Tag: Kade McIntyre

Bauer Sharp answered the question at tight end for the Sooners

Bauer Sharp impressed in this first game as a Sooner. Can he step up in the passing game?

Coming into the 2024 season, the Oklahoma Sooners had some questions at the tight end position.

Two years ago, [autotag]Brayden Willis[/autotag] was one of the best players on the team, combining his ability as a receiver with his excellent blocking skills to have a very productive season. Though OU went just 6-7, the senior had a career year in his final collegiate season, catching 39 passes for 514 yards and seven touchdowns while opening up holes in the running game.

Last year, the Sooners expected similar contributions from [autotag]Austin Stogner[/autotag], who returned to Norman after a year in South Carolina. But the tight end production dipped, as Stogner caught just 17 passes for 196 yards and one touchdown. He also struggled to match Willis’ effectiveness as a blocker. Too often last season, it felt like OU was playing 10-on-11 when running the ball with a tight end in the game.

But that’s where Southeastern Louisiana tight end [autotag]Bauer Sharp[/autotag] comes in. After serving as a game captain, he ended the night as OU’s leading receiver with 47 yards on five catches with a touchdown. He seemed to be the only option aside from Burks that could consistently create separation and catch the ball.

Though he came from an FCS school, Sharp looked the part of a Power Four tight end. He and [autotag]Jake Roberts[/autotag] got the initial snaps at tight end, with the latter serving in more of a blocking role. Sharp, who started the game, has been earning high praise since the spring, with one player in his corner being superstar senior linebacker [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag].

Sharp displayed sound chemistry with [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag], often acting as a safety valve over the middle of the field for his quarterback as pressure closed in. With the struggles of the offensive line and the running game, he’ll be asked to provide more in the passing game, especially until the bigger names get healthy.

Of course, it’s only been one game. Maybe the running game will get on track in the next couple of weeks. Maybe the offensive line gets healthy and in sync. Maybe [autotag]Brenen Thompson[/autotag], [autotag]J.J. Hester[/autotag] and the other depth options at wide receiver just had a rough night and will be just fine. Maybe [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] gets back to his pre-injury self much earlier than expected and [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] is able to stave off any other injuries. .

But in the meantime, Bauer Sharp will need to build on his strong first game in a Sooner uniform to take some of the load off of Arnold and [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag]. Oklahoma has a struggling Houston squad on the schedule next, before a sneaky non-conference game against Tulane. The Sooners need to use the next two weeks to find a rhythm and an identity running and throwing the ball in [autotag]Seth Littrell[/autotag]’s offense before the Tennessee Volunteers and conference play arrive on their doorstep on September 21st.

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Oklahoma Sooners have to get something out of the tight end spot

Tight end is flying under the radar as a position that needs to be better for the 2024 Oklahoma Sooners.

After [autotag]Brayden Willis[/autotag] had a breakout 2022 season, there was plenty of optimism about what the Sooners could get out of [autotag]Austin Stogner[/autotag], who returned from South Carolina for the 2023 season.

It didn’t materialize. Although the offense was incredibly efficient and put a bunch of points on the board, it played behind the eight ball with limited production at tight end.

Despite Stogner getting the vast majority of the work, Sooners tight ends combined for 20 receptions for 252 yards and two touchdowns. In 2022, Willis had 39 receptions for 514 yards and seven touchdowns to finish second on the team in receiving.

That’s the kind of production the Sooners need heading into the SEC.

In an effort to get more out of the tight end spot in their offense, the Sooners scoured the transfer portal and brought in the uber-athletic and tough [autotag]Bauer Sharp[/autotag] and do-it-all veteran [autotag]Jake Roberts[/autotag] to lead the position in 2024.

Sharp is a converted quarterback, but he garnered substantial praise during spring ball. His athleticism and toughness received rave reviews, but it’s going to be a big step going from Southeastern Louisiana to the Southeastern Conference.

Roberts missed much of the spring recovering from an injury, but he has played nearly 1,800 snaps and was a part of [autotag]Seth Littrell[/autotag]’s North Texas teams before transferring to Baylor for the 2022 season. Last year for the Bears, Roberts had 23 receptions for 231 yards and a touchdown.

It’s likely those two will take on much of the workload for the Sooners this season, but young guns [autotag]Kade McIntyre[/autotag], [autotag]Kaden Helms[/autotag] and [autotag]Davon Mitchell[/autotag] could earn some snaps as well. Each has abundant athleticism that could provide another playmaking element to the Sooners’ passing game.

Though wide receiver has garnered much of the attention this offseason for the Sooners’ passing attack, Oklahoma needs to get more out of the tight end spot in 2024. And with what it has done on the recruiting trail and in the transfer portal, it has the talent to make it happen.

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5 positions where the Oklahoma Sooners are better than they were a year ago

Every year there is roster turnover, but where are the Sooners better? Here are five positions Oklahoma’s better than they were a year ago.

Every offseason teams around college football have to deal with a significant amount of turnover to their roster. That’s been the case for the Sooners each season of the Brent Venables era.

No position group was hit harder than the offensive line. They lost the five guys that were starters for the majority of the season. Though they’ve been able to retool the lineup with transfer portal additions, it will be months before we know if those additions will work out.

Elsewhere, however, the Sooners look to be in really good shape, especially when you compare it to how several positions looked this time last year.

Here are five position groups that look better compared to where they were a year ago.

Oklahoma Sooners add tight end via the transfer portal

Oklahoma Sooners pick up some tight end help via the transfer portal.

Heading into the offseason, there were two spots the Oklahoma Sooners needed to add talent through the transfer portal on the offensive side of the ball: the offensive line and tight end.

Oklahoma’s added three players along the offensive line and also got some help at tight end with the addition of [autotag]Bauer Sharp[/autotag]. Well, now they have more help at the position heading into 2024. Former UNT and Baylor tight end Jake Roberts committed to the Oklahoma Sooners on Monday night.

Out of Norman, Roberts was a three-star prospect in the 2020 recruiting class who committed to Sooners offensive coordinator [autotag]Seth Littrell[/autotag] while Littrell was the Head Coach at UNT.

Roberts spent three seasons at North Texas before transferring to Baylor for 2023. In 12 games for the Bears last season, Roberts had 23 receptions for 231 yards and a touchdown. In his final season with the Mean Green in 2022, he recorded 28 receptions for 394 yards and a touchdown and had one carry for 10 yards.

Though his numbers might not jump off the page, he was fourth in receiving yards at Baylor last season. He was one of the better blocking tight ends in college football in 2023. Among the 274 tight ends with at least 117 blocking snaps, Roberts was 17th in pass-blocking and 46th in run-blocking, according to Pro Football Focus.

Roberts provides important experience to a tight end room that was young or hadn’t played much at the FBS level. Roberts will have a shot to start or at least be a significant role player in the Sooners offense. His experience and familiarity with Seth Littrell provide the tight end room some leadership for guys like [autotag]Bauer Sharp[/autotag], [autotag]Kaden Helms[/autotag], [autotag]Kade McIntyre[/autotag], and [autotag]Davon Mitchell[/autotag] in 2024.

The other interesting wrinkle in the addition of Jake Roberts, is the recruitment of his younger brother [autotag]Nate Roberts[/autotag]. Nate is a highly sought after four-star tight end in the 2025 recruiting class who was initially committed to Notre Dame. He’s since backed off that pledge and holds offers from a number of Power Five schools, including Oklahoma. The Sooners are hoping to make him their tight end in the 2025 recruiting cycle.

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Oklahoma Sooners add transfer tight end Bauer Sharp

The Oklahoma Sooners picked up another transfer portal addition in tight end Bauer Sharp.

The Oklahoma Sooners added some experience to a young tight end room, earning a commitment from [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] tight end, Bauer Sharp.

Sharp, who played the last two seasons for Southeastern Louisiana. In 11 games in 2023, Sharp had 28 receptions on 38 targets for 279 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran the ball 25 times for 133 yards and five touchdowns.

According to Pro Football Focus, 32 of his 38 targets were under 10 yards from the line of scrimmage.

His size and athleticism make him a unique fit for the Sooners, someone who can line up in a traditional tight end alignment but also in the backfield as a fullback. For Southeast Louisiana, Sharp was used as a wildcat quarterback at times and showed an adept ability to make plays with his legs.

As a receiver, Sharp averaged 7.5 yards after the catch per reception.

The Sooners needed some experience in the tight end room with Austin Stogner out of eligibility. They’re expected to receive a national letter of intent from [autotag]Davon Mitchell[/autotag], one of the best tight ends in the 2024 recruiting class. They also have [autotag]Kaden Helms[/autotag], a four-star prospect out of the 2022 signing class who has struggled to stay healthy, and [autotag]Kade McIntyre[/autotag], an athletic 2023 signee who saw limited playing time this season.

Bringing in a tight end with a couple of years of experience and someone that the coaching staff is high on makes sense for a young tight end room. Sharp gives the Sooners a veteran option at the position.

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Report Card: Sooners breeze through Arkansas State with big-time performances

The Oklahoma Sooners were fantastic in their win over Arkansas State, but how did they grade in this week’s Report Card?

Saturday allowed us to see team 129 in Oklahoma’s illustrious football history for the first time this season. This team entered the day with cautious optimism, but a cloud of last season’s disappointment still hungover over the program. Year two of Brent Venables’s tenure needed to start off with a bang, and his team did just that as they dismantled the Arkansas State Red Wolves 73-0.

The Sooners are on another level regarding raw talent than the Arkansas State Red Wolves. That is abundantly clear, but Oklahoma had to show it could dominate an inferior opponent. They also needed to showcase the improvements in recruiting and among their returning players.

Saturday was a fun, stress-free showcase of domination. Now that the first game is behind us, it’s time to dive deeper and hand out our first grades of the year in this week’s report card.

5 takeaways from the Oklahoma Sooners first official depth chart of 2023

5 takeaways from the Oklahoma Sooners first official depth chart of the 2023 season.

If there’s one thing that signals we are genuinely back for college football, it’s the release of the official depth charts for colleges across the country. .

Earlier Tuesday morning, Oklahoma’s official football account released the depth chart, helping paint a clearer picture of how this year’s team will be deployed. Several names who played sparingly last year or didn’t play at Oklahoma are now in starting roles for the Sooners.

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All offseason, Brent Venables stressed competitive depth as one of the biggest changes from last offseason to this offseason. It clearly shows up on paper as the depth chart has 21 different “OR” situations.

In many ways, the game against Arkansas State is a tryout for many players to solidify or leap someone at their respective positions. Below, we share our five takeaways from the first official depth chart.

A look at 2025 TE Chase Loftin, who picked up a recent Oklahoma offer

Oklahoma becomes the first college to offer 6-foot-5 2025 TE prospect Chase Loftin out of Nebraska.

2025 tight end Chase Loftin has knocked down a significant hurdle in becoming a collegiate athlete. He has finally secured his first scholarship offer, and it came thanks to the Oklahoma Sooners.

Loftin hails from Omaha, Nebraska. He played for Elkhorn North High School, where he grabbed 39 catches for 577 yards and five touchdowns. He also had duties as a punter, averaging almost 41 yards per punt.

Loftin showed up in Norman looking to compete at Brent Venables OU Camp, and Loftin did just that. At 6-foot-5 and 200 pounds, he has the requisite frame to grow into a collegiate tight end. Loftin has football in his DNA and a brother who is a redshirt freshman tight end at Oklahoma’s Big 12 foe, the Kansas State Wildcats.

As it stands, Oklahoma doesn’t have a tight end committed for 2025. Their top target has been five-star Davon Mitchell. Mitchell is a prospect that Oklahoma is the perceived leader for, but no commitment has happened just yet. Oklahoma could take Mitchell and a second commitment from another tight end like Loftin based on numbers. Mitchell is the caliber of player that is a take no matter the numbers, and you figure out the logistics along the way. Mitchell has been rumored to reclassify to the 2024 cycle, opening the door for Loftin to be the target in 2025.

Loftin will have a bit more of a magnifying glass on himself in the future. Now that he has an Oklahoma offer, his recruitment should see an uptick.

“It was awesome,” Loftin shared with Sooners Illustrated’s James D. Jackson about receiving the Sooners offer. “Probably the best moment of my life so far. When they brought me up, I wasn’t expecting it. It took me by surprise, for sure. It’s one I’ve wanted my whole life, so it’s a dream come true. It’s a dream school, for sure.”

Oklahoma is fresh off back-to-back years in landing a tight end from the state of Nebraska. [autotag]Kaden Helms[/autotag] in 2022 and [autotag]Kade McInytre[/autotag] from the 2023 class hailed from Nebraska.

Can Oklahoma’s budding relationship with Chase Loftin help them go 3/3 in the Cornhusker State recruiting tight ends? We’ll find out over the next 18 months.

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Kade McIntyre signs with the Oklahoma Sooners

Kade McIntyre, out of Fremont, Nebraska, signs with the Oklahoma Sooners.

The early signing period is underway, and the Oklahoma Sooners are beginning to put pen to paper with their [autotag]2023 recruiting class[/autotag].

Next to submit his national letter of intent for the Oklahoma Sooners is [autotag]Kade McIntyre[/autotag] out of Fremont, Neb. McIntyre, the No. 43 athlete in the nation, is projected to play tight end for the Oklahoma Sooners.

At 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, he has the natural size for the position and was incredible on the offensive side of the ball for the Knights. He recorded 11 rushing touchdowns and five touchdown receptions. He even threw a touchdown pass in 2022.

McIntyre was second on the team in rushing with 540 yards, averaging 7.5 yards per carry while leading the team in receiving yards with 413. He averaged 106.5 total yards per game.

He comes to Oklahoma as the only projected tight end in the 2023 recruiting class. Arriving in Norman, he’ll be behind [autotag]Austin Stogner[/autotag] and 2022 signees [autotag]Kaden Helms[/autotag] and [autotag]Jason Llewellyn[/autotag] on the depth chart. However, McIntyre’s dual-purpose ability could help him find opportunities on special teams or in Brayden Willis’ wildcat package if it reappears in 2023.

McIntyre is the No. 4 player in the state of Nebraska and has been committed to the Oklahoma Sooners since mid-June after his official visit on June 8. The Sooners earned McIntyre’s signature over Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas State, Minnesota, North Dakota State, Tennessee, and Wyoming.

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Ashton Sanders signs with the Oklahoma Sooners

During the early signing period, defensive tackle Ashton Sanders signed his national letter of intent for the Oklahoma Sooners.

The early signing period is underway, and the Oklahoma Sooners are beginning to put pen to paper with their [autotag]2023 recruiting class[/autotag].

After being committed to Cal and being courted heavily by Wisconsin, it’s the Oklahoma Sooners who landed three-star defensive lineman [autotag]Ashton Sanders[/autotag].

Though Oklahoma didn’t offer him a scholarship until late in the cycle, they worked quick to secure the commitment of the uber-athletic Sanders.

Sanders experienced a breakout season of sorts for Cathedral, racking up 12 sacks, 6.7 tackles per game, and 60 quarterback hurries. He lived in opposing teams’ backfields due to his quick get-off and strength.

At 300 pounds, Sanders’ best spot will likely be the nose tackle or one-technique spot for Brent Venables. He does have the athleticism to play defensive end in three-man fronts. That versatility will be invaluable for the Sooners, who want to use multiple defensive fronts to keep offenses off balance.

 

Like fellow signees [autotag]Taylor Wein[/autotag], [autotag]Erik McCarty[/autotag], and [autotag]Kade McIntyre[/autotag], Sanders has the tools to outperform his recruiting rating.

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