Tag: Eddy Pierre-Louis

Oklahoma Sooners must solve their offensive line problem heading into 2024

The Oklahoma Sooners have their work cut out for them with the offensive line but could any of the young guys be an answer?

There is no doubt the Oklahoma Sooners’ biggest question mark heading into 2024 and their inaugural season in the [autotag]SEC[/autotag] is the offensive line. The Sooners lose five guys who started a bunch of games last season.

[autotag]Walter Rouse[/autotag], [autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag], [autotag]Andrew Raym[/autotag], [autotag]Cayden Green[/autotag] and [autotag]Tyler Guyton[/autotag] are gone. Four are off to the [autotag]NFL[/autotag]. The other found a new home in Missouri. That means the Sooners will have their work cut out for them to replace those five.

[autotag]Troy Everett[/autotag] played some at guard but started the bowl game at center, which is probably his more natural position. We’ll see if he wins that job, but it appears he’s the leader to take over for Raym. [autotag]Jacob Sexton[/autotag] started the last few games after Guyton went down with an injury and did pretty well. The Sooners also brought in two transfers [autotag]Spencer Brown[/autotag] and [autotag]Febechi Nwaiwu[/autotag], who look poised to take over at tackle and guard.

But that still leaves spots unfilled. The Sooners are almost certainly going to remain active in the portal, but it’s also possible an incoming freshman gets a look. Most people have assumed that would be [autotag]Eddy Pierre-Louis[/autotag], seeing how highly thought of he is. But a constantly mentioned top performer at the Under Armour All-American events is [autotag]Eugene Brooks[/autotag].

“I don’t know where it will start for me, but I’m just going to go in there and ball out,” Brooks said. “I’m going to work my butt off. I’m going to go in there every day and give it 110% and be the first one in and the last one out.”

It seems with Brooks, [autotag]Daniel Akinkunmi[/autotag], Pierre-Louis, [autotag]Isaiah Autry[/autotag] and [autotag]Josh Aisosa[/autotag], the Sooners have a class of offensive linemen that are physical and bring some nasty back to the offensive line.

That’s something they’ve been missing the last few years, and something we know Bedenbaugh wants out of his linemen. Combine that with what appears to be a strong work ethic from each, and Oklahoma could have a better offensive line class than many thought initially.

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Oklahoma Sooners’ 2024 signing class position outlook

A position by position look at who signed with the Oklahoma Sooners in the 2024 signing class.

The Oklahoma Sooners put together another top-10 recruiting class, signing all 27 of their prospects on the first day of the early signing period.

It’s a class that will help define Oklahoma’s success in the SEC. It’s a class that’s balanced, with 14 offensive signees and 13 on the defensive side of the ball. The defensive front is garnering all of the attention, but the Oklahoma Sooners brought in a number of really talented players on both sides of the ball.

Here’s a position breakdown of the Sooners’ 2024 signing class.

More: [autotag]2024 Early Signing Period[/autotag] coverage

Oklahoma Sooners receive three predictions for transfer offensive lineman

Oklahoma Sooners could be getting some more good news, this time in the transfer portal.

It’s no secret, the Oklahoma Sooners have a lot of work to do along the offensive line before next season. The Sooners must replace all five starters from this season, although [autotag]Jacob Sexton[/autotag] and [autotag]Troy Everett[/autotag] started a few games in 2023.

[autotag]Walter Rouse[/autotag], [autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag], [autotag]Andrew Raym[/autotag], [autotag]Cayden Green[/autotag] and [autotag]Tyler Guyton[/autotag] are gone. Sexton replaced Guyton at the end of the season due to an injury. Everett played some guard earlier in the year when they were trying to solidify that position before Green took over.

The Sooners brought in [autotag]Eddy Pierre-Louis[/autotag], who is the top interior offensive lineman in the 2024 recruiting class, according to Rivals. While [autotag]Bill Bedenbaugh[/autotag] showed he will play freshmen, we know that’s not what he wants to do.

So, the Sooners have hit the portal hard. They’ve received one commitment, former Michigan State Spartans offensive tackle [autotag]Spencer Brown[/autotag]. Now, they’ve received three predictions from SoonerScoop’s Josh McCuiston, Michigan State insider Justin Thind and national recruiting analyst Brian Dohn for his running mate at guard, [autotag]Geno VanDeMark[/autotag].

VanDeMark and Brown started on the right side of the line, so they have chemistry playing together. Given Sexton played right tackle, those two could be moved to the left side or they could move Sexton to the left side if VanDeMark were to sign.

Michigan State had an up-and-down season, and so did VanDeMark, although his best games came against his best competition. According to Pro Football Focus, he had pass-blocking grades of 71.7, 76.6, and 86.4 against the Michigan Wolverines, Ohio State Buckeyes and the Penn State Nittany Lions.

He definitely is better at pass blocking than run blocking, although he’s solid at that as well. Ultimately, he would bring experience and depth to a depleted offensive line.

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Oklahoma Sooners land Rivals’ top interior offensive lineman

It was a long recruiting battle but the Sooners officially land the signature of one of the most sought offensive linemen.

The Oklahoma Sooners will have to replace five starting offensive linemen from this season’s team. [autotag]Walter Rouse[/autotag], [autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag], [autotag]Andrew Raym[/autotag], [autotag]Cayden Green[/autotag] and [autotag]Tyler Guyton[/autotag] are gone in 2024.

That’s why it was so important Bill Bedenbaugh landed the nation’s top interior offensive linemen, according to Rivals, [autotag]Eddy Pierre-Louis[/autotag]. He did just that by earning his commitment less than a week ago. The commitment became official Wednesday when Pierre-Louis signed his letter of intent with the Sooners.

The 6-foot-3, 335-pound guard is a freak of nature. He recorded 25 reps at 225 pounds on the bench press at a camp last summer which would have been the 16th most at the NFL combine by an offensive lineman in 2023. He also ran a 12.97 100-meter dash in high school.

He could compete immediately for playing time given the losses Oklahoma has had on the offensive line. As long as he gets the details down, he’ll have a chance to make an impact. Regardless, he has a very bright future.

More from the [autotag]2024 Early Signing Period[/autotag]

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Oklahoma Sooners No. 7 in 247Sports team recruiting rankings for 2024

After the commitment of Reggie Powers, the Sooners are just outside the top 5 in 247Sports team recruiting rankings for 2024.

The Oklahoma Sooners have three games remaining in the 2023 season, including two more home games. Those home games against West Virginia this week and TCU on Black Friday will serve as opportunities for the Sooners to host recruits for a gameday experience.

It will give Brent Venables and his staff a couple more opportunities to put their best foot forward in the 2024 recruiting cycle before the early signing period comes in December.

Already with one of the best classes in the nation, OU has a chance to make it even better if they can earn commitments from offensive linemen [autotag]Grant Brix[/autotag] or [autotag]Eddy Pierre-Louis[/autotag] or both. And while it might be unlikely, you can’t count out this coaching staff’s ability to flip a high-profile prospect until he faxes in his national letter of intent.

So with a little more than a month until the early signing period, let’s take a look at where the Sooners stand among the top 15 in the 247Sports team rankings.

Oklahoma Sooners receive commitment from 2024 3-Star OL Daniel Akinkunmi

The Oklahoma Sooners received a commitment from 2024 3-Star OL Daniel Akinkunmi.

It’s been a fantastic week for the Oklahoma Sooners. First, they beat the Texas Longhorns 34-30. Then they picked up some momentum in the recruitment of offensive lineman [autotag]Eddy Pierre-Louis[/autotag] and safety [autotag]Michael Boganowski[/autotag]. Now, they’ve added another player to the 2024 class.

The Oklahoma Sooners earned a pledge from offensive lineman Daniel Akinkunmi.

Akinkunmi marks the 25th commitment in the cycle and ranks as the No. 34 interior offensive lineman in the class. He’s received big-time offers from a number of Power Five programs, including Oklahoma, Baylor, Clemson, Miami, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Nebraska, North Carolina, Penn State, Duke, and Texas Tech.

Out of the NFL Academy in London, England, Akinkunmi may require time to make the transition to college football. But he’s got a lot of potential.

He’s got the size to be a force for the Sooners interior but also has the athleticism to bump out to tackle if needed at the collegiate level.

Akinkunmi’s recruitment is a sign of the growth of the sport. England, in particular, has seen several players make noise at the collegiate and NFL level in recent years.

The top player in England now joins a Sooners squad that has become well known for offensive line development under offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh.

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Sooners receive crystal ball projections for pair of targets after win over Texas

Oklahoma received crystal balls for a pair of prospects on Sunday morning following their win over Texas.

The good vibes are still rolling if you’re a fan of the Oklahoma Sooners. The Sooners beat their rival in an instant classic of a [autotag]Red River Rivalry[/autotag] on Saturday. On Sunday, the Sooners were on the receiving end of not one but two crystal ball projections for a pair of their remaining targets.

Steve Wiltfong, director of football recruiting at 247Sports, issued crystal balls in Oklahoma’s favor for four-star offensive line prospect Eddy Pierre-Louis and four-star linebacker Michael Boganowski on Sunday morning.

Oklahoma’s 2024 recruiting class is ranked seventh in the nation with 24 commits and still has room for a few more.

[autotag]Pierre-Louis[/autotag] hails from Florida and attends [autotag]Tampa Catholic[/autotag], the same high school where freshman linebacker [autotag]Lewis Carter[/autotag] came from. Pierre-Louis is a guard prospect and would be a lovely addition to the Sooners offensive line haul in 2024. Aside from the Sooners, UCF is fighting for his services the most.

Boganowski has a nice athletic frame and plays all over for his high school team. He projects best as a rangy linebacker in college with added weight. His recruitment has looked like a line graph with Kansas State gaining momentum and Oklahoma seizing momentum back. Right now, the Sooners may have regained control in the battle to land his commitment.

If the Sooners were to land commitments from both, the two pledges would be good enough for the Sooners to leap the Florida State Seminoles for sixth in 247Sports’ team recruiting rankings.

Decisions are not scheduled for either prospect, but we should gain more clarity as the days get closer to the early signing period.

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The Oklahoma Sooners receive two predictions for 4-Star offensive guard

Pair of RIvals Futurecasts favor the Oklahoma Sooners in their recruitment of a 2024 four-star offensive lineman.

The Oklahoma Sooners are fresh off a win over the [autotag]Cincinnati Bearcats[/autotag] in their [autotag]Big 12[/autotag] opener. The focus isn’t solely on this season, as the staff is still putting the final touches on the [autotag]2024 recruiting class[/autotag].

The Sooners have very few players they are still pursuing as most of their class is finished. Right now, the Sooners are trying to land two key offensive linemen [autotag]Eddy Pierre-Louis[/autotag] and [autotag]Grant Brix[/autotag].

While there’s no date set for their commitment just yet, the Sooners received two predictions for Pierre-Louis. The predictions come from OUInsiders at Rivals Parker Thune and Brandon Drumm.

Pierre-Louis is someone who has all of the physical tools you are looking for. He stands at 6-foot-4 and weighs 320 pounds already as a high school senior.

Pierre-Louis isn’t the typical move for Oklahoma when recruiting offensive linemen. Typically, [autotag]Bill Bedenbaugh[/autotag] recruits players who have the fundamentals down and then develops the physical tools.

This one would be completely different as Pierre-Louis will need some work on his technique, but he’s someone Oklahoma will need with their move to the SEC. He moves well for his size and is a legit interior offensive line prospect.

It sounds like Oklahoma will be in a battle with the home state [autotag]UCF Knights[/autotag] for Pierre-Louis’ commitment.

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Four-star Eddy Pierre-Louis announces an impressive final five

Eddy Pierre Louis is down to a final five.

Eddy Pierre-Louis has announced his top five, with the Florida offensive lineman including several prominent programs in his final cutdown.

A four-star recruit according to ESPN and Rivals, Pierre-Louis is a monster offensive tackle prospect from Tampa Catholic (Tampa, Florida). He moves very well for checking in at 6-foot-3 and 315 pounds, finishing off his blocks to the whistle.

Rivals ranks him as the second-best guard prospect in the nation and the No. 26 recruit overall.

The final five from Pierre-Louis includes Miami, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Central Florida and Oregon.

According to the On3 Recruiting Prediciton Machine, UCF is a near lock to land Pierre-Louis at 87.1 percent. Florida, who didn’t make the player’s cutdown, is second at 4.9 percent.

Oklahoma is third at 1.6 percent.

 

This offseason, Pierre-Louis has done a nice job of reshaping his body. He cut weight and is looking lighter on his feet.

And to that end, check out this video of Pierre-Louis running track this spring for Tampa Catholic.

 

Unreal.

2024 4-Star IOL Eddy Pierre-Louis has released his Top 5 program list

Texas A&M has made the cut in 2024 4-star IOL Eddy Pierre-Louis’s Top 5 program list

Texas A&M’s 2023 football season is off to a hot start after defeating New Mexico 52-10 behind quarterback Conner Weigman’s five-touchdown performance wouldn’t have been accomplished without the steady play of his experienced offensive line, and while Head coach Jimbo Fisher is, of course, focused on the season at hand, recruiting never stops, and 2024 four-star IOL Eddy Pierre-Louis has just released his Top 5 program list.

Pierre-Louis is one of the top remaining interior offensive line prospects in the 2024 cycle, currently positioned as the 15th-ranked IOL and the 36th-ranked player in Florida, according to 247Sports composite. On Sunday, Miami, Oklahoma, Oregon, UCF, and Texas A&M filled out his program list, and despite recent predictions landing him in Central Florida, the Aggies remain in the mix.

Amid his 2023 senior season at Tampa Catholic (FL), Pierre-Louis is noted for his line versatility, playing at both guard and tackle in 2022 while also performing on the defensive line with eight tackles and a sack last season. Standing at 6-3 and a whopping 335 pounds, he is currently projected to stay at guard once he enters the collegiate ranks.

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