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Oklahoma Sooners Spring Game: Stream, broadcast info for Saturday

How to watch or listen and start time for Oklahoma’s spring game on Saturday.

The Oklahoma Sooners will play their annual spring game this Saturday, April 23, and if you’re wondering how you can watch the action live, you’ve come to the right place.

It’s a dawn of a new era for the Oklahoma Sooners. Though [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] and his coaching staff have been in town for four months now, the Sooners’ spring game marks a seminal moment to kick off the Venables era. It’s the coaches’ and fans’ first opportunity to see the team play in a game-like situation.

“We’re going to split the squad up. I’m going to have a Red and White team. Dillon (Gabriel) will play a little bit of quarterback for both sides, but otherwise, we’re going to split it evenly,” Venables shared with the media on Tuesday. “Coaches as well. We’ll name the head coaches here another day, as well. We’ll let the players know by Thursday who’s on what team, and then we’ll have it all juiced up on different sidelines.”

With 12 players declared for next week’s NFL draft and quite a few who departed via the transfer portal, the Sooners have quite a few snaps up for grabs as they close out the spring. Saturday’s game will prove to be a big-time opportunity for someone to assert themselves in their position battles ahead of the 2022 college football season.

Here’s when you should tune in to see the game:

Date: April 23
Time: 3 p.m. CT
Live Stream: SoonerSports.com (Subscription Required)
Listen: Streaming on The Varsity Network App
Ticket Info can be found at SoonerSports.com
Replay of the event will be shown on Bally Sports Saturday night at 10:30 p.m. CT and on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. CT.

Oklahoma injury report:

No injuries have been disclosed.

Players to watch:

At quarterback [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] is expected to play for both the red and the white teams during the spring game. Sooners fans will get their first opportunity to see highly-regarded freshman [autotag]Nick Evers[/autotag]. Evers is the favorite to win the quarterback job.

In the passing game, Oklahoma’s looking to replace four of their top five pass-catchers from 2021, but the return of [autotag]Theo Wease[/autotag], who sat out nearly all of 2021 bodes huge for this team.

Running back has a lot of talent led by [autotag]Eric Gray[/autotag]. [autotag]Marcus Major[/autotag] is bouncing back from a 2021 season marred by academic ineligibility. [autotag]Jovantae Barnes[/autotag] has been turning heads in camp for his progression during his first semester with the Sooners.

The offensive line returns three of their five starters and picked up a huge addition via the portal in [autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag]. How this unit improves from last season and gels together for 2022 are huge storylines to follow in the spring game and this summer.

On defense, how they replace the production from the defensive linemen who departed for the NFL draft is the biggest question Oklahoma’s facing. [autotag]Ethan Downs[/autotag], [autotag]Reggie Grimes[/autotag], [autotag]Marcus Stripling[/autotag], and Jonah La’ulu figure to make up the defensive end rotation while newcomer [autotag]Jeffery Johnson[/autotag] and [autotag]Jalen Redmond[/autotag] appear to be the starters along the interior defensive line.

Linebacker appears to be the deepest position group on the roster led by [autotag]DaShaun White[/autotag] and [autotag]David Ugwoegbu[/autotag]. [autotag]Shane Whitter[/autotag] and [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] will play significant roles and newcomers [autotag]Kobie McKinzie,[/autotag] Jaren Kanak, and [autotag]Kip Lewis[/autotag] could factor into the rotation in 2022.

In the secondary, the Sooners have to replace [autotag]Delarrin Turner-Yell[/autotag] and [autotag]Pat Fields[/autotag], two players with a ton of experience. They’ve got potential answers in [autotag]Key Lawrence[/autotag], [autotag]Justin Broiles[/autotag], and [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag], but who starts for the Sooners at safety remains to be seen.

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Oklahoma Sooners 2022 football schedule

Oklahoma Sooners 2022 football schedule.

The 2022 season for the Oklahoma Sooners marks a new beginning for one of the most storied programs in the history of college football.

Returning to help the Oklahoma Sooners embark on the next chapter is [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag], who will make his head coaching debut against the UTEP Miners in Norman on Sept. 3. There’s no doubt that the Sooners’ fanbase will be fired up to watch and support their new head coach.

Also returning is former student assistant, now offensive coordinator [autotag]Jeff Lebby[/autotag]. Lebby’s bringing his high-octane offense to the Sooners and brings along a former quarterback with him in [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag].

Gabriel’s experience helps the Sooners avoid a drop-off at quarterback with both starters from the 2021 season transferring out. Gabriel and the Oklahoma offense get a boost from the return of [autotag]Theo Wease[/autotag] who was out for 2021 due to an injury and initially entered the transfer portal only to return. The receiving yardage leader from the 2020 and 2021 seasons, [autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag], is back as well to give Oklahoma a nice duo on the outside.

The biggest question facing the Sooners is how they retool a defense that lost six starters from the 2021 season. But with support in the transfer portal from [autotag]Trey Morrison[/autotag], [autotag]Jonah Laulu[/autotag], and [autotag]Jeffery Johnson[/autotag] and some rising stars in Ethan Downs, [autotag]Key Lawrence[/autotag], [autotag]Reggie Grimes[/autotag], [autotag]Marcus Stripling[/autotag], [autotag]Jalen Redmond[/autotag], [autotag]Woodi Washington[/autotag], and [autotag]DaShaun White[/autotag], the Sooners have answers.

Despite all of the turnover, the Oklahoma Sooners are still a contender for the Big 12 and if things go right could find themselves in contention for a College Football Playoff berth.

Some game times and broadcast information are still to be determined. Times are listed in the central time zone.

Week	Date	Opponent	Time
1	9/3	vs. UT-El Paso Miners	TBA
2	9/10	vs. Kent State Golden Flashes	TBA
3	9/17	at Nebraska Cornhuskers	TBA
4	9/24	vs. Kansas State Wildcats	TBA
5	10/1	at TCU Horned Frogs	TBA
6	10/8	vs. Texas Longhorns in Dallas	TBA
7	10/15	vs. Kansas Jayhawks	TBA
8	10/22	at. BYE WEEK
9	10/27	at Iowa State Cyclones	TBA
10	11/5	vs. Baylor Bears	TBA
11	11/12	at West Virginia Mountaineers	TBA
12	11/19	vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys	TBA
13	11/26	at Texas Tech Red Raiders	TBA

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Freshman Jaren Kanak one of 247Sports’ freshmen to watch this spring

247Sports lists Jaren Kanak as a freshman to watch in the Oklahoma Sooners 2022 spring game.

There are still about three weeks separating the Oklahoma Sooners from taking the field for their first spring game under [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] but that hasn’t slowed the hype train.

There are a slew of new players that will make their Oklahoma debut in April’s spring game and 247Sports’ Sam Marsdale has their eye on a particular freshman on Oklahoma’s defense; linebacker [autotag]Jaren Kanak[/autotag].

Kanak was committed to Clemson but followed Brent Venables to Norman after he accepted the head coaching job with the Sooners. Track guy who has run as fast as 10.37 at over 200 pounds,” Trieu wrote in his evaluation of Kanak. “Multi-positional player in high school but future projection is most likely outside linebacker. An explosive player who has good burst, acceleration, and obvious speed to pursue on defense. Ball skills he shows on offense should translate to defense where he should be a strong coverage backer if that is indeed where he ends up playing. Times his blitzes well, and when combined with his quickness, that allows him to penetrate and make plays in the backfield.- Sam Marsdale, 247Sports

Kanak’s journey to Oklahoma was a bit of a crazy one. However, the bond he forged early on in his recruitment with Venables won out. Kanak joins one of Oklahoma’s most talented position groups at linebacker. [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag], [autotag]DaShaun White[/autotag], [autotag]David Ugwoegbu[/autotag], [autotag]Shane Whitter[/autotag], and four-star freshman [autotag]Kobie McKinzie[/autotag] all are competing for time at Oklahoma’s second level.

Kanak stands out as he may be the most athletic of them all and he’s only 18 years old. He will most likely see snaps in the spring game and it will be intriguing to see how he looks with those reps. How he diagnoses a play, reacts, what angles he takes, and how well he’s able to shed blocks are what to watch for as he tries to make a case for meaningful playing time in the fall.

While Kanak is the name that got highlighted, there are two other freshmen we look forward to watching on April 23; [autotag]Jovantae Barnes[/autotag] and [autotag]Nick Evers[/autotag]. Even though neither is projected to be a starter, both will play critical roles as depth should the upperclassmen and players in front of them go down with an injury. In essence, both players could be one play away.

Barnes, a four-star running back out of Las Vegas, figures to see plenty of snaps as the Sooners won’t run [autotag]Eric Gray[/autotag] and [autotag]Marcus Major[/autotag] too much considering they are their two top backs. Barnes will get the opportunity to run the ball and show what he can bring to the running game. He’s a few steps ahead of his fellow 2022 signee in [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag]. Sawchuk won’t be joining the program until the summertime. Barnes can separate himself and earn the RB3 role with a great performance in the spring game.

Evers has an even more important role as he could potentially be the Sooners’ backup quarterback. He is a true freshman of course but with the Sooners not having another battle-tested scholarship quarterback on the roster that backup responsibility falls firmly on the shoulders of Evers.

The former four-star QB out of Texas is a talented dual-threat player that has already taken advantage of Oklahoma’s strength and conditioning program. Acclimating himself to the speed of collegiate defenses and reading defenses will be his biggest hurdle but he’ll get plenty of reps this spring and in the spring game to showcase how far he has come under Jeff Lebby’s tutelage. The Sooners hope he shows enough that they can trust him if need be to come in for starter Dillon Gabriel should Gabriel miss snaps at all this season.

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2022 Spring Preview: How does Oklahoma stack up at linebacker?

First-year head coach Brent Venables has a talented group of linebackers to begin his tenure in Norman. Here’s a look at the group entering the spring.

First-year head coach Brent Venables has a history of delivering aggressive defense. It’s why his defenses have led the nation in tackles for loss (1,159) and sacks (448) since 2012. One group that should benefit from that aggression are the Sooners’ linebackers.

As spring practices get underway on March 22, what do Venables, defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Ted Roof and Oklahoma have at linebacker?

CBS tabs Brent Venables’ return to Oklahoma as one of the top spring storylines

CBS Sports reporter Dennis Dodd writes that Brent Venables taking over at Oklahoma is one of college football’s top spring storylines.

For a long time, the prevailing thought was that Brent Venables was too happy as Clemson’s defensive coordinator to accept any head coaching position. Why take on the stress of being a head coach when Venables’ compensation at $2.5 million was tops among assistant coaches?

Plus, Clemson won a pair of national championships under Venables’ watch and the Tigers’ defenses under Venables boasted the most sacks and tackles for loss nationally with 448 and 1,159, respectively. It would have to be the perfect opportunity to pry Venables away from all of that at Clemson.

Ultimately, that’s precisely what Oklahoma wound up being for Venables. Now, CBS Sports reporter Dennis Dodd writes that Venables’ return to Oklahoma is one of the top spring storylines as the gear up for the 2022 college football season gets underway.

Oklahoma looked in disarray after Riley bolted for USC. Who would the Sooners get of substance who was available? It ended up being Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables, who had previously been unavailable to basically everyone. After turning down interest from several schools over the years, Venables came “home”. The former Sooners defensive coordinator under Bob Stoops inherits a football factory in full flower. Watch the defense this spring; Oklahoma will play it better than it has in years. Take a long look. Venables is the face of the franchise as it transitions into the SEC. – Dodd, CBS Sports.

That’s certainly the expectation and buzz around Norman with Venables taking over. Folks anticipate a different defense moving forward into 2022 and beyond.

One of the big pieces of news heading into the offseason was the return of senior linebacker DaShaun White who racked up 66 tackles and five tackles for loss. The North Richland Hills, Texas, native’s 66 tackles were good for third best on the Sooners last season. White will be joined in a talented linebacker group by returnees Danny Stutsman, David Ugwoegbu, Brynden Walker, Joseph Wete and Shane Whitter. OU also added Appalachian State transfer T.D. Roof to go along with linebacker signees Jaren Kanak, Kip Lewis and Kobie McKinzie.

Oklahoma also brings back defensive tackle Jalen Redmond who appears prepared to blossom into this defense’s star up front. Over the course of his career, Redmond has collected 21.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks. The Sooners fortified themselves up front with the additions of Tulane transfer Jeffery Johnson and Hawaii transfer Jonah Laulu.

Plus, Isaiah Coe, Josh Ellison, Jordan Kelley and Kori Roberson return inside. There’s plenty of optimism at OU about the futures of Ethan Downs, Nathan Rawlins-Kibonge, Clayton Smith and Marcus Stripling, too.

In the secondary, the Sooners return their two starting cornerbacks in D.J. Graham and Woodi Washington. Key Lawrence played both corner and safety last season. It’s likely that Lawrence will start alongside Justin Broiles at OU’s two safety spots entering 2022. OU added competition on the back end via the transfer portal, though. Wyoming transfer C.J. Coldon, North Carolina transfer Trey Morrison and Louisville transfer Kani Walker will make things interesting for Oklahoma safeties and cornerbacks coaches Brandon Hall and Jay Valai during the spring and summer.

While it’s certainly a grand transition at Oklahoma, there’s plenty of reason to believe that Venables already possesses a roster capable of turning the corner defensively as soon as 2022. At Oklahoma, fans understandably don’t like to wait very long, so the Sooners’ expectations should be to redeem themselves by winning the 2022 Big 12 Championship and be back in the mix for a College Football Playoff berth.

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Brent Venables expected to have the biggest impact of new coaches in 2022 by ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg

ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg selected Brent Venables as his coach that would have the biggest impact among new coaches in 2022.

The same national media member that spent yesterday declaring that Oklahoma fans’ reactions to Lincoln Riley’s departure doesn’t jive with the fan base’s excitement for the start of the Brent Venables era is apparently a believer in Venables’ chances to deliver one of the biggest impacts among new head coaches in 2022.

Interesting point. Doesn’t match OU fan reaction to him leaving. https://t.co/eSQUmD0vxl

— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) February 24, 2022

The very same ESPN writer Adam Rittenberg picked Oklahoma head football coach Brent Venables as his new coach that would have the biggest impact on the 2022 college football season. Here’s what Rittenberg wrote in his ESPN roundtable thoughts on Venables.

Riley would be my pick, too, but in the interest of variety, I’m going with the man who replaces him at Oklahoma. Brent Venables generated a lot of immediate goodwill because he sees Oklahoma as a destination job, and because he’s not Riley, the scourge of humanity in the Sooner State. But Venables must show he’s not like Riley, at least when it comes to developing a championship-caliber defense. The Big 12 is changing to feature a more complementary, physical style of play, and the timing for Venables’ arrival couldn’t be much better.

OU’s ability to win this new version of the Big 12 comes down to improving talent and execution on defense, which is a reasonable Year 1 goal for Venables. The offense should still be dangerous with Lebby and Gabriel, but a drop-off is likely, which puts even more pressure on Venables’ defense to pick up the slack. – Rittenberg, ESPN.

With Venables grabbing the reigns, there’s reason for optimism that OU has the head coach to help Oklahoma turn the corner defensively and return to national prominence on the side of the football that has been littered with oftentimes embarrassing moments over the past decade. Since 2012—the year Venables first joined Clemson—Venables’ defenses have led the nation in sacks with 488 and tackles for loss with 1,159.

Oklahoma is replacing six starters on defense: defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey, defensive lineman Isaiah Thomas, outside linebacker Nik Bonitto, linebacker Brian Asamoah and safeties Patrick Fields and Delarrin Turner-Yell.

Up front, Jalen Redmond should be one of Oklahoma’s stars. Over the course of Redmond’s career, the 6-foot-2, 279 pound defensive lineman has registered 48 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks in 24 career games. OU also added Tulane transfer Jeffery Johnson and Hawaii transfer Jonah Laulu to its defensive line. Johnson had 44 tackles, five tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks last season with Tulane, while Laulu recorded 34 tackles, eight tackles for loss and four sacks.

At linebacker, OU got a nice boost when DaShaun White decided to return for another season. White was Oklahoma’s third-leading tackler with 66 last season. Oklahoma also brings back linebacker David Ugwoegbu who finished with 49 tackles.

Plus, there’s so much excitement about sophomore-to-be Danny Stutsman. Stutsman finished 2021 with 38 tackles in 10 games. The Sooners are bringing in Appalachian State transfer linebacker T.D. Roof along with four-star linebacker signees Jaren Kanak, Kobie McKinzie and Kip Lewis.

In the defensive backfield, OU returns its two starting cornerbacks in D.J. Graham and Woodi Washington. Key Lawrence played both cornerback and safety and appears like he will be a fixture in the Sooners’ secondary. Justin Briles enjoyed a breakout season for Oklahoma and he’s back as well. OU added transfer defensive backs C.J. Coldon and Trey Morrison who have extended playing time from their stints at Wyoming and North Carolina, respectively. Coldon racked up 68 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and had 10 pass breakups in 2021. Morrison ended last season with 47 tackles and four pass breakups.

Again, there’s been plenty of defensive personnel shakeup, but Oklahoma has made use of the transfer portal to replenish its roster to go along with the playmakers OU already had on campus. It may take the first month of the season for the Sooners to gel together defensively, but there’s reason to believe Oklahoma will be better defensively in 2022 and beyond.

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Oklahoma’s 2018 signing class re-ranked No. 34 by The Athletic

Four years later, The Athletic re-ranked OU’s 2018 class No. 34 nationally. It was originally the No. 9 class in the 247Sports composite.

There’s always excitement on national signing day when a class is officially inked. It’s hard to argue against the importance of signing one of the nation’s best classes, too.

In the five signing classes leading up to its national championship season, each of college football’s past five national champions had at least two top-10 classes in the 247Sports composite rankings. Clemson in the 2018 college football season was the only national champion of the last five to not have recorded three or more top-five signing classes in its five most recent signing classes.

Ahead of their respective championship seasons, the average rankings for each of the past five national champions’ last five recruiting rankings in the 247Sports composite rankings look like this: 2021 Georgia averaged out at 2.2, 2020 Alabama at 2, 2019 LSU at 6.8, 2018 Clemson at 11.8 and 2017 Alabama at 1.

So, it makes sense why Oklahoma fans would be pleased with what is currently rated as the No. 8 signing class in the 2022 cycle according to 247Sports, Rivals, and On3.

It’s fair to argue that signing classes are perhaps best judged several years later. That’s what The Athletic has been attempting to do over the past couple of years.

In The Athletic’s look back at college football’s 2018 signing classes, Oklahoma’s 2018 class was re-ranked No. 34 nationally (subscription). OU’s 2018 signing class was originally the No. 9 class in the 247Sports composite rankings.

Here are the criteria that The Athletic used to re-rank the classes:

The scoring system for grading these classes remains the same, a 0-to-5 scale. We’re assessing scholarship players and walk-ons who earned scholarships by what they’ve achieved in four years, not projecting what they could do in the future.

5 points: All-American, award winner, top-50 NFL Draft pick
4: Multiyear starter, all-conference honors
3: One-year starter or key reserve
2: Career backup
0: Minor or no contribution, left the program

Because class sizes vary, we focus on class average (total points divided by total signees) as the measuring stick. A wins bonus is added to each class based on its four-year record. The attrition rate listed counts all signees who left school due to transfer, grad transfer, dismissal, ineligibility or injury.

Which programs minimized their misses and developed true difference-makers over the past four years? – Max Olson, The Athletic.

In The Athletic’s 2018 class re-ranking, OU earned an average of 2.44. Fourteen classes that were originally in 247Sports’ top 25 of the 2018 composite team rankings fell out of the top 25 in this class re-rank.

In some ways, it may still be too early to fully judge Oklahoma’s 2018 signing class. For example, defensive tackle Jalen Redmond, linebacker DaShaun White and tight end Brayden Willis were members of that 2018 class, and all three figure to have important starting roles for OU in 2022.

The 2018 class also included defensive starters Brian Asamoah, Nik Bonitto, Pat Fields, Ronnie Perkins, and Delarrin Turner-Yell. Still, Oklahoma’s 2018 class has been ravaged by attrition and the highest-rated player in that OU class, offensive tackle Brey Walker, has been primarily a reserve and special teams player.

Out of that 2018 class, the following players transferred elsewhere: cornerback Brendan Radley-Hiles to Washington, defensive tackle Michael Thompson to Missouri Southern State, running back T.J. Pledger to Utah, defensive end Ron Tatum to Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, wide receiver Jaqualyn Crawford to Arkansas, quarterback Tanner Mordecai to SMU, wide receiver Jaylon Robinson to UCF, cornerback Miguel Edwards to Independence Community College and cornerback Starrland Baldwin to Laney College.

Offensive tackle Tramonda Moore was also dismissed from the team during the 2018 season.

Oklahoma defense has ‘good blend’ of returning players and newcomers

Oklahoma defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Ted Roof discussed what OU has added to its roster defensively.

Oklahoma is replacing six starters defensively, so there were always going to be plenty of new faces across the Sooners’ defense in 2022. It feels like quite the defensive overhaul, though, thanks to a rash of transfer portal additions, several late signees and a defensive coaching staff that’s brand new at every position group.

In addition to its 2022 signees, Oklahoma added transfer defensive linemen Jeffery Johnson from Tulane and Jonah Laulu from Hawaii; linebacker T.D. Roof from Appalachian State; and Wyoming transfer C.J. Coldon, North Carolina transfer Trey Morrison and Louisville transfer Kani Walker in the defensive backfield.

“The emphasis is get better at every spot, you know, because at a place like this, when you go through the grind of a season, you’ve got to have quality depth. One deep is not going to get it done. I know that we’ve got some guys that have started some games in the front, but we were able to address the defense at every level. Certainly, if you’re not winning up front on defense, you’re not going to win very many ball games. If you can’t get to the quarterback and you can’t stop the run, that’s going to be a long day at the office,” defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Ted Roof said on national signing day.

“We’ve got some guys returning that we’re really excited about. At the same time, needed to add depth there and we did between the portal and obviously high school. We’ve addressed it at every level and there’s opportunities. At the same time, really like what we’ve got here that were already on the roster, so I think it’ll be a good blend.”

Of course, Roof likes the numbers that Oklahoma has added across the board. Combining the signing class arrivals with transfer portal additions, OU is bringing in seven defensive linemen, four linebackers and seven defensive backs.

He also feels OU’s additions provide more than just balance in numbers across the board. According to Roof, they’re the right type of players to join Oklahoma.

“You want to as you recruit have the balance in your classes as you go along, but there were some things, opportunities and some things that were out of our control that created opportunities. When they came, we had to have first of all players that fit Oklahoma from a skill standpoint, from a character standpoint, from just a fit, because the longer that I’m in it, the more I believe it’s about getting players that fit where you are,” Roof said.

“Whether from a mentality standpoint, obviously from an ability standpoint, but from a work ethic standpoint, all those things where a guy has to fit because we’re a blue-collar program and you’ve got to work to be successful here. If you’re going to be in this program and be part of it, you’re going to have to put in the work and you’re going to have to grind, so getting the right type of young man in here was critical. Things had popped up where we knew some guys. I had recruited a couple of those kids before, so there was some opportunity there, some familiarity and it worked out.”

It makes sense because it’s the position group Roof will coach directly, but there’s a genuine excitement from the longtime collegiate coach about what Oklahoma already had at linebacker.

“You’ve got DaShaun [White] and David [Ugwoegbu], two of the older guys there that have played a lot of football who are doing a great job leading in the offseason program. You’ve got Shane [Whitter], you’ve got Joseph [Wete] and Danny [Stutsman]. You know, Danny has some real toughness and some grit and I love that about him that he’s shown so far. With Shane, the athleticism that he has, the speed. He’s got some real ability there and looking forward to working with those guys,” Roof said.

And, of course, what the Sooners are adding at linebacker as well.

“Then, have added a combination of three young guys and an older guy to that room. All of those guys are unique in what they bring. Jaren [Kanak] is, he’s really mature in his body. His strength numbers and speed and his measurables are all off the charts for somebody his age from where he is. He’s worked really hard to get there. Kobie McKinzie has a really high football IQ that, again, understands concepts and things of that nature. Kip Lewis has got a huge upside, a guy with a lot of ability and a lot of want-to. So, we’re looking forward to developing those three young men. And then, T.D., you know, he’s been around the block a time or two. It’s a good blend and excited about all of them, the unique things that they bring to the table. A couple of the grad transfers that we signed were captains at their schools, so, we’re putting leaders into our locker room as well from a grad transfer standpoint,” Roof said.

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Ted Roof embracing responsibility of leading Oklahoma’s defense

Defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Ted Roof said he’s ready to embrace the responsibility of coaching at Oklahoma.

Oklahoma’s new defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Ted Roof has been all over the map over the course of his 35-year collegiate coaching career.

He has been the defensive coordinator at Massachusetts, Western Carolina, Georgia Tech, Duke, Minnesota, Auburn, UCF, Penn State, North Carolina State, Appalachian State and Vanderbilt.

Auburn won the 2011 BCS national championship game 22-19 over Oregon with Roof pulling the defensive triggers. Before that, Roof was also Duke’s head football coach during the 2004-07 seasons.

So, why Oklahoma now? The biggest reason is Oklahoma head football coach Brent Venables. Roof said he’s known, respected and admired Venables for 10 years, but, after working directly with Venables last season as a defensive assistant at Clemson, he couldn’t say yes fast enough when the opportunity to come to Oklahoma presented itself.

“He’s a guy, again, that’s a very strong leader, has a great track record, but I wanted to be with great people and I am with him. He’s a guy that is going to touch, obviously as a head coach, is going to touch every part of our program, every aspect of it and do what he has to do to make this the absolute best experience he can for our players. At the same time, his passion, his energy, but his commitment because he knows what it’s like to hand kids off to somebody and the privilege and the responsibility that comes with it. I’m excited about that. I’m excited about being part of this staff, the group of men and women that he’s assembled,” Roof said.

Meeting with the media on national signing day, Roof talked about how proud he was to join the Oklahoma staff and what it meant to coach at a place that’s had Hall of Fame coaches like Bud Wilkinson, Barry Switzer and Bob Stoops.

“I have so much respect for the coaches and the players that have come through here before where we are right now. Wherever you go and whatever you do, you want to make an impact and you want to leave it better than where you found it. I’m certainly not critical of anything that’s gone on here and, at the same time, excited about the opportunity to try to make it better. Again, I know because of the history of Oklahoma and all of the great coaches, players, teams, tough-minded competitors that have built this place, there’s a responsibility that goes with it and one I’m ready to embrace,” Roof said.

Roof was familiar with the seven national championships and seven Heisman trophy winners Oklahoma has won and had in its history, but he said the 50 conference championships jumped out at him when he arrived in Norman and at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium for the first time.

Now, in order to add to the Sooners’ trophy collection, it’s about installing his and Venables’ vision and structure of this defense during the spring and fall before Oklahoma kicks off its 2022 season against UTEP. Roof described what he wants the Sooners to look like.

“Aggressive and attack. No matter what we’re doing, to do that above all else. Then, be multiple. Extremely multiple where you can get into some three-down structures, obviously four-down structures, some five-down structure. To continue on the attack, some simulated blitzes, things of that nature. You want to change the picture for the quarterback. Obviously, you’ve got to have the ability to stop the run, but the multiplicity of being able to change the picture for the quarterback and attack at the same time,” Roof said.

Again, the allure of continuing to work with Venables was too attractive to pass up. Over the 10 years since Venebles took over as Clemson’s defensive coordinator, the Tigers led the nation in sacks (445) and third-down conversion percentage defense (30.2%).

From 2013-16, Clemson led the nation in tackles for loss and were top 10 nationally in TFLs during the 2013-20 seasons.

Over that stretch, Venables’ defenses were second in opponent pass efficiency rating (111.1) and takeaways (244) and third in scoring defense (17.8 points per game).

“Again, attack, attack, attack in everything we do. Regardless of what the structure looks like, that’s what we hang our hat on. If you look at college football for the last 10 years, the amount of sacks and TFLs, it’s not even close. Clemson has led the country in both of those categories in the last ten years by a long stretch. That’s a combination of a lot of things, but certainly the mindset and the philosophy of the defense that coach Venables instilled. Players that are willing to do it and then players that have ability that can execute that as well, so it’s a combination of a lot of things but it starts with a mentality,” Roof said.

Oklahoma addressed its transfer portal and 2022 NFL draft defections by adding players out of the portal and with its 2022 signing class.

OU signed defensive backs Jamarrien Burt, Robert Spears-Jennings, Jayden Rowe and Gentry Williams; linebackers Jaren Kanak, Kip Lewis and Kobie McKinzie; and defensive linemen and edge rushers Gracen Halton, Kevonte Henry, Cedric Roberts, Alton Tarber and R Mason Thomas in its 2022 class.

The Sooners also brought in defensive linemen Jeffery Johnson and Jonah Laulu, linebacker T.D. Roof and defensive backs C.J. Coldon, Trey Morrison and Kani Walker out of the transfer portal.

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The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel leaves Oklahoma out of his post-transfer portal early top 25 for 2022

The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel left Oklahoma out of his early top 25 for the 2022 football season in his post-transfer portal rankings.

The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel spent part of Friday defending his decision to leave Oklahoma out of his post-transfer portal early top 25 for the 2022 college football season.

The funny thing is I had Oklahoma No. 25 in January and barely heard a peep.

Left them out this time (mostly b/c a couple teams passed them) and the pitchforks are out.

— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) February 4, 2022

Mandel didn’t think much of Oklahoma in his “too early top 25” back on Jan. 11 either. He had the Sooners No. 25 then, just behind No. 24 Kansas State.

Oklahoma has been revolving door since Riley left; 14 starters, most notably QB Caleb Williams, have either turned pro or entered the portal. But UCF transfer QB Dillon Gabriel is a nice Plan B. He should have Marvin Mims and Theo Wease as targets. Brent Venables will need to rebuild in the front seven, though LB Danny Stutsman had a promising freshman season. Cornerbacks D.J. Graham and Woodi Washington are solid. – Mandel, The Athletic.

Clearly, Mandel is putting more stock into Oklahoma’s transfer portal and 2022 NFL Draft defections rather than the Sooners’ transfer portal additions. That starts with freshman quarterback Caleb Williams who passed for 1,912 yards and 21 touchdowns in seven starts.

It includes OU’s leading rusher in 2021, running back Kennedy Brooks. Oklahoma is also set to replace four of its top-five pass catchers. Wide receivers Michael Woods, Jadon Haselwood and Mario Williams are gone. Tight end Jeremiah Hall is off to the NFL Draft, too.

Offensive linemen Marquis Hayes and Tyrese Robinson elected to forego their extra seasons of eligibility and enter the NFL Draft was well.

Defensively, the Sooners will be replacing three of their top four tacklers (linebacker Brian Asamoah, safety Pat Fields and safety Delarrin Turner-Yell) and its top three sacks and tackles for loss producers (outside linebacker Nik Bonitto, defensive lineman Isaiah Thomas and defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey).

All of this is true. Leaving Oklahoma outside of the top 25 entirely and behind teams like Kentucky, USC, Minnesota, Cincinnati, Houston, Wisconsin and LSU feels a little crazy and a step too far, though.

Seemingly, Mandel doesn’t put much stock into Oklahoma’s transfer portal additions. UCF transfer quarterback Dillon Gabriel is the Sooners’ starter and he’s passed for over 8,000 yards and for 70 touchdowns over the course of 25 career starts.

Gabriel has a No. 1 target in wide receiver Marvin Mims, Oklahoma’s leading receiver each of the past two seasons with 1,315 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns in his two seasons combined.

Theo Wease is set to return from injury and OU got a good sign for the future when wide receiver Jalil Farooq caught three passes for 64 yards in Oklahoma’s 47-32 win over Oregon in the Valero Alamo Bowl.

The Sooners added offensive linemen McKade Mettauer from Cal and Tyler Guyton from TCU to help offset the losses of Hayes and Robinson up front. Mettauer made 28 starts at right guard for Cal over the past three seasons.

OU also added an infusion of transfer portal talent up front defensively to help weather the losses of Bonitto, Thomas and Winfrey. Defensive linemen Jeffery Johnson from Tulane and Jonah Laulu from Hawaii. Johnson and Laulu combined for 77 tackles and 6.5 sacks in 2021.

Oklahoma defensive tackle Jalen Redmond returns for the Sooners and he’s registered 21.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks in his Oklahoma career. At linebacker, OU got good news when DaShaun White decided to come back to Norman for another season. Plus, David Ugwoegbu and Danny Stutsman will be in the mix there.

In the secondary, OU adds Wyoming transfer C.J. Coldon, North Carolina transfer Trey Morrison, and Louisville transfer Kani Walker. That’s in addition to the return of OU’s starting cornerbacks from 2021 in D.J. Graham and Woodi Washington. Defensive back Key Lawrence, who was one of the Sooners’ best players defensively for a stretch of last season, also returns.

Mandel has Baylor as the highest-ranked Big 12 team at No. 11 and Oklahoma State at No. 15.

OU will get both Baylor and Oklahoma State at home in 2022. Mandel had Kansas State in his “just missed” section of his rankings alongside the Sooners. Oklahoma plays Kansas State at home in 2022 as well.

Mandel probably isn’t creating his rankings with teams’ schedules for next season in mind, but, if he was, that would be another reason it’s just difficult to envision Oklahoma ripping off the type of 8-4 or 9-3 season it would take for the Sooners to wind up outside the top 25 when it’s all said and done.

In the time being, a little bulletin board material never hurt anybody.

📝 💯 https://t.co/gyfFOubfNv

— Marvin Mims Jr. (@marvindmims) February 4, 2022

Oklahoma begins its first season with head coach Brent Venables on Sept. 3 against UTEP from Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.

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Here’s when you should tune in to see the game:

Oklahoma injury report:

Players to watch:

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