Have the Oklahoma Sooners adequately addressed their needs in the transfer portal?

The Oklahoma Sooners were active in the transfer portal, but have they done enough to address their needs?

The Oklahoma Sooners went into the offseason with a number of needs to address via the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag].

Bryant Crews highlighted five positions that the Sooners needed to address in the portal, namely offensive line, defensive line, tight end, secondary, and kicker.

But how well did the Sooners address those needs and where else have they added talent?

With the coaching carousel extending into January with the Alabama and Washington jobs opening up, the transfer portal has heated up again for the next 30 days. Could the Sooners add more talent? We’ll see if they take advantage of the opportunity to add talent from the Crimson Tide or the Huskies.

But until then, let’s take a look at what they’ve done in the portal thus far and if they’ve addressed their needs.

Jalil Farooq expected to return to the Sooners in 2024 per report

Oklahoma’s wide receiver room receives good news with the return of Jalil Farooq for the 2024 season.

Heading into their inaugural season in the SEC, there will be a lot of new starters for the Oklahoma Sooners offense. But they’ll be returning several key pieces for [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] to work with as well.

According to a report from SoonerScoop’s George Stoia (Subscription Required), one of those key pieces returning is wide receiver [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag]. Farooq, who just finished his third season with the Sooners has been a productive member of the wide receiver corps and had his best statistical season yet.

In 2023, Farooq had 45 receptions for 694 yards and two touchdowns. He also had 17 carries for 95 yards and returned 19 kicks for an average of 22.2 yards per return.

Farooq started all 13 games for Oklahoma, coming up big in the Red River Rivalry win over Texas with five receptions and 130 yards. He had one of the key receptions on the Sooners’ game-winning drive, where he picked up 16 yards to put OU in Longhorns territory with more than a minute to play in the game. He also came down with a huge 34-yard catch and run to help get the Sooners in field goal range before halftime.

Farooq’s return adds another experienced wide receiver to a deep group that features [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag], [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag], [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag], [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag], [autotag]Brenan Thompson[/autotag], [autotag]Gavin Freeman[/autotag], [autotag]Jaquaize Pettaway[/autotag], and an impressive incoming group of players from the 2024 signing class.

It’s great news for a Sooners offense that will already be dealing with turnover at quarterback and along the offensive line. The Sooners have a veteran group of receivers for Jackson Arnold and Seth Littrell to rely upon.

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Oklahoma Sooners land visit from highly touted edge transfer target

The Oklahoma Sooners are in the running for arguably the best EDGE defender in the transfer portal.

The Oklahoma Sooners have been hard at work building their 2024 roster. After signing their 2024 recruiting class and the Alamo Bowl, the Sooners refocused their attention on the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag].

The Sooners landed one on Tuesday from the portal and could land another later this week if all goes according to plan. They are scheduled to get a visit from arguably the best edge defender in the transfer portal.

Purdue Boilermakers [autotag]Nic Scourton[/autotag] (formerly Caraway) announced he plans to visit the Sooners on Saturday. Oklahoma is one of four schools getting visits from the talented pass rusher. The Sooners will host Scourton on Jan. 6 after he takes trips to Texas A&M, Florida State and Missouri.

Scourton had a monster season, leading the Big Ten in sacks with 10. He had 50 tackles and 15 tackles for loss. The 6-foot-4, 280-pound lineman fits the mold of [autotag]Rondell Bothroyd[/autotag] and [autotag]Jalen Redmond[/autotag]. He can play both inside and outside if needed. He would provide a dominant pass rusher, something the Sooners haven’t had in recent years.

The issue is the first visit on his list. Oklahoma fans know all too well how hard it is to overcome the Texas A&M Aggies in recruiting. This time will be no different. Scourton’s hometown is 11 minutes away from College Station, Texas. Missouri has proven a thorn in Oklahoma’s side, and you can’t discount what Mike Norvell is building at Florida State.

The Sooners have one advantage. Scourton’s former teammate, [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag], joined the Sooners through the transfer portal this offseason.

He has been actively recruiting Scourton to the Sooners.

The Sooners’ coaching staff is hard to beat. They’ve done a great job of reeling in guys when many don’t think they have much of a chance. If they can pull him away from College Station, it would be a massive recruiting win heading into the SEC.

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What is Oklahoma getting in transfer WR Deion Burks?

Taking a look at what Purdue transfer Deion Burks can bring to the aOklahoma offense next year.

Oklahoma made a significant splash in the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] market this week when they landed Purdue wide receiver Deion Burks. Burks entered the portal after a solid year as a Boilermaker in the Big Ten, but middling quarterback play did him no favors.

Burks is as talented a playmaker to enter the portal this cycle, and his commitment to Oklahoma is significant. The Sooners weren’t particularly searching for additional wide receiver help and would only take a commitment from someone they knew was a stone-cold killer and could contribute immediately.

That fits Burks to a tee, considering multiple people, including Pete Thamel, are reiterating that Burks has the ceiling of a top 100 prospect in the NFL Draft. Thamel confirmed he had also spoken to NFL sources that corroborated this notion. Specific metrics like explosive and chunk play percentage compared Burks favorably to upcoming first-round draft pick Keon Coleman of FSU. Those types of guys are the types you take flyers on, no matter what your numbers look like.

In landing Burks, they have found a replacement and potential upgrade to Drake Stoops in the slot. Stoops is a fan favorite, but Burks is a better and more explosive athlete. For obvious reasons, he may never endear himself to fans the way Stoops did. However, his athleticism what he can do as a slot receiver adds layers to the Sooners’ offense under offensive coordinators  Seth Littrell and Joe Jon Finley.

Burks was a track star in high school. His vertical straight-line speed is a nightmare for opposing defenses. The 5-foot-11, 195-pound receiver could stretch the field from the slot while opening up the intermediate areas for other Sooners receivers.

His tape showcases his ability to make tough catches in traffic. He isn’t limited to just the slot. Purdue isolated him outside the numbers, where Burks utilized his speed to stack defenders and create separation to win routes. This should open up Oklahoma to get creative because of the depth of their receiver room. Not being able to bracket coverage any receiver next year will be paramount.

If Burks’ ability to win downfield isn’t appealing enough, he is a player the Oklahoma offensive brain trust can also get involved in the run game with handoffs, sweeps, and screens. He is explosive and dynamic with the ball in his hands. The apprehension of jet sweeps from the Lebby days may still exist among many, but the jet sweeps aren’t the problem. The person running them or the situation in which they were called never made much sense. Someone like Burks is precisely the type of athlete you scheme to get the ball in their hands and sit back while he gets to the edge or finds open space.

We’d also add that with a dynamic slot guy like Deion Burks, Oklahoma can create matchup advantages in the running game next year.

With their wide receiver depth, Oklahoma should consider utilizing more ten personnel (one running back, four wide receivers, and no tight ends) next year. It would take the tight end off the field but allow the Sooners running backs and Jackson Arnold to see lighter boxes in the running game. Teams would have to deploy more defensive backs to respect the capabilities of the receivers Oklahoma has. Instead of seven or eight-man boxes, Gavin Sawchuk may see five or six-man boxes. That one less defender makes all the difference between a decent play and a chunk play.

To conclude, Burks should improve this offense next year. His inclusion gives Oklahoma five legitimate receivers with production. Jackson Arnold will have no shortage of weapons in his first season as the starting quarterback.

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Oklahoma Sooners add transfer wide receiver from Purdue

Oklahoma Sooners add more explosiveness to their wide receiver room with the addition of Purdue transfer Deion Burks.

The Oklahoma Sooners and wide receivers coach [autotag]Emmett Jones[/autotag] have added another player out of the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag]. This time in big-time playmaker [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag].

Burks is a 5-foot-11 and 195-pound wide receiver who, in 30 career games, had 63 catches, 804 yards, and seven touchdowns. That’s nearly 13 yards per catch.

He also could bring something to the return game for the Sooners. He returned 14 kicks in 2022, averaging nearly 20 yards per return.

This was a battle that was rumored to be between the Sooners and the Texas Longhorns. He is a veteran receiver with two years of eligibility left who will stretch the field and bring the big plays that Oklahoma looks for.

 

He’s similar to what the Sooners were getting in [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] a season ago. Although Anthony is a little bit bigger but Burks has more production. It’s just another piece on what could be the best wide receiver room in the SEC next season.

They could return guys with a lot of experience like [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag], Anthony, [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] and [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag], Brenen Thompson along with adding Burks. That doesn’t even include the freshmen who are coming in or [autotag]Gavin Freeman[/autotag] or [autotag]Jaquaize Pettaway[/autotag], who played some a season ago.

Burks was ranked as the top wide receiver in the 2024 portal cycle.

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Identifying Texas’ biggest portal needs for 2024

Texas will need to add starters through the transfer portal to be this good next season.

The Texas Longhorns (12-1) have perhaps the most complete roster in college football. It’s for that reason the team was able to dominate Alabama in Tuscaloosa and make it to the College Football Playoff. To duplicate this season’s results, the team will need to add starter talent in the transfer portal.

The Longhorns don’t lack elite rising stars. The 2023 freshman class is stacked with talent. Linebacker Anthony Hill, cornerback Malik Muhammad and safety Derek Williams are already hits for Texas at their given positions.

We feel strongly about the potential of wide receiver Johntay Cook, running back Cedric Baxter Jr. and quarterback Arch Manning. Several other young players like running back Jaydon Blue appear poised for breakout seasons in 2024.

That said, a handful of positions pose big shoes to fill. Let’s look at a few areas in which Texas will need to get outside help to match production from 2023 key starters.

Know your foe Purdue: Which Boilermakers could give Ohio State problems

Who on Purdue scares you the most #GoBucks

Let’s be honest here, as an [autotag]Ohio State football[/autotag] fan, the depth of [autotag]Purdue[/autotag] knowledge isn’t very high.

The Boilermakers aren’t a team that is vying for anything nationally, they have first-year head coach in [autotag]Ryan Walters[/autotag] and are currently just 2-4 on the season. What they have going for them is that the Buckeyes have not fared very well playing in West Lafayette, since 2000, Ohio State has a record of 3-5.

Not great results for the Buckeyes on the road facing a mid-tier program. The reality of the situation is that Purdue plays up when Ohio State comes to town and these are a few of the Boilers that could give the Buckeyes problems.