Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
A look at Dillon Gabriel as the Oklahoma Sooners prepare for their final season in the Big 12.
Evaluating the current roster, Sooners Wire profiles the current players, with quarterback [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] up next.
Continue reading “2023 Player Profile: Dillon Gabriel looking to lead OU to one final Big 12 title”
The Oklahoma Sooners made the cut for five-star tight end Davon Mitchell on Friday.
The Oklahoma Sooners brought in a pair of four-star tight end prospects in the 2022 recruiting cycle with [autotag]Jason Llewellyn[/autotag] and [autotag]Kaden Helms[/autotag]. Oklahoma was able to bring back [autotag]Austin Stogner[/autotag] to help provide a veteran option at the position for Joe Jon Finley.
But perhaps there’s more talent on the way.
Five-star tight end prospect [autotag]Davon Mitchell[/autotag] is expected to reclassify for the 2024 recruiting cycle, according to Parker Thune of OUInsider at 247Sports. If he does reclassify, Mitchell will be joining former Allen teammate Michael Hawkins in the 2024 recruiting class.
Davon Mitchell trimmed his list of possible destinations to 11 on Friday, and the Oklahoma Sooners made the cut. The Sooners are joined by Tennessee, Ohio State, Alabama, Texas, Penn State, Oregon, Texas A&M, USC, Georgia, and South Carolina.
Mitchell, who is a top 30 prospect in the 2025 recruiting class, has everything you could want in a tight end prospect. He wins vertically, can make contested catches, and is a chore to bring down in the open field. He’s an impact blocker in the run and screen game and can line up all over the field, creating mismatch nightmares.
Hudl
USA TODAY Sports Paul Myerburg identified Oklahoma’s transfer classes as one of the best in the country this offseason.
The Oklahoma Sooners made a concerted effort to add talent and experience on both sides of the football in the 2023 transfer portal. The Sooners lost a lot of talent to the NFL in [autotag]Anton Harrison[/autotag], [autotag]Wanya Morris[/autotag], [autotag]Chris Murray[/autotag], [autotag]Eric Gray[/autotag], [autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag], and [autotag]DaShaun White[/autotag]. [autotag]David Ugwoegbu[/autotag] is headed to Houston, so the Sooners have a lot of vacated snaps to fill.
According to USA TODAY’s Paul Myerburg, the Oklahoma Sooners brought in one of the best transfer portal classes in the country this cycle. [autotag]Dasasn McCullough[/autotag] was named as the Sooners’ best transfer addition.
This is another solid transfer class for [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag], this time joining one of the top-ranked traditional recruiting classes in the FBS. Stanford transfer [autotag]Walter Rouse[/autotag] pencils into one of the open spots at left or right tackle after spending four season as the Cardinal’s starter on the blind side. After one season at South Carolina, tight end [autotag]Austin Stogner[/autotag] has rejoined the program and figures to be the Sooners’ top option at the position. Former Michigan wide receiver [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] had moments of brilliance with the Wolverines and will have the chance to play a major role as OU tries to replace roughly two-thirds of last year’s receiving yardage. Lastly, (Dasan) McCullough was one of the top freshmen defenders in the Power Five in 2022. – Myerburg, USA TODAY Sports
The Sooners added several impact players on both sides of the ball. Including McCullough, the Sooners landed several defensive front players that can effect opposing passing games and help solidify their run defense. McCullough is rumored to be slotted in at Cheetah for the Sooners, but Oklahoma will utilize his pass rush ability in their blitz packages.
[autotag]Rondell Bothroyd[/autotag] comes to Oklahoma with 13 sacks and 24.5 tackles for loss over the last two seasons at Wake Forest. [autotag]Trace Ford[/autotag] had a productive first two years in Stillwater before being limited by injuries. Oklahoma also added [autotag]Jacob Lacey[/autotag] and [autotag]Davon Sears[/autotag] to help bolster the interior. Lacey comes from Notre Dame, and Sears was being pursued by Tennessee and Penn State before choosing Oklahoma.
Safety [autotag]Reggie Pearson[/autotag] rounds out the defensive additions for the Sooners. He brings a lot of experience and big-hitting ability that can add some extra physicality to the Sooners’ defense.
On offense, Oklahoma made important additions along the offensive line with Rouse and guard [autotag]Caleb Shaffer[/autotag]. Both players could slide into the starting lineup and bring a ton of experience to the offensive line room. Both were four-year starters at their previous stops and join an experienced group that brings back [autotag]Andrew Raym[/autotag] and [autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag] along the offensive front as well. [autotag]Tyler Guyton[/autotag] projects to start at right tackle after playing the swing tackle role for Oklahoma in 2022.
[autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] adds another talented wide receiver to their wide receiver competition opposite [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag]. Anthony has some deep-threat ability that will give him the opportunity to be an option to replace Marvin Mims.
Then there’s [autotag]Austin Stogner[/autotag]. The returning Oklahoma Sooners tight end will have an opportunity for a [autotag]Brayden Willis[/autotag]-type breakout season in 2023. Though the Sooners are a little deeper now that [autotag]Jason Llewellyn[/autotag] and [autotag]Kaden Helms[/autotag] are in their second years in Norman, Stogner will get a vast majority of the opportunities this season.
Time will tell just how impactful this transfer portal class will be, but on paper, the Sooners landed a strong group of players that will be key to the Sooners 2023 season.
[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1366]
[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz7cqqgxy50qwt player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=]
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 is losing 66 percent of its receiving production heading into 2023. Who helps fill that void for the Sooners?
Oklahoma’s roster construction for team 129 isn’t finished yet, and that’s fine. It’s only January. However, as Oklahoma looks to retool its roster and improve next season, it’ll have to do it without one of its best players. Marvin Mims announced his decision to forego one more year of eligibility and declared for the 2023 NFL draft.
It’s hard to blame him as he’s led the Sooners in receiving every year of his collegiate career and can’t prove too much else to draft pundits and scouts. His absence gives Oklahoma another problem that this offensive staff will have to figure out in the months ahead of the 2023 season opener.
With Mims out of the door, the Sooners have lost 66% of their receiving yards from this 2022 season. Mims, [autotag]Brayden Willis[/autotag], [autotag]Eric Gray[/autotag], and Theo Wease are gone. Jalil Farooq and Drake Stoops are Oklahoma’s top two options as things stand.
Farooq totaled 466 receiving yards, while Stoops had 393 yards in 2022. They will need better performances from both, plus help from someone new to make up the 2,000 yards they’ve lost this winter. Who will help fill the void and make up the difference?
Expect Jalil Farooq to get a bump in targets and touches in 2023.
The third year Sooner was solid in 2022. He didn’t have a 100-yard game and finished fourth in receptions, but only Marvin Mims had more games of four receptions or more this season than Farooq. Toss in his 15 carries for 140 yards, and only Eric Gray and Mims had more yards from scrimmage than Farooq. Farooq did have 100 total yards against Iowa State when he caught 4 passes for 74 yards and a touchdown and ran the ball twice for 26 yards.
He’s a dynamic player with the ball in his hands and can win at every level of the defense.
2022 freshmen Gavin Freeman, Nic Anderson, and Jaylen Gibson could also have an impact in 2023.
Freeman was on the field for 77 snaps according to Pro Football Focus. He finished with 7 receptions for 71 yards, along with three carries for 46 yards and a touchdown. His speed and big-play ability were an asset for the Sooners and another offseason in Norman should help him get some more opportunities. Freeman is the most likely candidate to see a bump up based on his play in 2022.
Gibson had a big-time TD in the spring game but didn’t see many opportunities in the passing game in 2022. He played 96 snaps but only saw five targets. He turned that into one reception for 12 yards. More weight room progress and a big off-season could help give him a shot to see more playing time and potentially replace Marvin Mims.
Nic Anderson played sparingly and didn’t see a target in the passing game. His freshman season was limited due to offseason injuries.
LV Bunkley-Shelton and JJ Hester both transferred in before the season last year. Later arrivals, they struggled to crack the rotation during the 2022 season. Shelton saw the field a bit more at the end of the season and even made a catch in the Cheez-It Bowl. Shelton could fit best in the slot, while Hester is an outside guy.
Both played Power Five football before coming to OU. That experience and a full offseason in the program could help them earn more opportunities in 2023. That time in the program should equip them to have a better understanding of the offense.
Oklahoma’s tight-end room will need to grow in a big way in 2023. Austin Stogner comes in to replace Brayden Willis as the leader in the room and the starting tight end. But the Sooners used a lot of 12 personnel, with one running back, two wide receivers, and two tight ends. So, Oklahoma will need Kaden Helms and Jason Llewelyn to take a significant step forward to improve the tight end depth in 2023.
The remaining possibilities come from players not on campus yet. A freshman that looks likely to break out, four-star wide receiver Jaquaize Pettaway. He’s a blur and instantly one of the fastest on the team upon his arrival. You can’t coach that type of speed. It’ll be hard to envision a world where Lebby doesn’t at least have him out there catching screens, running jet sweeps, and letting him run go and backside post routes.
Altogether this is what Oklahoma has in its receiving cupboard for 2023. Increased opportunities for Jalil Farooq and Drake Stoops seem inevitable. In fact, if they don’t take steps forward, none of this discussion matters. They’ll need assistance from their 2023 recruiting class, a transfer, or a surprise from their depth chart to make up the remainder of the receiving production lost this offseason.
[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz7cqqgxy50qwt player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=]
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today. You can also follow Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.
Kade McIntyre, out of Fremont, Nebraska, signs with the Oklahoma Sooners.
The early signing period is underway, and the Oklahoma Sooners are beginning to put pen to paper with their [autotag]2023 recruiting class[/autotag].
Next to submit his national letter of intent for the Oklahoma Sooners is [autotag]Kade McIntyre[/autotag] out of Fremont, Neb. McIntyre, the No. 43 athlete in the nation, is projected to play tight end for the Oklahoma Sooners.
At 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, he has the natural size for the position and was incredible on the offensive side of the ball for the Knights. He recorded 11 rushing touchdowns and five touchdown receptions. He even threw a touchdown pass in 2022.
McIntyre was second on the team in rushing with 540 yards, averaging 7.5 yards per carry while leading the team in receiving yards with 413. He averaged 106.5 total yards per game.
#OUDNA | #CHO23N pic.twitter.com/CKP7jO9bLW
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) December 21, 2022
He comes to Oklahoma as the only projected tight end in the 2023 recruiting class. Arriving in Norman, he’ll be behind [autotag]Austin Stogner[/autotag] and 2022 signees [autotag]Kaden Helms[/autotag] and [autotag]Jason Llewellyn[/autotag] on the depth chart. However, McIntyre’s dual-purpose ability could help him find opportunities on special teams or in Brayden Willis’ wildcat package if it reappears in 2023.
McIntyre is the No. 4 player in the state of Nebraska and has been committed to the Oklahoma Sooners since mid-June after his official visit on June 8. The Sooners earned McIntyre’s signature over Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas State, Minnesota, North Dakota State, Tennessee, and Wyoming.
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. Let us know your thoughts, and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today. You can also follow John on Twitter @john9williams.
Bringing back Austin Stogner helps the Oklahoma Sooners offense in more ways than one. From @john9williams
The 2022 season revealed just how important the tight end is to the Oklahoma Sooners’ offense. Brayden Willis had a career year for the Sooners, leading Oklahoma with seven touchdown receptions in addition to career highs in receptions and yards.
After rotating with Jeremiah Hall and Austin Stogner, Willis got the opportunity to take on a full-time role at tight end for the Sooners. With Willis graduating and heading to the NFL, it’s Stogner’s turn to see a full complement of snaps as the presumptive starter at tight end in 2023.
In 2021, Stogner was seventh on the Sooners in targets with just 26. Jeremiah Hall led the H-Back rotation with 37 targets, 32 receptions, 334 yards, and four touchdowns.
As the lead guy in the position in 2022, Brayden Willis was fourth on the team with targets with 53, behind Marvin Mims, Drake Stoops, and Jalil Farooq. He was second in receiving yards with 445 yards and had 35 receptions. Willis had more than double the yards and six more touchdowns than Stogner did, who had to share time with Jaheim Bell at tight end.
Returning to Oklahoma, Stogner has a shot at replicating what Willis was able to do for the Sooners. He’s a dynamic receiver that can make plays over the middle of the field and in the red zone. His athleticism gives Dillon Gabriel a player that can win 50-50 matchups. The Sooners need to be able to attack the sticks and the middle of the field with more consistency in 2023. Stogner helps them do that.
In addition to what he’ll provide on the field, he’ll give the Sooners the opportunity to be patient with their two four-star tight ends, Kaden Helms and Jason Llewellyn. Helms and Llewellyn have a lot of potential, but we didn’t see much of them in 2022. If one of them can emerge and take significant snaps, that’s great, but if they aren’t quite ready, the Sooners have a solid floor with Stogner’s present.
The Sooners will have more transfer portal additions before they open the 2023 season, but bringing Austin Stogner back will turn out to be a great addition for the Oklahoma Sooners.
[listicle id=76629]
[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz7cqqgxy50qwt player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=]
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. Let us know your thoughts, and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today. You can also follow John on Twitter @john9williams.
On the first day of transfer portal season, OUInsiders at 247Sports Brandon Drumm and Parker Thune project Oklahoma to land former Sooners TE Austin Stogner. From @john9williams
When the coaching change happened a year ago, it was understandable that players would want to seek out new opportunities. [autotag]Spencer Rattler[/autotag] went to South Carolina, and so did [autotag]Austin Stogner[/autotag], reuniting with former assistant Shane Beamer.
Well, after a year in Columbia that didn’t result in big production, Austin Stogner is back in the transfer portal, and a return to Norman might be in his future.
On the first official day of the transfer portal, Brandon Drumm and Parker Thune of OUInsider at 247Sports submitted crystal ball predictions favoring the Sooners bringing back their former tight end.
In three seasons in Norman, Stogner put up 47 receptions on 71 targets for 654 yards and eight touchdowns. In his lone season with South Carolina, the former four-star tight end caught 20 passes for 210 yards and a touchdown. Stogner led Gamecocks’ tight ends in snaps and split receiving work with Jaheim Bell.
It’s clear Stogner’s relationship with Sooners’ tight ends coach Joe Jon Finley is a strong one, leaving the door open for a possible return.
With [autotag]Brayden Willis[/autotag] presumably off to the NFL after the Cheez-It Bowl, the Oklahoma Sooners are left with [autotag]Jason Llewellyn[/autotag] and [autotag]Kaden Helms[/autotag] at the position. Both are highly thought of players but didn’t see much work in 2022, so adding Stogner provides a solid floor at the position if neither of your 2022 four-star tight ends emerges to take on a significant role in 2023.
Stogner and Willis were a part of the H-Back/Tight End rotation with Jeremiah Hall and saw limited opportunities to make an impact as receivers. Out of the rotation, Willis had a breakout season in 2022, leading Oklahoma in touchdown receptions. Could Stogner experience a similar breakout in a return to Oklahoma?
[listicle id=76629]
[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz7cqqgxy50qwt player_id=none image=https://soonerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. Let us know your thoughts, and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today. You can also follow John on Twitter @john9williams.
Oklahoma sends out offer to Division II All-American tight end Kyle Morlock. From @thatmanbryant
Much was made about Brent Venables’ comments during his opening week as Sooners’ head coach about how he would attack the transfer portal.
Oklahoma wouldn’t look to reconfigure their entire roster via the portal but instead use it to supplement full size recruiting classes as long as there was a culture and position fit.
That remained true as the only transfers from last year to miss time for off the field issues is tight end Daniel Parker Jr., who is suspended from the team.
With his first season coming to an end, Venables will have the task of retooling the depth with transfer additions.
So far in this cycle they’ve earned the commitment of former four-star and Notre Dame defensive tackle Jacob Lacey. Now, look to be circling another transfer addition, issuing an offer to Division II tight end Kyle Morlock.
Morlock is a two-time All-American and in his most recent season had 30 receptions for 446 yards and six touchdowns. He stands 6-foot-7 and is 245 pounds to boot.
A commitment from Morlock would be huge for Oklahoma since they will be losing senior Brayden Willis to graduation and the NFL after this season. All that remains would be rising sophomores Kaden Helms and Jason Llewellyn who haven’t played a ton on the first year in Norman.
Morlock would have two years of eligibility remaining. On top of the Sooners, Tennessee, Missouri, Florida State, and NC State have all offered.
[listicle id=76087]
[listicle id=76238]
[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz7cqqgxy50qwt player_id=none image=https://soonerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today. You can also follow Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.
Oklahoma looks to add another tight end to their class by offering 2023 three-star Jordan Allen. From @thatmanbryant
Even in the midst of the season, Oklahoma is still firmly devoted to finding new members for its 2023 class. Brent Venables made it known when he was first hired that he plans to use every scholarship possible to fill out his recruiting classes with high school talent before using the transfer portal.
Oklahoma continues to look to finish its 2023 class off as strong as possible and has sent out a flurry of offers late to a few players, some of which are committed elsewhere. One of those offers went to three-star Jordan Allen out of Olathe South High School in Olathe, Kansas.
Allen is committed to the Kansas State Wildcats but was offered by Jeff Lebby. Allen is listed as an EDGE On 247Sports but plays tight end as well. With his offer coming from offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby, it’s a safe assumption the Sooners want him at tight end.
With the commitment of Malachi Coleman to Nebraska, the Sooners needed to look elsewhere.
At 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds, Allen has all the size you could want at the position. With three-star Kade McIntyre as the lone tight-end commit for 2023, it makes sense the Sooners would like to have another. Oklahoma has Kaden Helms and Jason Llewelyn as their only tight ends on the depth chart heading into next year, with Brayden Willis and Daniel Parker both set to depart at the end of the season.
Observations from the first official depth chart released by Oklahoma as the Sooners prepare for their week one matchup with UTEP.
Folks, we have arrived at the first game week of the season for the Oklahoma Sooners. The wait is nearly over and we are merely days away from meaningful football being played in Norman, Oklahoma.
The Oklahoma Sooners have been at it since the winter months getting in shape, lifting in the weight room before transitioning to spring ball, which culminated in one of the best spring game atmospheres the sport has ever seen.
All of that has led us to this week, which is the first game week for Brent Venables as head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners.
Venables will don the headset and will see his first team as the head coach take the field against a UTEP team that lost its first game against North Texas 31-13 during week zero.
While UTEP has game tape already out there for the Sooners to watch, the Miners will only be able to piece together information from watching last year and game plan based on the Sooners’ depth chart, which was released Monday morning.
We took a look at the depth chart and offered five observations below.
