Tag: Kendel Dolby

Report Card: Sooners pass biggest test of the season in win over Texas

The Sooners won an instant classic against their rivals from Texas 34-30. We went and graded every position group’s performance.

Oklahoma’s win over Texas was a significant notch in the belt of head coach Brent Venables. It also signified the revitalization of Oklahoma football, just a year removed from getting blasted 49-0 in the same stadium by the Longhorns.

Venables’ team spent the entire offseason leveling up and striving to return to the standard people have become accustomed to.

This season, the Sooners handled everything that came their way. Every setback or adversity they faced in their first five games prepared them for Saturday in Dallas. The entire team and coaching staff handled it masterfully as the Sooners beat Texas, 34-30.

It was the most complete performance of the season, and some of the most significant areas the Sooners needed to work on after last season’s 6-7 record were on full display. After passing a test like that, it’s time to pass out some grades. It’s report card time.

Brent Venables provides injury updates on several Oklahoma Sooners

With Oklahoma set to open Big 12 play, Brent Venables offered an injury update on several Sooners.

This offseason, the Oklahoma Sooners’ coaching staff highlighted their improved “competitive depth” from the 2022 season. That depth is being put to the test early in 2023, as injuries to several starters will force the Sooners to go deeper into the roster.

The most notable, at this point, is the knee injury suffered by starting cheetah Justin Harrington, who missed the Tulsa game. Though there’s no official timetable for his recovery, it’s not looking like he’ll be back anytime soon for the Oklahoma Sooners.

The Sooners turned to [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag], [autotag]Kip Lewis[/autotag], and [autotag]Kendel Dolby[/autotag] at cheetah with Dasan McCullough out of action with his own injury. McCullough’s expected to be back for the Sooners this week when they travel to Cincinnati.

There are several other names to keep an eye on. [autotag]Savion Byrd[/autotag] left the Sooners win over Tulsa with an undisclosed injury. He was replaced by a combination of [autotag]Cayden Green[/autotag] and [autotag]Troy Everett[/autotag].

[autotag]Reggie Pearson[/autotag], [autotag]R Mason Thomas[/autotag], and [autotag]Jasiah Wagoner[/autotag] are dealing with ailments of their own. And like Byrd, Brent Venables is “hopeful” for those guys. Now does that mean they’ll be available this week? Time will tell.

Pearson and Thomas are significant members of the Sooners defensive depth chart. Wagoner had an offseason that impressed the coaches and those in attendance at practices.

Also notable, youngsters [autotag]Phil Picciotti[/autotag] and [autotag]Jayden Rowe[/autotag] will have season-ending surgeries.

Picciotti, a true freshman linebacker, hadn’t recorded a snap through three games. Coaches were impressed with the offseason the New Jersey native and IMG Academy talent put together, but he’ll redshirt for 2023 and continue to work toward being an impact player in 2024.

Jayden Rowe, the Tulsa native, will also be out for the remainder of the year. He was a four-star prospect in the 2022 recruiting class and has played 22 snaps for the Sooners across his first two seasons.

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Report Card: Saturday against Tulsa was about passing final nonconference test with flying colors

Oklahoma dominated Tulsa from beginning to end. Take a look as we go position by position and hand out grades for the performance.

Saturday’s dismantling of Tulsa was a much-needed conclusion for the Sooners to their nonconference schedule. The Sooners needed to erase any doubts, bouncing back and disposing of teams handily after a grind-it-out win against SMU.

The concerns about the conservative nature of the offense against SMU were put to rest as Oklahoma slung the ball all over the field for 476 yards.

Defensively, the Sooners grounded the Tulsa passing attack, allowing less than 250 yards through the air.

It was a convincing win and a pleasant, feel-good tuneup before they turn their heads to Cincinnati. Big 12 play is upon them, but before we turn the page, let’s pass out grades for this weekend’s performances.

Five Takeaways from Oklahoma’s dominating win over in-state foe Tulsa

Oklahoma brought the hammer down on in-state foe Tulsa on Saturday as they won 66-17. We have our five takeaways from the game.

Oklahoma wrapped up their nonconference schedule for the 2023 regular season on Saturday with pure domination of their in-state foe, the Tulsa Golden Hurricane. Oklahoma blew the doors off Tulsa 66-17.

From the outset, the Sooners had a weird start as starting receiver and kick returner Jalil Farooq fumbled the opening kick to Tulsa. But from then on, the Sooners were in control.

The week there was a lot of focus on Oklahoma’s offense and the conservative approach against SMU.

Jeff Lebby answered those concerns quickly, and the defense continued their improved and inspired play on the way to a runaway victory.

With the game fresh on our minds, here are our five takeaways from Oklahoma’s win.

Oklahoma Sooners roll pass the Tulsa Golden Hurricane 66-17

Dillon Gabriel threw five touchdowns and the Sooners had five interceptions on defense to beat Tulsa 66-17 to close nonconference play.

The Oklahoma Sooners ended their nonconference slate undefeated for the seventh year in a row. The Sooners knocked off in-state opponent, the [autotag]Tulsa Golden Hurricane[/autotag] to the tune of 66-17.

The first quarter started off with a massive kick return before [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] was stripped, resulting in the first turnover of the season for the Sooners.

But five plays later, Tulsa took a deep shot that was picked off by [autotag]Gentry Williams[/autotag]. Two plays later, Gabriel found Farooq for the 34-yard touchdown.

The Sooners then forced a punt before the offense went on a methodical 11-play drive resulting in a touchdown pass from Gabriel to [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag]. On the ensuing Tulsa possession, [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] intercepted quarterback Roman Fuller and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown.

On the following drive, [autotag]Kendel Dolby[/autotag] picked off Fuller for the third time, resulting in a short field for the offense. They cashed in with another touchdown pass to Stoops to go up 28-0 to end the first quarter.

The Golden Hurricane finally got something going after [autotag]Cardell Williams[/autotag] came in to replace Roman Fuller. He was able to convert several third downs before finding [autotag]Marquis Shoulders[/autotag] in the end zone after [autotag]Makari Vickers[/autotag] got caught peeking into the backfield.

The Sooners responded with a 28-yard touchdown pass from Gabriel to [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] on a 3rd and 11.

Williams went back to work, picking apart several soft spots in the Sooners coverage. Tulsa got back into the end zone when Williams found Devan Williams on an out-and-up, beating Reggie Pearson in coverage.

On the following possession, Dillon Gabriel threw his first interception of the year trying to take a deep shot to [autotag]Gavin Freeman[/autotag].

The Sooners ended the half with a great drive that chewed up the clock but couldn’t punch it in, settling for a field goal. After it was a masterful first half for the Sooners, their inability to score a touchdown after getting to the Tulsa 23 yard line with more than a minute to play and all three timeouts left a lot to be desire. Oklahoma settled for a field goal to go into the break 38-14.

The Sooners outgained Tulsa 371-200 in the first half. The Sooners also didn’t punt in the first half. The only blemish on what was a fantastic first half were the two turnovers.

Tulsa started the second half with a great drive but Oklahoma stoned them once they got to the two-yard line forcing a field goal.

The rest of the quarter belonged to the Sooners, who scored 21 points, including two 40+ yard touchdown passes to Nic Anderson. One of those came from Gabriel, his fifth of the day, and the other from [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag].

[autotag]Key Lawrence[/autotag] came away with the Sooners fourth interception of the day in the third quarter to run away from the Golden Hurricane.

The fourth quarter was much like the third as [autotag]Trace Ford[/autotag] picked off Williams and took it to the four-yard line before [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag] capped off the scoring with his first touchdown of the season.

The Sooners outgained Tulsa 596-292. The Sooners continued to find success on third-down success, going 7 of 9. Dillon Gabriel had another impressive performance, completing 28-31 attempts for 421 yards and five touchdowns. The 421 yards passing are the fourth most in Gabriel’s career and this is the fourth time in his career with five or more touchdowns.

Three wide receivers went over 100 yards on the day. Jalil Farooq led the way with six receptions for 126 yards and a touchdown. Farooq also had three kick returns for 105 yards, including the 62-yard return to open the game. Andrel Anthony continued his strong 2023 season, catching four passes for 112 yards, while Anderson tallied three receptions for 120 yards and three touchdowns.

Drake Stoops added a pair of scores and caught eight passes for 53 yards.

The defense was impressive yet again, holding the nation’s 26th-ranked rushing attack to 75 total yards on 1.6 yards per carry. The Sooners also created five interceptions and were credited with three sacks in the contest.

Danny Stutsman led the Sooners with nine total tackles, two tackles for loss, and the interception. Tulsa native and one of this week’s captains, Gentry Williams was second on the team in tackles with six. He also had a tackle for loss and an interception in his homecoming.

The Oklahoma Sooners are 3-0 to start the season and will face their first true test when they travel to Cincinnati to open Big 12 play.  The Sooners take on the Bearcats at 11:00 a.m. CT as part of Fox Big Noon Kickoff.

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Cornerback competition heating up for the Sooners

Jasiah Wagoner making strong push for the cornerback position opposite Woodi Washington.

During fall camp there are several position battles for fans to keep their eyes on. One that might be the most competitive but is flying under the radar is the cornerback position opposite [autotag]Woodi Washington[/autotag].

While many, including myself, think [autotag]Gentry Williams[/autotag] will ultimately come out on top, true freshman [autotag]Jasiah Wagoner[/autotag] is turning heads. The Washington native stands at 5 feet, 11 inches and 177 pounds.

Anytime you read notes from camp, you continue to read positive things about Wagoner. Coming out of high school, Wagoner was someone people believed had some of the best pure ball skills. That his instincts and ability to disrupt in the passing game were second to none. He has proved those statements right with the plays he’s made in camp.

Wagoner said he believes his best attribute is his aggression.

“Teams might think just because I’m a corner, I can’t tackle,” Wagoner said. “Just being an all-around football player that’s what’s most important and being physical is the most important thing.”

Wagoner said he looks up to Washington for advice.

“Just his experience and the fact that when all of the corners came on the team, he didn’t really look at us as competition, he knew that he was going to start and play because he’s the guy that’s been here for a while,” Wagoner said. “But he’s just worried about helping us out, so I appreciate that.”

Whoever comes out on top whether it’s Wagoner, Williams or someone such as [autotag]Kendel Dolby[/autotag], who doesn’t get mentioned enough, you know it was quite a battle and the best man came out on top.

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5 storylines to follow as the Oklahoma Sooners get set to open fall camp

As the Oklahoma Sooners get set to open fall camp, here are five storylines to follow ahead of the 2023 season.

You can taste it. We are so close to the start of the 2023 college football season.

Some teams that will play in Week 0 have already started fall practice. For everyone else, such as the Oklahoma Sooners, they start this week. The first event on the horizon is OU football media days on Tuesday.

The summer is filled with official visits and major recruiting events. The Sooners just concluded their summer recruiting efforts with “Sooners under the Stars” and “Party at the Palace.” They’ve put a good foot forward and have already reaped the rewards of their efforts.

But the dead period starts Tuesday, so it’s time for these teams to lock in and get ready for the season.

Oklahoma kicks off fall camp on Thursday and there are a number of storylines to look for. Whether that’s position battles or progress from players from a year ago, we’ll have you covered throughout camp here on Sooners Wire.

So, without further adieu, let’s take a look at the five storylines I’m looking for this fall camp.

Oklahoma Sooners’ cornerbacks balance experience with youth

It’s been a while since the cornerbacks have had this much depth. While some of it is unproven there’s still a lot of talent that remains.

The next position we look at in this summer’s position breakdown is cornerback.

It has been a while since the Sooners have had this much depth at cornerback. While much of it is unproven in the wake of the departure of Jaden Davis, a great deal of talent remains.

Woodi Washington, who has been a mainstay since the 2020 season, returns hoping for his best season yet. He is one of Pro Football Focus’ best-returning cornerbacks in the Big 12.

The key is who will step up to replace C.J. Coldon, who was a pleasant surprise toward the end of last season.

Three names are vying for that position and that’s [autotag]Gentry Williams[/autotag], [autotag]Kendel Dolby[/autotag] and [autotag]Jasiah Wagoner[/autotag].

Dolby was an elite junior college player last season. He was ranked as the top corner and the fifth overall player.

Williams is in Year 2 in the scheme. He has great speed and athleticism, and he is an aggressive player who challenges the ball in the air. He has substantial ability.

Wagoner is a true freshman who impressed during spring ball.

All three would be a good option, but all figure to be a factor this season, rotating in and out of both corner positions. Wagoner, in particular, looks to be a great option to work in the slot as a true freshman.

Kani Walker is another player to watch. There was a great deal of hype for him last offseason, but he couldn’t put it all together. Now a sophomore and not dealing with the transition from Louisville, Walker could be a factor. He has the size and the tools to be an impact player on the outside.

This position, combined with the safeties, is probably the best position group on the defense. They have more depth than the other positions, and we’ll see how it translates to the field.

As long as there can be somewhat of a pass rush, these guys should do a good job in coverage. It’s been a while since the Sooners have had a good secondary, but they have a chance to be just that and then some.

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Oklahoma cornerback Jaden Davis enters the transfer portal

Oklahoma Sooners cornerback Jaden Davis enters the transfer portal.

The second transfer window is underway, and Oklahoma has lost another player to the portal. Senior cornerback [autotag]Jaden Davis[/autotag] announced via social media that he’s entering the transfer portal.

In his announcement, Davis said, “Thank you Sooner Nation for everything. I’ll be entering the transfer portal as a graduate transfer with one year of eligibility remaining.”

Davis started 21 games in his Oklahoma career, according to Pro Football Focus, including nine games in 2022. He fell out of favor late in the season with the emergence of [autotag]C.J. Coldon[/autotag].

The Oklahoma Sooners have added a lot of cornerback talent in an attempt to rebuild their secondary in [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag]’ second year in Norman. With the additions of [autotag]Jayden Rowe[/autotag] and [autotag]Gentry Williams[/autotag] in 2022 and [autotag]Makari Vickers[/autotag], [autotag]Kendel Dolby[/autotag] and Jasiah Wagoner in 2023, the Sooners brought in a number of players that were signed by this coaching staff.

This transfer portal season has been one of attrition to the Grinch defense. A number of players have departed that weren’t really factoring into the defensive rotation.

Though Davis had become a veteran member of the secondary, practice reports were high on Wagoner, Dolby and Vickers in their first offseason with the Sooners.

Sooners offer JUCO DL Michael Nwokocha

Oklahoma looks to the JUCO ranks as they send an offer to DL Michael Nwokocha.

While the 2024 recruiting board is being filled with high school prospects, Oklahoma is exploring every avenue to add talent. One of their recent offers reflects this as they pursue JUCO defensive linemen Michael Nwokocha.

Nwokocha stands six-foot-five and is listed at 290 pounds, according to Tyler Junior College’s official website. Nwokocha tallied 2.5 sacks and 22 total tackles in five games.

Nwokocha looks to have the frame of a guy that could play over 300 pounds and would work at both defensive tackle spots in four-man fronts or play defensive end in three-man fronts for the Sooners.

 

In addition to his size, Nwokocha can run for a guy of his stature. That combination of size and speed makes for an intriguing developmental player that would have three years of eligibility remaining.

He’s also received Power Five offers from TCU, Arizona State, and Indiana.

The Sooners recently landed a commitment from another Tyler Junior College transfer in quarterback General Booty. They signed defensive back Kendel Dolby in December from a Northeastern Oklahoma A&M. Dolby joined the Sooners as a mid-year enrollee.

The Sooners have another talented JUCO find along the defensive line already. Returning senior Isaiah Coe was once a JUCO transfer. Coe has carved out a nice role for himself. He’ll look to expand that role this offseason with an opportunity to start at defensive tackle in 2023.

Nwokocha’s recruitment may not be a long one. Still, with Oklahoma’s pedigree and his potential to play multiple spots, the Sooners are in an advantageous position to sign him.

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