Tag: Markus Strong

Oklahoma Sooners transfer target announces official visit date

Looking to add some more depth to the defensive tackle room, the Oklahoma Sooners will be hosting transfer target Philip Blidi on an official visit in April.

The [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] may have windows, but those windows seem to never truly close. The Oklahoma Sooners are looking to add to their defensive line depth this offseason with a pursuit of Indiana defensive tackle transfer Philip Blidi.

The former Hoosier announced he’d be visiting OU on an official visit the weekend of April 19-21. (UPDATED after Blidi corrected his tweet that stated April 12).

Blidi, who spent three years at Texas Tech before transferring to Indiana in 2023, recorded 30 tackles and four tackles for loss for the Hoosiers last season.

In 2022 with the Red Raiders, Blidi had 18 total tackles, four tackles for loss, and two sacks. At 6-foot-3 and 295 pounds, Blidi is a force in the middle.

The Oklahoma Sooners are light on experience at defensive tackle after Jacob Lacey was forced to medically retire. The only defensive tackle that played more than 100 snaps for the Sooners a year ago is [autotag]Da’Jon Terry[/autotag].

Oklahoma has some talented up-and-comers like [autotag]Gracen Halton[/autotag], [autotag]Ashton Sanders[/autotag], [autotag]Markus Strong[/autotag], [autotag]David Stone[/autotag], and [autotag]Jayden Jackson[/autotag]. However, if the Sooners feel like they need more experience taking snaps next to Terry, Blidi would be a good option.

In 2023, Blidi played 444 snaps for Indiana’s defense and was the third highest-graded player on Indiana’s defense, according to Pro Football Focus.

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‘Definitely handling my business’: David Stone knows what he needs to do to see the field early

With the loss of Jacob Lacey, it’s time for the younger guys to step up and David Stone knows what he needs to do.

The Oklahoma Sooners will return one of the more experienced defenses in all of college football in 2024. The one spot that doesn’t have a lot of snaps to its ledger is the interior defensive line.

They bring back [autotag]Da’Jon Terry[/autotag], who played 306 snaps at defensive tackle last season. [autotag]Davon Sears[/autotag], who played a lot for Texas State prior to his arrival to Norman, didn’t play much for the Sooners in 2023. Neither did former four-star [autotag]Gracen Halton[/autotag] or 2023 signees [autotag]Ashton Sanders[/autotag] or [autotag]Markus Strong[/autotag].

Outside of Terry, no other Sooners defensive tackle played more than 100 snaps last season

There are some talented players with potential, but not much in the way of experience.

That’s why it was such a big loss when Jacob Lacey stepped away from the game due to a medical issue. Lacey led the defensive tackle position in snaps last season and was expected to start in 2024. With experienced depth lacking on the roster, the younger guys will have every opportunity to get on the field and make plays.

Someone who has an opportunity to fill that void is [autotag]David Stone[/autotag]. Last week the newcomers did a round of interviews and Stone spoke about what he needs to do to get on the field.

“Definitely handling my business,” Stone said. “Limiting the amount of errors that I make. As a freshman, that’s something that people tend to do is make mistakes but if I want to see the field, I know that’s something I’ve got to limit. I have very small room for error when it comes to technique so I just have to make sure I stay on top of things like that and learning the playbook.”

Defensive tackle is one of the positions that be difficult to make an impact early. They level of talent and physicality takes a significant step up from high school to college and from college to the NFL.

While the physical side is always tough, the mental side can be just as tough, if not more so, for incoming freshmen, especially in a complicated Brent Venables defense. But if Stone can figure things out and get the mental side down, he could be in for a big year.

Stone is no stranger to transition after moving from Del City to IMG Academy to play out his final two years of high school ball. He’s also no stranger to playing against the best as IMG attempted to schedule as difficult a slate of games as possible to highlight their athlete.

Every step of the way, David Stone has risen to the occasion. With his ability and mentality, there’s no reason to doubt he can’t come in and be an impact player in year one.

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DT Jacob Lacey announces return to the Sooners for 2024 season

The Oklahoma Sooners defensive line continues to get a boost after Jacob Lacey announced his return for the 2024 season.

Though the Oklahoma Sooners have suffered a lot of losses on the offensive side of the ball, the defense is retaining players left and right.

Billy Bowman and Danny Stutsman opted to return to Oklahoma instead of a potential top-100 draft selection. Yesterday, Da’Jon Terry announced his return. Coming back to help Terry man the middle for the Sooners will be [autotag]Jacob Lacey[/autotag].

Lacey transferred to Oklahoma from Notre Dame last offseason and became a significant part of the Sooners defensive tackle rotation. Lacey was 11th in defensive snaps, but led the defensive tackle position with 363 snaps in 2023.

In 2023, Lacey recorded 16 total tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and a sack. And while those numbers may not be eye-popping, but he and his defensive tackle mates helped improve Oklahoma’s run defense and in particular their short-yardage defense.

In short, they did the dirty work.

Lacey and Terry provide the Sooners veteran leadership at the position as the Sooners continue to bring along [autotag]Gracen Halton[/autotag], [autotag]Ashton Sanders[/autotag], and [autotag]Markus Strong[/autotag] as well as the Sooners vaunted 2024 defensive tackle class projected to be headlined by [autotag]David Stone[/autotag] and [autotag]Jayden Jackson[/autotag].

Lacey and his defensive tackle teammates will be instrumental in the Sooners success when they move to the SEC next year.

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Defensive line depth Oklahoma’s biggest need for its 2024 recruiting class per ESPN

ESPN analyzed the biggest needs for the top 25 schools in their 2024 recruiting rankings. DL depth the biggest need for the Sooners.

This week, ESPN examined the 2024 recruiting landscape as less than four months stand between us and the early signing period. For Oklahoma, they sit in an advantageous position. They comfortably have a top-25 recruiting class and are on the cusp of potentially landing three more commitments over the next week. It all starts with five-star defensive tackle [autotag]David Stone[/autotag] on Saturday evening.

David Stone’s recruitment means a lot to Oklahoma. He’s been arguably the top priority in the cycle for two years. Not only is he a must-get because of his talent, but the Sooners have to earn his commitment because of how many upperclassmen they have on their defensive line.

After this season, they could see a multitude of interior defensive linemen depart the program for graduation or to play in the NFL. Because of that, ESPN lists Oklahoma’s most significant need for their 2024 class as defensive line depth.

Craig Haubert of ESPN analyzed the biggest needs for the top 25 recruiting classes, and here’s what he had to say about the No. 15 ranked Sooners (ESPN+).

The Sooners must improve their defense and get stronger in the trenches as they prepare to move to the SEC. They began to address those changes last cycle with several signings led by elite edge prospect Adepoju Adebawore, multiple three-stars and transfer portal additions. But 2023 ESPN 300 signee Derrick Leblanc has already transferred from the program, and Oklahoma’s current unit is heavy on upperclassmen. Five-star DL David Stone is expected to decide soon, and the Sooners are in a good position for the Oklahoma native, who plays at IMG. Stone is an explosive and agile big man that could immediately contribute. ESPN 300 DE Nigel Smith could be another key addition and is expected to decide in early September. LSU would love to keep Dominick McKinley at home, but the Sooners are contenders here as well, as they look to address this need in a potentially big way. – Haubert, ESPN

Oklahoma’s surplus of upperclass defensive linemen should serve them well as they look to bounce back from an abysmal defensive performance in 2022.

As Haubert points out, the interior of the defensive line is dependent on the veterans making an impact this season. There are intriguing youngsters inside like [autotag]Gracen Halton[/autotag], [autotag]Ashton Sanders[/autotag], [autotag]Kelvin Gilliam[/autotag], and [autotag]Markus Strong[/autotag], but we’ve yet to see them take significant snaps at the collegiate level.

It makes Stone’s decision even more critical. It also adds to the importance of [autotag]Nigel Smith[/autotag] II’s impending decision. Four-star EDGE [autotag]Danny Okoye[/autotag], a star from Oklahoma, also becomes a must-have for the Sooners.

The Sooners don’t just want these three talented defensive linemen. They need them. Oklahoma looks like they have been lapped by Texas, who seems to have run away from OU in the recruitment of [autotag]Dominick McKinley[/autotag].

Oklahoma has commitments from defensive tackle [autotag]Jayden Jackson[/autotag] and [autotag]Wyatt Gilmore[/autotag]. With all that said, Oklahoma has a promising chance to add some defensive line depth for next season in the coming weeks and months. It’s about finishing and closing the deal for the Sooners, something they have shown us they aren’t afraid to do.

Oklahoma Sooners pass rush will be better in 2023

With added talent and more experience, the Oklahoma Sooners pass rush will be much better in 2023 than it was a year ago.

Among the many issues the Oklahoma Sooners ran into when they entered Big 12 play was the dropoff of their pass rush. In a defense predicated on pressure, the Sooners finished tied for 64th in the nation with 2.15 sacks per game. Much of that success came in their nonconference, when the Sooners defense was looking pretty good. Once they entered Big 12 play, the pass rush was a different story.

The losses of [autotag]Nik Bonitto[/autotag], [autotag]Isaiah Thomas[/autotag], and [autotag]Perrion Winfrey[/autotag] were felt up front as Oklahoma broke in several new starters along the defensive line.

There was solid play from guys like [autotag]Reggie Grimes[/autotag], who got off to a hot start to the season, and [autotag]Ethan Down[/autotag]s, who closed the season strong. However, the play from their defensive line was inconsistent, and that was felt throughout the back seven.

With Downs and Grimes returning, along with other prominent fixtures in the defensive line rotation like [autotag]Isaiah Coe[/autotag] and [autotag]Jordan Kelley[/autotag], there’s hope that the Sooners’ pass rush will be improved this year.

[autotag]R Mason Thomas[/autotag] showed flashes last fall, as did [autotag]Gracen Halton[/autotag] in the spring. Both Thomas and Halton play with incredible quickness that they can create pressure in a hurry.

With more experience and another year of development, Oklahoma’s key returners along the defensive line will play a big part in the Sooners’ pressure resurgence.

But the Sooners’ coaching staff didn’t sit on their hands and assume the defensive front would develop. Brent Venables and his crew attacked the transfer portal with the same intensity that he coaches.

Oklahoma Added four defensive tackles in [autotag]Davon Sears[/autotag], [autotag]Jacob Lacey[/autotag], [autotag]Phillip Paea[/autotag], and [autotag]DaJon Terry[/autotag]. They also added defensive ends [autotag]Rondell Bothroyd[/autotag] and [autotag]Trace Ford[/autotag]. [autotag]Dasan McCullough[/autotag], who figures to factor in at Cheetah, played EDGE for Indiana in 2022 and accumulated four sacks as a true freshman. In Bothroyd, Ford, and McCullough, the Sooners added 28 career sacks to their defensive end room.

Then there are the incoming freshmen like [autotag]Adepoju Adebawore[/autotag], [autotag]Taylor Wein[/autotag], [autotag]Ashton Sanders[/autotag], and [autotag]Markus Strong[/autotag]. Adebawore is the five-star edge rusher that is long and super athletic. Wein flew under the radar until late in his senior year, but he’s also a very good athlete in his own right. Sanders and Strong offer good size and athleticism in the middle and can be disruptive. It only remains to be seen how quickly the freshmen can acclimate and help add to the Sooners’ depth along the defensive front.

If there’s truly strength in numbers, the Oklahoma Sooners have turned what was a weakness a year ago into a strength ahead of the 2023 football season. The talent added to the development they had in-house will be a big reason why the Oklahoma Sooners improve from the six-win team they were a year ago.

The Sooners raised their talent floor along the defensive line for 2023. Although we won’t be able to truly evaluate the pass rush until they get into Big 12 play, and the Texas game in particular, this team has added talent to rush the passer. They’ve raised the talent floor, minimizing any dropoff the Sooners might see from their starters to their rotational guys. That improved talent and more experience will help Oklahoma win on the rush a lot more frequently than it did in 2023.

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Oklahoma DL Derrick LeBlanc enters the transfer portal per On3 report

According to a report from On3 Sports, 2023 four-star DL Derrick LeBlanc is entering the transfer portal after just one semester with OU.

In an odd turn of events, one of Oklahoma’s 2023 enrollees is entering the transfer portal. After just one semester in Norman, four-star defensive lineman [autotag]Derrick LeBlanc[/autotag] is entering the transfer portal, according to a report from On3’s Matt Zenitz.

Derrick LeBlanc was Oklahoma’s sixth highest-rated signee in the 2023 cycle and one of two blue-chip prospects signed to the class. Out of Kissimmee, Fla., LeBlanc was the No. 33 defensive lineman in the class and ranked No. 246 overall.

This offseason, the Sooners have been active in the transfer portal, adding interior defensive line options since the portal initially opened in the winter. Oklahoma’s added [autotag]Jacob Lacey[/autotag], [autotag]Davon Sears[/autotag], [autotag]Da’Jon Terry[/autotag], and [autotag]Phillip Paea[/autotag] and moved Jonah Laulu from defensive end to defensive tackle this offseason. Those additions, along with the return of [autotag]Isaiah Coe[/autotag] and [autotag]Jordan Kelley[/autotag], could have limited his opportunities to get on the field in 2023.

In 2024, the Oklahoma Sooners are hoping to add an impressive group of defensive linemen headlined by [autotag]David Stone[/autotag], [autotag]Williams Nwaneri[/autotag], and [autotag]Nigel Smith[/autotag], potentially creating a more difficult path toward playing time.

LeBlanc was a big addition for the Oklahoma Sooners, helping them secure one of their best recruiting classes in the modern recruiting era. Now with LeBlanc gone, [autotag]Ashton Sanders[/autotag] and [autotag]Markus Strong[/autotag] remain as the interior defensive linemen in the 2023 recruiting class.

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Oklahoma Sooners bolster DL depth with portal addition of Phillip Paea

The Oklahoma Sooners added their second transfer defensive line commitment in as many days with the pledge from Phillip Paea.

The Oklahoma Sooners are hoping to have an improved defensive line in 2023. After allowing 187 rushing yards per game in 2022, the Sooners have been active in the transfer portal to improve that element of their defense.

The Sooners added their fourth defensive tackle through the transfer portal, receiving a commitment from Utah State transfer defensive tackle [autotag]Phillip Paea[/autotag].

Paea, who spent the last two seasons with Utah State, is coming off an ACL injury suffered early in the 2022 season. Prior to that, he was a starter for the Aggies, helping them win the 2021 Mountain West Conference championship. Paea originally signed with the Michigan Wolverines in the 2017 recruiting class, but didn’t make much of an impact in Ann Arbor, transferring to Utah State after the 2020 season.

Paea joins a defensive tackle room that’s added [autotag]Jacob Lacey[/autotag], [autotag]Davon Sears[/autotag], and on [autotag]Da’Jon Terry[/autotag] through the portal. Terry committed to the Sooners on Friday.

The defensive tackle group has a bunch of depth and experience with these additions. The transfer group joins ascending players like Isaiah Coe, [autotag]Jordan Kelley[/autotag], and [autotag]Gracen Halton[/autotag]. Jonah Laulu moved inside to allow his size and agility be more effective against guards.

Oklahoma also brought in a trio of interior defensive line prospects in the 2023 recruiting class with four-star [autotag]Derrick LeBlanc[/autotag] and three-star prospects [autotag]Ashton Sanders[/autotag] and [autotag]Markus Strong[/autotag].

Like Terry, Paea figures to help the Sooners as a nose tackle in Brent Venables’ defense. Last year, Paea was listed at 6-foot-4 and 305 pounds.

With all of the additions up front, it’s going to be fascinating to see ow the Sooners deploy their defensive tackles in 2023. The Sooners’ defensive tackle rotation is going to be deep this season. The addition of Phillip Paea ensures they have multiple players that can make life difficult for teams that want to run inside against Oklahoma’s defense.

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Oklahoma Sooners make top 12 for 2024 DL Jayden Jackson

The Oklahoma Sooners were included in the top 12 for 2024 three-star defensive tackle Jayden Jackson.

Oklahoma is leaving no stone unturned in its pursuit of talent in the 2024 recruiting cycle. At the end of March, the Sooners offered a three-star defensive lineman from the IMG Academy, [autotag]Jayden Jackson[/autotag]. The Sooners were included in Jackson’s top 12 released Monday morning.

His top 12 included Oklahoma, Texas, Notre Dame, Miami, Auburn, Florida, Texas A&M, Ohio State, Tennessee, Nebraska, Colorado, and Wisconsin.

Jackson is a 6-foot-2, 300-pound defensive tackle that is the definition of a people mover. He is quick off the line of scrimmage and displays really good play strength. Jackson can dart through the line to get into the backfield or utilize his strength to defeat double teams at the point of attack.

The Oklahoma Sooners have been heavily invested in stockpiling talent along their defensive line. In 2022, they brought in blue-chip talents like [autotag]Adepoju Adebawore[/autotag] and [autotag]Derrick LeBlanc[/autotag]. They also added intriguing three-star prospects [autotag]Ashton Sanders[/autotag], [autotag]Taylor Wein[/autotag], and [autotag]Markus Strong[/autotag].

As they continue their pursuit of blue-chip defensive linemen [autotag]David Stone[/autotag], [autotag]Williams Nwaneri[/autotag], and [autotag]Nigel Smith[/autotag], the Sooners are also looking to add Jackson, who holds offers from the top recruiting schools in the country. Jackson played with Stone in 2022 at IMG Academy, and it looks like the two wouldn’t mind playing together at the college level.

Jayden Jackson’s Recruiting Profile

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Oklahoma offers four-star interior defensive lineman D’Antre Robinson out of Florida

Oklahoma continues to plant its feet firmly in the Florida recruiting landscape as they offer four-star defensive tackle, D’Antre Robinson.

Florida was very lucrative to the Oklahoma Sooners in the class of 2023. With the staff’s comfort recruiting in the Sunshine State, it makes sense they would be right back there for the class of 2024.

The Class of 2023 gave the Sooners CB Makari Vickers (early enrollee), DL Derrick LeBlanc (early enrollee), LB Lewis Carter, WR Keyon Brown, and defensive lineman Markus Strong. All are from Florida. With that success, why would Oklahoma not go back to the well?

The Sooners believe they can replicate that success in 2024 and reached out to offer four-star defensive tackle D’Antre Robinson out of Orlando, Florida.

Robinson is a true space eater in the interior. He has decent lateral quickness and is disruptive at the point of attack. Robinson’s natural strength allows him to stonewall opposing offensive linemen and effectively eliminate them from moving him off his spot. That frees up his teammates to go and make plays and attack the ball carrier.

He played AAU basketball. The athleticism required to play basketball at that level is on full display. With his frame, it is reasonable to believe he could still add anywhere from 10-15 pounds if necessary. The extra pounds would help significantly if he plays along the interior for an SEC team.

D’Antre Robinson’s Recruiting Profile

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Ranking Oklahoma’s last 10 recruiting classes

Ranking the Oklahoma Sooners last 10 recruiting classes.

The Oklahoma Sooners closed the early signing period of the 2023 cycle with a ton of momentum, earning a last-second flip of five-star safety [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag]. Bowen joined Guyer teammate [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] and edge rusher [autotag]Adepoju Adebawore[/autotag] in the 2023 class to give the Sooners three five-star players for the cycle.

It was a huge recruiting haul for [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] and his staff, who worked their way into the top five of the 247Sports recruiting class composite. This class has Venables fingerprints all over it with a heavy emphasis on the defensive side of the ball.

The Sooners ended up with 16 four- and five-star signees, and 10 of those came on the defensive side. Six were defensive backs, two were linebackers, and two were defensive linemen. The three-star players they signed on defense can play. [autotag]Taylor Wein[/autotag], [autotag]Markus Strong[/autotag], [autotag]Ashton Sanders[/autotag], [autotag]Phil Picciotti[/autotag] and [autotag]Erik McCarty[/autotag] are athletic players with high motors. Each has a chance to outperform his recruiting status.

It was an historic class for the Sooners, marking just the second time in the 247Sports database (since 2000) that they signed multiple five-star defensive players, and only the second time they had three five-star signees. Looking back, let’s take a look at how it stacks up with the last 10 recruiting classes for the Oklahoma Sooners.