Oklahoma Sooners land visit from highly touted edge transfer target

The Oklahoma Sooners are in the running for arguably the best EDGE defender in the transfer portal.

The Oklahoma Sooners have been hard at work building their 2024 roster. After signing their 2024 recruiting class and the Alamo Bowl, the Sooners refocused their attention on the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag].

The Sooners landed one on Tuesday from the portal and could land another later this week if all goes according to plan. They are scheduled to get a visit from arguably the best edge defender in the transfer portal.

Purdue Boilermakers [autotag]Nic Scourton[/autotag] (formerly Caraway) announced he plans to visit the Sooners on Saturday. Oklahoma is one of four schools getting visits from the talented pass rusher. The Sooners will host Scourton on Jan. 6 after he takes trips to Texas A&M, Florida State and Missouri.

Scourton had a monster season, leading the Big Ten in sacks with 10. He had 50 tackles and 15 tackles for loss. The 6-foot-4, 280-pound lineman fits the mold of [autotag]Rondell Bothroyd[/autotag] and [autotag]Jalen Redmond[/autotag]. He can play both inside and outside if needed. He would provide a dominant pass rusher, something the Sooners haven’t had in recent years.

The issue is the first visit on his list. Oklahoma fans know all too well how hard it is to overcome the Texas A&M Aggies in recruiting. This time will be no different. Scourton’s hometown is 11 minutes away from College Station, Texas. Missouri has proven a thorn in Oklahoma’s side, and you can’t discount what Mike Norvell is building at Florida State.

The Sooners have one advantage. Scourton’s former teammate, [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag], joined the Sooners through the transfer portal this offseason.

He has been actively recruiting Scourton to the Sooners.

The Sooners’ coaching staff is hard to beat. They’ve done a great job of reeling in guys when many don’t think they have much of a chance. If they can pull him away from College Station, it would be a massive recruiting win heading into the SEC.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.

Panthers waive Jalen Redmond to make room for Justin Houston

The corresponding move to get Justin Houston on the Panthers roster was made at the expense of rookie DL Jalen Redmond.

Sunday’s agreement between the Carolina Panthers and outside linebacker Justin Houston became officially official this morning—thanks to a clean physical and a parting of ways.

As first reported by Darin Gantt of Panthers.com, the team has waived defensive end Jalen Redmond to clear up the 90th roster spot for the four-time Pro Bowl pass rusher. Houston reported to Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C. for his first breath of training camp on Tuesday.

Prior to his jump to the pros, Redmond spent five years at the University of Oklahoma. In his four seasons on the field, the Midwest City native recorded 71 total tackles (31.5 for a loss), 14.0 sacks, two fumble recoveries, one forced fumble and six passes defensed over 36 games.

Redmond was then signed as an undrafted free agent back in April. The 6-foot-2, 291-pounder was one of four players placed on the active/physically unable to perform list to start camp.

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Panthers place 4 players on active/PUP list before start of training camp

Before settling into Spartanburg, the Panthers placed a handful of players on the active/PUP list.

The first step of 2023 Carolina Panthers training camp was taken on Saturday, when the team’s rookies arrived at Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C. But that wasn’t the only step for the day.

As announced through an official release that evening, the Panthers placed a handful of players on the active/physically unable to return list—guards Austin Corbett and Chandler Zavala and defensive linemen John Penisini and Jalen Redmond. The four were not cleared to participate for the start of on-field activities, which begin on Wednesday.

Corbett’s placement on the list was to be expected, as the starting right guard is still on the mend from offseason knee surgery. Corbett tore his ACL in last year’s regular-season finale against the New Orleans Saints and will likely miss the beginning of the 2023 campaign.

Zavala, a possible fill-in for Corbett, is dealing with a pectoral strain—which kept him out of mandatory minicamp in June.

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‘Madden NFL 24’ ratings for Panthers defensive linemen revealed

Did Derrick Brown’s breakout 2022 season earn him a breakout rating in “Madden NFL 24?”

Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Derrick Brown burst onto the scene this past season, putting forth a career campaign that finally made him look like the seventh overall pick the franchise drafted him to be. So, did that reflect in his new “Madden NFL 24” rating?

Here is Brown’s and the rest of the Carolina d-line’s numbers:

Let the computers decide: A fully simulated 7-round mock draft

Who would the computers select for the Browns in the 2023 NFL draft?

Welcome to the day of the 2023 NFL draft! While the Cleveland Browns will not come on the clock until tomorrow night, they will have eight picks to play around with, including six in the middle rounds. We have completed mock draft after mock draft in preparation for the main event, so this time we let the computers decide.

Using PFF’s mock draft simulator, we let the picks just roll right through to see who the Browns would land in a fully simulated mock draft to fill the eight picks Cleveland has to their name.

And full disclaimer: it was ugly.

5 Sooners selected in latest CBS Sports 7-round NFL mock draft

Led by Anton Harrison, five Oklahoma Sooners were selected in CBS Sports’ latest 7-round mock draft.

With the NFL draft starting on Thursday, several Sooners are getting looks in the draft. The two that stand out are offensive lineman Anton Harrison and wide receiver Marvin Mims. Wanya Morris, Eric Gray, and Jalen Redmond will get looks too, and should hear their name called at some point during this weekend.

In Josh Edwards Jr.’s latest mock draft, five Sooners found new homes at the NFL level. One surprise is that tight end Brayden Willis wasn’t considered. Here’s a look at where the five Sooners went in the mock draft.

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‘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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Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on Twitter @john9williams.

Packers Mock Draft 9.0: Packers turn to Iowa for help in 7-Round mock draft

The Packers took players from Iowa with their first two picks in this seven-round mock draft.

Welcome to the final Mock Draft Monday of the 2023 NFL Draft cycle. In this seven-round mock, we have a “mock” Aaron Rodgers trade to the New York Jets for the 42nd overall pick. Let’s take a look at the players the Green Bay Packers selected in my seven-round mock draft.

15th overall pick: Lukas Van Ness, Edge, Iowa

With the nickname Hercules, one better be a powerful specimen. Lukas Van Ness lives up to the nickname and then some. He’s a powerful edge rusher with a devastating bull rush to blast through blockers.

Van Ness never started a game for the Hawkeyes. That didn’t stop him from leading the team with 46 pressures this past season. Over the past two seasons, Van Ness recorded 74 pressures (PFF) to go along with 13 sacks.

Green Bay’s pass rush needs juice. With Rashan Gary coming off a torn ACL and Preston Smith turning 31 this season, the Packers need to add another difference-maker at the position. 

With his length (6-5), power, and age (he’ll turn 22 in July), Van Ness fits the bill of what Gutekunst is looking for in the first round. 

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42nd overall pick: Sam Laporta, TE, Iowa

If it wasn’t for Iowa’s putrid offense, LaPorta may have posted a 1,000-yard receiving for the Hawkeyes. The Iowa tight end is a difference-maker as a pass catcher. LaPorta is one of the best YAC threat tight ends in this class. Over the past two seasons, LaPorta racked up 667 yards after the catch (PFF). As a blocker, LaPorta is wired right as a blocker and more than willing to do the dirty work. 

The Packers desperately need an infusion of talent at the tight end position. LaPorta is a well-rounded tight end. He’s a moveable tight end that could line up in the slot, in-line, or even out wide. He could step in immediately and provide an impact as a security blanket for Jordan Love. 

45th overall pick:  Gervon Dexter, DL, Florida

Dexter has a quick first step off the snap and has a lot of power flowing through his upper body. Just turn on Dexter’s game against Alabama during the 2021 season and it’s easy to see Dexter’s disruptive potential. He finished that game with eight tackles, one sack and was consistently disrupting the action.

The Packers lost Jarran Reed and Dean Lowry in free agency. They need to add talent around Kenny Clark. Devonte Wyatt is a candidate to break out during his second year in the league.

Dexter has all the tools in the shed to develop into a disruptive force. With his traits and age (22 in October), it’s a safe bet that the Florida defensive tackle could be high on Green Bay’s board to start day two of the draft.

78th overall pick: Jayden Reed, WR, Michigan State

The Michigan State wide receiver has an instant accelerator and the long speed to win vertically. Reed is a shifty athlete in space. If he makes the first defender miss he has the quickness to make a house call. According to PFF, Reed picked 581 yards after the catch over the past two seasons. 

On top of all that, Reed’s a willing blocker on the perimeter. He’d also bring special teams value as a return man.

The Packers need more speed.  His calling card is his ability to win vertically. He’s more than just a vertical threat though. He’s a three-level threat that would give the Packers an electric playmaker to pair with Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, and Samori Toure. 

116th overall pick: Braeden Daniels, OL, Utah

Daniels finished his career at Utah with 43 career starts. Daniels started 18 games at left guard and 11 games at right tackle. This past season he started all 14 games at left tackle.

Daniels has quick feet and plays and he has the lateral quickness to match rushers wide of the pocket. This past season, Daniels made the move from right tackle to left tackle and gave up zero sacks. 

Daniels is an athletic offensive tackle that doesn’t labor reaching the second level. He sustains his block to create movement in the run game.

With his tackle-guard versatility and experience, Daniels could be an attractive day-three target for the Packers as they look to add more depth to the offensive line. 

149th overall pick: Rejzohn Wright, CB, Oregon State

The Oregon State cornerback looks the part at 6-1, 193 pounds, with long arms. With his size and length, he gives the quarterback a very small window. He’s not shy about using his length at the line of scrimmage. With his length, he suffocates passing lanes.

The Packers currently have a logjam of cornerbacks that play on the boundary and adding a player like Wright would only add to the clutter. All it takes is one injury to create a massive need and a team can never have enough talented cornerbacks. In 2021, the Packers lost Alexander for most of the season. This past season, it was Eric Stokes missing the majority of the season due to injury. 

Adding a player with Wright’s length and athleticism would be appealing on day three of the draft. 

170th overall pick: Jalen Redmond, DL, Oklahoma

Redmond explodes out of his stance. He’s twitched up. That short-area explosiveness was on full display at the combine when he clocked a 1.71 10-yard split. That time was tied for the second fastest among interior defensive linemen.

With his initial quickness, he consistently disrupts the action in the backfield. Redmond played in 32 games during his time as a Sooner and finished with 31.5 tackles for loss.  

As mentioned earlier, the Packers need bodies up front and they need to bolster their interior pass rush. Redmond has the athleticism to develop into a disruptive force up front.

232nd overall pick: Noah Gindorff, TE, NDSU

The NDSU tight end has missed 15 games over the past two seasons due to ankle injuries. If it weren’t for injuries, Gindorff likely would have been an early day-three selection. 

Gindorff gets after it as a blocker and does a good job of sealing outside running lanes. He’s a big target with a large catch radius.

235th overall pick: Max Duggan, QB, TCU

The TCU quarterback is tough as nails and put together many highlight-reel-worthy runs during his time at TCU. Duggan gets the ball out with urgency and throws with nice touch. With his competitive toughness, Duggan could be a solid backup for Jordan Love. 

242nd overall pick: Ty Okada, S, Montana State

The Minnesota native is a versatile defensive back that would be an attractive target for the Packers as they look for upgrades at safety. Okada could play in the slot, on the boundary, or in the deep third. He has 4.44 speed and experience playing on special teams. Given the state of Green Bay’s safety room, it wouldn’t be out of the question to see Okada battle for playing time. 

256th overall pick:  Anders Carlson, K, Auburn

Have to get a kicker in on this mock draft. With Jake Moody and Chad Ryland off the board, let’s go with the Classical Academy graduate (Colorado Springs) and brother of Daniel Carlson. Anders has a strong leg, with a career-long of 53 yards. With Mason Crosby’s career in Green Bay likely done, Carlson could be his replacement. 

5 things we’re watching for at Oklahoma’s spring game

Oklahoma has its spring game this weekend, and we’ve got five things we’ll be looking at for Oklahoma’s spring debut of team 129.

Team 129 in Oklahoma’s illustrious football history takes the field publically for the first time on Saturday afternoon. It’s a game and weekend that means a lot to the team, staff, fanbase, and recruits.

Oklahoma comes into this spring off the heels of its worst season in over 20 years. The Sooners were a rough watch at times. Despite that, they still found themselves in a bowl game against a talented Florida State team.

Oklahoma lost the likes of [autotag]Brayden Willis[/autotag], [autotag]Eric Gray[/autotag], [autotag]Anton Harrison[/autotag], [autotag]Wanya Morris[/autotag], [autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag], [autotag]Jalen Redmond[/autotag], and [autotag]DaShaun White[/autotag] to the NFL Draft process.

The Sooners saw players transfer out but also welcomed in a number of players from their top-five recruiting class. The Sooners attacked the portal with some serious intensity bringing in impact transfers on both sides of the ball.

It’s now time for the world to at least get a glimpse of some of these new Sooners while getting a chance to see how the returning players improved from last year.

Here are our top five storylines heading into the spring game.

Vikings add a linebacker in latest Sporting News mock draft

The Sporting News released a 7-round mock draft on Thursday where they had the Minnesota Vikings selecting a linebacker in the first round

This offseason, the Minnesota Vikings decided to part ways with Eric Kendricks, creating a gap in their linebacker corps beside second-year player Brian Asamoah.

On Thursday, Vinnie Iyer from The Sporting News published his latest seven-round mock draft. He predicted that the Vikings would select Clemson linebacker Trenton Simpson in the first round

The Vikings have a big void in the middle of their defense. They should covet Simpson’s toughness and speed with which to cover a ton of ground and make plenty of plays in coverage and against the run.

Many consider Simpson to be one of the top linebackers in this draft class due to his versatility as a defender. Throughout his college career, he was utilized in various positions on the field, including at safety. Simpson has impressive closing speed and the capacity to power through opposing players to make critical plays.

The Vikings have several team needs, and selecting a linebacker in the first round may not be the optimal decision for them. Although Simpson possesses great talent, the Vikings could probably address this position later in the draft.

Iyver had the Vikings selecting the following players in the remainder of his mock draft

  • Pick 87: Maryland CB Deonte Banks
  • Pick 119: Maryland WR Rakim Jarett
  • Pick 158: Oklahoma DL Jalen Redmond
  • Pick 211: Stanford WR Michael Wilson

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