Tag: Jalil Farooq

Sooners Dillon Gabriel, Michael Turk receive All-Big 12 honors despite no team selections

Oklahoma punter Michael Turk and transfer QB Dillon Gabriel received preseason Big 12 honors.

Football season is fast approaching and with that comes all of the preseason hype trains, preseason awards, and all the other preseason predictions that come with the days leading up to the actual season.

Oklahoma sent multiple guys to the NFL this past spring and while it’s an honor to see them live out their dreams it also means they have the hefty task of figuring out who are the next wave of stars they will be depending on this upcoming season.

After nine All-Big 12 preseason picks last year, the Sooners will only reload this year with two.

Two names that the Big 12 believes are due for great seasons is that of transfer turned starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel who was named preseason Big 12 Newcomer of the Year on Wednesday by the league office.

Gabriel, a transfer from UCF, has totaled 8,037 yards and 70 touchdowns against 14 interceptions in his college career.  He’s completing 60.7% of his passes and has rushed for 372 yards and eight touchdowns.

He has a strong relationship with Sooners’ offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby who was his coach for two years at UCF before Lebby would move on to Ole Miss. Much of Gabriel’s college success was under the tutelage of Lebby and with both reunited in Norman, it’s more than reasonable to suspect Gabriel could be in for a big year throwing to Marvin Mims, Theo Wease, Jalil Farooq, and other talented playmakers.

Gabriel becomes the second straight Oklahoma player to be tabbed preseason of the year as last year Eric Gray earned the honor. Gray and Gabriel figure to spend a lot of time together in the backfield as both look penciled in as starters at their respective positions.

Michael Turk also received preseason recognition which follows his 2021 season where he was named All-Big 12 First team at punter. Turk was a weapon for Oklahoma especially early on when their offense struggled at times.

His ability to flip the field averaging 51.2 yards on 35 punts was game-changing at times. Twenty of his punts went for at least 50 yards and eight went for at least 60, while 16 punts were downed inside the 20-yard line. He’ll be depended on once again to help flip the field and make things tougher for opposing offenses by pinning them deep in their territory.

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Sooners continue search for QB for 2024 class and extend offer to four-star Michael Van Buren

The Sooners extended an offer to 2024 QB Michael Van Buren from Baltimore, Maryland.

The Oklahoma Sooners made it known when Brent Venables was hired things were going to be different.

In many facets, that has undoubtedly been the case. When Venables hired Jeff Lebby as his offensive coordinator, Lebby made it known certain things will be done differently offensively as well. On the recruiting front, the Sooners would be recruiting a QB for every class which is a stark contrast from Lincoln Riley’s one QB every other year strategy.

With that said, coupled with the fact that five-star QB prospect Jackson Arnold is committed for the 2023 class, the Sooners are already on the hunt for their next signal caller as the 2024 class begins to come into focus. While hosting their OU camp, the Sooners brought in the likes of Michael Van Buren from Baltimore, Maryland. Van Buren is a four-star QB in the 2024 class and is a 247Sports Composite top 140 recruit.

The last Sooners QB from the DMV area currently plays for the USC Trojans, but Van Buren is a talented individual in his own right.

He can throw into tight windows, throw off platform and throw on the run as well. Although he was a part-time starter in 2021, Van Buren’s talent speaks for itself and he’s beginning to see his recruitment take off in a major way.

He’s a great prospect for Lebby’s offense and could be a major help on the recruiting trail for the Sooners along the East Coast as quarterbacks tend to have recruits gravitate towards them once committed.

Van Buren also boasts a connection to the current Sooner Jalil Farooq as Farooq graduated from St. France’s which is where Van Buren currently attends.

Michael Van Buren’s Recruiting Profile

Crystal Ball

No Crystal Ball Predictions at this time

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Sooners commit Ashton Cozart visit to Oregon a cause of concern?

Should Oklahoma be concerned with committed players taking visits?

The temperatures outside aren’t the only things that look to be heating up this summer. The 2023 recruiting class is now at the forefront of the college football world as this summer represents their last summer before they decide on what their future holds for collegiate football.

The Oklahoma Sooners haven’t even hit double digits yet in terms of commits so they have quite a long way to go before they fill up their scholarships and so forth. However, they need to keep the guys they do have committed in the fold. No one has decommitted yet but our friends at Ducks Wire confirmed that Sooner wide receiver commit Ashton Cozart will be in Eugene, Oregon for a visit this weekend.

Cozart spoke with On3 earlier this month about his thoughts on recruiting and was on record saying, “In my opinion, in this industry, it’s become a business, so you can’t just be too high on one person because anything can happen,” Cozart told On3 earlier this month. “I’m still committed to Oklahoma but I think it’s smart to keep an eye on other opportunities as well and keep those relationships up.”

In many ways, he’s extremely right. That’s not the kicker though. The catch is that his would-be future head coach whom he committed to spoke candidly and passionately about commitments and scholarships needing to mean something and even compared recruiting to marriage in essence comparing the need to take additional visits as akin to dating someone while already married.

There’s another part of this equation that may be flying under the radar and not being considered when looking at this picture from a wider point of view. Since Cozart committed to the Oklahoma Sooners on February 4, the Sooners have landed not one but two transfer wide receivers with multiple years of eligibility. Javian Hester was first and just earlier this week LV Bunkley-Shelton joined the mix. Both primarily play in the slot which is not remotely close to what Cozart offers outside as a Z or X receiver.

However, that’s just another body and more reps that could be taken away from him on top of the other receivers the Sooners would return next year in Jalil Farooq, Jayden Gibson, and Nic Anderson too. Maybe after seeing this unfold and looking at things Cozart feels compelled to make sure his heart and his path to playing time still lead him to Norman and going on visits is a way of confirming or denying that. There are months between now and the time he has to sign the dotted line for his final decision.

No one knows for sure what’s going on behind the scenes but the situation is something to monitor going forward. How will Venables and the staff take to it? Will it have a lasting impact on recruiting going forward if the Sooners switch their policy or will the policy remain in place and the Sooners have a conversation with Cozart? We don’t know but we’ll continue to monitor Cozart’s recruitment going forward.

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Oklahoma Sooners get transfer portal wide receiver LV Bunkley-Shelton from Arizona State

For the second time in recent weeks, the Oklahoma Sooners land a wide receiver through the transfer portal, this time LV Bunkley-Shelton

Jeff Lebby is making quite the impression in the transfer portal pitching his offense of late. In back-to-back weeks, he’s landed another wide receiver out of the transfer portal with multiple years of eligibility. Last week it was Javian Hester, who transferred from Missouri. This week it’s LV Bunkley-Shelton, a transfer from Arizona State.

Bunkley-Shelton entered the portal on April 29 and shortly after began to take visits. He visited Oklahoma on May 7 and his official visit was spearheaded by Sooners’ former defensive back turned defensive assistant Jeremiah Criddell. Bunkley-Shelton and Criddell are both from California and played on the same 7-on-7 teams in high school. The Arizona State product narrowed his options to two schools, Oklahoma and Kansas. Ultimately, he chose the Sooners and spoke to 247’s Greg Biggins as to why:

“OU just stuck out a little more for me. They came after me hard right when I went in to the portal and made me feel like a priority. I really liked it there, it’s a big time program and I think I’ll fit in really well there. Having Jeremiah there was huge in my decision,” Bunkley-Shelton told Biggins. “He’s family, we’ve been close for a long time, since before high school. We played on GZ (Ground Zero, 7v7 program) together and he’s someone I know I can trust.”

“When you go somewhere new, it always helps to have someone there that you’re comfortable with and that’s definitely Jeremiah. I liked Oklahoma a lot as it was, but having him there helped put them over the top.”

As a redshirt freshman in 2021, Bunkley-Shelton hauled in 33 receptions for 418 yards and two touchdowns for the Sun Devils. He had 11 catches for 100 yards as a true freshman in 2020. He’ll have three years of eligibility remaining with the Sooners.

As a recruit, he was a four-star prospect in the 247Sports Composite rankings and No. 158 overall player in the nation. Bunkley-Shelton will join the Sooners in the summer in time for fall camp and will join a wide receiver room that includes [autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag], [autotag]Theo Wease[/autotag], [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag], and [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] plus transfer Javian Hester to go along with the two young four-star freshmen in Nic Anderson and Jayden Gibson.

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How does wide receiver Javian Hester fit with the Oklahoma Sooners?

Take a look at how new Sooners wide receiver Javian Hester fits within the Sooners’ new offense under Jeff Lebby.

A couple of days after landing their presumptive backup quarterback via the transfer portal, the Oklahoma Sooners returned to the transfer portal. This time, the Sooners will be welcoming a new receiver into the mix.

Javian “J.J” Hester committed to Oklahoma on Wednesday evening.

He redshirted in 2020 and then played in seven games in 2021, totaling 12 receptions, 225 yards, and two touchdowns. Hester is no stranger to the Sooner state. He is a native of Oklahoma, growing up in Tulsa, where he attended Booker T. Washington High School before going to Missouri.

Hester’s commitment may not shake up any projections about the depth chart, but make no mistake, this is no commitment to scoff at.

He stands a 6-foot-3 and has speed. He fits the physical mold of Jeff Lebby’s receivers perfectly. The place where Hester can carve out a space and niche next year is in the slot. Yes, the Sooners have options in the slot in [autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag] and [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag], but Hester is no slouch there and is quite comfortable operating as a “big slot.” In 2021, he lined up in the slot on 70% of his snaps for Missouri.

The Big 12 has a lot of smaller nickel corners for the typically smaller slot receiver builds that dominate inside. Hester’s size against some of those smaller defenders could present another headache for defenses to account for when preparing for Oklahoma in the fall.

Do you match Hester with a more undersized cornerback with better coverage skills? Or do you play a bigger safety that may not be as comfortable covering a receiver that big 1-on-1?

Hester comes in as a redshirt sophomore, giving him a few more years as a Sooner, which could be very beneficial, not just for this season but also for the next. Marvin Mims, Drake Stoops, and [autotag]Theo Wease[/autotag] are likely to bolt the for the NFL Draft. The talent and experience levels drop considerably across the wide receiver position group whenever those three depart. Bringing in the former four-star wide receiver could help mitigate the losses on the depth chart.

With the experienced and talented Hester in the ranks, offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby has another weapon to deploy alongside Marvin Mims, Theo Wease, [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag], and Drake Stoops. That depth will provide some problematic questions for opposing defensive coordinators to answer week-to-week in the 2022 season.

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Sophomore WR Cody Jackson has opted to enter the transfer portal

After finishing spring ball, the Sooners see wide receiver Cody Jackson enter the transfer portal.

Much of the news after the spring game has been extremely positive in for the Oklahoma Sooners football program. However, the harsh reality of the transfer portal has led to a wide receiver deciding to move on. Wide receiver [autotag]Cody Jackson[/autotag] entered his name in the transfer portal Monday and it looks like he’ll find a new place to play in 2022.

This is similar to last spring when [autotag]Mike Woods[/autotag] played in Arkansas’ spring game only to transfer to Oklahoma shortly thereafter.

Jackson, who caught just five passes for 45 yards in his freshman season enters the portal with three years of eligibility remaining. He was one of the earliest commitments to the Sooners’ 2021 recruiting class. He committed nearly 2 years before signing with the Sooners and remained steadfast to his commitment the whole process.

He was a four-star recruit out of Foster, Texas (the same high school where Sooners legend [autotag]CeeDee Lamb[/autotag] came from) and only saw action in two games last year. He played in the Sooners’ wins in Norman against Western Carolina and Nebraska.

 

 

Jackson looked prime for more of an opportunity under offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby with several receivers departing via the transfer portal or to the NFL. But after sticking with the Sooners through the spring Jackson appears will be looking for a new home.

The Sooners’ receiver room looks pretty thin all things considered with [autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag], [autotag]Theo Wease[/autotag], [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag], and [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag] at the top of the depth chart. [autotag]Brian Darby[/autotag] and [autotag]Trevon West[/autotag] will figure into the rotation as well, while [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag] and [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] have the potential to contribute in year one.

There is a good chance the Sooners will use the portal as a means to get one or two more receivers into the room if nothing else for depth purposes.

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Brent Venables, Dillon Gabriel steal the show in front of record-breaking crowd for Oklahoma’s Spring Game

In front of more than 75,000 fans, the Oklahoma Sooners put on a strong performance in the first Spring Game of the Brent Venables era.

After a mountain of hype, the Oklahoma Spring Game delivered on many fronts for the Oklahoma Sooners. The loyal fans of the Crimson & Cream packed out The Palace on the Prairie with just over 75,000 fans for the start of the Brent Venables era.

The game showcased what the new regime in Norman has been cooking up as they prepare the Sooners for the 2022 season. While there were many familiar faces from the past few years, the Sooners had new faces donning Oklahoma jerseys for the first time. The roster was split into two teams led by defensive ends coach [autotag]Miguel Chavis[/autotag] for the white squad while running backs coach [autotag]DeMarco Murray[/autotag] led the red team.

New quarterback [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] did exactly what you want your veteran quarterback to do. He looked calm and poised under duress and stepped up and made some nice throws to a plethora of receivers. The tempo of the offense was indeed as fast as advertised and gave Sooners fans a glimpse of what the offense can look like under offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby.

Gabriel was 19 of 28 for 250 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He looked sharp in his first appearance for the Sooners.

The anticipation of seeing running back [autotag]Jovantae Barnes[/autotag] did not disappoint. Barnes carried the ball 17 times for 60 yards and two touchdowns. He looked explosive, physical and decisive.

Presumptive starter [autotag]Eric Gray[/autotag]’s biggest highlight came when he broke out for a huge run for the white team that is certain to have people salivating about his upcoming season. Gray carried the ball four times for 53 yards, including the 50-yard run.

[autotag]Marcus Major[/autotag] didn’t participate but [autotag]Tawee Walker[/autotag] ran the ball well in his absence. Walker has turned heads in practice and capped off an eye-opening spring with a solid performance in the spring game.

The offensive line play was solid, considering the likely starters were split between the two sides. They opened up some lanes for the backs and gave time for the quarterbacks to throw the ball.

The only notable player missing was [autotag]Andrew Raym[/autotag] who didn’t participate. [autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag], one of the transfer offensive linemen the Sooners landed looked pretty comfortable at guard as he made a key block that sprung Gray loose for his big gain.

[autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag] and true freshman [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag] scored touchdowns out wide for the receiver group. [autotag]Theo Wease[/autotag], who returned from an injury-filled 2021 also made a nice grab for a 48-yard gain that led to a touchdown early in the game. [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] saw his number called quite a few times and has a chance to be a major contributor on the heels of his electric performance to end the season in 2021. Farooq would finish with two receptions for 17 yards.

Jayden Gibson’s 95-yard touchdown helped him lead the way at receiver on the afternoon. He finished with 113 yards on three receptions and a touchdown. Marvin Mims picked up right where he left off the 2021 season with two receptions for 41 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, guys like defensive end [autotag]Ethan Downs[/autotag] and defensive back Kendall Dennis stood out as both forced turnovers during the game. Downs would punch out a fumble and Dennis intercepted a pass in the second half of the game. There wasn’t too much to be made of the Sooners’ new defensive system as [autotag]Ted Roof[/autotag] kept things largely vanilla for good reason.

However, guys like [autotag]Jeffery Johnson[/autotag] and Jordan Kelley made plays from the defensive interior while [autotag]DaShaun White[/autotag] roamed at the second level making their impact felt. On the back end, Woodi Washington, Joshua Eaton made some plays on the ball. Eaton recovered the Downs forced fumble and broke up a possible touchdown in the end zone too. In the end, the red team led by DeMarco Murray got the win as they won 21-17.

Though they weren’t taking quarterbacks to the ground, Ethan Downs and [autotag]Marcus Stripling[/autotag] were credited with two sacks apiece and [autotag]Jalen Redmond[/autotag] added a sack for the red team. Johnson, Kelley, White, Jonah La’ulu, and [autotag]Reggie Grimes[/autotag] combined for five sacks for the white team.

While the football was the main focus, it was incredible to see the alumni turnout as the Sooners did everything in their power to get every Sooner to Norman that they could. Big names like [autotag]Adrian Peterson[/autotag], [autotag]Kyler Murray[/autotag], [autotag]Mark Clayton[/autotag], and [autotag]Jamelle Holieway[/autotag] were all in the building. [autotag]Baker Mayfield[/autotag]’s Heisman statue ceremony took place at halftime with the unveiling in Heisman Park.

The pageantry, emotion and the excitement of the day delivered in spades and with no significant injuries to report, the first spring game of the [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] era can be considered a huge success.

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5 things we’re looking forward to seeing at Oklahoma’s spring game

With the Oklahoma Spring game coming on Saturday, here are five things we’re looking forward to seeing on.

Oklahoma’s spring game on Saturday offers us a brief glimpse at the formation of this year’s Oklahoma Sooners football team. The game has no shortage of things to be looking out for and some aren’t even about the players and the actual football we’ll see being played.

With such a momentous occasion for the university and its storied football program, we’ve compiled a list of five things we’re most looking forward to in the spring game. Check them out below.

‘Super hard working’: Sooners QB Dillon Gabriel on freshmen wide receivers Nicholas Anderson and Jayden Gibson

In their first few months with the program Nicholas Anderson and Jayden Gibson have turned heads for their work ethic as much as their size.

The Oklahoma Sooners lost three of their top five wide receivers from the 2021 season. Jadon Haselwood and Mario Williams transferred out and Mike Woods is continuing his career at the professional level.

All’s well though as [autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag] and [autotag]Theo Wease[/autotag] return for the Sooners. [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag] will still play a significant role. [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] is expected to have a breakout season and [autotag]Cody Jackson[/autotag] will see more opportunities this year.

It doesn’t look the same, but there’s still quite a bit of depth at the wide receiver position. And that doesn’t include true freshmen wideouts [autotag]Nicholas Anderson[/autotag] and [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag] who could be factors in year one, but certainly have bright futures ahead.

“I think Jayden Gibson and Nick Anderson. They’re super talented. You can’t teach athleticism and their build and what they can do,” Sooners quarterback [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] shared with the media on Tuesday.

Their size, Gibson is 6-foot-5 and Anderson is 6-foot-4, is the first thing that stands out about them. And Gabriel’s right, you can’t teach that. But they bring more to the table than just being tall. Both were four-star wide receivers who were once committed to other Power Five schools that the Sooners flipped.

Gibson decommitted from Florida after the Gators moved on from Dan Mullen while Anderson was once headed to Oregon. Both guys are fluid athletes that posses strong route running chops. But even that’s not the thing that stands out most to Dillon Gabriel.

It’s the work ethic.

Gabriel said, “I think they’re super hard working, the way they attack every single day. I think when you’re a freshman, especially early freshman, early enrollee, I think there’s just a lot more challenges than just any typical freshman would go through. First, you know, they should be going to graduation and going to prom and things like that, but they’re here and they made that decision to get ahead and to better themselves. So I’m super proud of them and how they continue to fight every single day. Whether it’s a good or bad day the day before, you know they just continued to attack every single day.”

However the wide receiver snap count is distributed in 2022, the true freshmen early enrollees are turning heads with how they’ve approached their first semester at Oklahoma. That could lead to opportunities in year one, but even if it doesn’t, Jayden Gibson and Nicholas Anderson provide the Sooners with a bright future at wide receiver.

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247Sports highlights Kansas State as ‘dark horse’ in Big 12 title race, potential upset for Oklahoma

Looking at games that might have upset potential, 247Sports circled Oklahoma’s matchup with Kansas State, calling the Wildcats a Big 12 “dark horse.”

With several weeks of spring practice to go, the Oklahoma Sooners look positioned to be contenders in the Big 12 yet again. It’ll be another competitive year in the Big 12 with Baylor, Oklahoma State, and Texas but there might be some other teams that could cause problems in the conference.

Over at 247Sports, Will Backus looked at some of the games in the 2022 season that might have upset potential. The Oklahoma Sooners landed on the list with an old nemesis from the Lincoln Riley era, Chris Klieman and the Kansas State Wildcats.

Kansas State is this writer’s pick for Big 12 dark horse. The conference is as wide open as ever, and most teams have gone through some sort of massive change, be it to the coaching staff or on the roster. Oklahoma was a victim of both. The Sooners lost coach [autotag]Lincoln Riley[/autotag] to USC, and Riley took starting quarterback [autotag]Caleb Williams[/autotag] and star wide receiver [autotag]Mario Williams[/autotag] with him. Outside of those, Oklahoma lost [autotag]Spencer Rattler[/autotag], its top two rushers, four of its top five receivers, three of five starting offensive linemen, its top three sack leaders and three of its top four linebackers. Even with Oklahoma’s transfer additions, that is an absurd amount of attrition. – Backus, 247Sports

Listen, we get it, the Oklahoma Sooners lost a ton of guys to the transfer portal and to the draft. But it’s not like the cupboard’s bare behind them or that they didn’t add players in the transfer portal to replace them. Oklahoma got arguably the best quarterback in the transfer portal not named Caleb Williams or Spencer Rattler. One could make the argument that [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag]’s experience and production puts him in that tier of player even if he didn’t have the same number of stars or hype that the former Sooners’ quarterbacks came to OU with.

On defense, the Sooners brought in several veteran player to help mitigate the departures of six starters. [autotag]Jeffery Johnson[/autotag], [autotag]Jonah Laulu[/autotag], [autotag]T.D. Roof[/autotag], and [autotag]Trey Morrison[/autotag] arrive at Oklahoma with a ton of snaps under their belt. Each has a chance to start or become a significant rotational player for the Sooners in 2022, and at the same time, they’ve got players all over the defense that have been sitting behind future NFL players, developing and waiting for their chance.

While [autotag]Perrion Winfrey[/autotag], [autotag]Nik Bonitto[/autotag], and [autotag]Isaiah Thomas[/autotag] were big losses, the Oregon game showed off the potential from the defensive front as they harrassed Ducks’ quarterback Anthony Brown into three sacks against a pretty good Oregon offensive line.

On offense, they return their best wide receivers from the last two seasons in [autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag] and [autotag]Theo Wease[/autotag]. Mims has led the Oklahoma Sooners in receiving yards each of the last two seasons. In 2020, Wease tied with Mims for the team lead in receptions. [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag] returns and [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] looks primed for a breakout in 2022.

On the offensive line, [autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag] helps mitigate the loss of [autotag]Marquis Hayes[/autotag], who was an anchor of the Oklahoma offensive line for several seasons. The only question with that unit is who will start at right tackle?

Kansas State is the exact opposite. The Wildcats surgically plugged any holes on their roster via the transfer portal. The big addition was Nebraska quarterback Adrian Martinez, who had a roller coaster 2021 but was considered a Heisman Trophy contender just a couple years ago. Chris Klieman’s squad also boasts running back Deuce Vaughn, one of the most electric players in the nation, and what should be the best defensive line in the Big 12. With this being both teams’ first conference game, this is a prime opportunity for Kansas State to establish itself as a threat. – Backus, 247Sports

Deuce Vaughn has been a problem for years and will be a problem again in 2022, but if Chris Klieman can’t help [autotag]Adrian Martinez[/autotag] protect the ball better, Kansas State won’t contend in the Big 12. He’s a solid quarterback that kept Nebraska in some games last season, but his penchant for putting the ball on the ground also put them behind in a lot of games.

Chris Klieman is one of the best coaches in the Big 12 and the Wildcats have been a thorn in the side of the Sooners at times, but Oklahoma is still the more talented team. An upset is always a possibility in the competitive Big 12 conference, but the Oklahoma Sooners will be the favorite in nearly every game they play in 2022 if not all of them.

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