Tag: Jeff Lebby

‘Six or seven’ Sooners to see time at wide receiver in 2023

Oklahoma’s depth at wide receiver may allow Jeff Lebby and Emmett Jones to play six or seven Sooners in 2023.

The [autotag]Oklahoma Sooners[/autotag] and the [autotag]Arkansas State Red Wolves[/autotag] are set to battle it out on the gridiron on Saturday. This offseason has been one that has felt like a century, but game week is finally here.

The Sooners coming off a 6-7 season, have a lot of questions to answer. The offense was really good a year ago but lost three key players in [autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag], [autotag]Eric Gray[/autotag] and [autotag]Brayden Willis[/autotag].

While they were really good offensively, they weren’t great. They struggled in key situations like third and fourth down, in the red zone, and late in games.

Offensive Coordinator [autotag]Jeff Lebby[/autotag] told reporters at Monday’s press conference, the Sooners feel they can play multiple players at each wide receiver position.

“The receiver spot, we talked a little bit about it last week, but I think we’ve got a chance of seeing six or seven guys,” Lebby said. “I think that’s something we are incredibly excited about is that we’ve really got a chance at playing multiple guys, which, again, was not the case as we stood here a year ago.”

The depth this season has been a common theme for coaches on both sides of the ball. It’s been mentioned almost intentionally that there wasn’t much depth a season ago, which will change this season.

But it doesn’t matter how much depth you have at the wide receiver position if your quarterback doesn’t play well. Lebby said even though he and [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] had experience together going into last season, they both learned a lot about one another.

“I think he understands now more than ever maybe why I’m calling the play that I’m calling and the intent of it,” Lebby said. “I think that’s a huge deal as you go try to attack defense and situationally understand why I’m calling things.”

That growth will be key for this season. We’ll have our first chance to see it on display inside Gaylord Memorial Stadium on Saturday at 11:00 a.m.

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Four Horsemen: Jeff Lebby, Oklahoma excited about running back depth

A deep stable of running backs will be on display for the Oklahoma Sooners in 2023.

Like any team, the Oklahoma Sooners want to create balance on offense. When an offense has balance, it’s difficult to predict. At the same time, the Sooners want to run the football and run it a lot.

In 2022, they had a nearly even run-to-pass split. According to Pro Football Focus, run plays accounted for 52.4% of the Sooners designs. PFF doesn’t count a sack as a run play like the NCAA does.

But that nearly even run-to-pass ratio was largely due to the negative game scripts the Sooners found themselves in so frequently in 2022. The Sooners played a lot of close games a year ago. In several of those close contests, Oklahoma was forced to go to the air more frequently late in games as it played from behind.

Despite that, Oklahoma was a top-10 rushing team in 2022, and there’s a chance it could lead the Power Five in rushing this season.

With an improved defense heading into 2023, the Sooners should find more favorable offensive game scripts to lean on their running game. An improved depth chart provides the opportunity for it to be even more dynamic, as Oklahoma could roll four-deep at running back.

Speaking with the media on Monday, [autotag]Jeff Lebby[/autotag] mentioned a foursome that will contribute this year: [autotag]Jovantae Barnes[/autotag], [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag], [autotag]Marcus Major[/autotag] and [autotag]Tawee Walker[/autotag].

It has been expected that Barnes and Sawchuk would be the RB1A and RB1B of this team. However, the continued mention of Major and Walker can only mean they’ll be a factor.

“Those guys, the way they played in the bowl game obviously was huge with Gavin and Jovantae,” Lebby said. “Jovantae, obviously, was sprinkled in a little more throughout the season than Gavin was, but both those guys look to do big things this fall.”

In the Cheez-It Bowl, both Barnes and Sawchuk ran for 100 yards against a tough Florida State defense. They were the key to Oklahoma’s offensive performance that day, providing optimism they were ready to carry the rushing load.

But Lebby was quick to add Major and Walker’s name to the discussion.

“Obviously, with Marcus, again, he’s had a really good camp,” Lebby shared with the media. “I’ve talked a lot about him, excited about where he’s at.”

Major has shown flashes in his Sooners career, but injuries have kept him from making a more consistent impact. But the big-play ability is there. It was on display in the Sooners’ Cotton Bowl victory over the Florida Gators at the end of the 2020 season. Healthy and ready to roll, Major could be a breakout player for the Sooners in 2023.

That brings us to Tawee Walker. Walker was a junior college transfer ahead of the 2022 season. He saw limited work last year, but after a strong offseason, looks to be in the mix for touches.

“And then you’ll see Tawee as well,” Lebby said. “Tawee’s had an incredible camp had a great spring. And this dude plays the game the way you want it to be played, you know, with a ton of toughness, and excited for him.”

Walker looked really good in the spring game. The Sooners’ offensive staff rode him in that contest, and he was up to the task, running tough and bouncing off would-be tacklers.

But how will Jeff Lebby manage his four horsemen of the running back room?

“You talk about target touches for sure,” Lebby shared. “But as you get into the flow of the game, understanding who’s got the hot hand, and when we need to sub when guys are tired, and inside the flow of drives. It’s different week to week, series to series, and that’s a that’ll play out a little differently every single week.”

While there might be a hierarchy on the running back depth chart, the Sooners are going to give opportunities to all four. Game flow and performance will dictate how it works out. But as Jeff Lebby attempts to play offense at a breakneck pace, the Sooners need depth they can rely on to keep their running backs fresh and more effective late in games.

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‘Why not choose Oklahoma?’: Versatile three-star athlete Andy Bass commits to the Sooners

“Why not choose Oklahoma? The fanbase, family, facilities, coaches, team, talent… the list never ends.”

Heritage Hall three-star athlete Andy Bass commits to the Oklahoma Sooners.

The Oklahoma Sooners went fishing this offseason and hooked an excellent find. After announcing his top three, three-star athlete Andy Bass committed to Oklahoma on Thursday morning during a ceremony, which saw Oklahoma beating Kansas State and Syracuse.

Bass is a local kid who attends Heritage Hall, a school less than an hour from Norman, Oklahoma. “Why not choose Oklahoma? The fanbase, family, facilities, coaches, team, talent… the list never ends,” Bass told Sooners Wire on his commitment.

Bass is the starting quarterback for his high school team. However, Sooners’ offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby and running backs coach DeMarco Murray plan to use him in multiple ways at Oklahoma.

“I would be in the running back room with Coach Murray,” Bass said. “But I would also be split out wide quite a bit to get me in space or in one-on-one situations. Coach Lebby even mentioned that I would be playing some QB inside the goaline. The diversity of my role on the team is something I am super excited about.”

It seems that plan for Bass worked.

Bass helps diversify the Sooners’ cabinet for offensive weapons for the future. Imagining the possibilities of being on the same field at the same time as Jackson Arnold could unlock some fascinating offensive packages as the Sooners forge on into the SEC next year.

Bass joins a versatile group of playmakers for the 2024 recruiting cycle for Jeff Lebby to utilize.

“I love how much the ball is shared between every position in so many unique ways,” Bass said of his future offensive coordinator’s offense. “It’s such an explosive offense. So, I believe my unique skill set will allow me to thrive in every aspect“

As for the head coach, Andy Bass shared his excitement playing for Brent Venables.

“The very first day I was at OU for a visit, I was in Coach V’s office for over an hour discussing his vision and plan for the future. If that doesn’t already say enough, I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone so passionate about what they do. I couldn’t be more excited to play for him. We keep in touch on the regular which you definitely don’t see from every coach.”

Oklahoma has probably tapped out at the running back position, with Bass, Taylor Tatum, and Xavier Robinson in the fold for 2024.

With running back settled for the cycle, DeMarco Murray can now turn his attention to the class of 2025, where names like Deondrae Riden, Michael Turner, Tory Blaylock, and Riley Wormley are names to watch.

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Marcus Major feels the running back group brings out the best in him

Marcus Major has become the forgotten man in the running back room, but many believe he can still make a big impact this season.

The [autotag]Oklahoma Sooners[/autotag] have a running back problem. The problem is there’s only one ball.

That’s a good problem to have if you’re [autotag]DeMarco Murray[/autotag] and [autotag]Jeff Lebby[/autotag].

The Sooners return [autotag]Jovantae Barnes[/autotag], who as a freshman was second on the team in rushing with a little more than 500 yards. They also bring back [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag], who didn’t get a lot of playing time but when he got his chance in the Cheez-It Bowl he took advantage of it.

The forgotten player in the mix is [autotag]Marcus Major[/autotag].

Major has dealt with injuries it feels like every year he has been at Oklahoma. However, when he’s played he’s been a big play waiting to happen. Through three games last season, there were many who thought he was the best running back on the team. That includes [autotag]Eric Gray[/autotag], who ran for more than 1,300 yards.

Major told reporters, the competition between him, Sawchuk and Barnes has been great.

“They’ve progressed so much since they’ve been here, it’s only made me better, it’s making each other better,” Major said. “Iron sharpens iron. I appreciate them for being here and making me go every day and making me be my best every day.”

Major is a talented running back who, when healthy, can play a big role on this team. Some feel he could be the starter in the group as long as he is healthy.

“Me being available for the team so I can do whatever I can to help this team out and just going 1-0 every week.”

For now, it remains to be seen. But the way coaches have talked about Major this offseason, don’t be shocked if he doesn’t run out on the field first on Sept. 2nd.

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Jeff Lebby has seen ‘real growth’ in his offense’s situational execution

Jeff Lebby thinks there’s been real growth with Oklahoma’s situational execution.

We are ten days until the start of the [autotag]2023 Oklahoma Sooners[/autotag] football season. While the Sooners offense has question marks, it is expected to be great once again.

Will they be elite like we’ve seen in the past? Probably not. It really depends on what weapons step up at wide receiver.

Offensive Coordinator [autotag]Jeff Lebby[/autotag] told reporters he’s seen some improvement this offseason.

“There’s been a lot of good,” Lebby said. “There’s been plenty that we’re continuing to work through and fix and just continuing to create depth at every single position. I do like where we are at. I like our guy’s attitude, effort, and toughness. We’ve got to continue to get better. I think our guys understand that as we work toward next Saturday.”

Lebby helped lead the 13th-best offense in the nation a year ago. It was an offense that played extremely fast, almost to the detriment of the team. Another thing they’ve really emphasized this offseason is situational football.

“It’s still a work in progress,” Lebby said. “I think as you stand here right now, we’re ten days away from game day, you always want more. I think that’s the natural part of coaching, but at the same time, there has been real growth.”

That now has to translate to owning the football field on game days. It’s something that hindered this team a year ago and resulted in so many close losses.

It’s been a big topic not just offensively this offseason but for the entire team to improve in their situational football execution. That will hopefully help them come out on the other side of those close games in 2023.

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Jeff Lebby feels the offensive players look ‘better’ ahead of year two

The offense was an overall bright spot in year one for Oklahoma but going into year two, Jeff Lebby feels they look even better.

The [autotag]Oklahoma Sooners[/autotag] are hoping to build off a solid season on offense in 2022. Was it perfect? No. But there was a lot of stuff they can build on.

One of those things was having the nation’s 10th-best rushing attack. On the other hand, one of the criticisms of offensive coordinator [autotag]Jeff Lebby[/autotag] was not rotating wide receivers in and out too often. The feeling was this caused fatigue which resulted in poor separation.

Lebby told reporters, playing three receivers the majority of the time is not what they want to do as an offense.

“We want to play with seven guys at the receiver position where you can rotate, and guys are fresh and fast and healthy,” Lebby said. “That’s what we’ve got to create.”

Competitive depth is another phrase Lebby used to describe this offense. He said he feels there is more depth than a season ago offensively.

“I think walking out here on grass, you can just see the bodies, another year with (strength coach [autotag]Jerry Schmidt[/autotag]), recruiting being year two,” Lebby said. “I think you can tell we look just better than we did a year ago.”

While it helps to have, that “look,” looks don’t win football games. But it’s good to hear they feel there is more depth than a season ago. That was something lacking on both sides of the ball and something coaches hope is in a much better spot in year two.

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Sooners ranked 16th in ESPN’s team recruiting rankings with plenty of time to rise

Oklahoma’s 19 commits have them No. 16 on ESPN’s team recruiting rankings. Craig Haubert takes a look at Oklahoma’s class.

The Oklahoma Sooners went from zero commits in the class of 2024 to 19 pledges in a little over four months. Their first one of the cycle came when four-star cornerback Jeremiah Newcombe out of Arizona announced his commitment out of nowhere on March 25. Since then, the Sooners have been rolling along, progressively claiming the recruiting rankings where they sit 16th with a massive commitment decision looming on August 26 for five-star defensive tackle David Stone. His commitment could help vault Oklahoma ever so close to the top 10.

ESPN has the Sooners ranked 16th overall (ESPN+) with seven commitments in the ESPN300. The Sooners are also the top team in the Big 12 in their latest update.

That seems right in line with other services like 247Sports, who also have Brent Venables’ team slotted at No. 16 in their team rankings. Craig Haubert of ESPN had this to say about Oklahoma. The Sooners’ win over USC for [autotag]Taylor Tatum[/autotag] is the highlight of the class thus far.

One of the top RBs in the class, Taylor Tatum has put up impressive testing numbers on the camp circuit, and that translates to his play as he brings a dangerous blend of speed and power.  – Haubert, ESPN

Oklahoma’s recruiting haul has been heavy on the offensive side of the ball. 13 of their 19 commits will be featured in [autotag]Jeff Lebby[/autotag]’s offense. The top three prospects in Oklahoma’s class, according to ESPN. Tatum comes in as the No. 38 prospect in the nation. But the Sooners also have other ESPN300 players like wide receivers [autotag]Zion Kearney[/autotag], [autotag]Zion Ragins[/autotag], and [autotag]Ivan Carreon[/autotag], four-star tight end [autotag]Davon Mitchell[/autotag], and four-star quarterback [autotag]Michael Hawkins[/autotag].

Defense is less represented right now, with [autotag]Jaydan Hardy[/autotag] the lone commit in the ESPN300 at No. 146. That could change if Oklahoma wins recruiting battles for blue chip defensive linemen [autotag]David Stone[/autotag] (8/26) and [autotag]Nigel Smith[/autotag] II (9/8) in the coming weeks. The Sooners enter the home stretch of both recruitments as leaders, but recruiting isn’t about how you start but how you finish.

Oklahoma knows that well. Last summer provided much of the same recruiting push we’ve seen this summer. They closed their recruiting class for 2023 by flipping five-star safety [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag] from Oregon on signing day. Could they do the same to five-star EDGE player [autotag]Williams Nwaneri[/autotag]? Recent comments from the Lee’s Summit North prospect suggest the Sooners are still in pursuit despite his commitment Monday to the Missouri Tigers.

There are so many unknowns with this 2024 recruiting class despite Oklahoma’s hot summer. One thing Brent Venables and Co. can hang a hat on is that this staff has shown a penchant for finishing strong on the recruiting trail. The Sooners will look to do the same this fall as well.

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Oklahoma’s Austin Stogner returns to fill a void at tight end

The tight end room might be the weakest on the team but a familiar face has returned to make a huge impact.

The [autotag]Oklahoma Sooners[/autotag] have several position groups for fans to be excited for. But one position group that has the most question marks is the tight end room.

Last year [autotag]Brayden Willis[/autotag] might have been the most valuable player on the offense but he’s now off to the NFL. Young guys like [autotag]Jason Llewellyn[/autotag] and [autotag]Kaden Helms[/autotag] have shown promise but have been battling injuries all camp.

The Sooners did get some fortunate news this offseason as Austin Stogner announced he would be returning to Oklahoma after spending one season playing for the [autotag]South Carolina Gamecocks[/autotag]. Stogner is going to be expected to be a big part of the offense and take his game to another level.

Stogner told reporters he feels this room is coming along.

“In the spring most of these guys weren’t going the whole time in spring, it was kind of just me and Blake (Smith) for the most part,” Stogner said. “Everyone else has come along. Our blocking has gotten a lot better, and we’re playing a lot faster. So, we’ve done well.”

But Stogner will be the one looked at to make plays both in the passing game and the running game. Though he wasn’t here a year ago, he’s the one with the most experience and has to be the leader of the room.

If you’ve followed [autotag]Jeff Lebby[/autotag]’s career, you know how much his offense relies on the tight end position. We saw it a year ago with Willis’ career year. Now the hope is that the same kind of success will come Stogner’s way.

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Oklahoma Sooners have the weapons to be great on offense

Though the Sooners lost a lot of talent to the NFL draft, there’s still the talent for the offense to be dynamic in 2023.

The Oklahoma Sooners are in the midst of a minor retooling on the offensive side of the football. They’re working to replace three starters along the offensive line, their top two pass catchers ([autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag] and [autotag]Brayden Willis[/autotag]), and their leading rusher ([autotag]Eric Gray[/autotag]).

[autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag] led the Oklahoma Sooners in receiving yards each of his three seasons in Norman.

Despite all of the turnover, the Oklahoma Sooners are still an incredibly talented offense.

Replacing [autotag]Anton Harrison[/autotag] at left tackle is [autotag]Walter Rouse[/autotag]. Rouse started 38 games at Stanford, a program known for producing good to great rushing attacks. That should play well in a [autotag]Jeff Lebby [/autotag]offense that wants to run the rock and run it a lot.

At right tackle [autotag]Tyler Guyton[/autotag] is replacing one-year starter Wanya Morris. There may not be a player in Oklahoma’s starting lineup that has as high a ceiling as Guyton. Jared Verse, a future top 10 pick in the 2024 NFL draft, called Guyton the best tackle he’d faced. Though he doesn’t have a ton of experience, the expectations are high for the incredibly athletic offensive tackle.

[autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag] slides over to right guard to replace Chris Murray, and at the moment, it looks like [autotag]Savion Byrd[/autotag] is the frontrunner at left guard. Byrd has just one collegiate start under his belt but was good in the Sooners matchup with Florida State. Byrd helped the Sooners have a fantastic day on the ground against the Seminoles.

Oklahoma is hoping for a similar breakout from [autotag]Austin Stogner[/autotag] that Willis experienced a year ago. In a thin tight end room, Stogner has to have a big season. He has the athletic prowess to be a game-changer in the passing game. His only question is his health. If Stogner can stay healthy for an entire season, there’s a chance he surpasses Willis’ receiving totals from a year ago.

Wide receiver still has some questions. Namely, who will start on the outside opposite [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag]? [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag] will likely start in the slot in three or more wide receiver sets. Then it comes down to a host of wide receiver talents that are vying for that No. 2 spot. There are a lot of really good options, like [autotag]Brenen Thompso[/autotag]n, [autotag]Andrel Anthon[/autotag]y, [autotag]LV Bunkley-Shelton[/autotag], [autotag]Gavin Freeman[/autotag], [autotag]Jaquaize Pettaway[/autotag], [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag], and [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag]. There’s a good chance the Sooners roll two deep at each wide receiver spot in games to keep everyone fresh in the Sooners’ uptempo offense.

But they have a good amount of depth to work with.

Speaking of depth, there’s no position on the offensive side of the ball as deep as the Sooners running back room. Led by [autotag]Jovantae Barnes[/autotag] and [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag], the Sooners are loaded with talented runners. In addition to the sophomore running backs, the coaching staff is high on [autotag]Marcus Major[/autotag] and [autotag]Tawee Walker[/autotag] and the roles they’ll be able to play this year. Throw in true freshmen [autotag]Kalib Hicks[/autotag] and [autotag]Daylan Smothers[/autotag], and the Sooners have six guys they feel can help them run the football.

Featuring guys like Farooq and Barnes provide a physical dynamic that should allow Oklahoma to pick up dirty yards after contact and after the catch.

In addition to becoming a more physical team, the Sooners emphasized adding speed this offseason. Freeman and Sawchuk return and Oklahoma also added Smothers, Thompson, and Pettaway to their ranks. That’s a group of guys that are threats to score from any spot on the field any time they touch the ball because of speed.

At quarterback, the Sooners have an experienced veteran who threw for more than 3,100 yards and 25 touchdowns in Dillon Gabriel last season. 2022 was his first at the Power Five level and he was good. Now, he needs to take a step to improve the Sooners fortunes on third and fourth down and in the red zone.

The Sooners lost a lot of talent to the draft this offseason, but that doesn’t mean their devoid of talent. It’s a deep offensive roster that can help the Sooners be even better than they were in 2022.

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Sophomore RB Jovantae Barnes named to Doak Walker award watch list

Oklahoma running back Jovantae Barnes named to the preseason watch list for the Doak Walker award.

Oklahoma had several players placed o preseason award watch lists this summer. Dillon Gabriel, Luke Elzinga, Ethan Downs, and Danny Stutsman have each been featured as players to watch this fall. They add to that total as sophomore running back Jovantae Barnes was named to the Doak Walker Award watch list.

The Doak Walker Award was created in 1989 to honor the nation’s most outstanding collegiate running back. The award recognizes a football player’s performance and achievements in the community and the classroom.

Barbes was a consensus four-star recruit out of Nevada, and in his first year on campus, he made his presence felt. He played in 11 games and carried the ball 116 times for 519 rushing yards (4.5 yards per carry) and five touchdowns. He figures to be a foundational aspect of Oklahoma’s offensive attack this season, along with fellow sophomore Gavin Sawchuk.

Under Jeff Lebby, Oklahoma isn’t shy about running the ball and will run you into the dust if you let them. It should allow Barnes to put together some serious numbers with an athletic and powerful offensive line that looks to improve upon last year’s efforts.

Despite its illustrious history, no Sooners running back has ever won the award.

Barnes’ top priority will be to help his Sooners put together a much better season than the 6-7 team he was a part of last year. Any awards that come his way will be because he was at the forefront of Oklahoma’s offensive success, tearing things up on the ground.

His position coach, DeMarco Murray, wanted someone to become a bell cow back for the Sooners. If Barnes can take that on, his path to winning the Doak Walker Award clears up significantly.

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