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‘I’m trying to add more value’: Woodi Washington trying to add versatility to the secondary

Woodi Washington looking to add more value to the Sooners defense with his versatility in 2024.

Early in the offseason, the Oklahoma Sooners received good news after good news. Several players decided to return on the defensive side of the ball. One of those was Woodi Washington.

Washington has been a key fixture at the outside cornerback position for the Sooners for the last several seasons. But he decided to return to Norman in hopes of upgrading his value. And as the Sooners work through spring ball, he may not only be working to improve his draft stock, but adding value to the defense in a variety of roles.

He talked about that after practice last week. “I’m trying to add more value,” Washington said. “Just play as many positions as I can as far as the next level goes.”

Washington also said it was something he went to the coaching staff about before deciding to return for one more year. “I kind of went to them,” Washington said. “It was kind of around the time of the bowl game last year. When I first thought about coming back. Once they said that it was a go, I was all in for it.”

Right now, Oklahoma is tinkering with different spots to play him during spring practices. He’s reportedly been working at cheetah, safety, and cornerback this spring. Washington has spent time at safety due to injuries but has primarily been an outside cornerback in his time in Norman.

I’m sure a lot of where he ends up playing will have to do with if they have guys step up on the outside to take his place. The Sooners added [autotag]Dez Malone[/autotag] to a group that featured young and promising players like [autotag]Gentry Williams[/autotag], [autotag]Kani Walker[/autotag], [autotag]Makari Vickers[/autotag], [autotag]Jacobe Johnson[/autotag], and [autotag]Jasiah Wagoner[/autotag]. The depth chart looks good, but that group of players still has a lot to prove.

But for now, it’s always good to have that versatility in the secondary. Now, it’s up to the coaching staff to figure out what to do next.

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Oklahoma Sooners defensive backs in for a battle in spring ball

If the Oklahoma Sooners secondary can find more consistency, the defense will take another big step in 2024.

Last year, by and large, was a solid year for Oklahoma’s defensive backs. If there’s a knock against them, it was their inconsistency.

[autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] was a bright spot for the Sooner. He recorded 63 tackles, six interceptions, three pick-sixes, four pass breakups, and three tackles for loss last year and should have been an All-American.

Elsewhere, guys made plays but struggled to string together the caliber of performances that Bowman had.

There were moments when [autotag]Gentry Williams[/autotag] was excellent but never sustained his level of play due to a shoulder injury he dealt with for most of the year. His inability to stay on the field had a negative impact on the defense.

[autotag]Kendel Dolby[/autotag] had moments, in particular at cheetah. So did [autotag]Woodi Washington[/autotag]. Former five-star freshman [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag] also flashed at moments but lacked consistency.

So what have we learned? Talent won’t be an issue in 2024. Consistency is the name of the game. And as the Sooners get deeper into spring practice and summer preparations for the season, we’ll be on the lookout for more consistency.

According to reports, coaches have Washington working at cornerback, nickel corner, safety, and cheetah. San Diego State transfer [autotag]Dez Malone[/autotag] is working to acclimate himself, giving Oklahoma length and another veteran option out at corner. He tallied 90 tackles, three for loss, one sack, four interceptions, and 12 pass breakups from 2022-2023.

In-house, the Sooners need leaps from multiple guys. [autotag]Reggie Pearson[/autotag] is gone, and [autotag]Key Lawrence[/autotag] transferred to Ole Miss. Pair that with the need for depth at all secondary spots, and things will get interesting. Billy Bowman and Peyton Bowen are likely your starting safeties but don’t be surprised if Robert Spears-Jennings gets significant playing time at safety as well.

Spears-Jennings is looking to take a big step forward in year three. He feels like a guy we could see much of when Oklahoma goes into three safety looks. After that, Oklahoma will depend on youth. Four-star freshmen Reggie Powers and Jaydan Hardy will likely have to contribute somehow.

Woodi figures to be a starter somewhere on this defense, and barring health issues, Williams is a starting corner, too.

At cornerback, [autotag]Makari Vickers[/autotag], [autotag]Jasiah Wagoner[/autotag], and [autotag]Jacobe Johnson[/autotag] offer a lot of talent and saw time on the field last year. If they come along, Oklahoma’s depth would be outstanding.

Who is the cheetah? [autotag]Justin Harrington[/autotag] is recovering from the injury he suffered early season against SMU and isn’t participating in spring practices. [autotag]Dasan McCullough[/autotag] is working full-time as a linebacker right now.

[autotag]Kendel Dolby[/autotag] is an option, and sophomore now sees reps at the versatile spot too. Maybe four-star prospect [autotag]Michael Boganowski[/autotag] will join the mix as he finds a positional home.

Ultimately, there are a ton of question marks about Oklahoma’s secondary heading into the spring. There’s good potential, but a lack of experience on the depth chart. It’s a group that has to get more consistent for the Sooners to contend in the SEC.

Cornerbacks coach [autotag]Jay Valai[/autotag] and safety coach [autotag]Brandon Hall[/autotag] have their work cut out for them as the Sooners prepare for 2024.

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‘It’s been tough’: Gentry Williams continues to battle through injuries

After a strong start to the season, injuries took over for Gentry Williams. But now he hopes to get healthy and finish the year strong.

Through six games, there might not have been a cornerback in the [autotag]Big 12[/autotag] that was playing better football than [autotag]Gentry Williams[/autotag]. He had all four of his interceptions in that time span and became a guy teams didn’t want to throw at.

Then at the end of that sixth game, Williams went out with an injury. After that, he was never the same. He tried to give it a go vs. the [autotag]UCF Knights[/autotag] and the [autotag]Oklahoma State Cowboys[/autotag], but in both games, he didn’t look right and didn’t finish the game.

In the final game of the season, he looked healthier but also looked very rusty as well. Williams talked about his season after practice earlier this week.

“It’s been tough,” Williams said. “But the guys in this locker room definitely make it a lot easier for me. I’m battling some things personally, but it doesn’t matter when I get on the field because I want to play for them.”

The Sooners will need him to get healthy, especially with the presumed loss of [autotag]Woodi Washington[/autotag] on the other side of the field. Washington hasn’t officially decided what he’s going to do next season, but all signs point to him heading to the NFL.

We’ll get to see how much this time off has helped guys like Williams when they take the field in the [autotag]Alamo Bowl[/autotag].

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.

2023 Position Review and Recruiting Outlook: Defensive backs battle through injuries

The defensive back room was hit by injuries all season long but battled through it to have a solid season.

The Oklahoma Sooners’ defensive back room had one of the strangest seasons among the position groups. When they were healthy, they were really pretty good, but when they weren’t healthy, they really struggled.

They also would show games where they were dominant but had several games where they struggled in coverage. The inconsistency in availability created an inconsistent performance.

The other part was the come-and-go nature of the pass rush. There were games where the pass rush created a lot of pressure and games where they applied very little.

The defensive back group struggled in zone coverage often throughout the season.

But let’s take a look at how the position did this season and what’s to come in the future at the position.

Sooners secure commitment from transfer cornerback Dezjhon Malone

Oklahoma beat out West Virginia, Purdue, and others for San Diego State transfer cornerback Dezjhon Malone.

The Oklahoma Sooners added another defensive back to their roster as former San Diego State Aztecs cornerback Dezjhon Malone announced his commitment to the team on Sunday.

Malone announced he would enter the transfer portal on November 30. He received notable offers from West Virginia, Purdue, and Louisville, but Jay Valai and the appeal of Oklahoma won out. He was a steady contributor for his former school, where he appeared in 25 games with the Aztecs during four seasons.

Malone led the Aztecs with 11 starts at cornerback in the 2023 season and will bring excellent size to the position at 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds.

 

He was an All-Mountain West honorable mention in 2023 after logging 47 tackles, two for loss, one sack, one forced fumble, and one interception with seven passes broken up on the year. According to Pro Football Focus, Malone allowed just one touchdown in over 400 coverage snaps in 2023.

With Oklahoma potentially losing Woodi Washington to the NFL draft, Malone is a capable cornerback who joins a strong group of promising corners. He’ll add competitive depth to a group that includes Gentry Williams, Kani Walker, Jasiah Wagoner, Makari Vickers, Jacobe Johnson, and Kendel Dolby. Depth at cornerback was an issue in 2023. As the Sooners figure out their secondary while heading into their first season in the SEC, having veteran options provides the Sooners some insurance in the defensive backfield if the young guys on the roster aren’t able to seize a role in 2024.

Oklahoma has added two transfers since the season ended and figures to still bring in a few more. Malone joins former Michigan State transfer offensive lineman Spencer Brown as incoming additions via the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag].

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Sooners offer San Diego State transfer Dezjhon Malone

Oklahoma has hit the portal in pursuit of cornerback help as they offered San Diego State transfer Dezjhon Malone.

Oklahoma’s portal pursuits have begun with offers to a few players. One was San Diego State transfer cornerback Dezjhon Malone.

Malone is a long and athletic cornerback who stands 6 feet, 2 inches. He committed to San Diego State over offers from BYU, Oregon State, Fresno State and a number of others.

Malone was a part of San Diego State’s 2020 recruiting class and redshirted his first year on campus. He saw time on special teams the following season before breaking through as a significant defensive contributor in his redshirt sophomore season.

He was named an All-Mountain West honorable mention by the league’s head coaches and media and a third-team pick by Phil Steele for his efforts.

He showed durability, playing in all 13 games, starting the final 11. Over that season, he posted 43 tackles (34 solo) with a tackle for loss, three interceptions and five pass breakups. He played in 588 of the 874 snaps overall, the most among Aztec cornerbacks that season.

 

This past season, he had 46 tackles, one sack, seven pass breakups and one interception as San Diego State’s starting field corner.

With Woodi Washington graduating and heading to pursue professional opportunities, the Sooners have a glaring need for another corner opposite Gentry Williams.

Williams’ health seems like the only hurdle to him being great. While many young cornerbacks saw time, Oklahoma would love to have a cornerback with Malone’s experience as they head into the SEC. The Sooners have competition from Houston, Purdue, West Virginia, Louisville and Michigan State as it stands right now.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.

Stock Report: Offense finding second win as season heads into final stretch

Taking a look at who is trending up and down for the Sooners after they beat the West Virginia Mountaineers 59-20.

Oklahoma’s domination of West Virginia was a welcome sight on the heels of two frustrating losses to Kansas and Oklahoma State. The losses put a trip to Arlington in doubt for the Big 12 title game.

After back-to-back losses, the Sooners had to dust themselves off, get back up, and fight. They did just that on Saturday.

They came out swinging and never looked back.

The offense looked as cohesive and explosive as it has all year and the defense put a stranglehold on a physical West Virginia rushing attack. From a coaching perspective, Venables looked comfortable, and his coordinators, in particular Jeff Lebby, were in sync the entire game.

As Oklahoma prepares for a trip to Provo, Utah, to take on BYU in its final regular season road trip of 2023, we look at how the team is trending heading into the game in the week’s stock report.

20 highest-graded Oklahoma Sooners through Week 10 per Pro Football Focus

The 20 highest-graded Oklahoma Sooners through week 10 per Pro Football Focus.

Though the Oklahoma Sooners are on a two-game losing streak, they’ve already surpassed their win total from a year ago with three games to go and a bowl game.

They still have a shot at a Big 12 title game berth. And after 6-7, that’s all we can really ask for.

The offense has shown improvement on third down and in the red zone. Dillon Gabriel is having a career year. The defense has shown significant improvement this season. A year ago, they allowed 30 or more points seven times. This year that’s only happened once against Kansas. Texas scored 30, but seven of those can be attributed to special teams on the blocked punt.

Yes, they lost winnable games the last two weeks, playing uncharacteristically sloppy football. Otherwise, they’ve been a really good team this year.

As they get ready to close the season, here are the top 20 highest-graded players according to Pro Football Focus through week 10.

Minimum 25% snap count

Offense: 177.75

Defense: 167.75

Report Card: Offense’s dysfunction dooms Sooners chance to end Bedlam on top

Grading the Oklahoma Sooners by position group in their loss to Oklahoma State.

If Saturday was the last time Bedlam is played, the Oklahoma Sooners will always regret how things went in their final game against their in-state rivals. The Sooners will walk away from this game knowing they have dominated this series. There’s no debating that the Sooners have owned the Cowboys. But on Saturday, Oklahoma had the chance to put one final bow on this lopsided series, and they didn’t get it done.

Oklahoma State came out swinging, and the Sooners responded. But the most common theme was Oklahoma’s offense stalling on four different possessions once they got to the Oklahoma State side of the field. Most notably on the Sooners’ final drive of the game.

Defensively, Oklahoma played well enough to win. After getting bullied early, the defense found its footing and locked in the remainder of the contest.

In the end, the dysfunction and mistakes on offense put Oklahoma in a near-impossible spot. When it mattered most, they couldn’t rectify their own mistakes.

Oklahoma will move on and turn their attention to West Virginia. Before that, it’s time to pass out grades for Oklahoma’s performance against Mike Gundy’s Oklahoma State Cowboys.

5 players that will be key to an Oklahoma Sooners win in Bedlam

For the Oklahoma Sooners to get a win on the road vs. Oklahoma State, these five players will be key.

The build-up to this final iteration of Bedlam has been an interesting one. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State seem to be trending in two different directions.

For Oklahoma, this game has big-time repercussions for the goals they want to accomplish in 2023. A win keeps them in the Big 12 title hunt. A loss creates a far more difficult path.

No one expected Oklahoma State to be a Big 12 contender. They were picked to finish seventh in the Big 12 preseason poll. But the Cowboys have experienced a resurgence since their bye and have won four straight.

The onus falls upon Brent Venables and his staff to right the ship.

Venables knows he and his staff have to coach better, but the Sooners need improved discipline and execution on the field as well.

As Oklahoma looks to get back on the winning side of things, here are five Sooners that will play key roles on Saturday.