a pass rusher. A former high school safety, McCullough has experience in coverage and will be a piece that Brent Venables can either use as a linebacker or drop into coverage at Cheetah. The possibilities are endless.

With a strong freshman season to build on, McCullough is an important addition via the transfer portal and will have a huge impact for the Oklahoma Sooners.

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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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Oklahoma Sooners winners last week with hot start in the transfer portal per ESPN

With big-time moves on both sides of the ball, ESPN dubbed Oklahoma winners for their early work in the transfer portal.

One week does not an offseason make, but the Oklahoma Sooners got off to a great start in the transfer portal. With [autotag]Jacob Lacey[/autotag] already locked in, the Sooners brought back former tight end [autotag]Austin Stogner[/autotag] and landed the top edge rusher in the transfer class, [autotag]Dasan McCullough[/autotag].

That start earned the Sooners mention in last week’s recap of the portal from ESPN’s Tom VanHaaren.

The Sooners are a winner for bettering the offense with tight end Austin Stogner, who transferred to South Carolina last year but will return to Norman for 2023, and the defense with Indiana linebacker Dasan McCullough, a former top-50 recruit who wreaked havoc for the Hoosiers’ defense in 2022. And while it doesn’t count toward the portal, the staff also landed a commitment from McCullough’s younger brother, Daeh, an ESPN 300 safety in the 2023 class. – VanHaaren, ESPN

The addition of McCullough provides the Sooners with a player that can either take over at Cheetah or mix in immediately with their EDGE rotation. A former safety, McCullough led the Indiana Hoosiers with four sacks and was third in tackles for loss with 6.5. As a true freshman. His length and athleticism will create nightmares for opposing offensive coordinators.

On the other side of the ball, Austin Stogner returns with an opportunity to put up a career year in Jeff Lebby’s offense, just like [autotag]Brayden Willis[/autotag] did in 2022.

Stogner, arguably a better receiver, should thrive with a full-time role after sharing tight end/H-back duties each of the last two seasons. He had just 26 targets with the Sooners in 2021 but recorded three touchdowns. That’s a touchdown every 8.67 targets. With seven touchdowns on 53 targets, Willis had a TD every 7.57 targets. That’s a lower rate, but with [autotag]Theo Wease[/autotag] gone and more of a full-time opportunity, Stogner could experience a similar breakout as his former teammate Willis.

With little experience at the tight end position as Oklahoma looks toward 2023, the Sooners needed to add a veteran presence. And tight ends coach [autotag]Joe Jon Finley[/autotag] brought in a familiar face.

Oklahoma still has some work to do in the portal as they look to lock up their recruiting class. But if their first week in the transfer portal is any indication, the Sooners will be in great shape.

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With Dasan McCullough commitment, Sooners lead 247Sports transfer portal rankings

With commitments from Jacob Lacey, Austin Stogner, and Dasan McCullough, the Sooners lead 247Sports transfer portal rankings. From @john9williams

Oklahoma is off to a hot start in the transfer portal after earning a commitment from the top edge in the portal, [autotag]Dasan McCullough[/autotag]. With the commitments of McCullough, [autotag]Austin Stogner[/autotag] and [autotag]Jacob Lacey[/autotag], the Sooners are No. 1 in 247Sports transfer portal rankings.

Brent Venables and his staff will continue to be active in the portal as they look to improve a defense that was one of the worst in the nation in 2022. The additions of McCullough and Lacey are a start. Given the departures of linebackers [autotag]David Ugwoegbu[/autotag] and [autotag]DaShaun White[/autotag], the Sooners might need to add a veteran presence at linebacker.

The Sooners have been very active at wide receiver, pursuing five pass catchers from across the country. It could be [autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag] will indeed pursue the NFL or simply that the Sooners aren’t thrilled with their depth behind Mims (if he returns). They’re targeting productive, Day 1 contributors and players with upside.

Offensive line transfer portal additions have been good to the Sooners the last couple of seasons. They have received strong play from [autotag]Chris Murray[/autotag], [autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag] and [autotag]Wanya Morris[/autotag]. With Anton Harrison, Murray and Morris off to the NFL, the Sooners could afford to add some competition to their young talent.

In the early stages of the transfer portal, the Oklahoma Sooners lead the nation in 247Sports team transfer portal rankings with the additions of their three former four-star players. Expect Oklahoma to stay at or near the top as they continue to portal shop this holiday season.

Here’s a look at the top 11.

Oklahoma Sooners earn commitment from 2023 4-star S Daeh McCullough

The Sooners earned a commitment from 2023 four-star safety Daeh McCullough. From @john9williams

The Oklahoma Sooners 2023 recruiting class received a boost on Monday night with the commitment of four-star safety [autotag]Daeh McCullough[/autotag].

McCullough flips from the Cincinnati Bearcats, with whom he’d been committed since August. With Luke Fickell leaving Cincinnati for Wisconsin, the opportunity arose for the Sooners to add an impact safety to the 2023 class.

McCullough ranks as a top 35 safety in the On3 consensus and 247Sports composite and a top five player in the state of Indiana. McCullough joins his brother Dasan McCullough in Norman. The older McCullough committed to the Sooners out of the transfer portal.

The McCullough brothers are the sons of Deland McCullough, who currently coaches running backs at Notre Dame. Prior to landing his gig with the Fighting Irish, Deland was the running backs coach with Indiana. No longer there, the McCulloughs sought opportunities elsewhere, and Oklahoma was able to add two talented defenders.

Here’s what “Locked On Hoosiers” Jacob Rude and Sports Illustrated’s John Garcia had to say about the younger McCullough following his decommitment from Indiana this summer. There are some thoughts on the older McCullough from the two as well.

Just last week, the Sooners were projected to flip Daeh McCullough from the Bearcats. Now those projections have become a reality. Here’s what I had to say about what he brings to Brent Venables’ defense when the projections first hit.

On Daeh, the four-star safety brings good size at 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds. McCullough plays fast, coming downhill in a hurry in run support from single-high safety looks. Playing both ways for St. Joseph’s High School, Daeh shows off good ball skills, attacking the ball in the air and knows what to do with it when he has it in his hands. He times his blitzes well as both a pass rusher and run defender. He’s sticky in man coverage and able to carry players across the formation.

With the early signing period less than two weeks away, Oklahoma looks to close the 2023 recruiting class in a big way. Peyton Bowen and David Hicks are the big names the Sooners remain in contention for, but there will likely be a few surprises as well.

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Sooners land top EDGE in the transfer portal in Dasan McCullough

Oklahoma landed the commitment of Dasan McCullough, the nation’s best EDGE transfer in the portal. From @thatmanbryant

The Oklahoma Sooners added talent to their defense on Monday night with the commitment of Dasan McCullough. McCullough transfers in from Indiana, where he played a lot for the Hoosiers as a true freshman.

McCullough is ranked as No. 9 overall and is the No. 1 EDGE in the portal per 247Sports.

McCullough put together a really good freshman season for the Hoosiers in which he was named a Freshman All-American midseason by The Athletic and earned All-Big Ten Honorable Mention.

McCullough racked up 49 total tackles, four sacks, and 6.5 tackles for loss. At 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds, he has a great frame with length to be a problem on the edge for opposing offensive lines.

Oklahoma was at the front of the line the moment he entered his name into the portal due to the connection cornerbacks coach Jay Valai has with McCullough’s father. Deland, who now coaches Notre Dame’s running backs spent time together with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Here’s what Jacob Rude of the “Locked On Hoosiers” podcast had to say about Dasan McCullough.

He’s a versatile, uber-athletic player. When John Garcia (Sports Illustrateds director of national recruiting) came on to talk about him, he called him a “monster back” which is a phrase I love. In high school, he played safety but I’m not sure he can do that in college. He split time between LB and as an edge rusher this year, mainly the latter. He played a LOT as a true freshman which is both an indictment on how bad IU is and how good he is. I’d say an edge rusher is probably his best fit long-term, but he’s athletic enough that I could see him playing more LB down the road and definitely in passing situations. He can get into the backfield and disrupt plays and pressure the QB. Really a special talent that is going to make an impact right away anywhere. – Rude, Locked On Hoosiers

Josh Pate from the Late Kick show shared his thoughts on Dasan McCullough.

 

The commitment gives the Sooners a high upside, a bonafide playmaker at a position they needed impact players from. To combine McCullough with All Big-12 second team’s Ethan Downs and Reggie Grimes and the lightning-quick R Mason Thomas, the Sooners have upgraded their defensive end room.

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Several Oklahoma targets rank among ESPN’s best transfer portal players

Where did Oklahoma’s transfer targets rank among ESPN’s best in the transfer portal?

Retooling through the transfer portal has become an important part of roster turnover for every football team in America. In large part due to the portal, but also because of graduation and NFL draft losses, it’s become imperative to attack the portal looking for talent.

In Brent Venables first offseason, the Sooners added difference makers Dillon Gabriel, Jeffery Johnson, Jonah La’ulu, and C.J. Coldon. They’ll hope to do it again this offseason with needs at nearly every position group on the depth chart.

The Sooners have been active, extending offers to wide receivers, tight ends, and defensive linemen. It remains to be seen who will be Sooners this spring, but several of their targets appeared on ESPN’s ranking of the top transfer portal players. Let’s take a look at what Tom VanHaaren of ESPN had to say about each Oklahoma target (ESPN+) and where they rank on his list.