Tag: DJ Graham

5 Sooners to watch on defense in the Oklahoma spring game

A look at five defensive players to watch as the Oklahoma Sooners gear up for their Spring game.

There’s something to be said about how exciting this particular spring game will be for Oklahoma Sooners’ fans far and wide. A new head coach ushers in a new era with a new defensive staff and a fresh, proven mind at offensive coordinator. A new vision will be on display while the Sooners have an abundance of position battles that need to be sorted out.

For now, we’ll focus on the defensive side of things where there’s been significantly more turnover and also the heaviest influx of new faces that will debut in Crimson and Cream for the first time this weekend.

Brent Venables’ wizardry as a defensive coordinator is widely known. It’s no stretch to say he’s probably been year in and year out the best defensive coordinator in college football for the last decade. He returns to the school that really catapulted his career in Oklahoma as the head coach but you can rest assured he brought his elite defensive coaching with him. He retooled the defensive staff entirely and led the charge into the transfer portal as the Sooners went shopping for defensive bodies to fit Venables’ scheme for the immediate future and the years to come.

With that said, here are five players to watch for as we see a glimpse at what Brent Venables and defensive coordinator Ted Roof have in store for Big 12 offenses this fall.

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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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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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.

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.

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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Athlon Sports pegs Oklahoma No. 2 in early 2022 Big 12 power rankings

According to Athlon Sports’ early 2022 Big 12 power rankings, the Sooners will very much be back in the hunt of a conference championship.

The 2022 college football season is still a long ways off. Just 216 days away. Or, seven months and four days. Or, 30 weeks and six days. You get the picture.

Still, it’s never too early to start thinking about what the Big 12 conference will look like in 2022 and where the Sooners slot into that picture.

Athlon Sports writer Steven Lassan released his early Big 12 football predictions for 2022 several weeks ago and he has Oklahoma No. 2 in his first power rankings.

Here’s what Lassan wrote about OU.

It’s been a busy offseason in Norman, but new coach Brent Venables has the pieces in place to push for a Big 12 title. Assuming Caleb Williams doesn’t return, UCF transfer Dillon Gabriel should take over the quarterback spot and reunite with his former coach (and coordinator) in Jeff Lebby. The Sooners lost running back Kennedy Brooks and a couple of linemen to the NFL, but Gabriel’s arrival should keep this offense near the top of the conference. Venables was one of the nation’s top defensive signal-callers at Clemson and should make an impact right away on this side of the ball for the Sooners. – Lassan, Athlon Sports.

Lassan had Baylor as his preseason No. 1 in his first Big 12 power rankings. After Oklahoma at No. 2, Lassan listed Oklahoma State No. 3, Texas No. 4, Kansas State No. 5, TCU No. 6, Iowa State No. 7, Texas Tech No. 8, West Virginia No. 9 and Kansas No. 10.

Now that Jaxson Dart has made his decision to transfer to Ole Miss official, Oklahoma knows that its starting quarterback will be UCF transfer Dillon Gabriel.

With 70 passing touchdowns and 8,037 passing yards over the course of his 25 starts with UCF, Gabriel brings a wealth of starting experience to his signal-calling duties in Norman.

Offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby has historically featured his No. 1 wide receivers prominently within his offenses. For example, in 2019 with Gabriel directing his offense at UCF, wide receiver Gabriel Davis caught 72 receptions for 1,241 receiving yards and hauled in 12 touchdown grabs.

In 2020 at Ole Miss, wide receiver Elijah Moore reeled in 86 grabs for 1,193 receiving yards and caught eight touchdowns. Then, in 2021, Ole Miss wide receiver Dontario Drummond recorded 76 receptions for 1,028 receiving yards and snagged eight touchdown grabs.

There’s probably a happy medium to be found where receptions are dispersed a little more evenly. At Ole Miss, Moore and Drummond had 59 and 50 more receptions than the next-closest wide receiver, respectively. It wasn’t nearly as drastic in 2019 at UCF, where Davis’ 72 receptions were closely followed by Marlon Williams’ 51 grabs and Tre Nixon’s 49 catches.

It’s safe to say Lebby and Gabriel have their No. 1 target at OU in wide receiver Marvin Mims, though. Mims has been the Sooners’ leading receiver each of the past two seasons with 610 receiving yards in 2020 and 705 receiving yards in 2021.

Still, he only caught 37 and 32 receptions in those two seasons, so look for those numbers to radically climb upwards. The return of wide receiver Theo Wease and the potential emergence of wide receiver Jalil Farooq should have the Sooners’ receiving stable in good hands.

OU brought in Cal transfer McKade Mettauer who had 28 career starts at right guard to help offset the losses of Marquis Hayes and Tyrese Robinson up front along Oklahoma’s offensive line. It figures that he’ll be helping pave the way for either Eric Gray or Marcus Major at running back. The Sooners also signed a pair of four-star running backs in Jovantae Barnes and Gavin Sawchuk.

Oklahoma’s offensive skill talent surrounding Gabriel should be one of its strengths heading into 2022.

Defensively, Oklahoma is replacing six starters. OU added experience along its defensive line via the transfer portal in Tulane transfer Jeffery Johnson and Hawaii transfer Jonah Laulu. That pair combined for 77 tackles and 6.5 sacks in 2021.

The Sooners also bring back defensive tackle Jalen Redmond who is ready for a starring role. In just eight games in 2021, Redmond finished with eight tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. He’s registered 21.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks in his Oklahoma career.

OU got good news when linebacker DaShaun White announced his plans to return. White has made 36 career starts at Oklahoma and recorded 169 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and five sacks.

On the back end, Oklahoma returns probable starters D.J. Graham and Woodi Washington at cornerback and Key Lawrence figures to start at one of the two vacated safety positions. The Sooners also added a trio of defensive backs from the transfer portal in Wyoming transfer C.J. Coldon, North Carolina transfer Trey Morrison and Louisville transfer Kani Walker.

In short, there’s a lot to be decided between now and the start of the 2022 season in terms of who will start for Oklahoma, especially defensively. OU used the transfer portal to effectively position itself to withstand NFL Draft and outgoing transfer portal departures. The Sooners are as good a candidate as anybody else to capture the 2022 Big 12 Championship in head coach Brent Venables’ first season at the helm.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

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Louisville transfer cornerback Kani Walker chooses the Oklahoma Sooners

Kani Walker, a former cornerback at the University of Louisville commits to Oklahoma.

The good news from the portal continues to roll in as the Sooners land themselves yet another defensive back from the transfer portal. Kani Walker, a defensive back who played his freshman season at Louisville, has committed to Oklahoma.

Out of high school, Walker was viewed as a three-star cornerback from Georgia, according to 247Sports. He played in five games for the Cardinals and only recorded one tackle. He only played 15 snaps, and just four coverage snaps on defense for the Cardinals.

For Oklahoma, this decision, coupled with the decision of Wyoming transfer C.J. Coldon brings some excellent news to the defensive side of the ball, considering all of the defensive players that have either declared for the NFL draft or transferred elsewhere.

It’s significant that Jay Valai and Brandon Hall, the two men tasked with coaching the cornerbacks and safeties, could sell Walker and Coldon on Oklahoma. They’ve only been in Norman a few weeks.

Walker joins a cornerback room featuring D.J. Graham, Woodi Washington, Joshua Eaton, Jaden Davis, C.J. Coldon, and Kendall Dennis.

Walker will be enrolling for the spring semester and figures to be part of a cornerback competition. With a new defensive staff and scheme, the slate’s wiped clean and everyone will have a shot at playing time.

Valai and Hall will continue their defensive back search as they look to go 3-for-3 in defensive back transfer targets by landing UNC transfer Trey Morrison next.

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What can the Oklahoma Sooners expect from new cornerbacks and co-defensive coordinator Jay Valai?

Now official, what can the Oklahoma Sooners expect to get from new cornerbacks coach and co-defensive coordinator Jay Valai?

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With one final hire following the final game of the year in which the Georgia Bulldogs beat the Alabam Crimson Tide to become national champions, the Oklahoma Sooners have filled all of their major on-field coaching positions. It took them a bit of time but Brent Venables has his first full staff of coaches as he looks to guide Oklahoma for the long haul.

The final piece was finding a cornerbacks coach and the Oklahoma Sooners officially named Jay Valai cornerbacks coach and co-defensive coordinator. Initially reported back on Jan. 3, the Sooners bring in the former Alabama Crimson Tide assistant with ties to the state of Texas.

Valai will be coaching the cornerbacks and will be the passing game coordinator on defense for the Sooners. Valai takes over for Roy Manning, who now coaches outside linebackers at USC.

The Valai hiring brings a true cornerback with collegiate and NFL experience to lead the unit in Norman. Valai played his high school ball in the Midcities area of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and was a former All-Big Ten defensive back at Wisconsin. He’s coached at both the collegiate and NFL levels since joining the profession in 2016.

With his success at the collegiate and NFL level, he brings a similar dynamic that running backs coach DeMarco Murray brings to the table. A former player turned coach, who can tell his recruits and players what it takes to get to the NFL level. For the Sooners’ his presence could mean some major strides and changes being made to a talented but smaller unit and a unit with a few guys who just scratched the surface of how talented and productive they can be at a major program.

Now that he’s officially hired, he’ll be entering a room that recently lost one of its more talented youngsters to the transfer portal in Latrell McCutchin. McCutchin is someone Valai knows well since he was part of the Texas staff that recruited the former Sooner out of high school. Woodi Washington, DJ Graham, Joshua Eaton, Jaden Davis, Billy Bowman, and Justin Broiles remain, providing the Sooners with some talent and experience for Valai to work with.

On the 2022 recruiting trail, Gentry Williams should be priority number one. Williams has remained steadfast with his commitment to Oklahoma waiting to see who the next cornerbacks coach would be. Valai has to secure that commitment before he worries about any other potential 2022 recruits. Elsewhere, four-star CB Jahlil Florence had Oklahoma in his sights for a visit but due to personal reasons no longer plans to take visits anywhere. Can Valai make up lost ground there or will Florence ultimately stay with Oregon where he was previously committed?

Valai has some work to do to bring in some more bodies to the Sooners’ cornerback room via the transfer portal and the 2022 recruiting class.

Before the official announcement of his hire, we compiled a list of some defensive backs that the Sooners should target via the transfer portal.

On top of the names listed there, with Valai on board, the Sooners can also look to the transfer portal for immediate 2022 help from someone like Louisville transfer Kani Walker, a freshmen cornerback who just announced an offer from Oklahoma.

 

Once he wraps up the grind to secure more players for the 2022 roster, Valai’s biggest obstacle is getting his new room bought in. Again, the Sooners have talent but maximizing this talent and turning them into a unit to be feared was something the previous coach simply couldn’t do.

All told, the Sooners have a lot of questions that need to be answered for this position group and its new position coach heading into 2022. Between transfer decisions, recruiting decisions, and getting settled in, the Sooners new cornerbacks coach has his work cut out for him. He’ll be pushed and stressed early and often. Only time will tell how he adapts.

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Sooners cornerback Latrell McCutchin enters transfer portal after one season

Oklahoma Sooners cornerback Latrell McCutchin has entered the transfer portal.

It’s probably been said a million times in the last month and a half but it bears repeating once more: The portal giveth and the portal taketh away.

That’s the phrase of this offseason more than years past as the Sooners lose yet another player to the transfer portal. This time it comes from a somewhat unexpected place in the form of cornerback Latrell McCutchin.

 

While there is no confirmed reason as to why McCutchin entered the portal, based on his post he highlights recent staff changes as one of the reasons he decided to enter.

Roy Manning has been off the staff for a while now and it was pretty well known via social media that most of the players weren’t the biggest fans of his. A possible other explanantion would be that McCutchin and his family may not mesh well with incoming Sooners cornerbacks coach in Jay Valai.

Valai was on the staff at Texas when McCutchin was being recruited out of high school in Austin, Texas. He bypassed Texas and Alabama as well to come to Norman. It’s not for sure but considering how anti-Texas McCutchin was during his recruitment it may be the hint that Valai and McCutchin never mixed thus prompting McCutchin to head for the portal before giving Valai another shot.

In his single season, McCutchin posted some really good PFF coverage grades but also had his fair share of rough moments, which were to be expected of a true freshmen cornerback. McCutchin becomes one of the highes rated corners in the transfer portal and opens the door even wider for the Sooners to look to the portal for defensive backs.

The Sooners currently have D.J. Graham, Woodi Washingon, Joshua Eaton, Billy Bowman, Kendall Dennis, and swiss army knife Key Lawrence as possible cornerback options right now.

On the recruiting trail, Gentry Williams and Jayden Rowe are their lone cornerback commits in the 2022 recruiting class and McCutchin’s departure opens the door for them to get on the field early in their Sooners’ careers.

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3 Defensive Keys to an Oklahoma Sooners win vs. the Iowa State Cyclones

What does the Oklahoma Sooners defense need to do to slow down the Iowa State Cyclones on Saturday? Here are 3 keys to the game.

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It’s put up or shut up time for these Oklahoma Sooners. A win against Iowa State keeps a flicker of hope for the College Football Playoff alive while a loss in their final home game seals their CFP hopes and puts their Big 12 title defense in really choppy waters.

Baylor bludgeoned this Sooners defense into a corner like a boxer. Body shots rained down until the fourth quarter when the Bears would eventually land the major haymakers needed to knock down the Sooners. For Dave Aranda’s Baylor Bears, the running game did the trick. As the Sooners are ready for the Iowa State Cyclones, the tune is eerily similar to last week, with an added focus on Iowa State’s tight ends.

The Cyclones feature Breece Hall, who some consider the second-best back in the conference. Hall will play on Sundays for sure. He’s a tough, hard-nosed back that can make one cut and get moving.

Brock Purdy mans the quarterback position. He’s a veteran in Matt Campbell’s offense and plays behind a veteran offensive line the Sooners defense is quite familiar with.

The Iowa State passing game will rally around wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson and a pair of good tight ends in Charlie Kolar and Chase Allen.

With that said, how does the Sooner defense bottle up this Iowa State defense enough that it gives their offense a chance to succeed?

Up Next: Won’t be a Breeze

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Report Card: Oklahoma Sooners fail to make the grade vs. Baylor Bears

How did the Oklahoma Sooners’ position groups grade out in their 27-14 loss to the Baylor Bears?

Oklahoma’s performance against Baylor wasn’t as pitiful as other earlier games this year. Still, it certainly lacked any level of competitive fire needed for a team who came into the game looking to answer a plethora of questions about how they would fair if tested by a good top 25 ranked football team. The test did not go as planned, and the Sooners took their first loss of the season 27-14 at the hands of the Baylor Bears.

Despite the final score, the game was tied 7-7 at the half. Oklahoma had a chance to win this game, but they never hit another gear. While this wasn’t a complete dismantling, there were a lot of position groups that struggled, which can only be more head-scratching considering the Sooners were coming off their bye week.

Let’s grade each group and break things down.