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Oklahoma coaches and assistants met with the media on Tuesday and here are five takeaways from what they had to say.
Oklahoma Football held media day on Tuesday, which serves as the kickoff to fall camp ahead of the start of the 2023 season. The Sooners coaching staff was in attendance, along with a number of new additions and there was a lot to digest from the day-long event.
While the proof will come when Oklahoma steps on the field for the 2023 season, optimism was in the air as Brent Venables and his staff venture into year two at Oklahoma.
Here are five takeaways from the days sessions.
Oklahoma flips Northwestern quarterback commit Brendan Zurbrugg as he joins Oklahoma’s 2024 class.
Oklahoma had one of the worst offensive displays in a long time in their rivalry game against Texas last season.
In the offseason, Oklahoma brought in five-star signee QB Jackson Arnold. He’s the program’s future at the position. He’ll likely be QB2 on the depth chart come game one against Arkansas State.
Beyond Arnold, the depth chart could use a bit more freshening up. Enter three-star Brendan Zurbrugg, who flipped his commitment from Northwestern to Oklahoma today.
Zurbrugg had been committed to Northwestern Since June 26. Over that time frame, Northwestern fired head coach Pat Fitzgerald amid hazing allegations.
Oklahoma swooped in and offered Zurbrugg an opportunity to join four-star quarterback Michael Hawkins in the 2024 class. Oklahoma’s been diligently searching for a second QB to add to this group to add depth to a position group that options should injuries arise.
COMMITTED! Gods plan! @Coach_Leb @CoachVenables @OU_Football @AllenTrieu @AviatorFootbal1 pic.twitter.com/EA4QCBwU2V
— Brendan Zurbrugg (@BrendanZurbrugg) August 1, 2023
Zurbrugg has excellent size at 6-foot-4. He visited Oklahoma for “Party at the Palace” over the weekend. Last season for his Alliance High School team, he went 154/202 with 2,184 yards passing and 23 touchdown passes.
Last year’s debacle at the Cotton Bowl between Oklahoma and Texas has left a permanent mark in Oklahoma’s mind. The Sooners aren’t going to allow themselves to be without a capable quarterback option again should the starter get hurt.
Landing not one but two quarterbacks in 2024 who can be developed into starting options down the road is intelligent team building.
It shows a willingness to correct mistakes.
With Zurbrugg in now, Oklahoma remains at No. 15 in team recruiting rankings but has closed the gap between itself and Alabama. A mere five points separate the two right now.
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Oklahoma makes top three for three-star athlete Andy Bass, a talented athlete from nearby Heritage Hall.
Three-star athlete Andy Bass is nearing the end of his recruitment. The release of his top three on Sunday highlights a pivotal moment in his recruitment and sends a message to the three remaining schools about where things stand.
Sunday afternoon Bass released his top three schools remaining. Joining the Sooners were Syracuse and Kansas State.
Oklahoma has plenty of experience in recruiting battles with Big 12 foe Kansas State. Especially for more regional prospects. Oklahoma fighting off schools from New York is a little different, though.
Nonetheless, Oklahoma has to like its chances being that Bass is a local product. Oklahoma allows Bass to stay close to home, surrounded by many friends and family. On the playing field, Bass told Rivals that he’d primarily be joining the running back room, but that wouldn’t be all.
“They have a pretty unique plan for me too, after what I got to hear from Coach Lebby and Coach Murray on Friday,” Bass told OUInsider’s Parker Thune. “I think I would be playing some running back; I’d be in the running back room. But I’d also be split out wide quite a bit, trying to get me one-on-one with linebackers. And they even said [I’d be] playing some quarterback inside the goal line. [I’d have] kind of my own package for that. So they definitely brought some interesting things for me to think about.”
Oklahoma has a plan to utilize Bass’ athleticism in a myriad of ways. Bass plays QB for his Heritage Hall High School team. Still, his most likely ceiling in college is playing multiple positions as a true offensive weapon that can run, catch, and occasionally play a little quarterback.
There is no set timetable for his decision, but it’s likely Bass will want to visit his other finalists throughout the season before making a decision. Most recently, Bass was at Oklahoma this weekend for Party at the Palace, representing Oklahoma’s last summer recruiting event as the dead period begins August 1st.
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OUInsider’s Parker Thune issued a Rivals FutureCast favoring the Oklahoma Sooners for 2025 four-star Tight End DaSaahn Brame.
“Sooners under the Stars” has wrapped as we get ready for the “Party at the Palace” to begin. One of the visitors at the first event of the week was four-star tight end, DaSaahn Brame.
The Derby, Kan. native is a big target standing at 6-foot-6 and 225 pounds. He ranks as a composite top 250 guy and ninth overall at his position. After Davon Mitchell reclassified to the 2024 class, it looks like the Sooners are all in on their 2025 guy.
On Thursday, OUInsider’s Parker Thune put in a prediction favoring the Sooners in Brame’s recruitment.
The Sooners continue to work towards a stacked tight end room. If Joe JoneFinley can pull in the commitment of the blue chip tight end out of Kansas, it would mark the fourth four-star player at the position to join the Sooners since 2022.
New #Sooners Rivals FutureCast
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 2025 TE DaSaahn Brame
6'6” / 225
🏫 Derby HS (Derby, KS)
✍️ By Parker Thune
🎤⬇️ Oklahoma Insiderhttps://t.co/FwmLLxjdag#XXV pic.twitter.com/CmByFSTAcx— Covered Wagons Recruiting (@OUCrystalBall) July 27, 2023
It would not come as a surprise if the Sooners didn’t have six or seven commitments in the 2025 class before the 2024 class has officially signed.
Right now, it looks like the Sooners will be battling with the in-state Kansas State Wildcats for Brame’s commitment.
Brame comes from an athletic background and is a Kansas State legacy. His dad, Da’Von, played linebacker at Kansas State, and his mom, Nicky, played women’s basketball for the Wildcats as well.
Brame displays the ability to be a threat as both a receiver and as a blocker, holding up well in the running game. In the modern era of college football, tight ends aren’t often called upon to block as much. Brame is an impact player in every facet of the game.
In Jeff Lebby’s system, it’s important for the tight end to contribute in both the running game and the passing game. With his size and athletic ability, he’ll be an impact player at the collegiate level.
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After hosting Northwestern commit Brendan Zurbrugg this week, SoonerScoop’s Josh McCuistion issued an On3 prediction favoring the Sooners.
We are in the midst of two massive recruiting events for the Oklahoma Sooners.
2025 and 2026 prospects are in town for “Sooners under the Stars.” Then comes the final bash of the summer, the “Party at the Palace” for 2024 recruits.”
One player in attendance this week is Northwestern Wildcats commit Brendan Zurbrugg, a three-star quarterback.
It’s been clear for a while the Sooners would like to add a second quarterback in the 2024 class. They’re hoping to enter the SEC and the 2024 season with three scholarship quarterbacks on the roster.
The recent controversy at Northwestern that led to the dismissal of long-time head coach Pat Fitzgerald opened the door for Oklahoma to flip the Ohio native.
Josh McCuistion from SoonerScoop and On3 is predicting the Oklahoma Sooners to land Zurbrugg.
New #Sooners On3 Prediction
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 2024 QB Brendan Zurbrugg
6'3” / 180
🏫 Alliance HS (Alliance, OH)
🎚️65
✍️ By Josh McCuiston
🎤⬇️ Oklahoma Recruiting Editorhttps://t.co/V4uk2Rp9Ek#24k #GoldStandard pic.twitter.com/568x1D7hgp— Covered Wagons Recruiting (@OUCrystalBall) July 26, 2023
Last season, Zurbrugg threw for 2,184 yards and 23 touchdowns while completing 76% of his passes. He ran for 804 yards and 11 more scores.
He’s a talented track athlete who runs the 110-meter and 300 hurdles. He won the regional title in the 300 hurdles. Zubrugg was an All-Eastern Buckeye Conference selection in both.
He is a raw prospect, but he’s a talented player with plus athleticism. With a unique athletic background, Zurbrugg could be developed into a contributor.
It happens all of the time but with five-star Jackson Arnold presumed to take the reins from Dillon Gabriel, Michael Hawkins committed to the 2024 class, and Kevin Sperry on board for 2025, it’ll be an uphill battle.
However, one can never have enough talented quarterback prospects and Zurbrugg’s potential makes him an intriguing option for the Oklahoma Sooners.
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Three Sooners assistants were named to both 247Sports All-Big 12 first and second team coaching staffs.
The Oklahoma Sooners are less than seven weeks away from the start of the 2023 college football season. It’s a team that’s expected to improve from their 6-7 season after having one of the worst defenses in the country in 2022.
There’s a belief that this coaching staff can turn things around. The only question is how quickly can they. The staff has shown a proclivity for recruiting in Norman. While the results aren’t where everyone wants them, this coaching staff has proven their ability throughout their careers. Several assistants were named to 247Sports All-Big 12 team, including three first-teamers.
Here’s how 247Sports grades their assistants.
The Oklahoma Sooners picked up a host of predictions in their favor to land the top running back in the 2024 recruiting class, Taylor Tatum.
The battle for the top running back in the country rages on, but it looks like the Oklahoma Sooners have put themselves in a favorable position for 2024 four-star running back Taylor Tatum.
Just a few days after hosting Tatum for the ChampU BBQ, predictions from On3 and Rivals appear to put the Oklahoma Sooners in the lead over USC and Michigan.
On Wednesday, Parker Thune, Brandon Drumm, Cole Patterson, Clint Cosgrove, and Landyn Rosow of Rivals issued predictions in favor of Oklahoma just days after it appeared USC had taken the lead in the recruitment. Additionally, On3’s Sam Spiegelman, Josh McCuistion, and E.J. Holland predicted Tatum to land with Oklahoma.
Tatum, a two-sport star who is looking to play baseball at the collegiate level as well, is the top player at running back and is a top 50 player overall in the 247Sports composite and the On3 Industry rankings.
During Tatum’s official visit, he spent time with coaching staffs from both the football and baseball programs.
I enjoyed my official visit at the University of Oklahoma @OU_Football @OU_Baseball. I appreciate the hospitality from the football & baseball coaching staff. @DeMarcoMurray @CoachVenables @longviewgameday @CoachJohnsonOU @Reggie_Willits #BoomerSooner #OUDNA #Sooners pic.twitter.com/bqmYE4Y5hr
— Taylor Tatum (@taylortatum06) June 18, 2023
The Sooners haven’t been shy about their desire to add multiple running back prospects this offseason. Oklahoma has been pursuing Caden Durham and Xavier Robinson in addition to Tatum. The Sooners appear to be the favorite for all three talented runners, looking to build an incredibly talented group of runners for DeMarco Murray and Jeff Lebby to deploy.
There’s no commitment date for Tatum at this point, but it’s looking really good for the Oklahoma Sooners at this point.
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The quarterback position is in a much better spot in year two under Offensive Coordinator/QB Coach Jeff Lebby, to say the least.
This summer, Sooners Wire breaks down each position group for the Oklahoma Sooners heading into the 2023 season.
We start with the most important position on the field: quarterback.
The quarterback position is in a much better spot in Year 2 under offensive coordinator/QB coach Jeff Lebby.
Last year the Sooners had [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag], who had significant collegiate experience. Additionally, he had substantial experience in Lebby’s system. But as we saw, once Gabriel went down, there wasn’t much after him.
[autotag]Davis Beville[/autotag] played much of the game against the TCU Horned Frogs and started versus the Texas Longhorns. The two games without Gabriel were the only two the Sooners lost by more than one score. It was obvious against the Horned Frogs and the Longhorns, Oklahoma didn’t feel comfortable letting Beville throw the ball.
Though the fall was a struggle for Beville, he looked much better in the spring game.
After Beville was true freshman Nick Evers and junior college transfer General Booty. Neither saw significant playing time, and Evers transferred to Wisconsin.
This year though, the Sooners return Gabriel and Beville and added five-star freshman [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag].
They arguably have the best quarterback room in the Big 12. Having that depth should open the offense more with the quarterback run game. Better depth behind Gabriel means more security in the event the starting quarterback suffers an injury.
This is Gabriel’s job. And as we saw a year ago, when Gabriel plays a full game, he gives the Oklahoma Sooners a chance to win. While he’s been a target for why the season went south in 2022, Sooner fans should want Gabriel to play meaningful snaps all season. Because that means he’s playing well, the team is playing well and he didn’t get injured.
Arnold is talented. He has a fantastic skill set. However, Gabriel’s experience sets him apart.
If you consider the relative inexperience of the Sooners’ wide receiver group, having a player with Gabriel’s experience lead the way makes a significant difference.
The show will be Arnold’s in 2024. Let him learn from Gabriel and Lebby, so he’s ready for the SEC next year. There will be opportunities to get Arnold playing time in the 2023 regular season, and the Sooners’ coaching staff should take every opportunity to let him throw in a game.
Playing true freshmen at quarterback is generally not a great plan when you have a talented, experienced option. True freshmen don’t often get the opportunity to start for the Oklahoma Sooners. [autotag]Caleb Williams[/autotag] was an exception, and even he didn’t begin the season as a starter. He was incredible as a true freshman but not many have near the success he had. Even Williams struggled against Baylor, Iowa State and Oklahoma State.
We’ve seen too many times when a talented true freshman gets in over his head, loses his confidence and never reaches his full potential. You don’t want that to happen to Arnold.
With Gabriel starting and Arnold the presumed heir apparent, the Oklahoma Sooners have a strong group of signal callers heading into 2023.
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Oklahoma offers 2025 four-star running back Michael Turner Jr. He’s got the vision and the speed to be a dynamic player at the next level.
2025 running back Michael Turner Jr has been picking up steam with his recruitment. Oklahoma and DeMarco Murray recently offered him a scholarship to play running back for them in the 2025 recruiting class.
Turner is a 6-foot running back that weighs 190 pounds. He’s from North Richland Hills, Texas and attends Richland High School.
He currently has nine scholarship offers, with seven coming from Power Five schools. Early in the cycle, expect that number to grow.
In 2022, Turner ran for 849 yards and 12 touchdowns, averaging 8.49 yards per carry as a sophomore.
When you watch his tape, Turner’s speed and vision jump off the screen. He displays good patience working through the hole. Speed, vision, and patience are traits that translate to the collegiate level, which could make Turner an impact player down the road.
Hudl
There’s a lot of optimism surrounding the Oklahoma Sooners for 2023 and Athlon Sports has them No. 2 in their Big 12 preseason power rankings.
The 2023 college football season is still three months away. However, with what Brent Venables and this coaching staff have done in the transfer portal, there’s optimism surrounding the Sooners’ prospects this fall.
Count Athlon Sports’ Steve Lassan as a believer in a Sooners rebound. The college football writer put the Sooners in his preseason top 25 and has Oklahoma ranked No. 2 in his Big 12 power rankings for 2023.
[autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag]’ debut didn’t go according to plan with Oklahoma posting its first losing season since 1998. However, with a little better luck (0-5 in one-score games last season), and some improvement on a defense that struggled to stop the run and allowed 6.04 yards per snap in conference play, the Sooners should rebound back into the top 25. Venables hit the portal hard for help on defense and the second year under this staff should help this group show some improvement. Replacing a couple of starters up front and finding new playmakers at receiver with [autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag] departing tops the list of offseason priorities for play-caller [autotag]Jeff Lebby[/autotag]. However, the foundation is strong here with quarterback [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] and running backs [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag] and [autotag]Jovantae Barnes[/autotag] leading the offense. – Lassan, Athlon Sports
In their power rankings over at Athlon Sports, Texas was No. 1 and Oklahoma was followed by Kansas State at No. 3 and TCU at No. 4.
So much of what Oklahoma will be about in 2023 is going to come down to how much improvement they can make on the defensive side of the ball. In four of the five one-score losses for the Sooners in 2022, the defense allowed 30 points or more. In the one loss where the defense held their opponents under 30 points, the Sooners didn’t have an answer for West Virginia’s ground game spearheaded by Garrett Greene.
The offense has areas to improve, particularly in the red zone and on third down. However, if the defense doesn’t make a significant jump, this team will still be trying to outscore teams to win. And that wasn’t a recipe for a lot of success in 2022.
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