Tag: Jacob Lacey

Oklahoma Sooners inside the USA TODAY Sports way too early top 25 for 2023

Oklahoma looks to be a bounce-back candidate for the 2023 season, making USA TODAY Sports way too early top 25 for next year.

Coming off of a 6-7 season in which the defense struggled for most of the Big 12 schedule, it’s a bit surprising that the Oklahoma Sooners find themselves inside the top 25 of these way too early 2023 power rankings.

Whether it was CBS Sports or 247Sports, it appears the Sooners will be a popular bounce-back candidate this offseason. To that end, Oklahoma was included in the top 25 of USA TODAY Sports’ way too early power rankings for 2023 by Paul Myerburg.

It has to get better. There’s plenty of talent on offense to team with established starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel. Based on his track record, it feels very safe to expect the defense to take a huge leap in Brent Venables’ second season. The Sooners will also be a deeper and more experienced team after almost completely redoing the roster last winter and making significant headway in the transfer portal this offseason. Don’t forget that five of OU’s seven losses came by a touchdown or less, so simply returning to the mean in these close games would bring OU back into the eight-or-nine win range. – Myerburg, USA TODAY Sports

Myerburg makes a great point, that if Oklahoma split the five games in which they lost by a touchdown or less, the Sooners would have been at least an eight-win team. Four of those five losses came by a field goal. Improved depth on defense could help the Sooners better withstand late surges by their opponents. P

Getting [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] back is a great start to rebounding after the Sooners’ first losing season since 1998. Having quarterback continuity amid some key losses on the offensive side of the ball will help calm the waters. But more important than that is the work Brent Venables and his staff have done to add immediate difference-makers to the defense in the [autotag]2022-2023 transfer portal[/autotag].

Guys like [autotag]Rondell Bothroyd[/autotag], [autotag]Jacob Lacey[/autotag], [autotag]Trace Ford[/autotag], [autotag]Reggie Pearson[/autotag], and [autotag]Dasan McCullough[/autotag] are ready-made players that will step in and either start or be a part of the two-deep on the Sooners’ initial depth chart when they break camp next fall. Bothroyd, Ford, and McCullough, in particular, bring pass rush productivity to Norman to help a defensive front that struggled with pass rush consistency in 2022. Add that group to Reggie Grimes, who started 2022 hot and Ethan Downs, who finished strong down the stretch, and the Sooners are building quite the arsenal at defensive end.

Improving the defense is the key to the Sooners returning to contention in the Big 12 in 2023. Moving the needle from 30 points per game to closer to 20 will make the biggest difference for the Sooners. It’s too early to tell how all the pieces will come together, but based on what they’ve done in the transfer portal thus far, the Oklahoma Sooners are trending in the right direction.

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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 land Wake Forest transfer DL Rondell Bothroyd

The Sooners fortified their defensive front picking up commitment from Wake Forest transfer Rondell Bothroyd.

Oklahoma added to its transfer portal haul on Sunday evening as Wake Forest transfer defensive lineman Rondell Bothroyd. Bothroyd celebrated his birthday by announcing his commitment to the Sooners.

The Wake Forest transfer has one year of eligibility remaining and will join a Sooners defensive front that struggled to rush the passer consistently in 2022. Bothroyd played primarily on the edge and displays versatility in his ability to rush from both sides of the defense.

Head coach Brent Venables’ time at Clemson allowed him and some of the rest of the Oklahoma staff to see Bothroyd up close and personal so they have a great idea of the caliber player he is.

At Wake Forest, Bothroyd had 30 tackles, six sacks, eight tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles in 2022. That was after a 2021 season in which he totaled  63 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, and eight sacks.

Over his five-year career at Wake Forest, Bothroyd recorded 136 tackles, 16.5 sacks, and four forced fumbles. He’s been a big-time contributor for a resurgent Wake Forest team.

On3 sports had him as their 27th overall transfer prospect. Look for Bothroyd to compete for meaningful snaps from the moment he steps on campus.

This commitment also likely wraps up Oklahoma’s pursuits of any other defensive line targets via the transfer portal. Offensive line and wide receiver look like the groups in need of veteran assistance most going forward. Walter Rouse is the name to watch as the Sooners retool for the 2023 season.

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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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Oklahoma Sooners winners last week with hot start in the transfer portal per ESPN

With big-time moves on both sides of the ball, ESPN dubbed Oklahoma winners for their early work in the transfer portal.

One week does not an offseason make, but the Oklahoma Sooners got off to a great start in the transfer portal. With [autotag]Jacob Lacey[/autotag] already locked in, the Sooners brought back former tight end [autotag]Austin Stogner[/autotag] and landed the top edge rusher in the transfer class, [autotag]Dasan McCullough[/autotag].

That start earned the Sooners mention in last week’s recap of the portal from ESPN’s Tom VanHaaren.

The Sooners are a winner for bettering the offense with tight end Austin Stogner, who transferred to South Carolina last year but will return to Norman for 2023, and the defense with Indiana linebacker Dasan McCullough, a former top-50 recruit who wreaked havoc for the Hoosiers’ defense in 2022. And while it doesn’t count toward the portal, the staff also landed a commitment from McCullough’s younger brother, Daeh, an ESPN 300 safety in the 2023 class. – VanHaaren, ESPN

The addition of McCullough provides the Sooners with a player that can either take over at Cheetah or mix in immediately with their EDGE rotation. A former safety, McCullough led the Indiana Hoosiers with four sacks and was third in tackles for loss with 6.5. As a true freshman. His length and athleticism will create nightmares for opposing offensive coordinators.

On the other side of the ball, Austin Stogner returns with an opportunity to put up a career year in Jeff Lebby’s offense, just like [autotag]Brayden Willis[/autotag] did in 2022.

Stogner, arguably a better receiver, should thrive with a full-time role after sharing tight end/H-back duties each of the last two seasons. He had just 26 targets with the Sooners in 2021 but recorded three touchdowns. That’s a touchdown every 8.67 targets. With seven touchdowns on 53 targets, Willis had a TD every 7.57 targets. That’s a lower rate, but with [autotag]Theo Wease[/autotag] gone and more of a full-time opportunity, Stogner could experience a similar breakout as his former teammate Willis.

With little experience at the tight end position as Oklahoma looks toward 2023, the Sooners needed to add a veteran presence. And tight ends coach [autotag]Joe Jon Finley[/autotag] brought in a familiar face.

Oklahoma still has some work to do in the portal as they look to lock up their recruiting class. But if their first week in the transfer portal is any indication, the Sooners will be in great shape.

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With Dasan McCullough commitment, Sooners lead 247Sports transfer portal rankings

With commitments from Jacob Lacey, Austin Stogner, and Dasan McCullough, the Sooners lead 247Sports transfer portal rankings. From @john9williams

Oklahoma is off to a hot start in the transfer portal after earning a commitment from the top edge in the portal, [autotag]Dasan McCullough[/autotag]. With the commitments of McCullough, [autotag]Austin Stogner[/autotag] and [autotag]Jacob Lacey[/autotag], the Sooners are No. 1 in 247Sports transfer portal rankings.

Brent Venables and his staff will continue to be active in the portal as they look to improve a defense that was one of the worst in the nation in 2022. The additions of McCullough and Lacey are a start. Given the departures of linebackers [autotag]David Ugwoegbu[/autotag] and [autotag]DaShaun White[/autotag], the Sooners might need to add a veteran presence at linebacker.

The Sooners have been very active at wide receiver, pursuing five pass catchers from across the country. It could be [autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag] will indeed pursue the NFL or simply that the Sooners aren’t thrilled with their depth behind Mims (if he returns). They’re targeting productive, Day 1 contributors and players with upside.

Offensive line transfer portal additions have been good to the Sooners the last couple of seasons. They have received strong play from [autotag]Chris Murray[/autotag], [autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag] and [autotag]Wanya Morris[/autotag]. With Anton Harrison, Murray and Morris off to the NFL, the Sooners could afford to add some competition to their young talent.

In the early stages of the transfer portal, the Oklahoma Sooners lead the nation in 247Sports team transfer portal rankings with the additions of their three former four-star players. Expect Oklahoma to stay at or near the top as they continue to portal shop this holiday season.

Here’s a look at the top 11.

Several Oklahoma targets rank among ESPN’s best transfer portal players

Where did Oklahoma’s transfer targets rank among ESPN’s best in the transfer portal?

Retooling through the transfer portal has become an important part of roster turnover for every football team in America. In large part due to the portal, but also because of graduation and NFL draft losses, it’s become imperative to attack the portal looking for talent.

In Brent Venables first offseason, the Sooners added difference makers Dillon Gabriel, Jeffery Johnson, Jonah La’ulu, and C.J. Coldon. They’ll hope to do it again this offseason with needs at nearly every position group on the depth chart.

The Sooners have been active, extending offers to wide receivers, tight ends, and defensive linemen. It remains to be seen who will be Sooners this spring, but several of their targets appeared on ESPN’s ranking of the top transfer portal players. Let’s take a look at what Tom VanHaaren of ESPN had to say about each Oklahoma target (ESPN+) and where they rank on his list.

Defensive tackle Josh Ellison opts to hit transfer portal

Oklahoma’s roster reconstruction sees defensive tackle Josh Ellison depart for the transfer portal. From @thatmanbryant

Oklahoma’s growing list of transfers continues to get longer as defensive tackle Josh Ellison entered his name into the portal on Wednesday afternoon.

Ellison becomes the 13th Sooner to enter the portal. He’s the third interior defensive lineman to exit, following Alton Tarber and Cedric Roberts. Ellison, will have one year remaining wherever he lands.

Ellison joined the Sooners after spending time at Blinn College, one of the more prominent JUCO’s in the country. He was a part of Oklahoma’s 2020 recruiting class which also included Marvin Mims, Anton Harrison, and Andrew Raym.

Ellison was never a consistent starter and was more of a rotation piece during Alex Grinch’s “Speed D” days. He stuck around for the Brent Venables era and was again primarily a rotational guy.

His departure leaves Oklahoma desperate to find players via the transfer portal. They’ve now lost five defensive linemen between the transfer portal and guys like Jalen Redmond and Jeffery Johnson, who are headed off to the NFL.

As it stands right now, Notre Dame transfer Jacob Lacey is the only arrival from the transfer portal along the defensive line for the Sooners. Look for that number to grow in the coming weeks.

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2022-2023 Oklahoma Football Transfer Portal Tracker

What’s happened in the transfer portal for the Oklahoma Sooners in the 2022-2023 offseason?

The 2022 regular season is behind us, leaving the Oklahoma Sooners eagerly awaiting their bowl destination with one last chance to close a disappointing season in Norman above .500.

While the Sooners wait to find out their bowl location and matchup, they’ll be working to secure their 2023 recruiting class and retool the roster through veteran transfers. They’ve already added to their interior defensive line depth with the addition of [autotag]Jacob Lacey[/autotag] and will probably add more depth on a defense that wasn’t good enough in 2022.

While the portal giveth, it also taketh. In just a few days since the end of the regular season, Oklahoma has lost Theo Wease, Jordan Mukes and Joshua Eaton to the portal. While Mukes and Eaton didn’t play much for the Sooners, the loss of Wease will be felt.

In his last hurrah as an Oklahoma Sooner, Wease posted a career-best 123 yards on just three receptions and had a big-time touchdown for the Sooners.

There will be much more activity on the transfer portal horizon over the next few months, and we’ll keep track of all the comings and goings with our handy-dandy transfer portal tracker.

Updated Dec. 12 at 8 p.m. CT

Oklahoma lands Jacob Lacey, former four-star Notre Dame defensive tackle

Oklahoma earns a commitment from former four-star defensive tackle Jacob Lacey on Thanksgiving. From @thatmanbryant

The late surge on the recruiting trail continues from Brent Venables and his staff as they reeled in their fourth commitment of the week on Thanksgiving.

This commitment, like all of the others, is another defender. High school three-star prospects Asthon Sanders and Taylor Wein, and JUCO defensive back Kendel Dolby pledged to join the Oklahoma Sooners in 2023. The latest commitment brings Oklahoma a player that could provide an instant impact next season.

After spending the last four seasons with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, former four-star defensive tackle Jacob Lacey committed to continue his collegiate career with the Oklahoma Sooners.

Lacey announced he would redshirt and enter the NCAA Transfer Portal back on Oct. 6. via his social media accounts. He recorded 35 tackles, 6.5 for loss, and 2.5 sacks during his career with the Fighting Irish. He isn’t the tallest defensive tackle, and he currently comes in under 300 pounds, but he’s shown an ability to make an impact at the college level.

 

Lacey’s connection to the current Sooners staff can be traced back to his high school recruitment, as Clemson was a significant player until he eventually chose Notre Dame.

So the relationship with Todd Bates was established, and the Sooners’ defensive tackles coach was a primary figure in getting the former four-star on campus and helped seal the deal.

With Lacey in the fold, he immediately adds depth to a room that will likely lose multiple bodies in the offseason due to graduation or NFL draft aspirations. He also has two years of eligibility remaining giving him the ability to be a long-term fixture on Oklahoma’s defensive line as they continue to reshape the defense under Brent Venables.

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Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today. You can also follow Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.