Tag: Jeffrey Johnson

Brent Venables, Dillon Gabriel steal the show in front of record-breaking crowd for Oklahoma’s Spring Game

In front of more than 75,000 fans, the Oklahoma Sooners put on a strong performance in the first Spring Game of the Brent Venables era.

After a mountain of hype, the Oklahoma Spring Game delivered on many fronts for the Oklahoma Sooners. The loyal fans of the Crimson & Cream packed out The Palace on the Prairie with just over 75,000 fans for the start of the Brent Venables era.

The game showcased what the new regime in Norman has been cooking up as they prepare the Sooners for the 2022 season. While there were many familiar faces from the past few years, the Sooners had new faces donning Oklahoma jerseys for the first time. The roster was split into two teams led by defensive ends coach [autotag]Miguel Chavis[/autotag] for the white squad while running backs coach [autotag]DeMarco Murray[/autotag] led the red team.

New quarterback [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] did exactly what you want your veteran quarterback to do. He looked calm and poised under duress and stepped up and made some nice throws to a plethora of receivers. The tempo of the offense was indeed as fast as advertised and gave Sooners fans a glimpse of what the offense can look like under offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby.

Gabriel was 19 of 28 for 250 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He looked sharp in his first appearance for the Sooners.

The anticipation of seeing running back [autotag]Jovantae Barnes[/autotag] did not disappoint. Barnes carried the ball 17 times for 60 yards and two touchdowns. He looked explosive, physical and decisive.

Presumptive starter [autotag]Eric Gray[/autotag]’s biggest highlight came when he broke out for a huge run for the white team that is certain to have people salivating about his upcoming season. Gray carried the ball four times for 53 yards, including the 50-yard run.

[autotag]Marcus Major[/autotag] didn’t participate but [autotag]Tawee Walker[/autotag] ran the ball well in his absence. Walker has turned heads in practice and capped off an eye-opening spring with a solid performance in the spring game.

The offensive line play was solid, considering the likely starters were split between the two sides. They opened up some lanes for the backs and gave time for the quarterbacks to throw the ball.

The only notable player missing was [autotag]Andrew Raym[/autotag] who didn’t participate. [autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag], one of the transfer offensive linemen the Sooners landed looked pretty comfortable at guard as he made a key block that sprung Gray loose for his big gain.

[autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag] and true freshman [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag] scored touchdowns out wide for the receiver group. [autotag]Theo Wease[/autotag], who returned from an injury-filled 2021 also made a nice grab for a 48-yard gain that led to a touchdown early in the game. [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] saw his number called quite a few times and has a chance to be a major contributor on the heels of his electric performance to end the season in 2021. Farooq would finish with two receptions for 17 yards.

Jayden Gibson’s 95-yard touchdown helped him lead the way at receiver on the afternoon. He finished with 113 yards on three receptions and a touchdown. Marvin Mims picked up right where he left off the 2021 season with two receptions for 41 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, guys like defensive end [autotag]Ethan Downs[/autotag] and defensive back Kendall Dennis stood out as both forced turnovers during the game. Downs would punch out a fumble and Dennis intercepted a pass in the second half of the game. There wasn’t too much to be made of the Sooners’ new defensive system as [autotag]Ted Roof[/autotag] kept things largely vanilla for good reason.

However, guys like [autotag]Jeffery Johnson[/autotag] and Jordan Kelley made plays from the defensive interior while [autotag]DaShaun White[/autotag] roamed at the second level making their impact felt. On the back end, Woodi Washington, Joshua Eaton made some plays on the ball. Eaton recovered the Downs forced fumble and broke up a possible touchdown in the end zone too. In the end, the red team led by DeMarco Murray got the win as they won 21-17.

Though they weren’t taking quarterbacks to the ground, Ethan Downs and [autotag]Marcus Stripling[/autotag] were credited with two sacks apiece and [autotag]Jalen Redmond[/autotag] added a sack for the red team. Johnson, Kelley, White, Jonah La’ulu, and [autotag]Reggie Grimes[/autotag] combined for five sacks for the white team.

While the football was the main focus, it was incredible to see the alumni turnout as the Sooners did everything in their power to get every Sooner to Norman that they could. Big names like [autotag]Adrian Peterson[/autotag], [autotag]Kyler Murray[/autotag], [autotag]Mark Clayton[/autotag], and [autotag]Jamelle Holieway[/autotag] were all in the building. [autotag]Baker Mayfield[/autotag]’s Heisman statue ceremony took place at halftime with the unveiling in Heisman Park.

The pageantry, emotion and the excitement of the day delivered in spades and with no significant injuries to report, the first spring game of the [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] era can be considered a huge success.

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. 

5 Sooners to watch on defense in the Oklahoma spring game

A look at five defensive players to watch as the Oklahoma Sooners gear up for their Spring game.

There’s something to be said about how exciting this particular spring game will be for Oklahoma Sooners’ fans far and wide. A new head coach ushers in a new era with a new defensive staff and a fresh, proven mind at offensive coordinator. A new vision will be on display while the Sooners have an abundance of position battles that need to be sorted out.

For now, we’ll focus on the defensive side of things where there’s been significantly more turnover and also the heaviest influx of new faces that will debut in Crimson and Cream for the first time this weekend.

Brent Venables’ wizardry as a defensive coordinator is widely known. It’s no stretch to say he’s probably been year in and year out the best defensive coordinator in college football for the last decade. He returns to the school that really catapulted his career in Oklahoma as the head coach but you can rest assured he brought his elite defensive coaching with him. He retooled the defensive staff entirely and led the charge into the transfer portal as the Sooners went shopping for defensive bodies to fit Venables’ scheme for the immediate future and the years to come.

With that said, here are five players to watch for as we see a glimpse at what Brent Venables and defensive coordinator Ted Roof have in store for Big 12 offenses this fall.

Oklahoma picked to win the Big 12 in way-too-early prediction by SI’s Killer Frogs

In their way-too-early look at the 2022 football season, SI’s Killer Frogs believes the Sooners are the team to beat in the Big 12.

There seems to be a perception among national analysts that the Oklahoma Sooners are set to take a step back after the coaching change and transfer portal losses.

Like The Athletic’s Steward Mandel, some aren’t considering what Oklahoma gained through the transfer portal to replenish their roster. ESPN’s Bill Connely had the Oklahoma Sooners at No. 7 in his 2022 SP+ projection, but that takes a look at recent success and their No. 8 incoming recruiting class.

Generally, the perception is the Sooners may not be as good as their 2021 team that finished 12-2 and failed to make the Big 12 title game. However, over at SI’s Killer Frogs, they think the Sooners are the team to beat in the Big 12 and have them as their way-too-early prediction as Big 12 champion.

The Sooners dominated the transfer portal. It’s a dirty word to many, but the modern iteration of college football demands you either win the transfer portal or sign a top-tier quarterback in recruiting. Oklahoma signed the fourth-ranked transfer class in the nation per 247Sports. – Gibbons, Killer Frogs on SI

The Sooners attacked the transfer portal and added arguably the most productive and experienced quarterback available in Dillon Gabriel. They also added Jeffrey Johnson out of Tulane and Jonah Laulu out of Hawaii to help offset the losses of Perrion Winfrey, Nik Bonitto, and Isaiah Thomas to the NFL.

On Gabriel, here’s what Killer Frogs writer Brett Gibbons had to say:

That class is headlined by UCF superstar Dillon Gabriel. In 26 games at UCF, Gabriel amassed a ridiculous 8,067 yards, threw for 70 touchdowns, and only 14 interceptions. Per game, that’s over 310 yards and 2.7 touchdowns. This kid is downright special. – Gibbons, Killer Frogs on SI

In addition to Gabriel’s arrival, the Sooners have an experienced duo in Marvin Mims and Theo Wease at wide receiver and are bringing back three starters along the offensive line. Brayden Willis has played a ton for the Sooners and should be primed for a breakout season.

The secondary is experienced with Woodi Washington, D.J. Graham, Justin Broiles, and Key Lawrence, while the linebacker position is the deepest group on the field.

Much has been made of Brent Venables’ inexperience as a head coach. However, Gibbons speaks to the championship pedigree of Venables and several of his assistants, including Ted Roof, who was the defensive coordinator for Auburn’s 2010 title run.

The Sooners still have a lot of work to do to install Venables and Roof’s defense and adopt Jeff Lebby’s offense. Despite the losses, they’ve got experienced players on both sides of the ball that should help minimize the impact of the Sooners coaching change.

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.

[listicle id=54172]

Positional breakdown of additions made by the Oklahoma Sooners in 2022

A positional breakdown of the players the Oklahoma Sooners added through the transfer portal and the 2022 recruiting class.

The Oklahoma Sooners suffered losses to the NFL draft and the transfer portal. The talent that walked out the door is difficult to replace. However, holes in the lineup mean new opportunities for younger players to step up and the depth chart to do its job.

Brent Venables and his staff did a tremendous job addressing needs through the transfer portal, and they attacked the 2022 recruiting cycle looking to the future of the program.

Through it all, they’ve added some nice pieces that can contribute right away and a bright future that might be able to make an impact in year one with the Sooners.

Here’s a positional breakdown of each player the Oklahoma Sooners added this offseason.

Athlon Sports names 5 priorities for Brent Venables’ first year as head coach

A deeper look at five personnel issues Brent Venables needs to focus on as the Sooners head into the 2022 season.

After a coaching search that almost had the entire state of Oklahoma in a complete state of panic, the Sooners finally found their man with a very familiar name. Brent Venables leaped from being a longtime assistant with stops at Oklahoma and Clemson to becoming the new headman in charge of the Oklahoma Sooners.

He takes over an Oklahoma program that was in disarray and reeling from the complete and utter shock of Lincoln Riley’s surprise departure following their final regular season against the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Venables and the staff he’s assembled have plugged the leak in the 2022 recruiting class as they steadied the ship following Riley’s departure and the recruiting ramifications of that, they have used the transfer portal to their advantage to feel some holes left by the 11 starters that either transferred or declared for the NFL Draft and they have since started working on their 2023 class all while the current team begins offseason workouts under another familiar face in Head strength and conditioning coach Jerry Schmidt.

Athlon Sports posed some valid concerns about the Sooners’ personnel as Brent Venables inches closer and closer to OU’s first season under him as head coach.

Their five priorities were:

  • Scheme Development + QB
  • Develop the Receivers
  • Address the Offensive Line
  • Reload the Defensive Front
  • Secondary Concerns

All five points are very valid and hold significant weight as the Sooners begin to acclimate themselves. We’re going to grow through and take a look at each.

Oklahoma Sooners 7th on 247Sports transfer portal rankings

The Oklahoma Sooners have done a nice job retooling their roster and find themselves 7th on 247Sports Transfer Portal Rankings.

The Oklahoma Sooners have been one of the biggest beneficiaries of the transfer portal over the last five years. Despite what Bleacher Report said the other day, the Sooners continued to benefit from the portal this offseason as they look to retool their roster for the 2022 season.

In any transition of leadership, there’s bound to be some turnover and the Sooners watched Jadon Haselwood, Austin Stogner, and Mario Williams find new homes. Spencer Rattler was likely out the door regardless of the coaching change and Caleb Williams doesn’t come as much of a surprise. However, the Sooners did a good job targeting players in the portal that would fit what Brent Venables and his coaching staff were hoping to accomplish on both sides of the football.

With the addition of Dillon Gabriel, McKade Mettauer, and Daniel Parker Jr. on offense and a group of defenders to help mitigate the losses via the NFL draft and the portal, the Sooners look well-positioned to continue to contend for the Big 12 title and make a push for the College Football Playoff. With their offseason in the 2022 transfer portal thus far, the Sooners found themselves seventh in Brad Crawford’s transfer portal rankings for 247Sports.

Here’s what he had to say:

Oklahoma’s roster could’ve capsized following the departure of Riley to USC, but Brent Venables quickly re-recruited several players who were leaning and landed eight players via transfer that should aid in filling holes left by players who entered the portal and did not return. Oklahoma will be one of the more interesting powerhouses to watch next fall with new faces at several key positions, including quarterback with UCF’s Gabriel coming in. – Crawford, 247Sports

Gabriel is the big get, but the additions of Jonah Laulu and Jeffrey Johnson are huge for the Sooners as well. Laulu and Johnson bring experience and production to the defensive line, which will help mitigate the losses of Perrion Winfrey, Isaiah Thomas, and Nik Bonitto to the NFL.

Despite the losses the Oklahoma Sooners suffered in the transfer portal after Lincoln Riley’s departure, they’re still the Oklahoma Sooners. They’re a team that will be in contention more often than not. With additions made, the Sooners seem more than capable of getting back to the Big 12 title game in 2022.

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.

[listicle id=52729]

Dillon Gabriel named top transfer for 1st-year Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables

Looking at the top transfers for each first-year head coach, David Kenyon of Bleacher Report believes that to be Dillon Gabriel for OU.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz7cqqgxy50qwt player_id=none image=https://soonerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

As soon as Caleb Williams entered the transfer portal, the Oklahoma Sooners plan at quarterback immediately went into effect. Dillon Gabriel, the former UCF quarterback who had committed to UCLA, flipped his commitment to the Oklahoma Sooners and became the presumptive starter for first-year offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby.

Though there’s been no official word Caleb Williams has found a new home, it’s expected he’ll find a new place to play. The Sooners aren’t all that concerned, having brought in Gabriel to lead the Sooners’ offense to kick-start the Brent Venables era.

David Kenyon at Bleacher Report took a look at each of the first-year head coaches and their top incoming transfer. For Venables and the Sooners, it’s Dillon Gabriel.

Under the expectation Caleb Williams leaves the Sooners, having a proven quarterback will be a luxury for Brent Venables. The former OU and longtime Clemson defensive coordinator swiped Dillon Gabriel, who initially committed to UCLA after deciding to transfer. The left-hander had 8,037 passing yards and 70 touchdowns to only 14 interceptions in 26 games at UCF. – David Kenyon, Bleacher Report

While football is a team game, the quarterback is undoubtedly the most critical position. With Gabriel, there’s an argument to be made that the Sooners are in as good shape in 2022 as they were at quarterback in 2021 with Spencer Rattler and Caleb Williams. His experience and production will help the Sooners weather the storm of the offensive transition they’re undertaking in 2022.

Of course, Oklahoma has made some solid transfer additions on the defensive side of the football, led by Jeffrey Johnson, Jonah Laulu, C.J. Coldon and Trey Morrison. Throw in Kani Walker, and the Oklahoma Sooners have added talent and depth to their 2022 roster. It all starts with the quarterback. Football is a quarterback’s game. Yes, it takes a host of other good players, but if the quarterback doesn’t play well, it is difficult to win.

The Oklahoma Sooners landed a quarterback who’s played a lot of good football in his college career. Gabriel’s experience with Lebby will help the Sooners adopt Lebby’s offense and return to contender status in 2022.

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.

[listicle id=52729]

Defensive tackle Jeffrey Johnson is a Group of Five transfer who will be a big deal for the Sooners

Transfer DT Jeffrey Johnson will help mitigate the losses the Sooners experienced along the defensive line in 2022.

If there’s one position group on the Oklahoma Sooners that has the biggest question marks, it’s the defensive line. Losing three potential top-100 draft picks — Nik Bonitto, Perrion Winfrey and Isaiah Thomas — creates a big void that Brent Venables, Ted Roof, Todd Bates and Miguel Chavis will attempt to solve this spring.

In the first steps to fill the void on the defensive interior, the Sooners brought in Jeffrey Johnson from Tulane. He is more of a nose tackle, providing bulk in the middle of the Sooners defensive front and helping remake the Sooners defense as Venables would like it to look.

Taking a look at transfers who are set to make an impact in 2022, Mike Huguenin of On3 Sports discussed 12 Group of Five players he expects will play a significant role for their new Power Five teams next season. Here’s what he had to say about Jeffrey Johnson.

The Sooners are losing a lot of talent up front, and while there are some holdovers who can play, Johnson should be an effective one-season “rental.” His bulk — he played at 300 pounds with Tulane — will be appreciated. Johnson was a three-year starter for the Green Wave. He had 44 tackles this season, along with five tackles for loss. Johnson had 33 tackles and six TFL in 2020, when he also was a full-time starter. He also started six games in 2019 as a sophomore after starting 11 times as a true freshman in 2018. In all, he had eight sacks and 15 tackles for loss at Tulane. – Huguenin, On3 Sports

Johnson brings a significant amount of experience and production to the Oklahoma Sooners and should plug in next to Jalen Redmond to start on the Sooners defensive front.

Every college experiences a certain amount of turnover, but it creates a significant challenge in Venables’ first year as the head coach at Oklahoma. Johnson should help mitigate the effects of the Sooners departing for the NFL and boost the Sooners’ run defense.

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.

[listicle id=52729]

Sooners’ Jalen Redmond in Pro Football Focus’ top 10 returning Interior Defensive Linemen for 2022

With a lot of turnover coming along the defensive front, the Oklahoma Sooners have one of PFF’s 10 best returning defensive linemen.

The Oklahoma Sooners’ strength on defense in 2021 was their defensive front. Nik Bonitto, Isaiah Thomas, Perrion Winfrey, and Jalen Redmond made a fearsome foursome, especially when teams dropped back to pass.

One of the biggest questions heading into the 2022 offseason is how Brent Venables and his defensive staff replaces Bonitto, Thomas, and Winfrey, who have each declared for the 2022 NFL draft. While there’s confidence in the new coaching staff’s ability to retool the defensive line, it’s hard to lose that much talent and production off of your defensive front without experiencing a bit of a drop-off.

The good news is that the Sooners have one of the best interior defensive linemen in college football returning for the 2022 season in Jalen Redmond. According to Anthony Treash of Pro Football Focus, Redmond is one of the 10 best interior defensive linemen coming back this year. Redmond comes in at No. 8.

Redmond showed no rust in his return to the field in 2021 after opting out of the 2020 season. He earned an 82.6 PFF grade as a key reserve in 2018 and a 78.4 mark across eight games in 2021, most of which he started. Redmond did miss some time midway through the season due to injury, but after his return in Week 9, his top-tier pass-rush production remained. His 19.6% pass-rush win rate and 18.3% pressure ranked tied for first and first, respectively, among Power Five interior defensive linemen in 2021. – Treash, PFF

Redmond’s experience and production will be huge for the Sooners defense in 2022. As they integrate younger guys getting more snaps and transfers like Jeffrey Johnson and Jonah Laulu coming into the fold, Redmond will be the anchor that carries the Oklahoma Sooners into the 2022 season.

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.

[listicle id=53786]

Oklahoma Sooners land Tulane transfer DT Jeffrey Johnson

The Oklahoma Sooners landed a big transfer addition in Tulane Defensive Tackle Jeffrey Johnson. Johnson had 6 total tackles and a TFL vs. OU in 2021.

The Oklahoma Sooners continue to attack the transfer portal to retool their roster ahead of the 2022 season. With Perrion Winfrey heading to the NFL draft, the Sooners were in need of some experience on the interior and they got that in Tulane transfer defensive tackle Jeffrey Johnson.

Johnson played 42 games for the Tulane Green Wave over four seasons. The 330-pound totaled 135 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, and 10 sacks.

The Oklahoma Sooners got to see Johnson up close and personal in the 2021 season opener where he had six total tackles and a tackle for loss. In the 40-35 win, the Sooners averaged just 3.8 yards per carry, despite Kennedy Brooks’ 6.2 yards per attempt.

Johnson led the Green Wave defensive line with 597 snaps, and was tied for fourth in total pressures according to Pro Football Focus.

His ability to play the 1-technique or nose tackle positions will allow Jalen Redmond to play more of the 3-technique spot in Brent Venables defense. That tandem will help the Sooners shore up their interior run defense and pass rush.

As the Oklahoma Sooners continue to remake their defense in the vision of Brent Venables, adding Jeffrey Johnson to defensive tackles coach Todd Bates’ group will help provide the bulk that Venables prefers on the defensive interior.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions.

[listicle id=52729]