Tag: Jacob Sexton

3 reasons the Oklahoma Sooners will win big in 2024

The Oklahoma Sooners are a talented football team, but for them to win big, these three things have to happen.

The Oklahoma Sooners have a better idea of what the 2024 season will look like with the SEC’s release of game time windows on Tuesday. How they and the Texas Longhorns will fare in their first year in the SEC is anyone’s guess.

Texas made the playoffs last season, and the Sooners are one of the winningest programs over the last 25 years. [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] was brought in to prepare Oklahoma for this conference move.

His experience with the Clemson Tigers certainly informs Venables about what it takes to be successful in their new conference home. Each of his first three offseasons has been about getting Oklahoma “SEC ready.”

At the same time, the Sooners provide a new challenge for Alabama, Ole Miss, Tennessee and LSU. OU is considered a blue-blood program for a reason. With seven national titles and 50 conference championships, the Sooners will be a contender in the [autotag]SEC[/autotag]. Can they do it in Year 1? That’s the question everyone’s asking. Here are three reasons OU will win big in 2024 and make the College Football Playoff.

More: College Football Playoff Projections for 2024

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Oklahoma Sooners are a wild card in 2024 according to On3’s Andy Staples

Andy Staples of On3 thinks the Sooners will be a “wild card” in Year 3 under Brent Venables. Could they make the expanded playoff?

The Oklahoma Sooners are at an interesting inflection point two and a half months from the beginning of the 2024 college football season.

The Sooners are entering year three of the [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] era in Norman. After he was hired to be OU’s next head coach in December of 2021, a disappointing 6-7 campaign in 2022 followed.

Oklahoma rebounded in 2023 with a 10-3 mark in year two, and there’s no question that this is a Brent Venables program now. He’s got his guys in place on the field and on the coaching staff.

But the Sooners head to the [autotag]Southeastern Conference[/autotag] in 2024, after a long run atop the [autotag]Big 12 Conference[/autotag] that featured fourteen conference titles. That’s ten more than anyone else.

The SEC will be a much tougher road than the Big 12 was, and On3’s Andy Staples has some concerns for the Sooners in 2024, calling them a mystery.

According to Staples, the floor for this Oklahoma team could be 6-6. However, he also thinks the ceiling could be a trip to the [autotag]College Football Playoff[/autotag].

“If they’re 6-6, if they’re 7-5,” Staples said, “What do you do about Brent Venables? How do you feel about Brent Venables if you’re [autotag]Joe Castiglione[/autotag], their athletic director?”

Staples and others present the offensive line as a concern for the team in 2024. Oklahoma is replacing the entire unit this season. [autotag]Tyler Guyton[/autotag] was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round of the [autotag]NFL Draft[/autotag] and [autotag]Cayden Green[/autotag] transferred to Missouri. The Sooners also lost [autotag]Walter Rouse[/autotag], [autotag]Andrew Raym[/autotag] and [autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag] up front.

Staples notes that the Sooners added pieces via the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] to fill those holes. [autotag]Spencer Brown[/autotag] came over from Michigan State in the winter portal window. [autotag]Branson Hickman[/autotag] is a plug and play piece at center, transferring in during the spring window from SMU. [autotag]Michael Tarquin[/autotag], [autotag]Febechi Nwaiwu[/autotag] and [autotag]Geriean Hatchett[/autotag] also arrived via the portal and will have an impact along the offensive line this fall.

These players will form the core of the unit along with young pieces like [autotag]Joshua Bates[/autotag], [autotag]Jacob Sexton[/autotag],[autotag]Troy Everett[/autotag] and [autotag]Jake Taylor[/autotag], but it is a patchwork O-line that will have to protect quarterback [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] if the Sooners want to be successful in 2024.

Staples thinks the Sooners are the deepest they’ve been in a while on defense,  and he knows why the OU staff and fans are excited for Arnold. He praised the wide receiver group as well.

Many in the national media don’t seem to have the faith in Venables quite yet that most Sooner fans do. They site the SEC presenting a challenge that Oklahoma hasn’t seen before.

But Venables is one of the great defensive minds in college football. He’s leading the way for the program, in addition to all of the skill and depth on that side of the ball. Then, of course, there’s that talented but young quarterback stepping into the starting role.

The Sooners may very well be a wildcard in year one in their new conference. But if the offensive line can hold up long enough for Arnold to have time to throw, it could be a very fun year in Norman.

If not, it could be detrimental to Arnold’s development, and 2024 could be a long season in the SEC.

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Febechi Nwaiwu could be the next star offensive lineman for the Oklahoma Sooners

The Sooners signed a pretty good transfer class but one guy flying under the radar is offensive lineman Febechi Nwaiwu.

The Oklahoma Sooners have spent their offseason trying to build their offensive line and make it SEC ready. They signed four from the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] and five in the [autotag]2024 recruiting class[/autotag].

The aggressiveness comes after they lost five starters from a season ago. Only two who started any games last season return: [autotag]Troy Everett[/autotag] and [autotag]Jacob Sexton[/autotag].

One guy I’m highest on and think could be Oklahoma’s next star offensive lineman is North Texas transfer [autotag]Febechi Nwaiwu[/autotag].

When I watch Nwaiwu’s film, this guy has power and moves really well. He has really good size at 6 feet, 4 inches and 326 pounds. He’s a perfect guard for the Sooners this season. I’ve heard nothing but praise so far in the offseason and that only increases my expectations for him.

Nwaiwu spoke about the pitch to him to come to Norman and how he’d fit into the current offensive line roster.

“He (Bill Bedenbaugh) told me he saw a lot of potential in me,” Nwaiwu said. “He also told me that there were a lot of things I could also work on that he thinks he could help me get better at. That’s what really helped sell me that it’s not just that I’m good but that he can make me even better.”

There is a world where Nwaiwu has a big season and is one and done at Oklahoma but I think he could be a two-year guy. I also think he could get some postseason conference recognition and be another draft pick along the offensive line for the Sooners.

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Bill Bedenbaugh’s offensive line getting acclimated

Sooners offensive line getting closer as spring football is here.

The 2024 season for the Oklahoma Sooners will be defined by how well the offensive line plays. Oklahoma has a five-star quarterback taking the reigns in [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag], a deep wide receiver room, and a running back in [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag], who closed the season with five straight 100-yard games.

But along the offensive line, Sooners are replacing five starters from last season.

They do return [autotag]Jacob Sexton[/autotag], who started the last few games, and [autotag]Troy Everett[/autotag], who started a couple of games in the middle of the season. Even though they’ve added transfer players with starting experience like [autotag]Spencer Brown[/autotag], [autotag]Geirean Hatchett[/autotag], [autotag]Michael Tarquin[/autotag] and [autotag]Febechi Nwaiwu[/autotag], there are still jobs up for grabs.

Bill Bedenbaugh has made it clear in his career he will start the best five. So, what these guys did previously doesn’t matter. That means even some of the young guys like [autotag]Daniel Akinkunmi[/autotag] will get a look.

Akinkunmi shared what it’s been like being around the other offensive linemen so far. “Getting to know those guys is amazing,” Akinkunmi said. “I absolutely love every single one of them. I feel like we are just getting closer and closer as the weeks go by. I feel like we are all close because we are all different and have different backgrounds.”

Akinkunmi said that hasn’t stopped the competition because having a strong offensive line group is important. As for the thing he was looking for most, as spring ball started on Monday? To show people what he can do and prove the doubters wrong.

Akinkunmi has quickly become one of my favorite recruits. I’m not sure he will see much playing time this season. He may need a year or two to develop. But with his mindset, I wouldn’t put anything past him.

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Sooners pick up another offensive lineman via the transfer portal

The Oklahoma Sooners have added their third offensive lineman in the transfer portal, former Florida and USC tackle Michael Tarquin.

The Oklahoma Sooners had work to do heading into the offseason. Even prior to the transfer of true freshman [autotag]Cayden Green[/autotag], Oklahoma was set to lose four starters along the offensive line heading into 2024.

They’ve made moves in the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] to add offensive tackle Spencer Brown from Michigan State and [autotag]Febechi Nwaiwu[/autotag] from North Texas. Now, the Sooners have added another experienced player to add to Bill Bedenbaugh’s group.

Former Florida Gators and USC Trojans offensive lineman Michael Tarquin is heading to Norman to join the Sooners, according to OUInsider’s Parker Thune.

Tarquin has started 28 games in his collegiate career with more than 1,110 snaps per Pro Football Focus. He’s predominantly been a right tackle at the collegiate level.

A former four-star player in the 2019 recruiting class, Tarquin has been on Bedenbaugh and the Sooners’ radar for a long time. Most recently, the Sooners attempted to recruit Tarquin to Norman after the 2022 season.

In the portal this offseason, the Sooners have added a trio of offensive linemen that provide a lot of experience to a young offensive line group.

With [autotag]Jacob Sexton[/autotag], Spencer Brown and now Tarquin with experience at right tackle, Bedenbaugh and the Sooners’ offensive staff will have to make some decisions to make with how they deploy their offensive linemen. It’s possible one of their tackles will move inside to guard. Tarquin could be a viable option to bump inside to right guard.

In addition to the 2024 offensive line class, the Sooners have done a nice job retooling their offensive line room in the wake of their five departures up front. Now it’s a matter of once again making the pieces fit together as the Sooners head into the SEC.

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Oklahoma Sooners must solve their offensive line problem heading into 2024

The Oklahoma Sooners have their work cut out for them with the offensive line but could any of the young guys be an answer?

There is no doubt the Oklahoma Sooners’ biggest question mark heading into 2024 and their inaugural season in the [autotag]SEC[/autotag] is the offensive line. The Sooners lose five guys who started a bunch of games last season.

[autotag]Walter Rouse[/autotag], [autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag], [autotag]Andrew Raym[/autotag], [autotag]Cayden Green[/autotag] and [autotag]Tyler Guyton[/autotag] are gone. Four are off to the [autotag]NFL[/autotag]. The other found a new home in Missouri. That means the Sooners will have their work cut out for them to replace those five.

[autotag]Troy Everett[/autotag] played some at guard but started the bowl game at center, which is probably his more natural position. We’ll see if he wins that job, but it appears he’s the leader to take over for Raym. [autotag]Jacob Sexton[/autotag] started the last few games after Guyton went down with an injury and did pretty well. The Sooners also brought in two transfers [autotag]Spencer Brown[/autotag] and [autotag]Febechi Nwaiwu[/autotag], who look poised to take over at tackle and guard.

But that still leaves spots unfilled. The Sooners are almost certainly going to remain active in the portal, but it’s also possible an incoming freshman gets a look. Most people have assumed that would be [autotag]Eddy Pierre-Louis[/autotag], seeing how highly thought of he is. But a constantly mentioned top performer at the Under Armour All-American events is [autotag]Eugene Brooks[/autotag].

“I don’t know where it will start for me, but I’m just going to go in there and ball out,” Brooks said. “I’m going to work my butt off. I’m going to go in there every day and give it 110% and be the first one in and the last one out.”

It seems with Brooks, [autotag]Daniel Akinkunmi[/autotag], Pierre-Louis, [autotag]Isaiah Autry[/autotag] and [autotag]Josh Aisosa[/autotag], the Sooners have a class of offensive linemen that are physical and bring some nasty back to the offensive line.

That’s something they’ve been missing the last few years, and something we know Bedenbaugh wants out of his linemen. Combine that with what appears to be a strong work ethic from each, and Oklahoma could have a better offensive line class than many thought initially.

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Oklahoma Sooners receive three predictions for transfer offensive lineman

Oklahoma Sooners could be getting some more good news, this time in the transfer portal.

It’s no secret, the Oklahoma Sooners have a lot of work to do along the offensive line before next season. The Sooners must replace all five starters from this season, although [autotag]Jacob Sexton[/autotag] and [autotag]Troy Everett[/autotag] started a few games in 2023.

[autotag]Walter Rouse[/autotag], [autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag], [autotag]Andrew Raym[/autotag], [autotag]Cayden Green[/autotag] and [autotag]Tyler Guyton[/autotag] are gone. Sexton replaced Guyton at the end of the season due to an injury. Everett played some guard earlier in the year when they were trying to solidify that position before Green took over.

The Sooners brought in [autotag]Eddy Pierre-Louis[/autotag], who is the top interior offensive lineman in the 2024 recruiting class, according to Rivals. While [autotag]Bill Bedenbaugh[/autotag] showed he will play freshmen, we know that’s not what he wants to do.

So, the Sooners have hit the portal hard. They’ve received one commitment, former Michigan State Spartans offensive tackle [autotag]Spencer Brown[/autotag]. Now, they’ve received three predictions from SoonerScoop’s Josh McCuiston, Michigan State insider Justin Thind and national recruiting analyst Brian Dohn for his running mate at guard, [autotag]Geno VanDeMark[/autotag].

VanDeMark and Brown started on the right side of the line, so they have chemistry playing together. Given Sexton played right tackle, those two could be moved to the left side or they could move Sexton to the left side if VanDeMark were to sign.

Michigan State had an up-and-down season, and so did VanDeMark, although his best games came against his best competition. According to Pro Football Focus, he had pass-blocking grades of 71.7, 76.6, and 86.4 against the Michigan Wolverines, Ohio State Buckeyes and the Penn State Nittany Lions.

He definitely is better at pass blocking than run blocking, although he’s solid at that as well. Ultimately, he would bring experience and depth to a depleted offensive line.

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Sooners trying to figure out the offensive line for the bowl game

The Sooners will be down three offensive line starters heading into the bowl game something they are still trying to figure out.

The Sooners are two weeks away from taking on the [autotag]Arizona Wildcats[/autotag] in the [autotag]Alamo Bowl[/autotag]. One thing several teams, including the Sooners, have to deal with is players opting out of their bowl game.

As of now, the Sooners are going to be down three starting offensive linemen. [autotag]Andrew Raym[/autotag] and [autotag]Tyler Guyton[/autotag] announced they would opt out to prepare for the NFL Draft and [autotag]Cayden Green[/autotag] shocked everyone by announcing he would be entering the transfer portal. Although as of this moment, he hasn’t officially entered.

Thankfully for Oklahoma, seniors [autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag] and [autotag]Walter Rouse[/autotag] appear to be playing in the game, giving them some stability. Also, [autotag]Jacob Sexton[/autotag] started the last few games for Guyton, who was battling an injury. So, they’ll have three players with starting experience this season ready to line up for the Sooners against the Wildcats.

Now, they have to figure out the center position and left guard. During the media viewing opportunity, it looked like freshman [autotag]Josh Bates[/autotag] was the one handling the snapping duties. [autotag]Troy Everett[/autotag] is who many think will take over that position but he was mainly an observer. It’s unclear if that is injury-related.

Mettauer talked about how key it is for the linemen to know multiple positions. “We don’t really know what the starting lineup is going to be yet,” Mettauer said. “But Coach B (Bill Bedenbaugh) does a good job at, we practice at a lot of different positions so him shifting us around during our individual period is good. We can play whatever. I mean it’s our responsibility to know both sides.”

On top of all of that, a true freshman will be making his first career start at quarterback. What a way to have your first start.

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2023 Position Review and Recruiting Outlook: Sooners offensive line marked by inconsistency

The Oklahoma Sooners offensive line was up-and-down in 2023 but once again finished strong and the future is bright.

The Oklahoma Sooners offensive line had an up-and-down season in 2023. They once again started the season slow, which has become a common theme in recent years.

But they were able to close the season pretty well, another common theme under Bill Bedenbaugh. It was a weird year for the offensive line that saw a lot of reshuffling up front.

They started the season with [autotag]Walter Rouse[/autotag], [autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag], [autotag]Andrew Raym[/autotag], [autotag]Savion Byrd[/autotag] and [autotag]Tyler Guyton[/autotag] as the starters along the line. At various points in the season, the line changed whether that was [autotag]Troy Everett[/autotag], [autotag]Cayden Green[/autotag] or [autotag]Jacob Sexton[/autotag] working their way into the starting lineup.

This was a group I was very high on to start the season, so let’s take a look at how I thought they fared.

Oklahoma offers Michigan State transfer OT Spencer Brown per 247Sports

Oklahoma is pursuing offensive line help in the portal, offering OT Spencer Brown, a grad transfer from Michigan State.

Oklahoma’s offensive line will look quite different when they get set to start their first season in the SEC.

The Sooners have lost or could potentially lose every starter from the line that took the field for the first game of this season. [autotag]Walter Rouse[/autotag], [autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag], and [autotag]Tyler Guyton[/autotag] are headed to the NFL. [autotag]Savion Byrd[/autotag] and [autotag]Nate Anderson[/autotag] entered the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] today. [autotag]Andrew Raym[/autotag] has yet to make his plans known, but there’s a real chance he will bolt for the NFL.

The offensive line changed throughout the season, and true freshman [autotag]Cayden Green[/autotag] usurped the left guard spot. He looks like the only penciled-in piece heading into next year. [autotag]Jacob Sexton[/autotag] took over at right tackle after Guyton suffered an injury and will have the inside track at one of the starting tackle spots.

So, how does [autotag]Bill Bedenbaugh[/autotag] construct the offensive line for new play-caller [autotag]Seth Littrell[/autotag]? That’ll be something to monitor over the coming months, but we know that Oklahoma is unafraid of seeking help outside the building.

Oklahoma has offered Michigan State transfer Spencer Brown (subscription required), per 247Sports national recruiting analyst Allen Trieu. Ole Miss and USC are also contending for his services. No visits have been set up as of yet, per Trieu.

A grad transfer, the 6-foot-6, 315-pound Brown is a true mauler who could bring some nastiness and much-needed experience to the offensive line. He has one year left and could slot in at the other tackle spot that Sexton doesn’t occupy.

The Sooners look to be actively searching for offensive line help via the portal, and tackle is an excellent start. It’s conceivable they bring in possibly two linemen from the portal to add depth, at minimum, for the interior offensive line and tackle.

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