Kani Walker – Page 3 – Syndication Server

247Sports asks if the Oklahoma Sooners secondary can step up

247Sports reporter Chris Hummer’s one burning question for Oklahoma entering 2022: can the Sooners’ secondary step up?

Any doubt that follows the Oklahoma Sooners as they get set for the start of spring practice on March 22 is largely due to the losses on the defensive side of the football. Oklahoma lost five starters to the NFL and Pat Fields transferred to Stanford. Delarrin Turner-Yell and Fields’ departures leave a huge leadership void at the back end of the Sooners’ defense.

247Sports reporter Chris Hummer has one burning question for Oklahoma entering the 2022 season: can the Sooners’ secondary step up?

With so much new in Norman this spring, there are a number of pressing questions. Quarterback will be under the microscope. So will the o-line, wide receiver depth and the defensive scheme. But if there’s been a continued weakness for Oklahoma, it’s the secondary. Oklahoma never ranked better than 58^th in passing yards allowed per game under Lincoln Riley, and the team dropped all the way to 109^th last year after moderate improvements the previous two seasons.

Can it improve next year? Perhaps. But Brent Venables will have to work with rather similar personnel. There are two losses at safety with Delarrin Turner-Yell and Pat Fields moving on. Turner-Yell was probably the best player in the secondary and Fields might have been the worst. As for the returning cornerbacks, they’re all back. There’s also North Carolina transfer Trey Morrison, who projects to play safety, and Wyoming cornerback transfer C.J. Coldon.

Coldon and Morrison are experienced pieces who are near locks for the two-deep. But the ceiling of this room will be determined by younger pieces taking a step. Can Key Lawrence and Billy Bowman emerge as difference makers? Will D.J. Graham and Woodi Washington be better at cornerback after up-and-down debut seasons as starters? Can young players like Kani Walker, Jayden Rowe and Robert Spears-Jennings take a step? Those questions will define the Sooners’ spring. – Hummer, 247Sports.

It’s a fair question to ask. As Hummer points out, Oklahoma plummeted all the way to 109th nationally in passing yards allowed as the Sooners surrendered 261.8 passing yards per game and 26 passing touchdowns on the season. By comparison, the two top passing defenses in the Big 12 last season were Iowa State and Oklahoma State. The Cyclones ranked 11th nationally surrendering just 188.2 passing yards per game, while the Cowboys ranked 36th nationally allowing 210.2 yards per game.

One bit of good news for Oklahoma is that new head coach Brent Venables arrives with the pedigree of producing strong defenses annually. That should provide some form of an immediate boost. Clemson’s defense ranked 34th nationally after surrendering just 209.2 passing yards per game in 2021.

OU has plenty of options on the back end of its defense. Cornerback is boosted by the returns of both starters in D.J. Graham and Woodi Washington. C.J. Coldon comes over from Wyoming where he recorded 68 tackles and 10 pass breakups in 2021.

Key Lawrence showed serious flashes last season at both cornerback and safety. It’s likely he’ll slot in at safety alongside Justin Broiles. Morrison is another interesting option in OU’s defensive backfield. He made starts at both safety and nickel back for North Carolina last year.

Oklahoma also brings back cornerbacks Jaden Davis and Joshua Eaton as well in addition to the signings of Gentry Williams and Jayden Rowe. At safety, the Sooners also return Jordan Mukes and Bryson Washington and signed Robert Spears-Jennings. Defensive back Jamarrien Burt signed with Oklahoma, too.

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CBS tabs Brent Venables’ return to Oklahoma as one of the top spring storylines

CBS Sports reporter Dennis Dodd writes that Brent Venables taking over at Oklahoma is one of college football’s top spring storylines.

For a long time, the prevailing thought was that Brent Venables was too happy as Clemson’s defensive coordinator to accept any head coaching position. Why take on the stress of being a head coach when Venables’ compensation at $2.5 million was tops among assistant coaches?

Plus, Clemson won a pair of national championships under Venables’ watch and the Tigers’ defenses under Venables boasted the most sacks and tackles for loss nationally with 448 and 1,159, respectively. It would have to be the perfect opportunity to pry Venables away from all of that at Clemson.

Ultimately, that’s precisely what Oklahoma wound up being for Venables. Now, CBS Sports reporter Dennis Dodd writes that Venables’ return to Oklahoma is one of the top spring storylines as the gear up for the 2022 college football season gets underway.

Oklahoma looked in disarray after Riley bolted for USC. Who would the Sooners get of substance who was available? It ended up being Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables, who had previously been unavailable to basically everyone. After turning down interest from several schools over the years, Venables came “home”. The former Sooners defensive coordinator under Bob Stoops inherits a football factory in full flower. Watch the defense this spring; Oklahoma will play it better than it has in years. Take a long look. Venables is the face of the franchise as it transitions into the SEC. – Dodd, CBS Sports.

That’s certainly the expectation and buzz around Norman with Venables taking over. Folks anticipate a different defense moving forward into 2022 and beyond.

One of the big pieces of news heading into the offseason was the return of senior linebacker DaShaun White who racked up 66 tackles and five tackles for loss. The North Richland Hills, Texas, native’s 66 tackles were good for third best on the Sooners last season. White will be joined in a talented linebacker group by returnees Danny Stutsman, David Ugwoegbu, Brynden Walker, Joseph Wete and Shane Whitter. OU also added Appalachian State transfer T.D. Roof to go along with linebacker signees Jaren Kanak, Kip Lewis and Kobie McKinzie.

Oklahoma also brings back defensive tackle Jalen Redmond who appears prepared to blossom into this defense’s star up front. Over the course of his career, Redmond has collected 21.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks. The Sooners fortified themselves up front with the additions of Tulane transfer Jeffery Johnson and Hawaii transfer Jonah Laulu.

Plus, Isaiah Coe, Josh Ellison, Jordan Kelley and Kori Roberson return inside. There’s plenty of optimism at OU about the futures of Ethan Downs, Nathan Rawlins-Kibonge, Clayton Smith and Marcus Stripling, too.

In the secondary, the Sooners return their two starting cornerbacks in D.J. Graham and Woodi Washington. Key Lawrence played both corner and safety last season. It’s likely that Lawrence will start alongside Justin Broiles at OU’s two safety spots entering 2022. OU added competition on the back end via the transfer portal, though. Wyoming transfer C.J. Coldon, North Carolina transfer Trey Morrison and Louisville transfer Kani Walker will make things interesting for Oklahoma safeties and cornerbacks coaches Brandon Hall and Jay Valai during the spring and summer.

While it’s certainly a grand transition at Oklahoma, there’s plenty of reason to believe that Venables already possesses a roster capable of turning the corner defensively as soon as 2022. At Oklahoma, fans understandably don’t like to wait very long, so the Sooners’ expectations should be to redeem themselves by winning the 2022 Big 12 Championship and be back in the mix for a College Football Playoff berth.

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Key Lawrence tweets that OU ‘needs’ Georgia Tech transfer Wesley Walker

Oklahoma defensive back Key Lawrence voiced his support for OU to add Georgia Tech defensive back Wesley Walker out of the transfer portal.

Oklahoma has already bolstered its defensive backfield with three transfer portal additions in the form of Wyoming transfer C.J. Coldon, North Carolina transfer Trey Morrison and Louisville transfer Kani Walker.

If the Sooners coaching staff is listening to one of its star defensive backs, then Oklahoma shouldn’t be done adding out of the transfer portal. Oklahoma defensive back Key Lawrence tweeted his support for OU to pursue Georgia Tech defensive back transfer Wesley Walker.

WE NEED WESLEY WALKER @OU HE JUST ENTERED THE PORTAL ABSOLUTE DAWG I PROMISE THAT 💯💯💯

— KE(Y) LAWRENCE 💰C❌C (@KeShawn2x) February 20, 2022

Walker is a 6-foot-1, 204 pound defensive back out of Ensworth High School in Nashville, Tenn, where he was teammates with Lawrence. If Walker does in fact wind up at Oklahoma, it would add another Tennessee native to a roster that’s already highlighted by plenty of Volunteer State flair.

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Running back Eric Gray is from Memphis, defensive end Reggie Grimes is from Antioch, Tenn., and cornerback Woodi Washington is from Murfreesboro, Tenn.

Over the last two seasons at Georgia Tech, Walker recorded 93 tackles, two tackles for loss, a pair of forced fumbles and six passes defensed in 20 games. In Georgia Tech’s 31-27 win last season at Duke, Walker registered 10 tackles.

Coming out of high school, ESPN ranked Walker as a four-star signee, the nation’s No. 38 cornerback and the 14th highest-rated player out of Tennessee. Rivals and 247Sports both listed Walker as a three-star signee.

According to Rivals, Walker was the country’s No. 58 cornerback and Tennessee’s 18th-best player. 247Sports rated Walker as the nation’s No. 83 cornerback and the No. 30 player out of Tennessee. In the 247Sports composite rankings, Walker was No. 588 nationally, the No. 58 cornerback and the 19th-best player from Tennessee.

Again, Oklahoma head football coach Brent Venables has already added depth in the defensive backfield via the transfer portal, but the addition of another proven power-five playmaker and Walker’s relationship with Lawrence could be an attractive option and the perfect fit.

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ESPN includes Oklahoma as one of 10 teams that lost the most in the portal

ESPN’s Tom VanHaaren included Oklahoma among his 10 college football teams that lost the most in the transfer portal.

In an ESPN+ story, Tom VanHaaren explored which college football teams lost the most in the transfer portal. Oklahoma was one of his 10 schools that lost the most in the portal and he explored how the Sooners replaced that talent with the portal.

Despite losing a handful of really talented football players to other programs, OU head football coach Brent Venables actually managed it well by adding players from the portal to offset those departures. In fact, just a few short weeks ago VanHaaren had Oklahoma at No. 5 on his list of college football teams that were most helped by the transfer portal.

Van Haaren wrote this about the players that OU saw depart through the transfer portal in his “who’s leaving” section of his breakdown.

The Sooners didn’t see the quantity of players leave as some of the others on the list, but there were plenty of contributors who left the program.

The biggest name was freshman quarterback Caleb Williams, who’d supplanted Spencer Rattler as starting quarterback. Williams joined Lincoln Riley at USC, as did receiver Mario Williams, who was also a freshman at Oklahoma this past season.

Rattler and tight end Austin Stogner both transferred to South Carolina, and receiver Jadon Haselwood left for Arkansas. Haselwood is a former five-star who led the Sooners in receiving touchdowns this past season with six. The staff also saw defensive back Latrell McCutchin follow Riley to USC. – VanHaaren, ESPN.

Now, to the part that should excite Oklahoma fans. VanHaaren was pretty positive about what the Sooners have added in his “who’s coming in” breakdown.

When the number of players transferring out was first reported, it looked almost insurmountable for the new staff to replace all the departures. But Brent Venables and the coaches have done an excellent job replacing key players.

Replacing Williams at quarterback would be difficult no matter whom the coaches brought in, but Venables and new offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby added UCF transfer Dillon Gabriel. Lebby and Gabriel were together at UCF and have a level of comfortability, which is a big piece of the puzzle under center.

In addition to Gabriel, the staff also brought in offensive linemen Tyler Guyton and McKade Mettauer, as well as tight end Daniel Parker Jr. On defense, the staff added defensive backs C.J. Coldon, Trey Morrison and Kani Walker, as well as linebacker T.D. Roof. Hawaii defensive lineman Jonah Laulu and Jeffery Johnson were also added in what ended up being a big haul for the Sooners. – VanHaaren, ESPN.

In addition to Oklahoma’s 2022 signing class which ranks No. 8 in the team rankings on 247Sports, On3 and Rivals, the Sooners brought in players to help them out in a lot of different areas both offensively and defensively through the transfer portal.

“Well, I mean, we wouldn’t have brought them in—I’ll be honest, all nine of them—we wouldn’t have brought them in had we not felt the need for immediate help at those positions. Offensive line the depth there. Tight end, Parker being a really a devastating blocker. Looking at defensively, starting on the defensive line. Both inside and outside, having the chance with Jonah and Jeffery both being able to contribute right away. Being physical guys, guys with some tremendous experience. McKade on his side was a three-year starter, Jeffery I believe was a four-year starter. Just tremendous experience with all of them. Tyler Guyton, just a freshman last year, but played as a freshman for TCU. Really showed his athletic ability, what he was able to do as both an H-back and an offensive lineman. Looking at defensively, second and the third level. T.D. Roof, he’s been a tremendous player at the couple of the schools he was at. Just a great leader, coach’s kid that really the game comes easy to him. Just looking at again the secondary, Kani, Trey Morrison, both those guys give you a lot of versatility, some immediate depth with both some guys that left and guys that graduated both at safety and at corner,” Oklahoma head football coach Brent Venables said of his transfer additions on national signing day.

Venables also made it clear that all of the transfers were players he and his staff felt could contribute.

“I would be surprised if all nine of them don’t contribute right away. So, that’s the thinking really is, you know, you’re not bringing them in from an emergency standpoint. You’re really bringing them in to help you where you’re just a little light in your numbers. And again, these are guys that we also believe that can fit. Philosophically who they are as people, as leaders, just have maturity, experience. To me, really important that these are guys that were good players where they were at and bright futures where they were at. Maybe the right stop, but they looked at the Oklahoma opportunity as a very unique opportunity to be able to play at a place like Oklahoma where again there might be a position of need,” Venables said.

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Oklahoma defense has ‘good blend’ of returning players and newcomers

Oklahoma defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Ted Roof discussed what OU has added to its roster defensively.

Oklahoma is replacing six starters defensively, so there were always going to be plenty of new faces across the Sooners’ defense in 2022. It feels like quite the defensive overhaul, though, thanks to a rash of transfer portal additions, several late signees and a defensive coaching staff that’s brand new at every position group.

In addition to its 2022 signees, Oklahoma added transfer defensive linemen Jeffery Johnson from Tulane and Jonah Laulu from Hawaii; linebacker T.D. Roof from Appalachian State; and Wyoming transfer C.J. Coldon, North Carolina transfer Trey Morrison and Louisville transfer Kani Walker in the defensive backfield.

“The emphasis is get better at every spot, you know, because at a place like this, when you go through the grind of a season, you’ve got to have quality depth. One deep is not going to get it done. I know that we’ve got some guys that have started some games in the front, but we were able to address the defense at every level. Certainly, if you’re not winning up front on defense, you’re not going to win very many ball games. If you can’t get to the quarterback and you can’t stop the run, that’s going to be a long day at the office,” defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Ted Roof said on national signing day.

“We’ve got some guys returning that we’re really excited about. At the same time, needed to add depth there and we did between the portal and obviously high school. We’ve addressed it at every level and there’s opportunities. At the same time, really like what we’ve got here that were already on the roster, so I think it’ll be a good blend.”

Of course, Roof likes the numbers that Oklahoma has added across the board. Combining the signing class arrivals with transfer portal additions, OU is bringing in seven defensive linemen, four linebackers and seven defensive backs.

He also feels OU’s additions provide more than just balance in numbers across the board. According to Roof, they’re the right type of players to join Oklahoma.

“You want to as you recruit have the balance in your classes as you go along, but there were some things, opportunities and some things that were out of our control that created opportunities. When they came, we had to have first of all players that fit Oklahoma from a skill standpoint, from a character standpoint, from just a fit, because the longer that I’m in it, the more I believe it’s about getting players that fit where you are,” Roof said.

“Whether from a mentality standpoint, obviously from an ability standpoint, but from a work ethic standpoint, all those things where a guy has to fit because we’re a blue-collar program and you’ve got to work to be successful here. If you’re going to be in this program and be part of it, you’re going to have to put in the work and you’re going to have to grind, so getting the right type of young man in here was critical. Things had popped up where we knew some guys. I had recruited a couple of those kids before, so there was some opportunity there, some familiarity and it worked out.”

It makes sense because it’s the position group Roof will coach directly, but there’s a genuine excitement from the longtime collegiate coach about what Oklahoma already had at linebacker.

“You’ve got DaShaun [White] and David [Ugwoegbu], two of the older guys there that have played a lot of football who are doing a great job leading in the offseason program. You’ve got Shane [Whitter], you’ve got Joseph [Wete] and Danny [Stutsman]. You know, Danny has some real toughness and some grit and I love that about him that he’s shown so far. With Shane, the athleticism that he has, the speed. He’s got some real ability there and looking forward to working with those guys,” Roof said.

And, of course, what the Sooners are adding at linebacker as well.

“Then, have added a combination of three young guys and an older guy to that room. All of those guys are unique in what they bring. Jaren [Kanak] is, he’s really mature in his body. His strength numbers and speed and his measurables are all off the charts for somebody his age from where he is. He’s worked really hard to get there. Kobie McKinzie has a really high football IQ that, again, understands concepts and things of that nature. Kip Lewis has got a huge upside, a guy with a lot of ability and a lot of want-to. So, we’re looking forward to developing those three young men. And then, T.D., you know, he’s been around the block a time or two. It’s a good blend and excited about all of them, the unique things that they bring to the table. A couple of the grad transfers that we signed were captains at their schools, so, we’re putting leaders into our locker room as well from a grad transfer standpoint,” Roof said.

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The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel leaves Oklahoma out of his post-transfer portal early top 25 for 2022

The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel left Oklahoma out of his early top 25 for the 2022 football season in his post-transfer portal rankings.

The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel spent part of Friday defending his decision to leave Oklahoma out of his post-transfer portal early top 25 for the 2022 college football season.

The funny thing is I had Oklahoma No. 25 in January and barely heard a peep.

Left them out this time (mostly b/c a couple teams passed them) and the pitchforks are out.

— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) February 4, 2022

Mandel didn’t think much of Oklahoma in his “too early top 25” back on Jan. 11 either. He had the Sooners No. 25 then, just behind No. 24 Kansas State.

Oklahoma has been revolving door since Riley left; 14 starters, most notably QB Caleb Williams, have either turned pro or entered the portal. But UCF transfer QB Dillon Gabriel is a nice Plan B. He should have Marvin Mims and Theo Wease as targets. Brent Venables will need to rebuild in the front seven, though LB Danny Stutsman had a promising freshman season. Cornerbacks D.J. Graham and Woodi Washington are solid. – Mandel, The Athletic.

Clearly, Mandel is putting more stock into Oklahoma’s transfer portal and 2022 NFL Draft defections rather than the Sooners’ transfer portal additions. That starts with freshman quarterback Caleb Williams who passed for 1,912 yards and 21 touchdowns in seven starts.

It includes OU’s leading rusher in 2021, running back Kennedy Brooks. Oklahoma is also set to replace four of its top-five pass catchers. Wide receivers Michael Woods, Jadon Haselwood and Mario Williams are gone. Tight end Jeremiah Hall is off to the NFL Draft, too.

Offensive linemen Marquis Hayes and Tyrese Robinson elected to forego their extra seasons of eligibility and enter the NFL Draft was well.

Defensively, the Sooners will be replacing three of their top four tacklers (linebacker Brian Asamoah, safety Pat Fields and safety Delarrin Turner-Yell) and its top three sacks and tackles for loss producers (outside linebacker Nik Bonitto, defensive lineman Isaiah Thomas and defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey).

All of this is true. Leaving Oklahoma outside of the top 25 entirely and behind teams like Kentucky, USC, Minnesota, Cincinnati, Houston, Wisconsin and LSU feels a little crazy and a step too far, though.

Seemingly, Mandel doesn’t put much stock into Oklahoma’s transfer portal additions. UCF transfer quarterback Dillon Gabriel is the Sooners’ starter and he’s passed for over 8,000 yards and for 70 touchdowns over the course of 25 career starts.

Gabriel has a No. 1 target in wide receiver Marvin Mims, Oklahoma’s leading receiver each of the past two seasons with 1,315 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns in his two seasons combined.

Theo Wease is set to return from injury and OU got a good sign for the future when wide receiver Jalil Farooq caught three passes for 64 yards in Oklahoma’s 47-32 win over Oregon in the Valero Alamo Bowl.

The Sooners added offensive linemen McKade Mettauer from Cal and Tyler Guyton from TCU to help offset the losses of Hayes and Robinson up front. Mettauer made 28 starts at right guard for Cal over the past three seasons.

OU also added an infusion of transfer portal talent up front defensively to help weather the losses of Bonitto, Thomas and Winfrey. Defensive linemen Jeffery Johnson from Tulane and Jonah Laulu from Hawaii. Johnson and Laulu combined for 77 tackles and 6.5 sacks in 2021.

Oklahoma defensive tackle Jalen Redmond returns for the Sooners and he’s registered 21.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks in his Oklahoma career. At linebacker, OU got good news when DaShaun White decided to come back to Norman for another season. Plus, David Ugwoegbu and Danny Stutsman will be in the mix there.

In the secondary, OU adds Wyoming transfer C.J. Coldon, North Carolina transfer Trey Morrison, and Louisville transfer Kani Walker. That’s in addition to the return of OU’s starting cornerbacks from 2021 in D.J. Graham and Woodi Washington. Defensive back Key Lawrence, who was one of the Sooners’ best players defensively for a stretch of last season, also returns.

Mandel has Baylor as the highest-ranked Big 12 team at No. 11 and Oklahoma State at No. 15.

OU will get both Baylor and Oklahoma State at home in 2022. Mandel had Kansas State in his “just missed” section of his rankings alongside the Sooners. Oklahoma plays Kansas State at home in 2022 as well.

Mandel probably isn’t creating his rankings with teams’ schedules for next season in mind, but, if he was, that would be another reason it’s just difficult to envision Oklahoma ripping off the type of 8-4 or 9-3 season it would take for the Sooners to wind up outside the top 25 when it’s all said and done.

In the time being, a little bulletin board material never hurt anybody.

📝 💯 https://t.co/gyfFOubfNv

— Marvin Mims Jr. (@marvindmims) February 4, 2022

Oklahoma begins its first season with head coach Brent Venables on Sept. 3 against UTEP from Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.

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ESPN says a ‘wild Big 12 race’ one of college football’s top 2022 storylines

ESPN’s Bill Connelly included a potentially “wild Big 12 race” as one of his top storylines to watch in the 2022 college football season.

For the first time since the 2014 college football season, somebody other than Oklahoma won the Big 12 Championship. Of course, that was the Baylor Bears by virtue of their 21-16 win against Oklahoma State in the 2021 Big 12 Championship.

Now, in an ESPN+ story, Bill Connelly lists another potentially wild Big 12 race as one of the 2022 college football storylines he’s already looking forward to.

While winning their respective power conferences, Georgia (SEC), Michigan (Big Ten), Pittsburgh (ACC) and Utah (Pac-12) combined to win five conference games by one score. Baylor played five such conference games and won four, including a conference championship game won by five points and 1 inch. Big 12 runner-up Oklahoma State won two, lost two others and won all four of its nonconference games (including the Fiesta Bowl) by one score as well. Iowa State lost four one-score Big 12 games, and Texas lost five.

Tight games were rampant in the Big 12, in other words. The conference ended up with five teams ranked between 12th and 21st in SP+, plus two more in the top 50. Having no elite teams but lots of good ones means endless wild finishes, and unless Texas enjoys a massive second-year leap under Steve Sarkisian or Oklahoma does the same in Brent Venables’ head-coaching debut, we should see more of the same in 2022. And just imagine what will happen when the league adds Cincinnati, BYU, Houston and UCF in the coming years. – Connelly, ESPN.

Oklahoma may or may not stick around and play a Big 12 season with the additions of BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF to the conference, but the Sooners certainly appear locked into the Big 12 for 2022.

As Connelly writes, it should be a fascinating race in 2022. Baylor and Oklahoma State return their starting quarterbacks, Gerry Bohanon and Spencer Sanders, respectively.

It’s tough to gauge Texas this early, but the Longhorns did add 247Sports’ former No. 1 player nationally from the 2021 recruiting class in quarterback Quinn Ewers.

Kansas State added Nebraska transfer quarterback Adrian Martinez to go along with star running back Deuce Vaughn in its backfield, so the Wildcats could be a dark horse candidate to contend in 2022. TCU brings back quarterbacks Max Duggan and Chandler Morris, while Texas Tech has young signal-caller Donovan Smith.

Then, there’s Oklahoma with first-year head coach Brent Venables.

With UCF transfer quarterback Dillon Gabriel arriving in Norman, Oklahoma will have a starting quarterback that has made 25 career starts entering 2022. The Sooners have a defined No. 1 at wide receiver, junior-to-be Marvin Mims, too.

Oklahoma addressed its 2022 NFL draft defections up front by adding Tulane transfer Jeffery Johnson and Hawaii transfer Jonah Laulu. OU also brought in Wyoming transfer C.J. Coldon, Trey Morrison and Kani Walker in its defensive backfield.

OU was several special teams gaffes and one failed final offensive drive away from beating Oklahoma State in Stillwater to play Baylor in the 2021 Big 12 Championship.

There’s all sorts of way-too-early predictions out there from a variety of media entities. Athlon Sports’ Steven Lassan ranked OU No. 2 in his first 2022 Big 12 power rankings behind Baylor.

All of this is to say that Oklahoma shouldn’t be discounted in any conversations about who will emerge as the 2022 Big 12 champion.

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.

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.

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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.

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2022 ATH/CB Jamarrien Burt forecasted to Oklahoma by Rivals

SoonerScoop co-publisher and recruiting editor Josh McCuistion put in a Rivals FutureCast for cornerback Jamarrien Burt to Oklahoma.

It looks like this recruiting weekend might soon lead to a commitment and eventual signing for Oklahoma.

SoonerScoop co-publisher and recruiting editor Josh McCuistion of the Rivals network submitted a FutureCast for 2022 athlete and cornerback Jamarrien Burt to Oklahoma.

OU #FutureCast for 2022 CB Jamarrien Burt

⭐⭐⭐️2022 CB
6'1” / 175
🏫 Forrest HS (Ocala, FL)
✍️ By Josh McCuistion
🎤⬇️ Oklahoma Insiderhttps://t.co/0ed2IiPwMT #CHO23N #Sooners

— Crimson & Cream Recruiting (@OUCrystalBall) January 24, 2022

Burt was one of several players across the 2022 and 2023 classes that visited OU this past weekend. As Bryant Crews touched on in that piece, Burt wasn’t on the previous Oklahoma coaching staff’s radar, but he quickly decided to take an official visit to Norman after receiving an offer from the current Sooner staff.

Horns down 😂❤️🤍@JR_Sandlin pic.twitter.com/fo5futqFAR

— Jamarrien burt (@DaRealBurt23) January 22, 2022

Burt is a 6-foot-1, 175 pound prospect out of Ocala, Fla. He originally committed to Florida last summer on June 24, 2021, but Burt decommitted from the Gators back on Nov. 21.

Burt has played on both sides of the football at Forest High School in Ocala. His ability to play both offense and defense has him listed as an athlete by 247Sports and as a wide receiver by ESPN. On3 and Rivals both have Burt listed as a cornerback.

247Sports ranks Burt as the nation’s No. 27 athlete in the 2022 class and the 54th-best player from the state of Florida. ESPN rates Burt as the country’s No. 54 wide receiver and the state of Florida’s 49th-best prospect.

On3 ranks Burt as the No. 45 cornerback and Florida’s 56th highest-rated recruit in the 2022 class. According to Rivals, Burt is the No. 57 cornerback and 80th-best player from Florida.

In the On3 consensus rankings, Burt is ranked as the No. 408 player overall and the No. 40 cornerback. Meanwhile, in the 247Sports composite rankings, Burt checks in at No. 458 nationally and as the No. 28 athlete.

Jamarrien Burt’s Recruiting Profile

Rating

	Stars	Overall	State	Position
247Sports	3	N/A	54	27
Rivals	3	N/A	80	57
ESPN	4	N/A	49	54
247 Composite	3	458	58	28
On3 Recruiting	3	N/A	56	45
On3 Composite	4	408	53	40

If Burt does wind up committing and eventually signing with Oklahoma on Feb. 2 during National Signing Day, he will join a class that includes the following players in the defensive backfield: safety signee Robert Spears-Jennings, cornerback signee Jayden Rowe and cornerback commit Gentry Williams.

Oklahoma currently has the No. 8 class nationally according to On3‘s consensus team rankings and the No. 10 class according to 247Sports and Rivals‘ team rankings.

The Sooners have also added three players to their defensive backfield via the transfer portal: cornerback C.J. Coldon from Wyoming, defensive back Trey Morrison from North Carolina and cornerback Kani Walker from Louisville.

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