Tag: Jett Niu

Oklahoma Sooners add another transfer portal quarterback

The Oklahoma Sooners added another transfer portal quarterback.

The Oklahoma Sooners made a splash via the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] when they added former Washington State quarterback [autotag]John Mateer[/autotag], the top player in this year’s portal class.

But the Sooners weren’t done at quarterback. They added Western Carolina signal caller Cole Gonzales on Christmas Day.

Gonzales started 22 games in three seasons with the Catamounts, completing 63.5% of his passes for 6,445 yards, 49 touchdowns and 20 interceptions. On non-sack rushing attempts, Gonzales averaged 5.4 yards per carry and ran for 701 yards and three touchdowns.

In 2023, he was the 2023 Southern Conference Player of the Year and was a two-time first-team all-conference selection. Last year, he completed 66.1% of his throws for 2,547 yards, 26 touchdowns and threw just six interceptions in 11 games. That year, Gonzales threw for five touchdown passes three times and produced six games with more than 250 yards passing.

He completed 61.7% of his passes for 2,545 yards and 12 touchdowns and threw seven interceptions this season. Gonzales was really efficient in the deep passing game, with a 45.5% completion percentage on throws greater than 20 yards down the field. That was good for sixth in the Football Championship Subdivision among quarterbacks with at least 44 pass attempts on deep throws.

In the 2024 season opener against N.C. State, Gonzales threw for 211 yards and two touchdowns, completing 62.9% of his passes. He also carried the ball six times for 78 yards, according to Pro Football Focus, who removes sacks from rushing totals.

Against Furman, in Week 8 of the 2024 season, Gonzales threw for 620 yards and five touchdowns.

In Gonzales, the Sooners add more quarterback depth to go along with Mateer, [autotag]Michael Hawkins Jr.[/autotag] and 2025 signee [autotag]Jett Niu[/autotag]. He’ll have one year of eligibility remaining in 2024.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.

Joel Klatt believes Jackson Arnold can still have success

Joel Klatt thinks Jackson Arnold QB could still have a good career.

Former five-star quarterback [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag]’s short time with the Oklahoma Sooners came to an end on Saturday when he signed with the Auburn Tigers.

The young QB, who was supposed to be the face of the program for at least two seasons and lead OU into the Southeastern Conference, will now try to help Hugh Freeze and the Tigers improve upon their 5-7 season in 2024.

He started 10 games in an OU uniform after serving as the backup during his freshman season in 2023. He went 5-5 as a starter, but just two of those wins came against power conference teams and only one was against an SEC team. 2024 was supposed to be the year that he broke out on the scene, but it didn’t happen.

However, there are many who still believe in Arnold’s potential and what he can do at Auburn.

Fox Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt thinks that Arnold can still be successful, but he also has some questions. He appeared as a guest on “The Next Round” podcast and remarked it was hard to say for sure whether Arnold would live up to his potential with the Tigers.

“My biggest question is going to be his confidence,” Klatt said. “I’m wondering what happened to his psyche during the course of this year.”

Arnold’s confidence appeared shaken a couple of times in 2024, most notably against Tennessee and later in the season against Missouri. In some of the biggest moments for the Sooners, Arnold was turnover-prone and made mistakes that cost OU dearly.

However, he played very well against Alabama and looked more confident in his second stint as the starter for the final five games of the regular season.

“I think he can have a lot of success,” Klatt said. “It remains to be seen.”

Oklahoma’s quarterback room in 2024 consisted of five players. With Jackson Arnold and [autotag]Brendan Zurbrugg[/autotag] opting for the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] and Casey Thompson out of eligibility, it will undergo another makeover in 2025.

[autotag]Michael Hawkins Jr.[/autotag] will return, and the Sooners signed [autotag]Jett Niu[/autotag] as a part of their [autotag]2025 recruiting class[/autotag] earlier this month. Steele Wasel, a walk-on, could return, but OU will need to add at least one portal QB to fill out the room again.

That likely includes a player who will either be the starter or compete to be the starter under OC [autotag]Ben Arbuckle[/autotag] as Oklahoma tries to bounce back at the position in 2025.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X @Aaron_Gelvin.

Former Oklahoma QB Jackson Arnold set to visit Auburn, per report

Former Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Jackson Arnold will visit the Auburn Tigers per reports.

Former Oklahoma Sooners quarterback [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] could be staying in the same conference as his old team.

The [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] quarterback has a visit set up with the Auburn Tigers, according to Justin Hokanson of On3.

According to On3’s Pete Nakos, Auburn, Mississippi State, or Georgia reportedly have an interest in Arnold. The Bulldogs, coached by former OU offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby, who recruited Arnold, will reportedly be attempting to set up a visit with Arnold this weekend.

Mississippi State is considered to lead for Arnold’s services because of the connection between Lebby and Arnold. Bulldogs freshman quarterback Michael Van Buren has entered the portal, which could be a signal that the former five-star is heading to Starkville.

Georgia, on the other hand, is in the College Football Playoff, and the play of Gunnar Stockton, who takes over for the injured Carson Beck, could determine how heavily they are involved in the portal QB sweepstakes.

Arnold was supposed to be a generational QB at Oklahoma, the guy to lead [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] and the Sooners into the Southeastern Conference. Instead, he made just ten total starts in an OU uniform, struggling in his only season as the starter.

He was benched in favor of [autotag]Michael Hawkins Jr.[/autotag] for three games in the middle of the season but returned to replace Hawkins for the final five games of the year.

Despite his play in the upset win over Alabama, Arnold had a rocky go of things, especially in the passing game. He turned in a few “wow” moments, but turnovers, bad offensive coordinators, and a bad supporting cast did him in. Now, he’ll play elsewhere.

With Arnold gone and Casey Thompson out of eligibility next season, Hawkins is the only current QB on the roster with any collegiate experience. He’s joined by Brendan Zurbrugg, Steele Wasel, and 2025 quarterback [autotag]Jett Niu[/autotag].

Hawkins could stay and compete for the starting gig next year, but the Sooners will certainly be looking for a high-level starter in the portal this offseason.

Ideally, that role is filled by John Mateer, who worked with new offensive coordinator [autotag]Ben Arbuckle[/autotag] this season at Washington State.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X @AaronGelvin.

What did new OC Ben Arbuckle say about the Oklahoma Sooners 2025 recruiting class?

What did new offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle have to say about the Oklahoma Sooners 2025 recruiting class?

The Oklahoma Sooners finalized their [autotag]2025 recruiting class[/autotag] on the first day of the [autotag]early signing period[/autotag], adding 18 players for next season from the high school ranks.

It’s the Sooners smallest recruiting class in the Brent Venables era. With a new roster limit of 105 on the horizon, the Sooners and the rest of college football will be feeling a roster crunch.

Though the Sooners added talent on both sides of the football, the players on offense weren’t recruited by Arbuckle, save for quarterback [autotag]Jett Niu[/autotag], who flipped to the Sooners on Wednesday after being committed to Oklahoma State since September. Niu was offered by Washington State earlier in the year.

So what did Arbuckle have to say about Oklahoma’s class of signees?

“These coaches did an unbelievable job. Everybody in the personnel department, everybody in scouting did an unbelievable job of finding the right talent, acquiring them and bringing them here to OU,” Arbuckle said via The Oklahoman. “I see playmakers all over the field.”

At wide receiver, the Sooners added big-time talents [autotag]Elijah Thomas[/autotag] from Checotah, Oklahoma, and [autotag]Emmanuel Choice[/autotag] out of Lancaster, Texas. The Sooners also brought in a dynamic running back, [autotag]Tory Blaylock[/autotag]. At tight end, the Sooners added Trynae Washington, who can play both offense and defense.

But where the Sooners really made strides on the recruiting trail was in their offensive line additions. Oklahoma added a pair of top-10 offensive tackles: [autotag]Michael Fasusi[/autotag] and [autotag]Ryan Fodje[/autotag]. The Sooners also added a trio of physical interior offensive line prospects: Darius Afalava, Owen Hollenbeck and preferred walk-on Sean Hutton.

With these additions, Arbuckle has an intriguing group of players to work with on offense. The program has to get the veterans healthy and continue to develop the offensive line. But there’s a great deal of potential if the Sooners can have better injury luck than in 2024.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.

Oklahoma Sooners flip quarterback prospect away from Oklahoma State

Oklahoma Sooners flipped 2025 quarterback prospect Jett Niu from Oklahoma State on the first day of the early signing period.

Just a few days on the job, and offensive coordinator [autotag]Ben Arbuckle[/autotag] is making his presence felt. On the first day of the [autotag]early signing period[/autotag], the Oklahoma Sooners added quarterback [autotag]Jett Niu[/autotag], who signed with the Sooners Wednesday.

Niu was originally committed to Appalachian State before flipping to Oklahoma State in September. Niu received an offer from Arbuckle and Washington State back in January, and now the Sooners have added the high-upside quarterback to their [autotag]2025 recruiting class[/autotag].

Niu has good size for the position at 6-foot-2 and is an accurate passer. He throws with anticipation and does a great job targeting the middle of the field. He’s got a quick release. Niu is a good athlete who displays the ability to extend plays and pick up yards in the scramble game.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DDKN0dfx5Sn/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Film

Hudl

Rating

Stars Overall Position State
ESPN 3 — 67 19
Rivals 3 — — 10
247Sports 3 — 58 14
247 Composite 3 1400 83 15
On3 Recruiting 3 — 111 18
On3 Industry 3 1482 88 17

Vitals

Hometown Lehi, Utah
Projected Position QB
Height 6-foot-2
Weight 180 pounds

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.

Oklahoma Sooners projected to flip Oklahoma State 2025 quarterback commit

The Oklahoma Sooners have been projected to flip 2025 quarterback and Oklahoma State commit.

The [autotag]early signing period[/autotag] for the [autotag]2025 recruiting class[/autotag] is set to open on Wednesday. Now that the Oklahoma Sooners have their offensive coordinator in [autotag]Ben Arbuckle[/autotag], some new targets are emerging.

The Oklahoma Sooners issued an offer to three-star quarterback and Oklahoma State commit Jett Niu. Out of Lehi, Utah, Niu is a three-star prospect and is considered the No. 58 quarterback in the country, according to 247Sports.

When you flip on the highlights, Niu is an accurate and decisive passer. He has enough arm to push the ball down the field but is at his best when attacking the intermediate middle of the field. Niu is a good athlete who creates on the run.

Niu has a relationship with new offensive coordinator [autotag]Ben Arbuckle[/autotag]. Arbuckle offered Niu back in January but he initially committed to Appalachian State before flipping to Oklahoma State. Now it sounds like the Oklahoma Sooners could flip him from the Cowboys after 247Sports recruiting analyst Blair Angulo flipped his prediction from Oklahoma State to Oklahoma on the eve of the early signing period.

Jett Niu’s Recruiting Profile

Projections

Film

Hudl

Rating

Stars Overall Position State
ESPN 3 — 67 19
Rivals 3 — — 10
247Sports 3 — 58 14
247 Composite 3 1400 83 15
On3 Recruiting 3 — 111 18
On3 Industry 3 1482 88 17

Vitals

Hometown Lehi, Utah
Projected Position QB
Height 6-foot-2
Weight 180 pounds

Recruitment

  • Offered on 12/3/2024

Notable Offers

Per 247Sports

  • Oklahoma
  • Oklahoma State
  • Arizona
  • Washington State
  • Marshall
  • Yale
  • Princeton

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.