Tag: emeka megwa

Oklahoma running back duo expected to enter transfer portal

Oklahoma Sooners running back duo expected to hit the transfer portal per reports.

(This story was updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy.)

The winter [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] has not yet opened, but a number of key Oklahoma Sooners are expected to enter. Former four-star wide receivers Jaquaize Pettaway and Nic Anderson are reportedly heading for the portal, as is former five-star recruit and 2024 starting quarterback Jackson Arnold.

Also expected to hit the transfer portal are running backs Kalib Hicks and Emeka Megwa, according to reports.

Hicks signed with the Oklahoma Sooners as part of the 2023 recruiting class out of Denton Ryan High School. He was a four-star prospect, according to On3, but never had a chance to put his skills to work on the field. He appeared in seven games over two seasons and recorded five carries for 25 yards during his time with the Sooners. He showed flashes during the 2024 spring game, breaking off a long run for a touchdown, but he was buried on the depth chart.

Megwa transferred to Oklahoma after spending time with the Washington Huskies. He has battled injuries throughout his career and recorded one carry with the Sooners in 2023.

The Oklahoma Sooners running back room was led by [autotag]Jovantae Barnes[/autotag] and [autotag]Xavier Robinson[/autotag] throughout the 2024 season. True freshman [autotag]Taylor Tatum[/autotag] had some good moments but battled fumbling issues in 2024. Gavin Sawchuk had a strong 2023 season but struggled to get going in 2024. The Sooners are also bringing in an explosive runner in the 2025 recruiting class, Tory Blaylock.

If Oklahoma can get the offensive line going early in the 2025 season, the running back room will have a chance for better production.

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Oklahoma Sooners lose star wide receiver to the transfer portal

Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver Nic Anderson expected to enter the transfer portal.

The Oklahoma Sooners saw another big name on their roster announce his intentions to enter the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] on Thursday.

Wide receiver [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag], who spent three seasons in Norman, will enter the portal when it opens on Monday, according to a report from Matt Zenitz and Chris Hummer of 247Sports.

Anderson missed all but one game this season due to injury. In his only appearance against Tennessee, Anderson was targeted once and had to leave the game after reaggravating the hamstring injury he dealt with from the beginning of fall camp. He didn’t register a catch in 2024.

That’s a stark contrast from his 2023 season, when he caught 10 touchdowns, enjoying a breakout campaign. He’s a key member of the defining play of the [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] era at Oklahoma: the game-winning touchdown pass from Dillon Gabriel against Texas in 2023.

Anderson was a four-star prospect and a member of the [autotag]2022 recruiting class[/autotag], Venables’ first at OU. Now he’s looking for a fresh start.

Anderson joins Jaquaize Pettaway, quarterback Jackson Arnold and running backs [autotag]Kalib Hicks[/autotag] and [autotag]Emeka Megwa[/autotag] as players who intend to enter the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] less than a week after OU’s regular season came to a close.

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Another Oklahoma running back enters the transfer portal

The hits continue as the Oklahoma Sooners lose another one to the transfer portal.

Transfer portal season is here. The Oklahoma Sooners had several players enter their names into the portal on Monday. The Sooners have lost three running backs to the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag]. [autotag]Marcus Major[/autotag] made his announcement earlier Monday.

Major came in as a highly touted running back from Oklahoma City, but injuries held him back. He came back this season and started for much of the year before getting injured once again.

Major finished his Oklahoma career with 194 carries for 833 yards and eight touchdowns. Major has one year remaining and will be a sixth-year senior wherever he decides to go next.

Most likely, this leaves the Sooners with [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag], [autotag]Jovantae Barnes[/autotag], [autotag]Kalib Hicks[/autotag] and [autotag]Emeka Megwa[/autotag] for the bowl game.

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5 reasons to be confident in the 2023 Oklahoma Sooners

Though there are certainly questions that still need to be answered, here are five reasons to be optimistic about the 2023 Oklahoma Sooners.

Just about two months away from the start of the 2023 college football season, there are few teams without question marks on the roster.  The Oklahoma Sooners are no different.

But instead of focusing on the unsolved mysteries with the Sooners ahead of fall camp, let’s take a look at some of the reasons to feel optimistic about Oklahoma football heading into its final season in the Big 12 in 2023.

Oklahoma Sooners running backs are the team’s strength heading into 2023

This might be an overreaction to the bowl game, but the Sooners’ run game could be even better this year.

While the offense for the Sooners was inconsistent in 2022, the run game was really good. Led by a breakout season from Eric Gray, the Sooners finished 10th in the nation with 219.4 rushing yards per game.

Gray ran for 1,366 yards and finished 18th in the nation in rushing yards, while averaging 6.4 yards per carry on 214 attempts. Gray is no longer with the Sooners. He was taken in the fifth round of the NFL draft by the New York Giants.

This might be an overreaction to the bowl game, but the Sooners’ run game could be even better this year.

The Sooners return Jovantae Barnes, who ran for 519 yards and five touchdowns as a true freshman. They also return Gavin Sawchuk, who had 15 carries for 100 yards in their bowl game against a very good Florida State team.

Those two complement each other well. Barnes is more of a physical runner, whereas Sawchuk brings plenty of speed. They are similar to a Trey Sermon and Rodney Anderson backfield. The key for them is going to be the passing game.

After the flashes we saw from Barnes and the Cheez-It bowl performance from Sawchuk, the running back position could very well could be the strength of the team.

When Jeff Lebby’s offense is rolling, it runs on everyone. While Eric Gray had a great season last year, the running back depth wasn’t great after Marcus Major was injured. Barnes stepped up and performed well when thrust into a significant role in his first season at the collegiate level.

This year you have Major back, but the running back depth is much better: Barnes, Sawchuk, Tawee Walker, Oregon transfer Emeka Megwa and true freshmen Kalib Hicks and Daylan Smothers.

While Eric Gray had a great season that he turned into a job with the Giants, Barnes and Sawchuk have higher ceilings. Gray had a hard time breaking away from the defense. That doesn’t seem to be the case with Oklahoma’s lead runners heading into 2023.

With question marks in the wide receiver room and competition still taking place along the offensive line, this running back room has to be the best part of the team, especially early in the season.

In Year 2 in Jeff Lebby’s system for Barnes and Sawchuk, there’s a chance the Sooners’ running game could be even better.

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