Tag: eugene brooks

Oklahoma Sooners freshman offensive lineman enters the transfer portal

According to a report from CBS Sports/247Sports, Oklahoma Sooners offensive lineman is entering the transfer portal.

The Oklahoma Sooners added an offensive lineman via the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] on Monday: former Stanford offensive tackle Luke Baklenko.

It was also reported that John Mateer is expected to enter the portal. He is expected to be a top target for the Sooners.

Well, as the portal giveth on Monday, it also taketh away. According to Matt Zenitz and Chris Hummer of 247Sports/CBS Sports, former four-star offensive lineman [autotag]Eugene Brooks[/autotag] is entering the portal.

Brooks played in four games in 2024, serving on special teams for the Sooners. He’ll have four years of eligibility remaining.

Out of Chatsworth, California, Brooks was a former top 100 prospect, according to 247Sports, and the No. 3 interior offensive lineman. The Sooners earned his commitment over offers from Texas, Arizona, BYU, Cal, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Michigan State, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Texas A&M, UNLV, USC and Washington State.

Oklahoma is expected to return incumbent starting guards Heath Ozaeta and Febechi Nwaiwu for 2025. Eddy Pierre-Louis, a fellow four-star from the 2024 class, was impressive in his limited playing time. Okahoma added impressive interior offensive line prospects Darius Afalava and Owen Hollenbeck and top 10 offensive tackle prospects Michael Fasusi and Ryan Fodje in the 2025 recruiting class.

Oklahoma’s offensive line depth is improved from where it was a year ago and with the reduction in roster spots, it isn’t too surprising to see even a once highly coveted prospect like Brooks hit the transfer portal.

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Sooners duo named to ESPN’s true freshman All-America team

A pair of Oklahoma Sooners made ESPN’s list of the best true freshmen in the nation.

The Oklahoma Sooners kick off their 2024 season in less than two weeks. Talking season is almost over, and fall camps are beginning to wrap up across the country.

But before the season begins, ESPN unveiled their true freshmen All-America team (ESPN+). All of the players included were high schoolers last year and members of the [autotag]2024 recruiting class[/autotag].

OU had two players make the team: offensive lineman [autotag]Eugene Brooks[/autotag] and defensive tackle [autotag]Jayden Jackson[/autotag].

Brooks was the No. 145 player in ESPN’s 300 rankings coming out of high school. Here’s what ESPN staff writer Tom Luginbill had to say about the young offensive lineman.

Brooks is currently running with the second team at guard. The former Under Armour All-American has had his ups and downs during training camp, but he has also shed close to 60 pounds off his frame to help aid his quickness and agility. With that type of discipline and work ethic, clearly Brooks is serious about getting on the field this fall. – Luginbill, ESPN

Brooks was a solid acquisition for offensive line coach [autotag]Bill Bedenbaugh[/autotag] in the most recent class out of Sierra Canyon High School in California. 247Sports ranked him as a four-star prospect and their third-ranked interior offensive lineman.

Brooks isn’t in line to start in 2024, but he represents part of the future of the offensive line that has been a major talking point this offseason. While the Sooners had to replace the entire unit with some portal additions this offseason for 2024, it will be paramount to recruit and develop players on the o-line, especially heading into the [autotag]SEC[/autotag].

Jackson was just a three-star prospect coming out of high school, according to ESPN, but has a chance to be special in Norman.

Jackson started the Oklahoma spring game but likely will be in the rotation at defensive tackle with fellow freshman [autotag]David Stone[/autotag], among others. With the move to the SEC, Oklahoma needs upgraded defensive front personnel, and Jackson has impressed. He will need to grow up quickly as the rise in the level of competition in the trenches from the [autotag]Big 12[/autotag] to the SEC will be steep. – Luginbill, ESPN

Jackson was part of an excellent 2024 defensive line haul by defensive tackles coach [autotag]Todd Bates[/autotag] and defensive ends coach Miguel Chavis. He hails from IMG Academy and was the 23rd-best player in the state of Florida, according to 247Sports. He was extremely impressive in the spring, and like Brooks on the other side of the ball, he won’t be starting right away, but he represents part of the defensive line’s future.

He’s been one of the standout performers in spring and fall camp and has a chance to earn playing time early and often due to his size, quickness, and strength.

Defensive tackle improved dramatically in the post-spring portal window with the addition of [autotag]Damonic Williams[/autotag], but Jackson, Stone, and others will need to be ready to take up the mantle of leadership inside soon.

As third-year head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] and the Sooners enter a conference where games are won and lost in the trenches, they look to be in good hands with their 2024 class on both sides of the ball.

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Pro Football Focus sees offensive line as Sooners biggest weakness

Pro Football Focus tabs OU’s offensive line as the team’s weakness going into the SEC.

It’s preview season in the world of college football, and the Oklahoma Sooners football team got the spotlight this past week from Pro Football Focus in their College Football Preview (subscription required).

PFF gave the Sooners just a 4% chance to win the SEC this year, but did have OU 13th in their power rankings.

Max Chadwick and Dalton Wasserman, who co-wrote the article, named Oklahoma’s offensive line as their biggest weakness heading into the new season.

Here’s what PFF had to say:

The Sooners won’t return any starting offensive linemen from last season. While SMU transfer [autotag]Branson Hickman[/autotag] is a terrific addition in the middle, there will be uncertainty around the other four spots.

Hickman was a big get for [autotag]Bill Bedenbaugh[/autotag] out of the spring [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] window. He should be a plug-and-play piece at center to begin the season. [autotag]Troy Everett[/autotag] and [autotag]Joshua Bates[/autotag] provide depth in the case of an injury to Hickman.

It may very well be two transfers at the guard positions as well.[autotag] Febechi Nwaiwu [/autotag] and [autotag]Geirean Hatchett[/autotag] have the most experience in the room. Nwaiwu comes from North Texas and was a Freshman All-American in 2022. Hatchett is a veteran with big-game experience, transferring in from Washington after playing in the national championship game. [autotag]Jacob Sexton[/autotag], [autotag]Heath Ozaeta[/autotag] and [autotag]Eugene Brooks[/autotag] headline the homegrown talent at this position.

Rounding out a transfer-heavy offensive line, [autotag]Michael Tarquin[/autotag] and [autotag]Spencer Brown [/autotag] could make it five-for-five on o-line starters who weren’t Sooners last year. Tarquin transferred in from USC, while Brown comes by way of Michigan State. [autotag]Jake Taylor[/autotag] is a younger option at tackle, and Sexton can kick outside if needed.

One thing Bedenbaugh has at his disposal is that many of these players are capable of playing multiple positions. Everett, Nwaiwu, Hatchett, Sexton, and Ozaeta all have some experience lining up at least two different spots. Sexton and Ozaeta could play anywhere but center in a pinch and Hatchett is capable of playing all five positions. He’s lined up at tight end as a blocker for the Huskies before, as well.

[autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] has surely heard all of the talk about this unit heading into his third year in Norman. The offensive line looks like the hinge point of the entire 2024 season for the Sooners. Don’t be surprised if these players have a chip on their shoulder and a fire lit underneath them.

After all, they’ve been hearing for months that they aren’t good enough to play in the [autotag]SEC[/autotag].

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Where are the Sooners in ESPN’s Power Rankings through 2026?

Where did the Oklahoma Sooners land in ESPN’s Future Power Rankings through 2026?

The future is bright for the Oklahoma Sooners. Brent Venables and his staff have been recruiting at a very high level since his arrival in Norman. Each of his first three recruiting classes has ranked in the top 10 of 247Sports team recruiting rankings. Even the 2022 class after it deteriorated following the departure of [autotag]Lincoln Riley[/autotag].

The Sooners have added blue-chip prospects on both sides of the ball, including four five-star prospects. Though those recruiting classes have yet to fully take hold of the program, they’re very much the core of the future for the Oklahoma Sooners.

But there are still some questions about what that future looks like. Over at ESPN, Adam Rittenberg ranked the top 25 programs (ESPN+) over the next three seasons and the Oklahoma Sooners came in at No. 18.

Decorated offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh must find the right mix for 2024 with a largely new group, although juniors [autotag]Jacob Sexton[/autotag] and [autotag]Troy Everett[/autotag] are both back. (Febechi) Nwaiwu and (Branson) Hickman both can play through 2025, and the development of non-seniors such as redshirt freshman [autotag]Joshua Bates[/autotag] will be significant. The wide receiver and tight end outlooks are very strong. – Rittenberg, ESPN

Much of the concern surrounding the Sooners in 2025 and 2026 focuses on the offensive line. The skill talent is in really good shape and so is the quarterback position. Defensively, Venables and his staff continue to hit home runs on the recruiting trail and in the transfer portal.

But while many around the country aren’t all that optimistic about Oklahoma’s offensive line, there’s reason to be. Namely, because Bill Bedenbaugh has a proven track record. He’s rebuilt offensive lines on a regular basis. He’s shown he’s a great evaluator of both high school and transfer portal talent and we know he can develop. He’s got a bunch of dudes on NFL rosters heading into 2024 NFL training camps.

In 2024, the offensive line will feature several transfer portal additions, but there are still blue-chip prospects in [autotag]Jacob Sexton[/autotag], [autotag]Jake Taylor[/autotag], and [autotag]Heath Ozaeta[/autotag] vying for jobs up front. Bedenbaugh also added four-star offensive linemen [autotag]Eugene Brooks[/autotag] and [autotag]Eddy Pierre-Louis[/autotag] in the [autotag]2024 recruiting class[/autotag].

For 2024 and beyond, questions about the offensive line may continue to be a theme, but we’ve seen the offensive line come together. There’s little reason to believe it won’t come together and be a strength for the Sooners.

The success that Oklahoma’s having on the recruiting trail and in the transfer portal is reason enough to be excited about the future of the program. Now, they simply, or maybe not so simply, need to go and prove it on the field.

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Sooners sign same number of the On3 Industry top 20 players in California for 2024 as USC

The Oklahoma Sooners matched the USC Trojans in number of players in On3’s California Industry Player Rankings.

When [autotag]Lincoln Riley[/autotag] left Oklahoma for USC, one of the hot topics of discussion was Riley’s ability to recruit the state of California.

California, along with Texas and Florida, has long been considered the recruiting hotbed for college football. USC being the biggest brand in the state and Riley’s propensity for offense created an assumption that he was going to put the state on lockdown.

Well, in the 2024 recruiting cycle, that was far from the case.

The Trojans only signed one player in On3’s top 10 from 2024. The same number that Brent Venables and the Sooners signed the state of California. In fact, Oklahoma’s signee, OL [autotag]Eugene Brooks[/autotag], ranked higher in On3’s California industry player rankings than USC’s top 10 signee, WR Xavier Jordan.

Meanwhile, Alabama and Oregon had multiple top-10 signees from the state.

In California’s top 20, Oregon had seven signees. USC had two. The Oklahoma Sooners also had two of the top 20 players in the Golden State. After reclassifying to the 2024 recruiting class, [autotag]Davon Mitchell[/autotag] dropped in the rankings and finished at No. 14. Had he kept his 2025 ranking, he might have finished in the top 10 in the state.

In the 2024 Oklahoma state industry rankings at On3, Oklahoma signed six players in the top 20. For comparison in the state, Tulsa signed three players in the top 20 in Oklahoma and Oklahoma State signed two. The Sooners are dominating the state of Oklahoma and are also pulling recruits from the big three recruiting hot beds.

Lincoln Riley’s a good coach, but letting Oregon and Dan Lanning come in and dominate the state will make it difficult for the Trojans to have long-term success, especially as they head into the Big Ten. And with Alabama, Georgia, Texas, and Oklahoma also invading California recruiting, it’s not going to get any easier for Riley and his staff on the recruiting trail.

More: How each recruiting site ranked Oklahoma’s 2024 signees

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Eugene Brooks finishes as a top 10 interior offensive lineman in the 2024 class per On3

Eugene Brooks rose quickly to end the year. So much so he finished in On3’s top 10 2024 IOL rankings.

Much was made about the Oklahoma Sooners’ offensive line class in 2024. Some were even questioning [autotag]Bill Bedenbaugh[/autotag]’s ability as a recruiter and coach.

Although Oklahoma missed out on some of their top prospects, that narrative was crazy talk.

Bedenbaugh has built a reputation for taking guys who aren’t highly recruited and turning them into stars. [autotag]Orlando Brown Jr.[/autotag], [autotag]Creed Humphrey[/autotag], [autotag]Cody Ford[/autotag], [autotag]Tyler Guyton[/autotag] and [autotag]Ben Powers[/autotag], just to name a few, were all three-star players according at least one of the recruiting services coming out of high school. Four of the five have carved out nice NFL careers, and the other is projected to be taken in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft.

Still, you hope to land some of the big fish that you are going after. However, one guy who could be an overlooked prospect who becomes the next great one is [autotag]Eugene Brooks[/autotag]. Brooks was once a three-star but shot up the recruiting boards after impressive camps and All-American games. He made the move all the way into On3’s top 10 interior offensive linemen of the [autotag]2024 recruiting class[/autotag].

Brooks is a consensus top 185 player in the country and is as high as a top 75 according to 247Sports. All four major recruiting sites have him as a top 10 interior offensive lineman, with 247Sports ranking him the highest at No. 3.

It’s unclear what position he will play at Oklahoma. Many thought he would play guard, but there have been some rumblings that he could be Oklahoma’s next great center. That remains to be seen, as well as how much playing time he will receive in year one.

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Where each of the Oklahoma Sooners signees finished in final 2024 recruiting rankings

A look at where each Oklahoma Sooners 2024 signee finished in the final rankings for the 2024 recruiting cycle.

The 2024 recruiting class finished in the top 10 for the Oklahoma Sooners. It was an important class, as it marked the first group of players that would play their entire career in the [autotag]SEC[/autotag].

Given the need to rebuild the offensive and defensive lines to be able to contend in the SEC, additional importance was placed on landing a strong offensive and defensive line class. And [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] and his staff did just that.

But that’s not where the impressive returns stopped. Oklahoma also came through with the top running back in the cycle and a blue-chip set of wide receivers. It was an impressive cycle for [autotag]Emmett Jones[/autotag] and [autotag]DeMarco Murray[/autotag].

[autotag]Davon Mitchell[/autotag] was considered the top tight end in the 2025 recruiting cycle before reclassifying to 2024, giving Joe Jon Finley a bonafide star to work with.

At defensive back, Jay Valai and Brandon Hall continued to pull in impressive talents, landing four-star prospects [autotag]Jaydan Hardy[/autotag], [autotag]Reggie Powers[/autotag], [autotag]Jeremiah Newcombe[/autotag], [autotag]Mykel Patterson-McDonald[/autotag], [autotag]Eli Bowen[/autotag], and [autotag]Devon Jordan[/autotag].

At quarterback, the Sooners landed highly productive passers from two big football states in [autotag]Michael Hawkins[/autotag] from Texas and [autotag]Brendan Zurbrugg[/autotag] from Ohio. Two years ago, the depth at the position was questionable. Now [autotag]Seth Littrell[/autotag] has an impressive group of passers to lead his offense into the future.

Looking back at the trenches. The Sooners landed two legit studs in [autotag]David Stone[/autotag] and [autotag]Jayden Jackson[/autotag] for the interior and three blue-chip prospects to work along the edge in [autotag]Nigel Smith[/autotag], [autotag]Danny Okoye[/autotag], and [autotag]Wyatt Gilmore[/autotag].

It was a necessity heading into the SEC, where the offensive line play and physicality in the trenches go to another level. And as much as we love the defensive line recruiting, the offensive line recruiting could end up being just as impactful.

Sure, aside from [autotag]Eugene Brooks[/autotag], Bill Bedenbaugh’s group didn’t receive a ton of recognition in recruiting circles. But it’s an athletically impressive group with a strong work ethic and a lot of upside.

So as we turn the page on Oklahoma’s 2024 recruiting class, let’s take a look at how each player finished in the final player rankings from ESPN, Rivals, 247Sports, and On3.

At the end, you can see which recruiting service liked each of Oklahoma’s signees the most.

Pair of Sooners signees stand out at Under Armour All-American Week

A pair of Oklahoma Sooner signees impress at the Under Armour All-American week.

The 2024 Under Armour All-American week is in the books, and two future Oklahoma Sooners impressed all week long. Five-star defensive lineman [autotag]David Stone[/autotag] was mentioned but the surprise might have been from four-star [autotag]Eugene Brooks[/autotag].

247Sports shared their “superlatives” of the week and those two Sooners made the list. Stone was given the “most energy” superlative.

This award last year went to Clemson’s Peter Woods, who went on to make the 247Sports’ True Freshman All-American Team. It wouldn’t be shocking to see David Stone make that same list next year. Stone was as active as anyone on the defensive line this week and fought to take reps in practice, which is rare to see in such a laid-back setting. The blend of Stone’s speed, power, technique and motor should have him on the field sooner rather than later for the Sooners, who spent three years fighting for his signature. – Andrew Ivins 247Sports

Stone had a massive week and only grew the expectations from Sooner fans for his freshman season. He’s become someone some wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t start by the end of next season.

Brooks has kind of flown under the radar, but he put the country on notice. He earned a superlative that probably brings a smile to a lot of Sooner Nation; “best run-blocker.”

No one was better in the phone booth all week than Eugene Brooks, who manhandled opponents during 1-on-1 drills and opened up wide run lanes when things transitioned to 11-on-11 period. Brooks is a natural knee-bender that is quick to establish a firm base and then keep his legs pumping. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Brooks, who owns some of the best shot put numbers in the class, push for early playing time in Norman with the Sooners set to lose four veteran offensive linemen to the NFL Draft. – Ivins, 247Sports

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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 Early Signing Period Tracker

Get to know the 2024 recruiting class with our Oklahoma Sooners 2024 early signing period tracker.

It’s Day 1 of the [autotag]2024 early signing period[/autotag], and the Oklahoma Sooners are already off to the races. A number of their prospects started the ball rolling first thing this morning, signing their national letters of intent to play ball at Oklahoma.

It’s expected that nearly all of Oklahoma’s committed players in the 2024 class will sign for the Sooners on Day 1 of the early signing period. However, as we saw in the Peyton Bowen recruitment a year ago, there could be a surprise or two during the early signing period.

As Oklahoma welcomes in its 2024 recruiting class, here are the players that officially became members of the Oklahoma Sooners.

The Sooners have officially signed each of their 2024 commitments.

Get to know the Sooners 2024 recruiting class with our early signing period tracker.

Follow along for all of our [autotag]2024 Early Signing Period[/autotag]