Tag: Jalil Farooq

Projecting Oklahoma’s offensive depth chart before summer practice

Summer offensive depth chart projection for the 2023 Oklahoma Sooners.

Oklahoma has started summer preparation for the upcoming season. Currently, the players are getting in their strength and conditioning work. There have been no padded practices, and there will not be any for a while, but that will not stop us from trying to figure out what Oklahoma’s starting offense and defense will look like when the Sooners take the field on Sept. 2 against the Arkansas State Red Wolves.

Offensively, the Sooners starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel returned to help quarterback an offense that was 13th nationally in total offense last season. Much was made about Gabriel’s performance but a team finishing in the top 20 in total offense is probably doing many things right. Blaming the quarterback for a 6-7 season seems a bit excessive. In the one game Gabriel didn’t play, Oklahoma scored zero points in its biggest game of the season versus Texas.

Outside of that, Oklahoma underwent departures to the NFL by their starting right and left tackles, Wanya Morris and Anton Harrison, respectively. The latter was selected in the first round by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Marvin Mims went in the second round to the Denver Broncos. Starting running back Eric Gray was drafted in the fourth round by the New York Giants. Starting tight end Brayden Willis is a San Francisco 49er after being drafted in the seventh round.

Oklahoma will have holes to fill. We took our best shot at projecting an offensive depth chart while considering transfer portal acquisitions, recruiting, general roster maturation and turnover from last year’s team.

Questions that need to be answered for OU football in 2024

There are three questions that could be the difference between OU having another disappointing season or getting back to the Big 12 championship.

We are still a few months from the start of the college football season. The Sooners went 6-7 last year and addressed a number of issues this offseason so far, but what questions still remain?

There are three questions that I believe could be the difference between OU having another disappointing season or getting back to the Big 12 championship.

There’s no secret last year, the Sooners didn’t have the players they needed to play the way Brent Venables wanted them to play. They also didn’t have the all-time great quarterback to save them as they had in the Lincoln Riley era.

The defensive line, wide receiver room and Venables’ game management are three areas in which the Sooners still have unanswered questions.

We will not know an answer to those questions until probably the Texas game.

The defensive line is still a question mark, especially inside. The staff did a great job adding players to address the defensive tackle spot, but how many of those guys are actual game-changers?

That’s not a knock on the staff, game-changing defensive linemen don’t go into the portal too often. I think Rondell Bothroyd and Da’Jon Terry are solid starters, but will those guys be the game-wreckers the Sooners need up front?

Both need to be better than what we saw last year. If they can just hold up in the run and take that away, I think Venables can figure out ways to generate pressure with blitzes. Last year’s issue was they couldn’t stop the run, and they couldn’t rush the passer. Not a good combo.

This will be an issue we will not know an answer to until about midseason. Because of the way the Sooners started last year, you would have thought OU had a great D-line and then they fell off.

The next question is who will be the wide receiver that steps up for the Sooners? Marvin Mims is no longer coming through that door. Jalil Farooq has potential, but he struggled with drops and didn’t reach 500 yards last year as a second option.

Is Andrel Anthony the answer? He struggled with drops at Michigan and rarely played. We keep hearing great things about Nic Anderson and Jayden Gibson, but Anderson struggles with injuries and Gibson struggles with drops (see the game-winning pass in the spring game).

Maybe it’s one of the freshmen? That’s a possibility but we have to wait to  see on that. I know he’s not a wide receiver, but I like Austin Stogner as much as anyone. However, he also has never had 500 yards receiving and had only 210 yards last season for South Carolina. Can he replace Brayden Willis’ numbers? I don’t know.

Lastly, Venables has to be better at time management. There were times last year he admitted to talking to the defense and then looking out on the field and seeing OU punting and wondering what happened. He has to be more hands-off with the defense during the games and let the coaches coach them while he focuses on helping Jeff Lebby know when to go fast and when to slow down.

I think that’s one reason James Skalski was brought on board. Now, we have to give Venables a little bit of a pass because it was his first year coaching, but he better make improvements there or the Sooners can’t go where they want to go this season.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1366]

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.

Jalil Farooq among honorable mentions in College Football Wire’s Big 12 WR rankings

College Sports Wire ranked the top 12 Big 12 wide receivers and Oklahoma Sooners’ Jalil Farooq was among the honorable mentions for 2023.

With the departure of Marvin Mims, Jalil Farooq has a huge opportunity to be the No. 1 wide receiver for the Oklahoma Sooners this season. Going into his third year in Norman, Farooq was included as an honorable mention in College Sports Wire’s Patrick Conn’s Big 12 wide receiver rankings for 2023.

Farooq had a strong season in his first extended run of playing time in 2022. He caught 37 passes for 466 yards and five touchdowns. Farooq also added 140 yards on 15 carries in Jeff Lebby’s offense.

For a player getting his first extended look at the college football level, it was a strong performance. He showed that he’s a fantastic fit for Lebby’s offense that asks the wide receiver to be multi-dimensional.

The Sooners gave 36 carries to wide receivers last season, and Farooq proved to be the most effective. His physical running style made him a terror on the outside with the ball in his hands. He didn’t make anything easy for opposing cornerbacks last year.

In addition to his running ability, Farooq proved to be effective at all levels of the passing game in 2022. He could take a screen pass and make something happen after the catch, could win in the intermediate part of the field and could also beat teams deep like he did here against Nebraska.

Farooq’s ability to win in a variety of ways gives him a huge opportunity in 2023. There’s a good chance he sees more than 100 touches this year. Marvin Mims saw 87 targets, according to Pro Football Focus last season. If Farooq gets a bump in targets to that number and continues to get the football in the wide receiver running game, Farooq will push for 1,000 total yards and double-digit touchdowns as Oklahoma’s No. 1 wide receiver this season.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1366]

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.

Oklahoma Sooners inside Athlon Sports post-spring top 25

Oklahoma Sooners included in Athlon Sports post-spring top 25.

“Don’t call it a comeback, I been here for years.” Those are the lyrics of the great LL Cool J from his hit “Mama said knock you out.” They feel apt for the Oklahoma Sooners months ahead of the 2023 college football season.

After Oklahoma’s first losing season since 1998, one would think the expectations would change for the Sooners, but in preseason power rankings, that doesn’t appear to be the case. Oklahoma is projected to be a top 25 team when they open the 2023 season in September.

Though it was a rough go-round in Brent Venables first year as a head coach, that doesn’t change the reality that Venables is one of the best defensive minds in college football. He’s proven it several times over the last two decades and there’s little doubt he and the Sooners won’t improve from their 2022 season.

Count Steve Lassan of Athlon Sports as a believer in Oklahoma’s bounce-back season. He’s got the Sooners at No. 16 in Athlon Sports post-spring top 25.

Year 1 for Brent Venables in Norman didn’t go according to plan, as the Sooners posted their first losing season (6-7) since 1998. However, a wide-open Big 12 and a roster returning 12 starters — including quarterback Dillon Gabriel — should be enough for Oklahoma to return to Big 12 title contention. The Sooners lost their top two receivers and both starting tackles on the offensive line, but a deep backfield should help stabilize the offense. Venables hit the portal hard to help a defense that allowed 30 points per game last fall, and those reinforcements, combined with another year in the scheme, should equal some improvement. Also, Oklahoma is due for a little better luck after losing five games by seven points or fewer in ’22. – Lassan, Athlon Sports

Oklahoma’s returning arguably their most-important players from a year ago in [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] and Danny Stutsman. The two provide important continuity on both sides of the ball as leaders of their respective units.

Gabriel will be working with an offense that’s expecting [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] to take a step and a running back tandem to replace [autotag]Eric Gray[/autotag]. As we await answers to the questions on the offensive side of the ball, the Sooners can feel confident in their offense because they have one of the best quarterbacks in the conference manning the helm.

In just his first season as a starter, [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] was incredibly productive, leading the Big 12 in tackles. He was an iron man, playing nearly 1,000 snaps. Though he lost linebacker running buddies [autotag]David Ugwoegbu[/autotag] and [autotag]Dashaun White[/autotag], Stutsman and the Sooners are expected to make improvements with another offseason in the scheme and an influx of talent through the transfer portal.

Presumably, joining Stutsman in the starting lineup at linebacker are [autotag]Jaren Kanak[/autotag] and [autotag]Dasan McCullough[/autotag], who bring elite athleticism and speed to the position to help make Oklahoma a faster football team. Oklahoma also added Rondell Bothroyd and Trace Ford to their defensive end rotation to help provide improved pass rush. They’ll work in a rotation along with Ethan Downs, R Mason Thomas, [autotag]Reggie Grimes[/autotag], [autotag]Marcus Stripling[/autotag], and five-star newcomer [autotag]Adepoju Adebawore[/autotag].

If Oklahoma can improve its pass rush from what it was in 2022, it’ll be a drastically improved football team in 2023.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1366]

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.

Jalil Farooq is part of what makes Oklahoma’s offense one of the best in the Big 12 for 2023

The Oklahoma Sooners will have one of the best offenses in the Big 12 in 2023 and one of the big reasons why is wide receiver Jalil Farooq.

The Oklahoma Sooners are looking to replace a large amount of production that departed for the NFL in the 2023 draft. Gone are [autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag], [autotag]Brayden Willis[/autotag] and [autotag]Eric Gray[/autotag], and [autotag]Theo Wease[/autotag] is off to Missouri in the transfer portal.

With players departing comes opportunities for guys to step into bigger roles. One player that showed he is capable of stepping into a bigger role in 2023 was [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag], who had significant playing time for the first time in his collegiate career. He turned in 37 receptions for 466 yards and five touchdowns. He also carried the ball 15 times for 140 yards.

Farooq may not be a household name across the country yet, but in 2022, he displayed a playmaking ability that was enough for our friends at Longhorns Wire to take notice. In their rankings of every Big 12 offense, the Sooners came in at No. 3 and Farooq is one of the reasons.

The more film I watch on Oklahoma receiver Jalil Farooq, the more he reminds me of great Sooners receivers of the Bob Stoops era. Dillon Gabriel is perhaps the most proven quarterback in the league and his offense should score plenty in 2023. — Hickey, Longhorns Wire

Farooq proved a valuable asset in Oklahoma’s multi-dimensional offense, which asks its wide receivers to run reverses and jet sweeps, catch screen passes and run a traditional route tree. Farooq’s size and ability to run with the ball in his hands gives offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby a wide receiver that fits exactly what he’s looking for in a wideout.

With the departure of Marvin Mims and Brayden Willis, the Sooners need Farooq to take the step many are expecting. He has the skills to see 100 targets in Oklahoma’s offense and that should turn into a big-time season for the former four-star wide receiver.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1366]

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.

Why Longhorns Wire believes the Oklahoma Sooners are Big 12 title contenders in 2023

Longhorns Wire makes the case for the Oklahoma Sooners to contend for the Big 12 title in 2023.

It’s the time of the year when optimism and hope carry the discussion as we look to the 2023 college football season. Do the Oklahoma Sooners still have questions to answer this summer as they prepare for their final season in the Big 12?

Absolutely.

At the same time, this is a team that looks ready to return to Big 12 title contention after an aberration year in Brent Venables’ first in Norman.

Our colleague over at Longhorns Wire took a look at each of the perceived contenders and made the case why each could win the Big 12 in 2023. We’ll take a look at each of the points Longhorns Wire contributor Joey Hickey made in favor of the Oklahoma Sooners contending in 2023.

Oklahoma Sooners No. 7 in ESPN’s future offense rankings

Despite the turnover on offense, ESPN likes where the Sooners are heading, slotting them No. 7 in their future offense power rankings.

The Oklahoma Sooners are working to replace several starters off of an offense that was pretty good in 2022.

Marvin Mims, Eric Gray, Anton Harrison, Wanya Morris, Chris Murray, and Brayden Willis were each selected in the 2023 NFL draft. If you’re keeping track at home, that’s the top two receivers, leading rusher, and three starting offensive linemen.

Though there is a lot of turnover that they’re working through, they still have a group of talented players on offense to fill those holes. That’s why the Sooners were ranked No. 7 by Adam Rittenberg in ESPN’s future offense rankings

Scouting the Sooners: Despite Oklahoma’s first losing season since 1998, the offense produced at a decent clip, finishing 10th nationally in rushing (219.4 yards per game). The SEC transition looms for the Sooners, but the unit projects well with depth at quarterback, wide receiver and other positions. Quarterback play will remain a strength as [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] returns for a second season in coordinator Jeff Lebby’s offense, and incoming freshman [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag], ESPN’s No. 3 overall recruit, should carry the unit through the 2025 season. Oklahoma loses top rusher [autotag]Eric Gray[/autotag], a fifth-round NFL draft pick who gained 1,366 yards last season, and will turn to sophomore [autotag]Jovantae Barnes[/autotag], redshirt freshman [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag] and others. Barnes averaged 4.5 yards per carry as Gray’s backup last fall. The Sooners regain tight end [autotag]Austin Stogner[/autotag], who played his first three seasons at OU before transferring to South Carolina for 2022. He leads a group that includes junior [autotag]Blake Smith[/autotag], second-year [autotag]Kaden Helms[/autotag] and others. – Rittenberg, ESPN

Jovantae Barnes and Gavin Sawchuk are going to be dynamic players. Barnes ran for more than 500 yards last season. In Sawchuk’s first extended run with the Sooners, he ran for 100 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. With as much as Oklahoma offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby wants to run the ball, being able to hand it to a pair of dynamic runners 25-30 times a game will create big plays and set the tone for the Sooners offense.

OU lost top wide receiver [autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag] Jr. to the NFL, and will lean on junior [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag], senior [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag], freshman [autotag]Gavin Freeman[/autotag] and others to fill the production void. The Sooners added Michigan transfer [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag], and signed [autotag]Jaquaize Pettaway[/autotag], ESPN’s No. 45 overall recruit in the 2023 class. Younger receivers [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag] and [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] also will be part of the mix. The offensive line should remain a strength, especially at center with senior [autotag]Andrew Raym[/autotag] and at guard with [autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag]. Junior [autotag]Tyler Guyton[/autotag] started five games at tackle in 2022, and Oklahoma did well in the portal with [autotag]Walter Rouse[/autotag] (Stanford) and [autotag]Caleb Shaffer[/autotag] (Miami Ohio), both multiyear starters. Depth appears solid with sophomores [autotag]Jake Taylor[/autotag] and [autotag]Savion Byrd[/autotag], and others. OU added [autotag]Cayden Green[/autotag], ESPN’s No. 2 guard and No. 55 overall recruit for 2022. – Rittenberg, ESPN

If there are questions, it’s at wide receiver beyond Jalil Farooq and Drake Stoops and along the offensive line where they’re hoping transfer additions can help solidify the unit.

If Walter Rouse and his 38 starts can be the answer at left tackle, the Sooners have options at guard with Caleb Shaffer and Cayden Green. Green got a lot of opportunities during the spring with injury issues plaguing the Sooners offensive line.

Even with questions on offense, the future is bright with an experienced signal caller in Dillon Gabriel and impressive skill talent. If they can find more efficiency on third down and in the red zone, the Oklahoma Sooners will take their offense to another level in 2023.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1366]

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.

Led by a pair of defenders, 11 Sooners named to Athlon Sports preseason All-Big 12 teams

Led by Ethan Downs and Danny Stutsman, 11 Oklahoma Sooners featured in Athlon Sports 2023 preseason All-Big 12 teams.

The Oklahoma Sooners are due for a bounce-back season after their 6-7 campaign in 2022. While there are question marks, the Sooners look like a team with improved talent, particularly on the defensive side of the ball.

Some of that improvement is simply due to progression and more time spent in the system. The other part is Brent Venables and his staff hit the transfer portal to add players that can make a significant impact in 2023.

Still a few months away from the start of the 2023 college football season, Athlon Sports Steve Lassan released his All-Big 12 preseason teams, and 11 Oklahoma Sooners were featured. Six were from the offensive side of the ball, and five were on defense, including two newcomers. One player earned a pair of distinctions. Here’s a look at the Sooners who were named to Athlon’ Sports’ preseason All-Big 12 team.

Sooners 2023 signee Keyon Brown heading to Garden City Community College

Oklahoma signee Keyon Brown will not be enrolling with Oklahoma and plans to go the junior college route instead.

Oklahoma’s plans at wide receiver for the 2023 season took a hit on Monday evening. Sooners wide receiver signee Keyon Brown will no longer join the Oklahoma Sooners when the team reconvenes in a few weeks.

According to Sooners Illustrated writer Collin Kennedy of 247Sports, Brown is going the junior college route, attending Garden City Community College in Garden City, Kansas.

Oklahoma offered Brown on June 2, 2022, after an incredible showing at an OU-hosted prospect camp. He also earned an offer from Alabama. He committed to the Sooners on June 5, 2022.

In 247Sports’ rankings, Brown checks in as a three-star recruit, a top-60 wideout in the cycle and a top-70 prospect in Florida. His size and speed combination made him feel like a player destined to outplay his recruiting positioning. Oklahoma won out over Auburn, Alabama, Florida State and Tennessee.

Garden City Community College has ties to Oklahoma’s program. Head coach Brent Venables went to Garden City before transferring to play for Bill Snyder at Kansas State. Former Sooner offensive lineman Phil Loadholt played at Garden City before committing to Oklahoma.

Without Brown joining the class, four-star wide receiver Jaquaize Pettaway will be the only receiver signee the Sooners bring in this recruiting cycle. It also puts that much more of an onus on receivers not named Jalil Farooq and Drake Stoops to step up, as Oklahoma’s depth will take a hit.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1366]

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 Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.

College Sports Wire has Dillon Gabriel ranked as the 12th-best QB in the country

Oklahoma’s leader and QB1, Dillon Gabriel, was listed as the No. 12 QB in the country by College Sports Wire.

Oklahoma’s true preparation for the 2023 season is approaching its final steps.

Team 129 will start summer workouts ahead of fall camp in the coming weeks, and guys will return from their breaks after spring practice. Oklahoma looks to hit the ground running in pursuit of one final Big 12 crown and one last berth in the College Football Playoff as a member of the Big 12 before it departs for the SEC next summer.

At the heart of that goal, quarterback Dillon Gabriel resides with the keys to Jeff Lebby’s offense. He plays a significant role in Oklahoma’s attempt to rebound from the program’s worst season in over 20 years.

Gabriel was the target of ire for some Sooners fans despite starting 12 of the team’s 13 games and ranking second in the Big 12 in passing yards per game (264), total offense (290.3 ypg), pass efficiency rating (154.4), yards per completion (13.8), yards per pass attempt (8.6) and passing touchdowns (25). He completed 62.7% of his passes for 3,168 yards and rushed for 317 yards and six touchdowns. He threw for at least 230 yards in nine of his 11 complete games and threw for at least one touchdown in 10 of those games.

He did leave a few plays on the field once or twice a game, and he has spoken about that this offseason. However, on a list of reasons OU went 6-7 last year, he should be in the bottom third.

College football feels more wide open this year than it has in the last few. Sure, Georgia has transformed itself into a red and black version of Godzilla, terrorizing the rest of college football. But, UGA no longer has proven signal-caller Stetson Bennett and has to reload a roster that lost multiple starters to the top 100 picks of the 2023 NFL draft. Alabama doesn’t have a QB that’s proven either with Bryce Young leaving Tuscaloosa to become the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft. As you sit back and survey the college football landscape, the field is wide open, but QB play could be the separation for many.

Our friends at College Sports Wire ranked the 25 best quarterbacks in college football and while the consensus remains that one-time Sooner Caleb Williams is the top guy, the rest could be debated.

Dillon Gabriel slots in at No. 12 nationally and No. 2 in the Big 12 behind Kansas’ Jalon Daniels.

Gabriel was a huge acquisition for the Sooners prior to the 2022 season. A move that almost didn’t happen after the former UCF passer originally committed to transfer to UCLA. But as has been the case for a good chunk of his collegiate career, he missed time due to injury. Of course, that injury occurred due to a late hit by TCU during their game. The Big 12’s leading passer is hoping for a repeat of last year if Oklahoma wants to avoid back-to-back losing seasons. — Conn, College Sports Wire

Gabriel is a significant part of Oklahoma’s equation heading into 2023. He has spent multiple seasons with Jeff Lebby as his offensive coordinator dating to their time at UCF.

It’s now or never for Gabriel. With five-star QB Jackson Arnold on campus, the margin for error this year could be slim. It’s hard to imagine a scenario where Gabriel remains the top QB in Norman if Oklahoma’s offense struggles. Gabriel has command of the offense, and his teammates respect and follow him.

However, Oklahoma is not a place where 6-7 will be tolerated in back-to-back seasons. Changes could be made at QB, if nothing else, to shake things up.

Ultimately, it’s hard to believe Gabriel will not play at least as well as he did last year. He could likely even exceed that if things fall perfectly. He lost three of his top four pass catchers to the NFL, so early on, adjusting and finding his complementary options to wide receivers Jalil Farooq and Drake Stoops could set the tone for his ability to consistently perform and whether or not Gabriel moves up this list by the end of the season.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1366]

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 Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.