Tag: Jacob Jordan

Can this trio of freshmen help Oklahoma to victory against Maine?

Who are three freshmen to watch out for when the Sooners meet the Black Bears?

The Oklahoma Sooners will look to improve on their 4-4 record when they host the Maine Black Bears this weekend. OU has lost three straight games, but this week’s FCS opponent should provide a breather before a daunting final month of the regular season.

Oklahoma is still facing injury issues at key positions like wide receiver and offensive line, and an opponent like this one is a good opportunity to get some younger players in the action and see how they fare.

With the struggles of the Sooners offense this season, virtually nothing is certain. But if Oklahoma is able to get a big lead, Saturday might be a time to see some faces that haven’t been on the field much in 2024.

Here are three freshmen to watch for this week, as the Sooners take on the Black Bears.

1. Isaiah Autry-Dent, OL

Offensive lineman [autotag]Isaiah Autry-Dent[/autotag] is a guy that head coach Brent Venables has said will be “brought up” from the scout team this week. It’s an exciting opportunity for a young, talented prospect.

Oklahoma is facing injuries to offensive tackles Jake Taylor and Jacob Sexton, forcing even more shuffling from a unit that’s started seven different combinations in eight games. Taylor and Sexton aren’t the only players that are banged up, so this game presents a good opportunity for a player like Autry-Dent to show what he’s got.

2. Michael Boganowski, DB

Defensive back [autotag]Michael Boganowski[/autotag] has been more of a special teams piece for the Oklahoma Sooners but has the ability to be a difference maker for the Sooners defense. He only saw four snaps against Ole Miss, according to Pro Football Focus, but as the Sooners continue to play around with some three-safety looks, he could see the field a lot this week.

Boganowski is part of a very talented and diverse group of true freshmen defensive backs that Oklahoma has at their disposal. He’s a thumper over the middle of the field. With more experience, he’ll become a dynamic part of the Sooners defense.

3. Jacob Jordan, WR

Two weeks ago, nobody thought wide receiver [autotag]Jacob Jordan[/autotag] would even see much of the field. Now, he’s arguably the top target in OU’s passing game, leading the wide receivers in catches and yards the last two weeks. He has 12 receptions for 124 yards and a touchdown in just two games.

Jordan isn’t going to be confused for the most athletic guy on the field. But he catches the ball when it’s thrown his way, and he seems to get open a lot.

This week against Maine is a good opportunity for him to get a lot of snaps and continue to develop his chemistry with quarterback Jackson Arnold. In short order, the true freshman walk-on has become a reliable part of the Oklahoma Sooners offense.

The Sooners and the Black Bears will get going at 1:30 p.m. on ESPN+ this Saturday, as OU looks to avoid a fourth-straight loss at get back over .500 on the 2024 season.

3 offensive performances against Ole Miss that Oklahoma can build on

Who are three players on Oklahoma’s offense that stood out in Saturday’s loss?

It’s no secret that the offense for the Oklahoma Sooners this season has been bad. It’s the worst unit OU has fielded on that side of the ball since 1998, and one of the team’s two offensive coordinators was fired seven games into the year by head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag].

Despite only putting up 14 points in Saturday’s loss against the Ole Miss Rebels, Oklahoma’s offense improved from what we saw versus Texas and South Carolina. Though they were shut out in the second half and the offensive line allowed a school-record 10 sacks, there were some positives to take away, albeit small ones.

The Sooners played some of their best offensive football in weeks in the game’s first half, and though it fell apart at the end of the game, there are a few players on that side of the ball that rose to the top and had positive outings, despite the chaos.

Here are three players on OU’s offense who deserve credit for the way they played against Ole Miss.

1. Jacob Jordan, WR

Despite being a true freshman walk-on, wide receiver [autotag]Jacob Jordan[/autotag] caught six passes for 38 yards on Saturday. He’s currently OU’s most effective wideout, and he possesses the combination of being able to get open and being able to catch the ball.

All of Oklahoma’s other wide receivers had exactly one catch in the game (J.J. Hester) and Jordan deserves even more snaps and targets than he’s already getting. Despite less experience this season than OU’s other reserve wide receivers, he’s had more impact in two games than they have all season.

2. Jackson Arnold, QB

Quarterback [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] should be applauded for not sitting and pouting when he was benched in favor of Michael Hawkins Jr. earlier this year. Instead of redshirting, transferring, refusing to play, or sulking, Arnold continued to stay ready for the team. In this day and age of college football, that’s extremely rare and speaks to the high character Arnold possesses.

He’s now burned that redshirt, and has become OU’s starter under center again. He displayed some really good things on Saturday, despite being under pressure most of the day. He played well in the first half, but was under constant duress when the Sooners were blanked in the second half.

He went 22-for-31 with 182 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions through the air. Take the sack yardage out and Arnold ran for 99 yards, according to Pro Football Focus.

The potential that the staff raved about with Arnold can be seen in glimpses. Let’s see if he can start to put the pieces together over the final four games of 2024, and then see what happens after that.

3. Jovantae Barnes, RB

Running back [autotag]Jovantae Barnes[/autotag] is the offensive player I’ve been the most proud of over the past two weeks. He plays as hard as anyone on the team, and runs with physicality whenever he has the ball in his hands. His effort against Ole Miss kept the OU offense on the field on multiple occasions.

Barnes had 16 carries for 67 yards and added five catches for 57 yards, to lead OU in yards through the air and on the ground. He doesn’t have the speed or elusiveness that other players in the running back room posses, but he’s so tough and powerful when he gets moving north and south.

Ole Miss has a good defensive front that is one of the nation’s best against the run. Barnes certainly didn’t have a record-breaking day, but he showed that his effort and tenacity won’t stop and that he can be a focal point for this offense moving forward.

Oklahoma Sooners fall 26-14 to No. 18 Ole Miss Rebels

The Oklahoma Sooners couldn’t protect Jackson Arnold on their final two drives and dropped to 4-4 on the season in their 26-14 loss to Ole Miss.

For the third consecutive week, the Oklahoma Sooners will wake up Sunday morning with the taste of defeat. Oklahoma traveled to Oxford, Mississippi on Saturday to take on Lane Kiffin’s 18th-ranked Ole Miss Rebels. The Sooners put up a fight in the first half but ultimately fell 26-14.

The game started rough as the Rebels marched down the field in six plays and scored the game’s opening touchdown on a nine-yard TD run from Henry Parrish Jr. It looked as if Ole Miss was going to have its way with the Sooners, but Zac Alley’s unit made considerable adjustments the rest of the half.

The Sooners used their first possession, aided by some key penalties on the Rebels, to march all the way down to the Rebel’s two-yard line, where the Sooners were unable to convert on 4th and goal. Jackson Arnold hit Brenen Thompson in the gut with an Ole Miss defender draping him and couldn’t come up with the catch.

Oklahoma’s defense settled in forcing a punt on the Rebels’ next possession. The Sooners finally found pay dirt in the first half for the first time since they traveled to Auburn. Jackson Arnold delivered a rainbow of a throw to tight end Bauer Sharp for an 11-yard score.

Oklahoma and Ole Miss traded punts before the Rebels nailed a field goal to go up 10-7 in the second quarter.

Despite Ole Miss forcing a fumble to give themselves incredible field position, the Oklahoma defense stopped the Rebels on fourth down to get the ball back at their own eight-yard line.

Jackson Arnold and the OU offense, led by terrific running from Jovantae Barnes and timely decision-making from Arnold, pushed all the way downfield 92 yards, culminating in a nine-yard touchdown toss to Jacob Jordan. Arnold made an incredible individual effort to evade pressure and roll right before throwing a dart to the walk-on receiver for Jordan’s first career touchdown.

Oklahoma would go into the half up 14-10, their first lead at halftime in almost two months.

Out of the half, the Sooners were unable to get anything going on their first possession and Ole Miss responded with a touchdown to take a 16-14 lead.

Oklahoma’s offense began to sputter, and the Rebels scored another touchdown on their second drive of the second half. That all but sealed the game. The Sooners had a drive in the fourth quarter to potentially cut a 26-14 lead to a one-score game, but consecutive sacks right outside the red zone knocked Oklahoma back and forced them into an impossible fourth-down situation.

Jackson Arnold was calm despite the constant pressure he was under en route to finishing 22 of 31 for 182 yards,  two touchdowns, and no interceptions. He was sacked eight times. That comes a week after the Sooners offensive line gave up nine sacks last week. Barnes had 16 carries for 67 yards and added five catches for 57 yards as he had his best game of the season.

Bauer Sharp led the team in catches with eight but struggled to secure the ball and was put in some bad positions by the offensive coordinator with failed tight end screens and a tight end pass.

Ultimately, this game came down to the offensive line’s inability to pass protection in the fourth quarter. The Sooners lost Jacob Sexton to injury and that killed any momentum the offensive line had created through three quarters. Arnold was under siege, and the offensive line allowed nine sacks for the second straight week.

Oklahoma will put its head down and get back to work searching for win number five this season as they host the Maine Black Bears next week.

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Updated Injury Report for Oklahoma vs. Ole Miss in Week 9

The Oklahoma Sooners don’t look like they’ll be getting any good news on the injury front this week.

The Oklahoma Sooners have been as banged up as anyone in college football in 2024 and there doesn’t seem to be any light at the end of the tunnel. However, there was some optimism that the Sooners could get one of their top five wide receivers back soon.

Well, another week and more bad news for the Sooners on the Thursday injury report.

Oklahoma injury report

Player Position Status 10/24
Jayden Gibson WR OUT
Jalil Farooq WR OUT
Gentry Williams DB OUT
Geirean Hatchett OL OUT
Nic Anderson WR OUT
Kendel Dolby DB OUT
Tyler Keltner K OUT
Andrel Anthony WR OUT
Deion Burks WR Doubful
Gavin Sawchuk RB Doubtful

Deion Burks injury update

[autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag] is trending in the wrong direction at this point. After missing last week but going through warm-ups, Brent Venables indicated Burks was day-to-day. On Thursday evening, Burks was downgraded to doubtful for Saturday’s matchup with the Ole Miss Rebels.

Burks has been out since the Tennessee game. His absence creates an opportunity for [autotag]Jacob Jordan[/autotag] to get some more playing time after a breakout six receptions and 86 yards.

 Ole Miss injury report

Player Position Status 10/24
Cedric Beavers CB OUT
Logan Diggs RB OUT
Matt Jones RB Doubtful
Tre Harris WR Questionable
Jayden Williams OL Questionable
Jeremy James OL Questionable
Princely Umanmielen DE Probable
T.J. Dottery LB Probable
Cayden Lee WR Probable

Nothing has changed on the injury report for the Ole Miss Rebels. Wide receiver Tre Harris is still listed as questionable for the Rebels. He played in Ole Miss’ last game against the Tigers, so it feels likely that he would play this week coming out of the bye.

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3 Oklahoma Football Freshmen to watch against Ole Miss

Oklahoma has had standout performances from several freshmen this season, who should you keep your eyes on against Ole Miss?

The Oklahoma Sooners are 4-3 so far in the 2024 season, with just a 1-3 record in [autotag]SEC[/autotag] play. They’ve lost two straight games and three of the last four, all in league play, after a 3-0 nonconference start.

OU has been thoroughly embarrassed in their last two outings following the bye week, failing to reach double digits in blowout losses against Texas and South Carolina. Third-year head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] now leads Oklahoma on the road for just their third game away from home all season. It’s just the second true road game of the campaign.

The Ole Miss Rebels are OU’s opponent this week as the Sooners look to get back on track in a hostile environment against a very good football team.

With everything going on with Oklahoma’s offense this week, there will be no shortage of opportunities for true freshmen to step up and try to garner more snaps moving forward.

Here are three players in their freshman seasons to keep your eye on this week when the Sooners battle the Rebels.

1. Jacob Jordan, WR

Wide receiver [autotag]Jacob Jordan[/autotag] was one of the few bright spots of last week’s game, leading the Sooners in receiving. He showed a knack for getting open, and had a beautiful move on the sideline after his very first catch.

As the Sooners search for someone to step up on offense, especially at wideout, maybe it’s time to get this true freshman walk-on more snaps and more involved in the gameplan.

2. Eli Bowen, DB

[autotag]Eli Bowen[/autotag] has been a standout at defensive back, ever since he got plenty of run in the Tennessee game a few weeks back. Though undersized, he’s shown coaches that he can play with plenty of effort and good technique at cornerback. Bowen is Oklahoma’s highest-graded player according to Pro Football Focus.

Putting it bluntly, Oklahoma doesn’t look like a team that can score very many points offensively right now. That means that the defense is under even more pressure to allow fewer points if the Sooners want to win on Saturday. Bowen will be called upon to perform at a high level once again this week against an explosive Ole Miss passing attack.

3. Jaydan Hardy, DB

[autotag]Jaydan Hardy[/autotag] is part of a very intriguing group of young defensive backs that Oklahoma has on the roster, especially at safety. Behind the excellent trio of players at that position, there’s a few players that all have different skills and abilities that represent the future of the defensive backfield.

With the Sooners playing more three safety looks in conference play, Hardy has played more and more alongside a combination of Billy Bowman, Peyton Bowen, and Robert Spears-Jennings. He figures to be a part of that rotation once again on Saturday, as Lane Kiffin and his Rebel offense will be a big-time test for this defense.

The Sooners and the Rebels will kick things off at 11:00 a.m. in Oxford, Mississippi, on Saturday. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.

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Oklahoma lands PWO wide receiver commit

This one is Southlake Carroll (TX) wide receiver and return man Jacob Jordan. Jordan is a 5-foot-9, 170-pound receiver who will be a preferred walk-on on the team.

The Oklahoma Sooners land their 10th commitment since the ChampU BBQ at the end of June.

This one is Southlake Carroll (TX) wide receiver and return man Jacob Jordan. Jordan is a 5-foot-9, 170-pound receiver who will be a preferred walk-on for the team.

On3 has him as a three-star but he’s not rated on any of the other major recruiting sites.

Jordan had an impressive season a year ago. He caught 64 passes for 1,202 yards and 16 touchdowns.

This followed a season in which he was named Texas District 4-6A Offensive Newcomer of the Year as a sophomore.

From the first highlight you watch, you can already see the impressive route running and speed he possesses.

He’s also a really impressive return man for Southlake Carroll. He adds to an already stacked class at wide receiver in the 2024 cycle for the Sooners.

They’ve added five receivers, Zion Ragins, Zion Kearney, Ivan Carreon, K.J. Daniels and Dozie Ezukanma.

Jordan has the perfect size and ability to play the role currently occupied by Drake Stoops and could follow Stoops’ potential successor, Gavin Freeman.

The Sooners have had success with both of those players and hope to continue that with Jordan.

For a high school player, he already has an impressive route tree. Several times in his highlights he showed the ability to take the top off the defense, catch something short and break it for a big gain, and also the ability to shake a defender during the route leaving him wide open for a huge gain.

Just like any preferred walk-on, it will be tough for him to get on the field and make a name for himself, but he definitely has the ability.

One thing he has working for him is the impressive track record Oklahoma has with preferred walk-ons including his two predecessors.

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