Tag: Jaylan Knighton

The Power of Youth: 3 Sooners to watch on defense vs. Tulsa

There’s a youth movement happening on defense and these three defenders will be Sooners to keep an eye on come Saturday.

Saturday’s matchup against Tulsa marks Oklahoma’s last nonconference game before they embark on their final Big 12 season. The matchup means a lot for the state of Oklahoma with the Sooners playing as the road team this week.

The Sooners enter the game with a lot of momentum on defense after shutting down what was a top-20 offense in the nation last season.

After what happened in 2022 for OU, this season’s efforts have felt particularly inspired. Oklahoma is looking to improve on last year and reshape the narrative about how the Sooners get down defensively.

After two games, the Sooners hold the nation’s sixth-best scoring defense, holding teams to just 5.5 points per game. They are eighth in third-down defense, with opponents converting just 22 percent of third-down attempts. It’s early, but through two games, it’s something to be proud of.

Tulsa may not be as talented as SMU, but their head coach is an offensive mind that Brent Venables knows all too well. The two coached under Bob Stoops for nearly a decade.

Oklahoma should be able to win this game fairly stress-free, but building their confidence and depth are also high on the list of priorities.

We believe these three players are names to watch come Saturday.

Up Next: 3 Sooners to watch on Defense

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Once the forgotten man, Key Lawrence shows he belongs on the field

While the talk with the safeties has been about Billy Bowman, Peyton Bowen and Reggie Pearson, Key Lawrence continues to show he belongs in that conversation.

This offseason the talk about the safety position has been focused around three guys, [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag], [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag], and [autotag]Reggie Pearson[/autotag].

The forgotten man of the group was [autotag]Key Lawrence[/autotag]. Through two games, Lawrence has shown he belongs on the field.

In Saturday’s game, with about eight minutes to go in the 3rd quarter, the Sooners led 14-3. SMU Mustangs running back [autotag]Jaylan Knighton[/autotag] busted through a hole for a 23-yard run.

Lawrence was the final defender, and shortly after Knighton switched the ball to his outer hand, Lawrence punched at it, knocking it free. [autotag]Woodi Washington[/autotag] stopped it from going out of bounds, and [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] jumped on top of it.

Lawrence told reporters Monday that they work on that in practice.

“On Tuesdays, we do the stiff arm drill and I saw this man literally switch the ball in his hands, and the first thing I thought was to attack,” Lawrence said.

That hustle and big play will keep Lawrence on the field and become a trusted member of the defense. Lawrence said that mindset is also something the coaches stress at practice.

“Coach engraved it in us that we need to hustle to the ball, strain every day,” Lawrence said. “If they bust something like that, we all need to be there.”

It’s clear that the team is doing a better job rallying to the ball. They’re not giving up on plays. And after they give up a play, they’re responding with the right attitude. Lawrence’s strip is evidence of the change in mindset for the 2023 Oklahoma Sooners. The Sooners are getting a number of players around the ball, resulting in very few missed tackles.

Lawrence’s performance on Saturday is just one of many examples of the growth of the defense in 2023.

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.

Report Card: Defense flies high, offense stuck in a rut in 28-11 win over SMU

In our report card for Oklahoma’s performance against SMU, the defense leads the way with the highest marks.

The offense didn’t put its best foot forward in the Sooners 28-11 win over SMU. However, the defense kept Oklahoma in control until the Sooners were able to put together a couple of late scoring drives to seal the win.

Oklahoma knows it will have to play better as the season wears on. They’ll need to improve in all three phases to be in the mix for a Big 12 title berth in November. But for this game, it was enough.

Instead of a shootout, we got a game where neither team even scratched 40 points.

Here’s how each position group graded out in the 28-11 win over SMU.

Oklahoma Sooners win a defensive slugfest, beating SMU 28-11

Oklahoma’s defense took center stage as they hold a talented SMU team to just 11 points en route to a 28-11 victor on Saturday evening.

Saturday evening in Norman brought a fascinating twist. Instead of the high-octane, offensive shootout we all expected, we were treated to a defensive struggle most of the game as the Oklahoma Sooners beat the SMU Mustangs 28-11.

Oklahoma seemingly refused to put their foot on the gas as an offense, opting for a run-heavy attack.

Oklahoma came out with a game plan to dominate the line of scrimmage and control the ball. The plan seemed competent at times, but the scoreboard didn’t reflect an offense firing on all cylinders.

Oklahoma took advantage of a blocked punt by five-star freshman safety [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag]. The Sooners opened the scoring on a busted coverage by SMU, opening the door for a 29-yard pass from [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] to [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] for his first touchdown as a Sooner.

The Sooners defense stood firm in the first half, only allowing 3 points.

The Sooners allowed the Mustangs to get to the 50-yard line numerous times but on a number of occasions, the Sooners forced punts shortly after. Oklahoma entered the half up 14-3.

After the half, SMU and OU traded punts before the Mustangs got the ball back.

Jaylan Knight gashed the Sooners’ defense for what looked like a momentum-stealing play before [autotag]Key Lawrence[/autotag] stripped the ball to force a turnover. [autotag]Woodi Washington[/autotag] kept the ball from skirting out of bounds and [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] got the recovery.

The Sooners drove 43 yards in eleven plays only to be stood up on 4th down when SMU stopped freshman quarterback [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] short of the line to gain on fourth down.

SMU rode that momentum down the field and scored their only touchdown of the evening on a [autotag]Preston Stone[/autotag] pass to Jake Bailey. The Mustangs also scored on the two-point conversion to make it 14-11.

Oklahoma had to answer and did.

Dillon Gabriel orchestrated an 11-play, 75-yard drive down the field, culminating in a 21-yard touchdown pass to junior receiver Jalil Farooq. That gave the Sooners a 21-11 lead with 9:11 remaining in the game.

On the ensuing drive, SMU was aggressive, going for it on fourth down deep in their own territory. A pass breakup from true freshman safety Peyton Bowen gave the Sooners the ball on downs.

Three plays later, [autotag]Marcus Major[/autotag] caught a pass from Gabriel and matriculated down the sideline on the way to paydirt, giving Oklahoma a 28-11 with 6:40 remaining on the clock.

Oklahoma’s defense capped off a solid effort with a Justin Harrington interception late in the fourth to seal the game with one last stop.

It was far from an aesthetically pleasing win like the Sooners had against Arkansas State. But the defense stepped up to the plate and played well for four quarters against a talented SMU offense. And in the second half, the offense made enough plays to pull away.

Oklahoma’s defense held the SMU Mustangs to 355 yards and gave up just 11 points. Offensively, the Sooners tallied 365 yards and had no turnovers.

Dillon Gabriel wasn’t asked to do a whole lot on the evening but completed 70% of his passes for 176 yards and four touchdowns.

[autotag]Tawee Walker[/autotag] led the way on the ground for OU with 21 carries for 117 yards. Walker also had three receptions for 25 yards, proving to be Oklahoma’s lead back through two weeks. Andrel Anthony was the leading receiver with seven catches for 76 yards and a touchdown catch.

Danny Stutsman had a huge game for the defense, totaling 17 tackles, (five solo), a sack, 2.5 tackles for loss, and a quarterback hit. [autotag]Kip Lewis[/autotag] was second on the team in tackles with nine total tackles.

Oklahoma (2-0, 0-0 Big 12) will now turn its sights to in-state foe Tulsa. They’ll travel to Tulsa to play the Golden Hurricane as the road team in a sold-out venue next Saturday. SMU (1-1, 0-0 AAC) will host Prairie View A&M in Dallas next week.

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.

3 defensive keys to a Sooners win against the SMU Mustangs

Oklahoma’s defense will have a talented offense to stop come Saturday. Take a look at three keys for the defense to be successful vs. SMU.

Saturday evening in Norman should provide the Oklahoma Sooners with a mini benchmark to test their defense’s off-season improvements. Instead of a defunct and rebuilding Arkansas State team, their defense will have to take on an SMU team with playmakers at every skill position and a veteran offensive line.

It won’t be a walk in the park, and Oklahoma’s defense knows this because their head coach knows this. Earlier this week, Brent Venables addressed the media and had this to say.

“The challenge is going to be greater this week for obvious reasons,” Venables said. “You’re looking at a team that’s probably got more depth and certainly got more experience. Arkansas State was a very young team. (SMU) has 15 seniors starting between the offense and the defense. That’s a bunch of seniors.”

SMU’s offense has multiple playmakers capable of giving Oklahoma problems. Still, the Sooners’ team speed and their improvement in overall talent can shine through if they play smart.

There are a handful of things Oklahoma can’t allow to happen if they want to win this game. Here are three defensive keys to a Sooners win Saturday night in Norman.

Up Next: 3 Keys to the Game

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Three Oklahoma Defenders we’ll have our eye on this weekend against SMU

Oklahoma will have its hand full Saturday against a talented SMU Mustangs squad. These three defenders could make all the difference.

Last week against Arkansas State was as stress-free as Okalhoma will feel throughout the season. Things won’t always feel as easy. That time for breezing through a game 73-0 is behind the Sooners. They welcome a much more talented team to Norman in the form of Rhett Lashlee’s SMU Mustangs.

Brent Venables’ defense passed their first hurdle with no slip-ups and nothing to sweat. The pass rush was not overwhelming, but Oklahoma’s chances to get home were limited because the Red Wolves were in seven and eight-man protections and operating using three-step drops.

SMU won’t do that. They have too many playmakers they want on the field and will take their chances with five or six-man protections. They want to have as many options out in routes as possible. It should provide Oklahoma with a window to attack and try and rattle Preston Stone, SMU’s young but talented quarterback.

The Mustangs’ ground game features two quality running backs, Jaylan Knighton and LJ Johnson. Both can hit the home run play, but Knighton is not as big nor as physical of a runner as Johnson.

How will defensive coordinator Ted Roof combat this talented SMU offense? We’ll find out on Saturday. But we believe three players on defense will need big days for Oklahoma to bottle up this talented SMU offense.

Up Next: 3 players to watch on defense

Reggie Pearson Jr., FS

The transfer from Texas Tech, Reggie Pearson Jr., has started over 30 games and offers valuable experience on the back end of the Oklahoma defense.

Arkansas State could not stress Oklahoma vertically but expect that to change with SMU.

SMU receivers Jordan Hudson and Key’Shawn Smith can move. The Mustangs won’t be afraid to try to test Pearson. Seeing how Pearson responds to being put into more stressful situations from a coverage standpoint could dictate how effective SMU’s offense is.

Danny Stutsman, WLB

The leader of Oklahoma’s defense, Danny Stutsman, will always be a defender to watch. However, this choice isn’t solely about his actual play but more about how well he leads and orchestrates things on defense.

Oklahoma finally gets a bit of a challenge to show the improvements they’ve made as a defense.

Stutsman was in the middle of everything last year. If he wants to elevate himself, he’ll have to lead by example. He’ll also need to make sure his teammates play sound football. His fellow linebackers need to fill gaps, get off blocks, and show an understanding of their roles.

SMU has a pair of running backs that could gash the Sooners if Oklahoma isn’t assignment-sound.

Up Next: A player on the prowl

Justin Harrington, Cheetah

Justin Harrington may have the most challenging matchup of anyone come Saturday.

Mustangs’ tight end R.J. Maryland is a matchup nightmare for most teams. Most teams don’t have the players to match up with Maryland’s 6-foot-4, 230-pound frame.

50/50 balls to him are more 80/20 than anything. Oklahoma has not one but two possible solutions for this at cheetah. But with sophomore transfer Dasan McCullough banged up, Harrington figures to get the assignment come Saturday.

How Harrington uses his length and athleticism to match Maryland will be interesting. If he can nullify SMU’s talented tight end, it will go a long way to slowing down a talented SMU offense.

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.

Know the Foe: 5 Mustangs to know before Oklahoma Sooners vs. SMU

Oklahoma will take on the SMU Mustangs. We take a look at five players to know for this Saturday’s matchup.

Oklahoma has turned the page on Arkansas State and is in preparation mode for their second game of the season. SMU will make the trip from Dallas to Norman for Saturday night’s matchup.

Oklahoma comes in with a nice boost of confidence after dismantling the Red Wolves last week 73-0. SMU comfortably handled Louisiana Tech 38-14. SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee is someone Brent Venables has locked horns with before.

Lashlee was previously an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Miami in 2020. In that game, Venables and the Clemson Tigers held the Hurricanes in check in a 42-17 win.

SMU provides a bump in competition for the Sooners, especially at the skill positions. They have several talented players and are more dynamic than what Oklahoma saw in their first game.

We’ve highlighted five Mustangs you need to know before Oklahoma hosts SMU on Saturday.

Miami losing on field, but still landing 4-star recruits from former Florida State flock

Miami landed a pair of four-star recruits, both former Florida State pledges — running back Jaylan Knighton and safety Jalen Harrell — less than a week after an embarrassing loss to FIU.

Miami is less than two weeks removed from one of the most embarrassing defeats in program history, a 30-24 setback at the hands of Florida International University (FIU). One might think that would all but officially sever the pipeline between elite talent in South Florida and “The U.” Incredibly, the opposite has happened.

In the days leading up to Thanksgiving, the Hurricanes gained commitments from a pair of former Florida State commits: Champagnat Catholic (Hialeah, Fla.) safety Jalen Harrell and Deerfield Beach (Fla.) running back Jaylan Knighton. The pair of two of the four Florida State recruits who decommitted following the firing of head coach Willie Taggart.

Incredibly, both committed after visiting Miami during the aforementioned FIU loss, then still decided to commit because of atmosphere around the program.

Harrell, who committed on his birthday, picked the Hurricanes on social media with an all-time classic send off, claiming he plans to “Make the Crib Great Again,”

That sentiment was echoed by Knighton, who also took his official visit over the FIU weekend.

“I love the school,” Knighton told 247Sports. “I love the program. I love the system. I love the support.”

Now, Miami fans will love him. Just as they’re sure to love Harrell, with both players talented enough to make a significant impact early.