Tag: Jared Bartlett

Texas A&M will host former West Virginia LB Jared Bartlett this weekend

As Texas A&M’s visitors list continues to grow, the Aggies will reportedly host former West Virginia LB Jared Bartlett this weekend.

Texas A&M and head coach Mike Elko have already added eight players through the transfer portal since last month, and that’s just the start, as a host of experienced veterans on both sides of the ball will visit College Station this weekend, now including former West Virginia linebacker Jared Bartlett, According to AggiesToday.

Knowing that sophomore LB Taurean York will command A&M’s linebacker unit in 2024, the departures of Edgerrin Cooper and Chriss Russell Jr. were inevitable, as Elko has already added former Youngstown State LB Alex Howard to help shore up the unit.

Needing another boost of experience, Bartlett, who recorded 50 tackles and 4.5 sacks during his fifth season with the Mountaineers, including 135 tackles and 14 sacks during his entire career with West Virginia.

After the huge addition of former Purdue star pass rusher Nic Scourton, the Aggies are now in a great position to add several other defensive linemen through the portal, which should be very intriguing to Bartlett as a potentially elite A&M pass rush would keep him clean to make play after play.

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3 Keys for the Sooners offense vs West Virginia

As the Oklahoma Sooners get set to kick off Big 12 plays, here are 3 keys for the Sooners offense against West Virginia.

Another week of football time in Norman, Oklahoma!

Things will look and feel a little different as the Oklahoma Sooners will be hosting the West Virginia Mountaineers to kick off their Big 12 campaign. As the weather cools down a bit and the sun sets a lot faster, Oklahoma’s competition level will get hotter.

The Mountaineers come into this game as a decent opponent very capable of pushing Oklahoma. Defensively, they are led by defensive tackle Darius Stills who has had a heck of a college career. His disruption in the interior could play a major factor in this game.

Jared Bartlett presents another player the Sooners will have to account for. Bartlett plays a hybrid role called “bandit” which is basically a part time defensive end and a part time weak side linebacker. The ability to rush and cover could make for some chaotic moments if the Sooners can’t get a feel for what he will do.

Offensively, the Sooners have been pedestrian at best. Aside from their first half against their weakest opponent thus far, they have not looked like usual Sooners offenses. Here are some keys to get the offense going against a fairly solid and sound Mountaineers defense.

Up Next: “Open the Valve!”

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Which under-the-radar Sooner can make an offensive impact vs. WVU?

Which under-the-radar Sooner can make an offensive impact in week 4?

This week, we find our under-the-radar player in the middle of Oklahoma’s offensive line. With the first three weeks of the college football season in the books, the spotlight slowly begins to shift toward position groups that have yet to declare a bonafide starter.

 Lincoln Riley told the media that he feels the offensive line will come together just fine, and Bryant Crews of Sooners Wire believes Andrew Raym gives the offense its best chance for success. 

In the second quarter of the Nebraska game, he replaced Robert Congel to start a drive and the Sooners immediately ripped off a 22-yard run in a game that saw them run the ball the best they had all season.

Raym, a sophomore, has all the natural talent in the world, and if the past game versus Nebraska was any indication, he can help take this line to another level. It remains to be seen who will get the start, but replacing Congel mid-game and not relinquishing the spot seems like a real possibility.

Does Raym give the Sooners their best chance vs. a sturdy West Virginia run defense?

Through three games, the Mountaineers are allowing a meager 2.6 yards per rushing attempt. That could be trouble for a Sooners’ offense that needed every inch of its 194 rushing yards to beat Nebraska. West Virginia has been winning the line of scrimmage with a cast of various players, as linebackers, defensive backs, and linemen have all found ways to push the ball backward.

Player TFLs Yards Lost
Jared Bartlett, LB 3.5 20
Alonzo Addae, S 3.0 11
Jackie Matthews, DL 2.5 13

Whether Raym or Robert Congel gets the start on Saturday, their performance is crucial to a Sooners win. The ability to hold up inside against lineman or extra box defenders could give Rattler the opportunity he needs to jumpstart the engine of Oklahoma’s passing game. 

Or, worst-case scenario, if big plays don’t appear downfield, the Sooners may need to fight through the teeth of West Virginia’s run defense or beat it horizontally. 

Either way, Andrew Raym’s play on Saturday or the impact of his absence makes him an under-the-radar candidate.

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Threat Assessment: A deep dive into the Mountaineers before week 4

Get to know the strength, weakness, and threat level of West Virginia before they roll into town to play the Sooners in week 4

Opponent: West Virginia

Record: 2-1

Threat level (1-10): 7

Rundown:  

If the Mountaineers can find a way to hold onto the football, they could be a pretty good team this year. Through just three games, they have coughed up four fumbles and three interceptions and rank 124th in the FBS in turnovers lost.

Takeaways proved to be the difference-maker in week one. West Virginia was perfectly capable of knocking off Maryland, going 4-5 in the red zone and starting with terrific field position after 217 return yards. But a muffed kickoff return and a pair of Jarret Doege interceptions spotted the Terrapins an extra three possessions and the 30-24 win.

Much like Oklahoma against Tulane and Nebraska, West Virginia grabbed a big lead against Virginia Tech before the Hokies clawed their way back into it. The passing game dried up in the second half, and the Mountaineers survived by bludgeoning VT quarterback Braxton Burmeister with six sacks.

Strength: Rush defense

WVU allows a meager 2.6 yards per rushing attempt.

Weakness: Ball security

At -6, the Mountaineers hold the second-worst turnover margin in the FBS.

Monitor:

Redshirt freshman quarterback Garrett Green. Head coach Neal Brown likes to incorporate him in running situations.

Up Next: Leddie Brown

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