Tag: gracen halton

‘It feels like Christmas morning’: Todd Bates can’t wait to show off Sooners defensive line

The Sooners DL struggled last season, but Todd Bates thinks with the work they put in the offseason things will improve the defense.

Last season the defensive line struggled to stop the run or rush the passer with any consistency. It lacked what the staff calls competitive depth, especially right up the middle.

The interior defensive line is coached by [autotag]Todd Bates[/autotag]. He came to the [autotag]Oklahoma Sooners[/autotag] with [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] from the Clemson Tigers.

While at Clemson, he developed some great defensive linemen, helping them become productive NFL linemen.

The interior defensive line should be the perfect example of how poor the last staff was at developing. It also should be an example of how they didn’t recruit well enough.

To win against the “big boys,” you need some 300-pound guys in the middle. That was something that just wasn’t there a year ago.

“Last year, just coming in, we only had one guy who weighed over 300 pounds when I got here,” Bates said. “When we pulled up to the door. Schmitty doing the work that he does with guys improved that number to three last season. Well, we’re going to camp this year with five.”

Those five guys are [autotag]Da’Jon Terry[/autotag], [autotag]Isaiah Coe[/autotag], [autotag]Phil Paea[/autotag], [autotag]Jordan Kelley[/autotag] and [autotag]Kevin Gilliam Jr.[/autotag] Two of which are brand new to the team. Gilliam is back healthy this season.

Even the guys who aren’t at 300 pounds have made a lot of progress as well. “[autotag]Gracen Halton[/autotag], he started at 267 when he arrived here, he’s up to 285 now,” Bates said. “[autotag]Jonah Laulu[/autotag] last year when he was at defensive end, he weighed 272. He’s already up to 290.”

Why is that so important?

“One of the main things that keep guys from getting movement in the middle on this earth is girth,” Bates said. “We finally got some girth.”

It’s not just that. The Sooners added competitive depth with some transfers coming in to make an immediate impact to add to the natural progression from the players who were already here. Bates can’t wait to show them off.

“We’ve gotten so many players that have gotten better and improved,” Bates said. “So many new guys as well, it feels like Christmas morning to my twins almost. You are going to unwrap some presents, and you can’t wait to show everybody what you’ve got.”

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One question for each position group ahead of Oklahoma Sooners’ fall camp

With fall camp right around the corner, here’s one question for each position group that the Oklahoma Sooners must answer before the season.

Big 12 media days are in the rearview mirror, which means fall camp is right around the corner ahead of the 2023 college football season.

The Oklahoma Sooners, like every team in college football, head into the season with question marks at a few positions. Even at positions where there are returning starters, there are certainly questions worth asking.

So as we get ready for the start of the 2023 college football season with fall camp coming in a couple of weeks, here is one question for each position group the Oklahoma Sooners must answer if they want to contend for the Big 12 title in 2023.

Jonah Laulu taking on leadership role amid move to defensive tackle

Oklahoma’s Jonah Laulu disccused his new role moving to DT from EDGE and guys he’s got his eye on for 2023.

To say Oklahoma lost a lot heading into last season is an understatement. Yes, Lincoln Riley’s departure was tough to swallow. Still, the players that departed for the draft or the transfer portal put a massive dent in the talent pool Oklahoma had to work with heading into last season.

One of the players Oklahoma brought in via the portal was Hawaii transfer Jonah Laulu, a seasoned defender who spent four years at Hawaii. He came to Oklahoma with two years of eligibility, and his first year saw him as a staple in Oklahoma’s EDGE rotation.

He played in every game and made starts against Iowa State, Texas Tech, and Florida State in the Cheez-It Bowl. He totaled 20 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, one interception, one pass breakup, and two QB hurries.

It wasn’t an earth-shattering performance by any means, but Laulu, like many of his peers who decided to return for 2023, knew they had to improve this year. For one of the worst defenses in recent Oklahoma memory, that just won’t cut it, especially with a defensive wizard at the head coach like Brent Venables.

Laulu fully bought in this offseason to the culture change and commitment to turning OU around defensively and accepted a position change to play along the defensive interior instead of just inside. To do that, Laulu added over 30 pounds in size. As Oklahoma prepares for fall camp, the former Hawaii transfer has gone from 260 pounds to 293 pounds.

At Big 12 Media Days, Laulu discussed how the position change came about, his motivation, and his overall thoughts. Laulu spoke about being in a leadership position and how he got there.

“I think it’s because of how well I took on the position change,” Laulu shared. “Because some people would kind of refuse it at first, and they wouldn’t want to change that position because you don’t want to let go with being on the edge. I mean, I just wanted to do what I needed to do to help this team be the best that they can be. So whatever I have to do, I’ll do it.”

Laulu continued and shared when the decision came that, he would move inside.

“We knew I was going to play DT before the season started last year,”  Laulu said. “So in fall camp, when we were maybe like little bit halfway through camp, my coach, Coach Chavis came up and talking to us, like, ‘We noticed that your movements on the inside,’ or ‘you look so natural,’ and ‘you’re way more comfortable on the interior. And, you know, we probably think about putting you on the interior next season.’ Putting me with Coach Bates. I’ll do whatever it takes. For this team to win. I’ll do whatever it takes.”

Laulu’s ability to buy in is the core tenet of what Brent Venables and the rest of his staff have talked about in full regarding the shift in mindset and accountability needed for Oklahoma not just to be better this year but to compete for a Big 12 title.

He represents the type of buy-in Oklahoma needs, especially on defense, where accountability and a willingness to do the hard and gritty work. The stuff that may go unnoticed by the general audience resonates with the coaches and his teammates and permeates the rest of the locker room.

As one of their leaders on the defense, Oklahoma looks well-equipped to be better this year. Jonah also shared some names he thinks are primed for a breakout year or that the Sooner fans need to know about defensively.

“I’d say R Mason Thomas,” Laulu said. “He’s actually living with me right now. I mean, if you’re watching this defense, look out for Mason. He’s a great player. His ability to use his quickness, and his quick twitch and his high motor.”

Laulu also mentioned sophomore Gracen Halton, true freshman Ashton Sanders, and former five-star safety Peyton Bowen. As for some older guys, Laulu mentioned transfers Phil Paea and Da’Jon Terry are slowly acclimating themselves, learning the playbook, and trying to fit in amongst the rest of the guys.

Oklahoma should be well positioned to be better on defense next season simply due to more familiarity in the scheme, another year under strength and conditioning coach Jerry Schmidt, and a massive infusion of talent from the transfer portal and their freshman class. Guys like Laulu will need to lead the charge, having been in the fire of the Big 12 schedule and knowing what it feels like to struggle. Leaning on that experience could help Oklahoma reach the top of the Big 12 mountain in their final year in the league.

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5 Oklahoma Sooners primed for a breakout season in 2023

The Oklahoma Sooners are hoping to take a big step forward in 2023, and these five Sooners will be a big part of their improvement.

The Oklahoma Sooners may have lost some important pieces to the NFL this offseason, but they’re a program with an intriguing group of underclassmen ready to experience a breakout season.

Though several players still have roles they have to earn in fall camp, they’ve displayed the abilities that made them intriguing prospects on the recruiting scene or in the transfer portal.

As the Oklahoma Sooners look to improve from their 6-7 season, they’ll need a number of players to take significant jumps in play and production in 2023. The defense, in particular, needs to be much better.

So here are five players that will have a breakout season in 2023.

What does defensive tackle look like after Derrick LeBlanc’s departure

What does the defensive tackle position look like after Derrick LeBlanc’s departure?

With the news of former four-star defensive tackle Derrick LeBlanc’s departure from the program, let’s take a look at where Oklahoma goes at defensive tackle.

LeBlanc announced on Twitter there were some “unforeseen circumstances” that resulted in him having to enter the portal.

Losing a guy like LeBlanc, you can look at it in one of two ways. On one hand, you don’t want to lose defensive linemen, especially those at defensive tackle. This is a position the Sooners are weak at, and you never want to lose talented players.

On the other hand, you aren’t losing any production. Did he have potential? Absolutely. But he hadn’t played a game yet.

Let’s be real. Unless something changed, he wasn’t going to be in the two-deep this year. I could argue he wasn’t top six at his position for 2023.

Injuries could change that, obviously, but it was unlikely he’d get playing time ahead of guys like [autotag]Da’Jon Terry[/autotag], [autotag]Phillip Paea[/autotag], [autotag]Jonah Laulu[/autotag], [autotag]Isaiah Coe[/autotag], [autotag]Jordan Kelley[/autotag], [autotag]Jacob Lacey[/autotag] and [autotag]Gracen Halton[/autotag]. One could make the argument that [autotag]Ashton Sanders[/autotag] was in a better position to compete for snaps inside given the size he arrived in Norman with.

There’s been a great deal of buzz about Sanders and Halton this offseason, but both are still young guys that have developing to do. Halton was a four-star signee in the 2022 recruiting class after flipping from Oregon.

There have been rumors about Lacey not being able to play this year, so that would hurt. But we’ve heard Ethan Downs and Rondell Bothroyd could play up and down the line.

2024 is trickier, though. Laulu, Lacey, Kelley and Coe are out of eligibility after this season. Now the Sooners are in the running for elite players in the 2024 class. They can also address issues in the portal. But defensive tackle has some questions to answer in 2023 ahead of the program’s move to the SEC in 2024.

In their first year in the SEC, the Sooners could have very little depth at one of the most important positions. 

If there’s a positive takeaway from the departure from the Sooners’ perspective, it’s that Derrick LeBlanc made the decision now as opposed to next winter. The Sooners are in the midst of recruiting so they might be able to get in on some recruits they had moved on from now that they have an extra spot available on the defensive line depth chart.

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Oklahoma Sooners bolster DL depth with portal addition of Phillip Paea

The Oklahoma Sooners added their second transfer defensive line commitment in as many days with the pledge from Phillip Paea.

The Oklahoma Sooners are hoping to have an improved defensive line in 2023. After allowing 187 rushing yards per game in 2022, the Sooners have been active in the transfer portal to improve that element of their defense.

The Sooners added their fourth defensive tackle through the transfer portal, receiving a commitment from Utah State transfer defensive tackle [autotag]Phillip Paea[/autotag].

Paea, who spent the last two seasons with Utah State, is coming off an ACL injury suffered early in the 2022 season. Prior to that, he was a starter for the Aggies, helping them win the 2021 Mountain West Conference championship. Paea originally signed with the Michigan Wolverines in the 2017 recruiting class, but didn’t make much of an impact in Ann Arbor, transferring to Utah State after the 2020 season.

Paea joins a defensive tackle room that’s added [autotag]Jacob Lacey[/autotag], [autotag]Davon Sears[/autotag], and on [autotag]Da’Jon Terry[/autotag] through the portal. Terry committed to the Sooners on Friday.

The defensive tackle group has a bunch of depth and experience with these additions. The transfer group joins ascending players like Isaiah Coe, [autotag]Jordan Kelley[/autotag], and [autotag]Gracen Halton[/autotag]. Jonah Laulu moved inside to allow his size and agility be more effective against guards.

Oklahoma also brought in a trio of interior defensive line prospects in the 2023 recruiting class with four-star [autotag]Derrick LeBlanc[/autotag] and three-star prospects [autotag]Ashton Sanders[/autotag] and [autotag]Markus Strong[/autotag].

Like Terry, Paea figures to help the Sooners as a nose tackle in Brent Venables’ defense. Last year, Paea was listed at 6-foot-4 and 305 pounds.

With all of the additions up front, it’s going to be fascinating to see ow the Sooners deploy their defensive tackles in 2023. The Sooners’ defensive tackle rotation is going to be deep this season. The addition of Phillip Paea ensures they have multiple players that can make life difficult for teams that want to run inside against Oklahoma’s defense.

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10 Sooners who stood out in the Oklahoma Red-White Game

There were quite a few strong performances in the Oklahoma Sooners’ annual Red-White game. Here are 10 players who stood out.

The 2022 season didn’t temper the enthusiasm of a fan base that hadn’t seen a losing season since the Clinton administration. 54,509 people showed up to support the Oklahoma Sooners in the spring game. And they were treated to quite the show.

The annual Red-White game provided an opportunity to get a sneak preview into what the Oklahoma Sooners could be in the 2023 season. Though it’s hard to extrapolate performances to the regular season, there were players that stood out.

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Here are ten that flashed on Saturday in the spring game.

‘He’s a guy with a bright future’: Gracen Halton disruptive at Sooners spring game

In his second year with the Oklahoma Sooners, Gracen Halton had a disruptive effort at this year’s spring game.

The Oklahoma Sooners spring game provided a glimpse at the players that will be asked to take on significant roles in 2023.

One player that took advantage of his opportunity was second-year defensive tackle, Gracen Halton. In the game, Halton had five total tackles and a pair of sacks. He was disruptive, showing off the ability that made him a four-star interior defensive line prospect coveted by schools like Oregon, Miami, Michigan, Nebraska, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas, USC, and a number of other Power Five schools.

[autotag]Jalen Redmond[/autotag] and [autotag]Jeffery Johnson[/autotag] are off to the NFL, and the Sooners are looking for a group of interior defensive linemen that can be disruptive at the point of attack. Halton just provided a glimpse of what he has to offer the Oklahoma Sooners from the interior.

“The thing about Gracen is he’s got a ton of ability,” defensive coordinator Ted Roof shared after the game. “He can show out like that. From a consistency standpoint, he’s just got to continue to be consistent. He’s a young guy, but he’s a guy with a bright future ahead of him too.”

Consistency is key at the collegiate level and for coaches like Brent Venables and Ted Roof. They have to trust that these guys are going to be in the right spot, do their job, and win their reps more often than not to earn a role on the depth chart.

After playing sparingly in 2022, it looks like [autotag]Gracen Halton[/autotag] has put together a strong winter and spring this offseason. Only three players had more tackles in the game than Halton, and nobody had more sacks.

Halton plays with quickness and burst at 6-foot-2 and 271 pounds. As a pass rusher, he’s going to have a chance to make plays for the Oklahoma Sooners this fall. And if the spring game is any indication, as Coach Roof said, the future is very bright for Gracen Halton.

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Oklahoma Sooners going all-in to improve defense for 2023

The Oklahoma Sooners are going all-in via the transfer portal to fix a defense that was one of the worst in the country in 2022.

The transfer portal has created a bit of a chaotic element in the world of college football. Players that coaches expect to be around for three to five years may depart after just one season with the immediate eligibility transfer rule.

At the same time, there’s beauty in the transfer portal as well. A team like the Oklahoma Sooners, coming off its worst season since 1998, isn’t forced to stand pat and wait on its players to develop.

After the 2022 season, in which the defense ranked in the bottom 30 of college football and allowed 30 points per game, the Sooners are aggressively improving the talent on the defensive roster for 2023.

[autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] and the Oklahoma Sooners have added six players on the defensive side through the transfer portal. And that doesn’t include [autotag]Kendel Dolby[/autotag], who they brought in as a junior college addition through the 2023 recruiting class. So far, they’ve earned transfer commitments from:

  • [autotag]Jacob Lacey[/autotag], DT from Notre Dame
  • [autotag]Dasan McCullough[/autotag], Edge/LB from Indiana
  • [autotag]Reggie Pearson[/autotag], S from Texas Tech
  • [autotag]Trace Ford[/autotag], DE from Oklahoma State
  • [autotag]Rondell Bothroyd[/autotag], DL from Wake Forest
  • [autotag]Davon Sears[/autotag], DT from Texas State

That’s a lot of experience and a lot of production at the collegiate level to add to the defensive depth chart for 2023.

Rondell Bothroyd brings 14 sacks and 26.5 tackles for loss over the last two seasons to Norman. Dasan McCullough had a standout season as a true freshman for the Hoosiers and was an ESPN true freshman All-American. We were witnesses to the thunderous tackling ability that Reggie Pearson brings to the Sooners’ secondary in Oklahoma’s loss to Texas Tech in 2022. Jacob Lacey didn’t play much for Notre Dame in 2022, but he was effective in the three games played.

Trace Ford has battled injuries in Stillwater but has been productive when he played. In his first two seasons at Oklahoma State, Ford procured 7.5 sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss as a true freshman and sophomore. Davon Sears has taken the winding road to the Power Five after spending time at Ellsworth Community College and Texas State. He was an effective interior defensive line presence for the Bobcats, even if the numbers aren’t eye-popping.

The Sooners have some defensive building blocks to work with, including [autotag]Ethan Downs,[/autotag] [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag], [autotag]R Mason Thomas[/autotag], [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag], [autotag]Isaiah Coe[/autotag] and [autotag]Jordan Kelley[/autotag].

They have some young guys from the 2022 recruiting class that will have a chance to be impact players in 2023, such as [autotag]Jaren Kanak[/autotag], [autotag]Kobie McKinzie[/autotag], [autotag]Kip Lewis[/autotag], [autotag]Gracen Halton[/autotag], [autotag]Gentry Williams[/autotag], [autotag]Robert Spears-Jennings[/autotag] and [autotag]Jayden Rowe[/autotag]. The Sooners have signed arguably the best defensive recruiting class they’ve had in years.

However, Venables and his coaching staff aren’t waiting around. After a 6-7 season, they felt the mandate to make significant additions to the roster to improve the talent, and they’ve done that. It doesn’t mean Oklahoma will contend for the Big 12 title and the College Football Playoff, but they’re not sitting back to see if the young talent will take the steps this offseason to be the difference makers the Sooners’ defense needs to make significant strides in 2023.

They’ll have a lot to prove when they get into the Big 12 part of their schedule next season. Nonconference play will not give us much of an indication of where this defense is next season. However, with what they’ve done in the transfer portal, the defense should be on an upward trajectory.

[autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] and his staff are doing everything they can to fix the defense, and their work in the transfer portal is indicative of those efforts.

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Sooners DT Jeffery Johnson declares for the 2023 NFL Draft

Another interior defensive lineman heading to the league, Jeffery Johnson, declares for the 2023 NFL Draft.

Defensive tackle is a position the Sooners have already addressed through the transfer portal with the addition of [autotag]Jacob Lacey[/autotag]. They’re looking to add Texas State transfer [autotag]Davon Sears[/autotag] as well. They’ll need the defensive tackle depth after [autotag]Jalen Redmond[/autotag] declared for the 2023 NFL draft. Now the Sooners are losing another one to the NFL.

After graduating, defensive tackle [autotag]Jeffery Johnson[/autotag] declared for the NFL draft.

Arriving from Tulane in the 2022 transfer portal, Johnson was integral to the Oklahoma Sooners’ defensive tackle rotation. He was third among interior defensive linemen in snaps for the Sooners and recorded 23 tackles and four tackles for loss in 13 games.

From a statistical standpoint, he had his best game of the season against Florida State in the Cheez-It Bowl, recording five tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. Playing nose tackle for Brent Venables and Ted Roof, racking up big statistical numbers wasn’t going to be easy, but Johnson was an effective interior player taking up space.

After four seasons with the Green Wave and a fifth in Norman, Johnson is taking his talents to the NFL.

Following Redmond, Johnson is the second defensive tackle to declare for the draft. Josh Ellison opted to enter the transfer portal but played in the Cheez-It Bowl with the Sooners. It’s possible he returns.

With another interior player out the door, the Sooners will have [autotag]Isaiah Coe[/autotag], [autotag]Kelvin Gilliam[/autotag], [autotag]Gracen Halton[/autotag], and Notre Dame transfer Jacob Lacey as the next men up on the defensive tackle depth chart. The Sooners await word on [autotag]Jordan Kelley[/autotag], who could return for one more season and are in the running for Texas State transfer Davon Sears.

Because of the position he plays, Johnson may not hear his name called early in the draft. Nose tackles aren’t as highly-valued as some in the league, but he will catch on with someone at the next level.

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