Tag: J.J. Hester

Relive Oklahoma’s big win over Maine with the best photos from Week 10

Relive the Oklahoma Sooners big win over the Maine Black Bears through these fantastic photos.

Man, the Oklahoma Sooners needed that. Outside of the first offensive and defensive possessions, it was pure domination for the Sooners in their 59-14 win over Maine.

The Sooners outgained Maine 665 to 251 with 381 rushing yards.

Jovantae Barnes led the way for the Sooners with a career-high 203 rushing yards and three touchdowns. It was a huge day for Barnes, who was injured for much of the 2023 season after a strong start to his career as a true freshman in 2022.

J.J. Hester also had a big day with a career-high 112 receiving yards, featuring a 90-yard touchdown reception from Jackson Arnold.

This win doesn’t mean the Oklahoma Sooners are back or are without questions, but it was a refreshing turn of events that helped break a three-game losing streak.

The Sooners have a challenging trio of games to end the season but they have a chance to end on a high note if they can build on this performance.

Here’s a look at some of the best photos from the Sooners win over Maine

Oklahoma Sooners run wild in big win over Maine

The Oklahoma Sooners ran for over 300 yards in their dominant win over the Maine Black Bears.

It was a dreary day in Norman as the Oklahoma Sooners took on the Maine Black Bears from the FCS. Though Maine scored first, the Oklahoma Sooners ultimately took care of business to pick up the 59-14 win.

The Sooners got the run game going early with [autotag]Jovantae Barnes[/autotag], who ripped off a 73-yard run before being tackled just short of the end zone. Two plays later, Barnes punched it in to tie the game at seven.

Oklahoma then added to the lead on a one-yard run by [autotag]Taylor Tatum[/autotag]. The score capped off a 15-play, 84-yard touchdown drive. Oklahoma converted two third downs and a fourth down on the drive to come away with points and take the lead.

After the Sooners allowed the opening touchdown drive, the defense settled in and took control, forcing punt after punt.

An Oklahoma fumble ruined the Sooners’ opportunity to expand their lead Sam Franklin couldn’t handle the option pitch from Jackson Arnold. But OU’s defense forced a three-and-out, and after a short punt, the Sooners got the ball back in Black Bears territory.

Barnes ripped off another big run to put the Sooners inside the 10, and Jackson Arnold finished it off with a one-yard touchdown to make it 21-7.

Maine was able to pick up a couple of first downs on their next drive but had to punt it back to the Sooners, pinning OU at the 10-yard line. Two plays later, Arnold hit [autotag]J.J. Hester[/autotag] for a 90-yard touchdown as the OU quarterback scrambled to his left.

Another three-and-out gave the Sooners the ball with just under two minutes to play. Oklahoma rode the legs of Jovantae Barnes, who had a huge day. Barnes carried the ball four times for 37 yards and his second touchdown of the day to put Oklahoma up 35-7 before halftime.

After halftime, it was more of the same as the Sooners forced a fumble on Maine’s opening drive and then responded with another Barnes touchdown, his third of the game.

The Sooners scored on every drive of the second half. Tight end Kaden Helms scored his first career touchdown on a nine-yard touchdown pass from Arnold.

Xavier Robinson also scored his first career touchdown on the Sooners’ final drive of the game. OU got Robinson heavily involved, giving him the ball seven times on the eight-play drive. Robinson accounted for 75 yards, including a 46-yard reception from quarterback Michael Hawkins, Jr.

In the win, Arnold was 15 of 21 (71%) for 224 yards and two touchdowns through the air. On the ground, he ran nine times for 45 yards and a touchdown.

Barnes had a career day with 203 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 18 carries. He had just one reception, but it went for 19 yards. He had another great game for the Sooners, showing speed and elusiveness as the Sooners lead runner.

Thanks to his 90-yard touchdown, Hester caught four passes for 112 yards.

The Sooners ran for 338 yards and averaged 7.3 yards per carry in the game. They were 10 of 14 on third down and 2 of 2 on fourth down and gained 665 yards of total offense.

Defensively, Danny Stutsman led the way with six total tackles and a sack. Defensive tackles Davon Sears and David Stone also recorded sacks in the win, as the Sooners’ defense only allowed 251 yards.

Oklahoma’s defense allowed more points than one would expect. Aside from a big play on Maine’s second-to-last drive, the Sooners played solid football while playing several young defenders throughout the contest.

It was a strong performance from the Sooners, who did what they needed to do on both sides of the ball to move to 5-4 on the season. Now, Oklahoma looks to build off of it with a road trip to face Missouri before closing the season with matchups against Alabama and LSU to close the season after the bye.

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Time is now for Oklahoma’s Wide Receiver depth to breakout

Amid a number of injuries, the Oklahoma Sooners need several wide receivers to step up and become big-time playmakers.

When the ball begins the 2024 edition of the Red River Showdown, nobody will feel sorry for the Oklahoma Sooners injury situation at wide receiver. Not the broadcast crew, not the officials, and certainly not the Texas Longhorns.

It was revealed on Thursday that leading receiver Deion Burks will miss Oklahoma’s matchup with No. 1 Texas in the Cotton Bowl.

It’s put-up time.

The Sooners have talented depth on the roster. Guys like Brenen Thompson, J.J. Hester, and Jaquaize Pettaway have been thrust into roles they weren’t necessarily expected to hold when the team reported for fall camp. They’ve been baptized by fire through the first five games of the season and have had some good moments.

There’s a reason they were considered blue-chip prospects coming out of high school. There’s talent to be impactful playmakers at the Power Four level, and the Sooners need them to realize that potential on Saturday in the Cotton Bowl.

Brenen Thompson has been solid this season, showing off his route-running ability. He’s played tough despite his size. Thompson has fantastic speed, capable of taking the top off of the defense. J.J. Hester was the talk of fall camp. It’s taken him a minute to get his feet under him, but he came through with a couple of big catches against Auburn to help the Sooners win the game. When the Sooners found some offensive success in the fourth quarter against Tennessee, it was Jaquaize Pettaway who helped spark the passing attack.

Those guys, plus the true freshmen trio of Zion Ragins, Zion Kearney, and Ivan Carreon, have to emerge as reliable options in the passing game. As the running game has struggled to get going through the first five games of the season, the Sooners need their pass catchers to step up.

True freshman quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. is a special talent. He has the playmaking ability and intangibles to lead the Sooners, but he can’t do it all alone. Hawkins needs his wide receiver trio to step up.

The Red River Showdown is a game where legends are born. Careers have been defined by this game.

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Oklahoma Football releases depth chart for week 2 vs. Houston Cougars

What’s new on the Oklahoma Sooners depth chart ahead of their week two matchup with the Houston Cougars?

The Oklahoma Sooners released their depth chart for their week two matchup against the Houston Cougars on Friday night. Though a lot has stayed the same from week one, there are a few notable differences.

With Jalil Farooq out for six to eight weeks with a foot injury, J.J. Hester is slated to start opposite Brenen Thompson OR [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag], while [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag] continues to occupy the slot position. Behind Hester are true freshmen [autotag]Zion Kearney[/autotag] and [autotag]Zion Ragins[/autotag]. The Sooners may have to go to their talented former four-star prospects if Hester’s unable to improve from his performance against Temple, where he had a couple of drops.

The offensive line is pretty much the same as last week, but [autotag]Joshua Bates[/autotag] has moved and is now listed as a co-starter alongside [autotag]Branson Hickman[/autotag]. Bates impressed during fall camp and earned some first-team reps but dealt with injuries in the latter stages of camp. Hickman, who was the solo starter last week for Temple, hurt his ankle in the first quarter. Initially, the Sooners slid Geirean Hatchett over from left guard to center to fill in for Hickman, but in the second half, it was all Bates.

Notably, the Sooners ran for 40 more rushing yards and just over nine yards per carry in the second half, albeit more against Temple’s backups. Given Hickman’s injury situation, the Sooners may choose to be conservative with their veteran center against Houston, making sure he’s healthy for the remainder of the season.

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Bauer Sharp answered the question at tight end for the Sooners

Bauer Sharp impressed in this first game as a Sooner. Can he step up in the passing game?

Coming into the 2024 season, the Oklahoma Sooners had some questions at the tight end position.

Two years ago, [autotag]Brayden Willis[/autotag] was one of the best players on the team, combining his ability as a receiver with his excellent blocking skills to have a very productive season. Though OU went just 6-7, the senior had a career year in his final collegiate season, catching 39 passes for 514 yards and seven touchdowns while opening up holes in the running game.

Last year, the Sooners expected similar contributions from [autotag]Austin Stogner[/autotag], who returned to Norman after a year in South Carolina. But the tight end production dipped, as Stogner caught just 17 passes for 196 yards and one touchdown. He also struggled to match Willis’ effectiveness as a blocker. Too often last season, it felt like OU was playing 10-on-11 when running the ball with a tight end in the game.

But that’s where Southeastern Louisiana tight end [autotag]Bauer Sharp[/autotag] comes in. After serving as a game captain, he ended the night as OU’s leading receiver with 47 yards on five catches with a touchdown. He seemed to be the only option aside from Burks that could consistently create separation and catch the ball.

Though he came from an FCS school, Sharp looked the part of a Power Four tight end. He and [autotag]Jake Roberts[/autotag] got the initial snaps at tight end, with the latter serving in more of a blocking role. Sharp, who started the game, has been earning high praise since the spring, with one player in his corner being superstar senior linebacker [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag].

Sharp displayed sound chemistry with [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag], often acting as a safety valve over the middle of the field for his quarterback as pressure closed in. With the struggles of the offensive line and the running game, he’ll be asked to provide more in the passing game, especially until the bigger names get healthy.

Of course, it’s only been one game. Maybe the running game will get on track in the next couple of weeks. Maybe the offensive line gets healthy and in sync. Maybe [autotag]Brenen Thompson[/autotag], [autotag]J.J. Hester[/autotag] and the other depth options at wide receiver just had a rough night and will be just fine. Maybe [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] gets back to his pre-injury self much earlier than expected and [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] is able to stave off any other injuries. .

But in the meantime, Bauer Sharp will need to build on his strong first game in a Sooner uniform to take some of the load off of Arnold and [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag]. Oklahoma has a struggling Houston squad on the schedule next, before a sneaky non-conference game against Tulane. The Sooners need to use the next two weeks to find a rhythm and an identity running and throwing the ball in [autotag]Seth Littrell[/autotag]’s offense before the Tennessee Volunteers and conference play arrive on their doorstep on September 21st.

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Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver depth being put to the test

Oklahoma Sooners relying on wide receiver depth as they work to get several players back from injury.

Entering fall camp, no position group on the Oklahoma Sooners roster was as deep as wide receiver. In just a year and a half, [autotag]Emmitt Jones[/autotag] has added and developed incredible competitive depth at one of the game’s most important positions.

Through a couple of weeks of fall camp, that depth is being tested. Jayden Gibson suffered a knee injury, [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] was dinged up last week and [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] and Andrel Anthony have been working their way back to game readiness.

Those four were among the top five wide receivers from 2023 and are expected to play significant roles in 2024. But the Sooners are working through fall camp without them.

As reports from the first scrimmage of fall camp surfaced, it sounds like the offense had a rough day. The defense is going to be really good, but the first team offense missing most of the two-deep at wide receiver (aside from Deion Burks) is going to make things a little more difficult for Jackson Arnold.

That’s why building depth and development is so important. With Anderson, Farooq, Anthony and Gibson out, [autotag]J.J. Hester[/autotag], [autotag]Ivan Carreon[/autotag], [autotag]Brenen Thompson[/autotag], [autotag]Jaquaize Pettaway[/autotag], [autotag]Zion Kearney[/autotag] and Burks had an opportunity to work with the first-team offense.

The Oklahoma Sooners have 17 days before they open the season with Temple on Aug. 29, giving Jones and the training staff plenty of time to get wide receivers ready to go. For the Sooners to have their offense humming early and often in 2024, health is paramount.

Oklahoma has the depth it can rely on, but getting Anderson, Farooq and Anthony back to 100% will make a huge difference for the Sooners passing attack.

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Pair of Oklahoma wide receivers could get more snaps to start the season

Oklahoma’s wide receiver room has the pieces to survive some early-season injuries to veteran players.

The Oklahoma Sooners are a month and a half from beginning the 2024 season, their first in the [autotag]SEC[/autotag]. Head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] spoke to reporters at [autotag]SEC media days[/autotag] on Tuesday, as OU took its turn at the podium.

The third-year coach addressed local media before taking the stage, updating On3 and SoonerScoop’s George Stoia about players rehabbing from offseason or spring ailments before the Sooners begin preseason fall camp.

Quarterback [autotag]Casey Thompson[/autotag], offensive lineman [autotag]Geirean Hatchett[/autotag] and cornerback [autotag]Gentry Williams[/autotag] are cleared and ready to go for August. Another member of the offensive line, [autotag]Troy Everett[/autotag], is ahead of schedule from his spring football injury, and Venables expects him back sooner as opposed to later.

However, two members of Oklahoma’s wide receiver room have a little more uncertainty with fall camp around the corner.

Senior [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag], who was injured in spring ball, is still recovering from a foot fracture. Venables said he didn’t have surgery and is taking it easy at this point. His status will be cleaerr when the week of the first game rolls around.

[autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] is still on the mend after getting injured in the [autotag]Red River Rivalry[/autotag] in October. Venables is hopeful the deep ball threat will be practicing before Aug. 30, but Anthony hasn’t been cleared yet.

The uncertainty of Farooq and Anthony is nothing to be downplayed, but it’d be even more of a problem most years in the wide receiver room. This year, however, is the exception. The position group is absolutely loaded in 2024.

Though leading receiver [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag] is off to the pros, the Sooners have suitable replacements in the slot. [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag] was a star in the spring after transferring from Purdue and [autotag]Jaquaize Pettaway[/autotag] was a standout in the 2023 recruiting class.

On the outside, if Farooq and/or Anthony miss significant time, two players are ready to step into an even brighter spotlight.

[autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] was a touchdown machine a year ago for the Sooners, making plenty of huge plays in 2023. He was electric, scoring 10 touchdowns and finishing with 798 yards receiving despite not stepping into the starting lineup until Anthony was hurt. He’d be a good bet to start on the outside, especially with the injuries factoring in.

[autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag] also saw more playing time in 2023 when Anthony went down. He came into his own as the season progressed, catching five touchdowns on just 14 receptions. He finished with 375 yards and could have pushed for a starting spot even if the entire receiver room was healthy. These two players, both from Venables’ first recruiting class in 2022, could see plenty of targets especially early in the season.

Behind them, wide receivers coach [autotag]Emmett Jones[/autotag] has [autotag]J.J. Hester[/autotag] and [autotag]Brenan Thompson[/autotag], who could also see an increase in playing time.

Anderson and Gibson are the pair that would benefit the most from more targets coming their way. Both possess tremendous upside. If one or both of them can develop great chemistry with quarterback [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag], it might be tough to take them off the field, even when the veterans become healthy again.

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Sooners have a top 10 WR corps in the country according to PFF

Oklahoma is deep and talented at wide receiver this year, and Pro Football Focus ranked the Sooners as one of the ten best WR units in America.

The Oklahoma Sooners have an embarrassment of riches at the wide receiver position heading into the 2024 season. As OU football exits the [autotag]Big 12[/autotag] and moves to the [autotag]SEC[/autotag], they’ll be leaning on their strengths in Year 3 of the [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] era. Wide receiver is one of the deepest and most talented units on the roster, even after losing [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag].

[autotag]Emmett Jones[/autotag] has been excellent since joining the Oklahoma staff from Texas Tech. He’s recruited very well and the unit improved noticeably in his first season as wide receivers coach.

Pro Football Focus agrees that the Sooners are very good at wideout heading into 2024, ranking the Sooners as one of their top 10 receiving corps in the country.

Oklahoma snuck onto the list at No. 10.

Oklahoma brings back five of its six leading receivers from a year ago, losing only Drake Stoops. [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] is the leader of those returners and was second in the Big 12 last year with 10 touchdowns to only Adonai Mitchell. [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] and [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] also came back and combined for 1,109 receiving yards this past season.

The Sooners also found a couple starting pass-catchers in the transfer portal in Purdue wide receiver [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag] and Baylor tight end [autotag]Jake Roberts[/autotag]. Burks was second in the Big Ten with 18 forced missed tackles on receptions in 2023. Despite serving as Baylor’s backup tight end in 2023, Roberts was still ninth in the Big 12 at the position with 143 yards after the catch. – Max Chadwick, Pro Football Focus

Anderson, Farooq, Anthony, and Burks figure to be the four players who receive the most targets, but [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag] came on very strong as the 2023 season progressed.

Younger players like [autotag]J.J. Hester[/autotag], [autotag]Brenan Thompson[/autotag], [autotag]Jaquazie Pettaway[/autotag], [autotag]Zion Kearney[/autotag], [autotag]Zion Ragins[/autotag], [autotag]Ivan Carreon[/autotag] and [autotag]K.J. Daniels[/autotag] are all providing plenty of depth and were all talented recruits.

At tight end, Roberts may not even start, as [autotag]Bauer Sharp[/autotag] got those snaps in the spring game. Four-star true freshman [autotag]Davon Mitchell[/autotag] joins [autotag]Kaden Helms[/autotag] and [autotag]Josh Fanuiel[/autotag] in the tight end room as well. [autotag]Joe Jon Finley[/autotag] will be able to mix and match what he wants from that position, tasked with replacing [autotag]Austin Stogner[/autotag].

With a talented but unproven quarterback and an overhauled offensive line, look for the weapons in the passing game to be something the offense can lean on this season.

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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.

CBS Sports sees wide receiver as a potential problem for the Oklahoma Sooners

Coming out of spring ball, CBS Sports believes wide receiver is a lingering question for the Oklahoma Sooners.

Spring ball did a lot to provide optimism about the direction of the Oklahoma Sooners in Year 2 under Brent Venables. The defense looks improved through transfer portal additions and recruiting acquisitions.

If there’s an area of concern, it may be on the offensive side of the ball, where the offensive line has dealt with injuries. While that’s certainly an issue, Shehan Jeyarajah of CBS Sports believes it’s the wide receiver position that may be the biggest issue for Oklahoma coming out of spring ball.

In his piece titled “Big 12 Overreactions,” Jeyarajah had this to say:

The Sooners don’t have receivers: Offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby’s system is built around using dominant wide receivers to spread the field and create opportunities. After the departures of Marvin Mims, Brayden Willis and Theo Wease, Oklahoma doesn’t have the receivers to run the system well. Jalil Farooq and Drake Stoops are the only returning receivers on the roster with more than 100 yards receiving last season, and the duo combined for just 11.3 yards per catch. No one obvious stepped up and stole a role in spring camp. Even if the defense improves, the offense isn’t explosive enough to compete for the Big 12 unless a major addition is on the way. – Jeyarajah, CBS Sports

Outside wide receiver opposite [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] is certainly a question mark. Farooq looks to be in line for a big-time opportunity due to his ability to win at all levels of the passing game.

Slot wide receiver looks to be in great shape with [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag], [autotag]Gavin Freeman[/autotag] and newcomer [autotag]Brenen Thompson[/autotag]. However, Oklahoma lacks a true downfield weapon to replace [autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag].

There are some intriguing options: [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag], Thompson, [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag], Nic Anderson, [autotag]LV Bunkley-Shelton[/autotag] and [autotag]J.J. Hester[/autotag]. As Jeyarajah mentions, nobody made a significant run at the starting spot vacated by Mims.

Oklahoma hasn’t been shy about adding wide receivers in the transfer portal this offseason. It has already brought in a pair of potential weapons, Anthony and Thompson, and has a chance to add more production, Colorado transfer WR [autotag]Jordyn Tyson[/autotag].

Tyson has the big-play ability the Sooners are missing on the outside, and he produced as a true freshman for the Buffaloes with 22 receptions, 470 yards, and four touchdowns. He broke out in a big way over the final three games of the season for Colorado with 13 catches for 344 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 26.5 yards per reception.

Oklahoma wide receivers coach [autotag]Emmett Jones[/autotag] and offensive coordinator [autotag]Jeff Lebby[/autotag] have time to resolve the question surrounding the wide receiver group. There are options. It’s simply a matter of seeing which of those players rises to the occasion and seizes a role ahead of the 2023 college football season.

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