Tag: jovontae barnes

No. 16 Oklahoma Sooners vs. Temple Owls: Sooners Wire Staff Predictions

Sooners Wire Staff predicts Oklahoma vs. Temple Owls.

The Oklahoma Sooners kick off the 2024 college football season on Friday night when they welcome the Temple Owls to Norman. The Sooners come into the contest No. 16 in the nation in both the US LBM Coaches Poll and the AP Top 25.

The Sooners are No. 13 in the final SP+ rankings prior to their opener, while Temple ranks No. 132 out of 134 teams in the FBS.

On paper, it’s a mismatch and the Oklahoma Sooners should be able to do whatever they want on the gridiron. This game won’t tell us everything we need to know about Oklahoma, but if they put on a performance similar to their 2023 outing against Arkansas State, then odds are this team will be pretty good in 2024.

Oklahoma is a heavy favorite. Fan Duel has OU as 42.5-point favorites heading into Friday’s opener.

As we will each week of the season, here are the predictions from our staff here at Sooners Wire.

More: SEC week 1 predictions

Sooners Wire Staff Predictions

Oklahoma starts fast in week one, showing off their supreme talent on both sides of the ball against Temple.

[autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag]’s debut as OU’s full-time starter at quarterback goes well as he begins the process of getting more comfortable in Seth Littrell’s offense at game speed.

The starters on defense pitch a shutout before the backups give up a fourth-quarter field goal.

As with any first game, there will be things to clean up, but Brent Venables is happy with his team on Saturday morning.

Sooners 59, Owls 3

Contact/Follow Aaron Gelvin

Up Next: More Sooners Wire Staff Predictions

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Sooners continue to add via the transfer portal with commitment from RB Sam Franklin

Oklahoma continues to add productive pieces via the portal as UT-Martin transfer Sam Franklin commits to the Sooners.

Oklahoma has lost three running backs to the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] in the last few weeks. In many ways, it was beneficial, given it is nearly impossible to keep six scholarship running backs happy.

[autotag]Marcus Major[/autotag], [autotag]Daylan Smothers[/autotag] and [autotag]Tawee Walker[/autotag] entered the transfer portal. Walker is still practicing with the team, so there’s a chance he remains in Norman. [autotag]DeMarco Murray[/autotag] and the rest of the offensive staff decided losing three running backs was too much and offered multiple players in the transfer portal. One of those offers went to Sam Franklin, a talented and productive running back from UT-Martin.

After a visit with Oklahoma this week, Franklin cashed in that offer and announced his commitment to the Sooners. Franklin was a Walter Payton award finalist for the Skyhawks. The award is given annually to the national offensive player of the year in the Football Championship Subdivision of Division I.

For the 5-foot-10, 190-pound redshirt sophomore, 2023 was a massive year. With 223 carries, he amassed 1,378 yards (6.2 yards per carry) and 11 touchdowns. He caught 14 passes for 127 yards and one touchdown in 11 games. He’s decisive and quick enough to break away at the second level. Adding him to [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag] and [autotag]Jovontae Barnes[/autotag] gives Oklahoma three game-ready backs who have produced significantly. It also allows Oklahoma to ease incoming freshmen [autotag]Taylor Tatum[/autotag], [autotag]Xavier Robinson[/autotag] and [autotag]Andy Bass[/autotag] into the collegiate football world.

Franklin has two years of eligibility remaining, and his commitment brings Oklahoma’s transfer portal commitment tally to four.

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.

Where do the Oklahoma Sooners stand with several big name 2022 recruits?

The Sooners have already started signing their 2022 class. They still have a shot to add several big names. Who are they?

We’ve reached the last month of the year, which means that another college football recruiting cycle is entering its third and final act. Much like any movie, the plot of this particular movie has evolved and we’ve finally reached the endgame where we find out where the movie’s journey has taken all of the characters.

For college football, the movie is the world of recruiting and its twists and turns sometimes feel like it could only be penned by a decorated Hollywood writer.

For the Oklahoma Sooners, the last month or so has been a roller coaster of crazy proportions, and their recruiting world was turned upside down. They lost their head coach of the last five years to USC and had a week-long search to find his replacement. The week of uncertainty cost them recruits across the 2022 and 2023 classes. Bob Stoops and Sooners assistants, followed by the additions of Brent Venables and Jeff Lebby have helped them recover their 2022 recruiting class, providing optimism that 2023 will see similar results.

There is no time like the present and that’s where we are with the Sooners’ 2022 class. Sooners Wire has made it easy to track all of the 2022 commitments with this handy-dandy tracker. With the early signing period already here and the official national signing day in February, a hefty amount of those names will put ink to paper and officially complete the paperwork to become Oklahoma Sooners.

The Sooners are still out on the recruiting trail trying to swing last-minute recruits to join this class. We’ve compiled a list notable names that are trending up or down with the Sooners and updates on other players who are or were Sooners commits below.

Chronicling the Sooner recruits who have reaffirmed their commitments

Despite the uncertainty in the program, multiple Oklahoma recruits have stood by their commitments as they wait for a new head coach.

While we have spent plenty of time discussing the guys that are decommitting from Oklahoma, not enough attention has been paid to the guys who have stood in the face of a major storm and let the world be known they are still on board with the Crimson and Cream.

Bob Stoops, Joe Castiglione, and Oklahoma’s school president Joseph Harroz Jr. all met with the football team in an attempt to soothe concerns and acknowledge that, despite the recent upheaval in the program, they would do whatever is possible to ensure the show goes on and that the future of this program was in great hands. The message seemed to resonate with current players where some took to social media to voice their support and belief in the program.

While they did this, recruits across the country became consumed with massive decisions to make. Some have already decided to open up their recruitments and look elsewhere. We have chronicled that for the 2022 class here and a list of guys for the 2023 guys here.

With those names out there looking to leave, the Sooners still have verbal commits in both classes. A few have stood out and announced that even without a head coach they plan to stick by the school and their commitment and proceed forward. Some remain mum. The outspoken ones are:

 

 

Oklahoma’s 2023 recruiting class beginning to dissolve in wake of Riley departure

Not long after the news came in that Lincoln Riley was leaving Oklahoma for USC, the Sooners lost commitments from their 2023 class.

While the more pressing news for Oklahoma’s recruiting efforts is likely centered on the 2022 class, their 2023 class has taken a major hit. The Sooners under Lincoln Riley had positioned themselves to be major players on the recruiting trail with what was at the time the number one ranked recruiting class in the country.

With Riley departing for the sun, glitz, and glamour of USC, the  Sooners quickly began to lose prized recruits. Some remain, possibly looking at the coming days to see who takes the helm as Sooners head coach before making their next move.

We’ll be tracking every 2023 commit as they announce their intentions in the meantime.

Brandon Inniss, WR

This loss is going to sting tremendously if it does indeed mean the end of Oklahoma’s chance for talented blue-chip wide receiver prospect Brandon Inniss. Inniss had a phenomenal junior season playing QB due to attrition on his American Heritage squad in Florida. He committed to Oklahoma this summer and is the number one ranked receiver in the country for 2023. We shared thoughts about the caliber of player he was earlier this year.

Representatives of 247 Sports reached out to him in regards to his decomittment and he had this to say:

“Lincoln Riley was a big reason why I committed to Oklahoma,” Inniss told 247Sports when reached by phone. “So, I feel like going forward this is the best decision for me and my family.”

By all accounts, it looks like Inniss’ recruiting is wide open with him citing Alabama, Miami, Georgia, Ohio State, Florida, and Florida State as places he’d like to visit and interact with.

Malachi Nelson, QB

Make no mistake about it, this is the single biggest domino falling for the Sooners 2023 recruiting class. Malachi Nelson is a consensus top 10 recruit across the board and on top of that he represented your future at QB behind Caleb Williams. He’s the number two quarterback prospect behind Arch Manning and his rapport with teammates Makai Lemon and DeAndre Moore Jr helped the Sooners land them as well.

Lemon has not formally recommitted but being he is a native California kid and his best friend is Nelson, it’s all but a foregone conclusion that wherever Nelson ends up is where Lemon will too.

Moore dropped a post that let the world know that he is still committed to DeMarco Murray, his primary recruiter to Oklahoma. Murray is still on staff and Moore’s reaffirmation is major because it means the Sooners will still have a shot with 2022 running back Jovontae Barnes. Barnes and Moore are close friends and are both from Nevada, which is where Murray is from.

Greg Biggins and Steve Wiltfong of 247 sports both have put in crystal balls for Nelson to in-state USC. It’s completely clear that ultimately Nelson’s relationship with Riley and the allure of being the hometown hero for a program that needs resurrecting may just be too much to pass up.

Treyaun Webb, RB

This running back commit for the Sooners 2023 class hailed from the Sunshine State. Treyaun Webb is a blue-chip prospect from Jacksonville Trinity Christian Academy. He’s a Top247 running back Treyaun Webb and he announced his recruitment was back open on Sunday evening.

For Webb, this is decommitment number two as he was once a Georgia Bulldog pledge. Webb was recruited heavily by Murray and Riley and it might be that without Riley at the help he was unsure of what would happen to his usage and so forth. Webb had taken visits to other schools over the months since he’s committed. Notably, those visits were to Penn State and UGA. There’s a real chance he ends back up at UGA but it may too early to tell.

Webb joins a growing line of elite skill talent to bail on Oklahoma since Sunday afternoon.

It’s an unfortunate turn of events for a team that started the 2021 season as national title contenders. As the 2023 recruiting class is on standby to see who is brought in, stay tuned here at the Sooners Wire for further updates as the situation unfolds.

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

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Recruiting roundup: Checking out the 2022 recruiting class and other notes

Where do the Oklahoma Sooners stand with certain players in the 2022 recruiting class?

The Oklahoma Sooners are riding a lot of momentum as the calendar has flipped to November. They are undefeated, ranked in the top eight of every major ranking, and can currently boast a top 10 recruiting class.

While the on-field product has been good and still has the potential to be great this season, great programs don’t just neglect the other part of the team. Recruiting is the lifeblood of college sports. Especially college football despite what Florida head coach Dan Mullen might suggest.

It’s a 365 days a year job and it never stops.

Despite some hiccups, the Sooners are closing in on another top 10 class for the 2022 recruiting cycle. We would seriously be talking about a top 3 class had they not lost a top 10 national recruit in Luther Burden earlier this year. They also lost Jordan Hudson and Talyn Shettron as well.

However, the Sooners picked up the slack in terms of sheer star power and talent by their October run landing two of this senior’s class best talents in Gabriel Brownlow Dindy and Gentry Williams according to the USA Today Sports High School Composite Player Rankings.

With an early signing day of December 15th, the Oklahoma Sooners can put pen to paper and close the deal for good by having many guys sign and send in their National Letters of Intent.

As it currently stands, Oklahoma’s well on its way to locking down their 2022 class as no one currently looks like a surprise flip to somewhere else at the moment with a month to go.

However, there are a few recruits who could still jump on board namely guys like Jovontae Barnes, Hero Kanu, Marvin Jones Jr., Azareyeh Thomas, and Chris McClellan.

Jovontae Barnes, a running back from Las Vegas is set to visit Oklahoma for the Iowa State game. He plans to silently commit and announce his decision at one of the winter All-Star games in January. The Sooners are in an excellent spot here if you’ve followed our coverage over the months.

Hero Kanu, a defensive lineman originally from Germany, but playing football in California, is another huge possibility for the Sooners here. Judging things right now, this seems like it may be down to Oklahoma and Ohio State, which may be a theme for Oklahoma over the next few months on the recruiting trail.

Marvin Jones Jr. plays with 2023 Sooners commit Brandon Inniss. The chance is there for them to play in college as well. Jamar Cain is on the prowl and is positioning Oklahoma to be right in the thick of it over the coming months in a battle with Alabama and Florida State for the highly talented edge rusher.

Azareyeh Thomas popped onto the scene after a visit a few weeks ago and Oklahoma is trending well enough to have garnered multiple crystal ball predictions on 247’s site. Thomas is listed as an athlete but looks to be playing safety if he plays for the Sooners.

Most, if not all of these guys will be names to monitor in the coming months as letters of intent begin to get signed and as players end their high school seasons, allowing them to focus solely on their recruiting journeys as their senior football seasons come to an end.

Recruiting Update: Sooners gaining ground with top recruits

A look at the Sooners and updates on their pursuit of two homegrown talents and an out-of-state talent with strong Oklahoma ties.

The Oklahoma Sooners have not had an easy go of it this season but they’ve found ways to win games and still impress recruits. The Sooners on-field product hasn’t been the most aesthetically pleasing to watch but it’s getting results. Underneath those results, they are still finding ways to impress possible Sooners.

The Sooners recruiting has hardly taken a dip although their current product as a whole does not remotely resemble what they’ve been known for. However, recruiting goes on and the only way to remain relevant and near the top of college football as long as they have is to continue recruiting at a high level.

As it stands, the Sooners have the 12th ranked recruiting class in the country for 2022. They’ve hosted some significant targets on their recruiting big board over the last few weeks with names like four-star corner Gentry Williams, four-star defensive lineman Chris McClellan and five-star defensive lineman Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy. The Sooners have landed some excellent players in the 2022 class but a bonafide top seven recruiting class became increasingly hard when they lost commitments from their three receiver commits in Jordan Hudson (now committed to SMU), Talyn Shettron (now committed to Oklahoma State to play with his brother) and Luther Burden (likely a future UGA or Missouri commit.)

Those commitments over the summer took the steam out of a class that was shaping up to be elite. Good things come to those who wait and those who close in recruiting. The Sooners are closing in on the likes of Williams, McClellan, and Dindy as the fall rolls on.

Gentry Williams, a homegrown Oklahoma talent has had the Sooners and the USC Trojans jockeying back and for the most part due to his relationship with cornerback and interim head coach Donte Williams. USC’s future is very uncertain and that level of stability has not gone unnoticed as new crystal balls at 247Sports  have forecasted Williams to Oklahoma and a Rivals’ future cast has the Sooners as the landing spot now.

Another in-state star Chris McClellan was in town for the West Virginia game. The Sooners have been fighting off Florida and Ohio State the heaviest for his services. In the last week, he’s received a few crystal balls to classify him as an Oklahoma lean as it stands.

Last but certainly not least, another player with organic ties to the state of Oklahoma, five-star Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy. His parents are Oklahoma Sooners alums and the connection has been there since the beginning for Oklahoma.

They enter this final stretch in a heated battle with Texas A&M who employs his father as well. They are not to be counted out but a crystal ball from Steve Wiltfong (director of football recruiting for 247Sports) is absolutely nothing to scoff at. Dindy plans to make a decision soon as he has plans to be an early enrollee.

Just playing a bit of a guessing game but commitments from these would be more than enough to take Oklahoma from 12th into the top 10 of the 2022 rankings. That is not taking into account any receivers Oklahoma may try to flip or the possibility of running back Jovontae Barnes or Marvin Jones Jr who the Sooners are also in hot pursuit of.

The Sooners despite their troubles keeping three excellent receivers in the fold are well positioned to finish with at minimum a top ten recruiting class. As long they remember, recruiting is always about how you finish and not always how you start.