Tag: Nik Bonitto

Early prospect rankings for the Oklahoma Sooners in the 2022 NFL draft

A look at prospect rankings for the 2022 NFL draft which lists three Oklahoma Sooners.

With the NFL draft firmly in the rearview mirror for the 2021 class, the focus now shifts forward to the 2021 college football season and possible prospect for 2022. One outlet has already pegged quarterback Spencer Rattler as the No. 1 overall pick in their “way too early” mock draft.

USA TODAY Sports writer Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz has released his top 15 players for the 2022 NFL draft. No surprise here as Rattle is once again listed among the top players in the country. He checks in at No. 3 overall and the No. 1 quarterback on the list.

Lincoln Riley has already produced two No. 1 picks at quarterback in Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray, and a third might be on the way. Rattler has a way of making dazzling deep strikes look effortless with a flick of his wrist. Teams will want to see more consistency, however, after he capped an up-and-down redshirt freshman season by throwing 10 touchdowns and one interception in his final four games.

Rattler is just one spot ahead of the quarterback he will competing with for top quarterback honors in 2021, North Carolina’s Sam Howell. The only other quarterback on the list in the top 15 is Southern California‘s Kedon Slovis. Rattler is the only Sooner to make the list for USA TODAY Sports.

Next, another draft prospect list showcases three Sooners…

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A look at the 2022 NFL draft hopefuls for the Oklahoma Sooners

College Football News breaks down top draft prospects for 2022.

The 2021 NFL draft is just a couple of weeks away and there will be a few former Oklahoma Sooners looking to jump to the next level. Continue reading “A look at the 2022 NFL draft hopefuls for the Oklahoma Sooners”

Buy stock in the Oklahoma Sooners’ College Football Playoff pursuit

Should you buy or sell the Oklahoma Sooners stock for the college football playoffs in ’21?

When it comes to the College Football Playoffs only one Big 12 school has found its way into the four-team tournament. The Oklahoma Sooners’ four appearances tie them with Ohio State for the second-most behind the six appearances for Alabama and Clemson.

Despite the fact that OU has dominated the Big 12 Conference, that first semifinal victory in the College Football Playoffs has been elusive. The teams that will look to challenge the Sooners are the usual suspects in the conference with Iowa State, Texas, and Oklahoma State looking to take down the champs. Those teams were a combined 1-3 against Oklahoma last year.

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Spencer Rattler gives this team a chance with his return in 2021, the Heisman contender will need to raise his game. He must avoid the slow start as he had in 2020 for the team to compete and Rattler will have a plethora of weapons to choose from. Kennedy Brooks will reprise his role as the starting back with transfer Eric Gray and Seth McGowan joining in. Marvin Mims, Theo Wease, Jadon Haselwood, Austin Stogner, and Jeremiah Hall will be some of his biggest weapons. There will be plenty more but this team is chock full of offensive playmakers.

For the defense, they will be led by Nik Bonitto and Isaiah Thomas on the edges. The duo combined for 16.5 sacks and 23.5 tackles for losses a season ago. They will once again be tasked with being disruptive in the backfield. Perrion Winfrey and Jalen Redmond will look to control the interior. The big question is which linebackers will step up in 2021 with Caleb Kelly, Brian Asamoah, David Ugwoegbu, and DaShaun White being the main rotational guys. Can the secondary replace the production lost by Tre Brown, Tre Norwood, and Brendan Hadley-Riles’ departures?

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247Sports takes a look at some of the CFP contenders in a game of buy or sell. Are you buying the Sooners?

247Sports Says…

Even if the hypothetical price is high right now for these national championship contenders, there’s a good chance Oklahoma’s stock still hits the moon this season. Recently voted college football’s fourth-best coach nationally heading into the 2021 campaign, Lincoln Riley is still hunting for that elusive national title and looks to have a team that will be on the doorstep once again. Not only is Heisman frontrunner Spencer Rattler capable of a noteworthy season for the Sooners, but Oklahoma’s defense should be playing at its best of his tenure with guys like Woodi Washington, Perrion Winfrey and Nik Bonitto returning.

If you’re a believer in the Sooners winning big in 2021, you always have to love Oklahoma’s schedule favorability. This team will likely only take on a single nationally-ranked opponent the first 2.5 months of the season (vs. Texas) and won’t play another until Iowa State on Nov. 20. By that time, Riley’s team will know where they stand in the Playoff race and should be playing with maximum confidence given the relatively easy road prior to the home stretch. Everything is falling into place ahead of what should be a special season in Norman for a team that’s loaded at various spots.

Top returning defensive player for each Big 12 school

A look at the top returning defensive players in the Big 12 Conference.

The Big 12 Conference has been making waves in recent years of playing better defense. Last season, the conference had the No. 4 team (West Virginia), No. 29 (Oklahoma) and No. 30 (Texas Christian) in total defense. The Sooners were also the second-highest ranked rushing defense in the conference. The Iowa State Cyclones ranked No. 8 nationally with OU hot on their trail at No. 9.

These two defenses were a huge factor in them meeting in the Big 12 Championship game last season.

We looked at the top returning offensive player for each team:

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The best defensive players returning in the Big 12, starting with the Oklahoma Sooners:

Spring Football: A look at each position heading into Monday’s practice

A look at each position ahead of spring practice kicking off on Monday for Oklahoma.

Spring practice officially kicks off on Monday for the Oklahoma Sooners. Continue reading “Spring Football: A look at each position heading into Monday’s practice”

Oklahoma’s Spencer Rattler leads way too early 2022 NFL draft big board

Oklahoma Sooner quarterback Spencer Rattler leading the way on way too early NFL draft big board.

On Friday, eight members of the Oklahoma football program will take part in the annual pro day. These Sooners are giving scouts their first looks in workouts similar to what would have been conducted at the NFL combine. Unfortunately due to the coronavirus pandemic, the event was canceled and more emphasis was placed on the individual pro day workouts.

Despite the fact the 2021 NFL draft is weeks away, that hasn’t prevented some way-too-early big boards to be published for the next draft class. Oklahoma’s Spencer Rattler will be among the top names mentioned all season long. In fact, he was listed as the No. 1 overall prospect on this particular big board for next year.

No. 1: Spencer Rattler, Quarterback

When you play the position of quarterback, your chances of being selected No. 1 overall increase dramatically. In 2018 it was Baker Mayfield, 2019 it was Kyler Murray and last year it was Joe Burrow. Current Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler could be next. That is if he decides to forgo his college eligibility and declare for the NFL draft after just two full seasons in Norman, Oklahoma. It wouldn’t be a shock to anyone.

Two of Lincoln Riley’s last three QBs went No. 1 overall, and Rattler has the same talent ceiling of a Baker Mayfield or a Kyler Murray. In fact, I could argue he’s the most natural thrower of the football among that group. Rattler is slight of frame at 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, but he makes up for that with a penchant for the spectacular as an out-of-structure performer and deadly accuracy when allowed to play on time.

Rattler threw for 3,031 yards and 28 touchdowns while completing 67% of his passes and averaging 9.6 yards per attempt in his first season as a starter. Expect those numbers to only improve next season as he guides what will assuredly be a healthier and more talented Sooner offense.  – 247Sports

Rattler was the only Oklahoma Sooner to show up in the top 10 on this way-too-early big board from 247Sports.

Other Sooners in first-round consideration:

  • Austin Stogner, Tight End
  • Nik Bonitto, Edge Rusher
  • Perrion Winfrey, Interior Defensive Line

Big 12 players in first-round consideration:

  • Breece Hall, Running Back (Iowa State)
  • Charlie Kolar, Tight End (Iowa State)

There is still nearly a year before the NFL draft in 2022 will occupy our minds, but these are likely the players to keep an eye on during the next season.

Biggest question facing Oklahoma heading into the offseason

ESPN asks the question regarding the biggest offseason issue facing the Oklahoma Sooners. It’s all about the College Football Playoffs.

The Oklahoma Sooners come off their sixth-straight Big 12 football championship in 2020. They have the fourth-most returning production and the third-most experienced head coach with their current team. Only Matt Campbell has been in his job longer with Iowa State by one season, and Mike Gundy who has been at Oklahoma State since 2005.

The biggest question according to ESPN heading into the offseason surrounds the postseason.

Editor’s note: Link requires paid subscription 

The Sooners finished the season playing as one of the hottest teams of the country, allowing 21 points or fewer in their last five games. The defense looks to have turned the corner under Alex Grinch, and quarterback Spencer Rattler returns with breakout star Marvin Mims Jr. and good players across the board. This might be the complete package Lincoln Riley has hoped to see since getting the keys to the Sooners’ machine. So, then, is this the team to break through and get his first win in the College Football Playoff? — Dave Wilson

Offensively this team is as loaded as they have been over the last several seasons. The biggest question surrounds the wide receivers group with Mims, Theo Wease, and company. Can they continue to grow and develop as they did down the stretch. The return of Kennedy Brooks is a boost to the running game as well as Eric Gray’s addition through the transfer portal. The offensive line will be a work in progress but they did bring in some experience.

On the defensive side, the Sooners return their top pass rushers in terms of production. Nik Bonitto was also ranked the top returning pass rusher by PFF. Add in Isaiah Thomas on the edge with Perion Winfrey and Laron Stokes inside and you have a good front four. Their biggest question will be replacing starters in the secondary. Overall this team should be in position to get that elusive playoff victory, the question remains can they pull it off?

Where PFF ranked Nik Bonitto among returning pass rushers

After a breakout 2020 season for the Sooners, Nik Bonitto sits atop PFF’s returning defensive lineman in 2021.

The Oklahoma Sooners pass rush was a vital part of their team in 2020. On the edge the team deployed Isaiah Thomas, Nik Bonitto, and Ronnie Perkins when he was able to return to the team. In 2021, two of three will return with Perkins heading to the NFL through the draft.

The top returning player on the edge is rush linebacker Nik Bonitto. Last season he led the Sooners defense with 8.5 sacks and 11 quarterback hurries, despite playing in 10 games. His 11 tackles for loss ranked second on the team.

In 2020, Bonitto emerged as the Sooners’ most dominant pass rusher. He collapsed the pocket from either side of the line on pressure packages. No.11 was lethal off the edge with a quick get off, even more impressive coming from a two-point stance. Traditionally, players rushing standing up, do not have as much initial burst as a three-point stance with a hand positioned in the dirt. However, Bonitto anialated that stigma.

According to PFF, he led the nation in overall pass rush grade (93.6), pass rush win rate (28 percent), and pressure rate generated (25.7 percent). To top it off, he was named a first-team All-American for his production. Now that is quite the resume.

Bonitto was used more on pressure downs in 2020 but still was effective when dropping back into coverage, limiting ball carries from breaking to the second level. He is the whole package. Bonitto’s speed was no match for offensive tackles across from him in the trenches.

In a recent ranking of PFF’s top 10 defensive lineman returning to college in 2021, it is no surprise who popped up at No.1- Nik Bonitto.

Recognition that is well deserved. Bonitto consistently leapt off the tape in 2020. He became a nightmare for opposing offensive coordinators forced to game plan around his explosiveness. Even then, no blockers succeeded in containing him. Bonitto is a rare athlete on track to have a stellar 2021 season.

Oklahoma’s Nik Bonitto produced most pressures against Power Five OLs

When it came to creating pressure on offensive linemen in the Power Five conference, Oklahoma’s Nik Bonitto ranked at the very top.

When it came to creating pressure on opposing quarterbacks in 2020, the Oklahoma Sooners had one of the best groups in the country. Nik Bonitto was at the top of the list according to Pro Football Focus‘ pass rush productivity. In fact, he had the highest number of anyone in the Big 12 Conference. His number sitting at 14.6, teammate Ronnie Perkins was third in the conference at 10.3.

When you compare them to Power Five schools, Bonitto was second among the 64 schools that make up the Power Five. Perkins came in at No. 11 overall. Isaiah Thomas didn’t rank as high against all 64 teams but he was fifth amongst the Big 12 Conference. He and Bonitto should be major factors in the Big 12 Conference in 2021.

When it came to pressure percentage, Bonitto and Perkins were top four in the country. The former coming in at No. 1 according to PFF.

For the Oklahoma defense that has questions in their secondary, the pass rush will be key in 2021. Tre Brown, Tre Norwood, and possibly Brendan Raley-Hiles could all be gone. The only question is Raley-Hiles since both Brown and Norwood declared for the NFL draft. The former placed himself in the transfer portal and head coach Lincoln Riley is hoping he can convince him to stay for another year.

The defense seems to have plenty of impact players on the edge of the line. Perrion Winfrey, Laron Stokes, and Jalen Redmond will all return next year and should make their impact on the interior. Winfrey posted 25 hurries a season ago which was second only to Bonitto and Thomas.

Oklahoma has 6 players make Pro Football Focus’ top-101 players from 2020 season

The Oklahoma Sooners once again finished on top of the Big 12 mountain in 2020. PFF ranked six of their players in their top 101 in 2020.

Many fans and media alike knew there were going to be growing pains when it came to the Oklahoma Sooners football team in 2020. Continue reading “Oklahoma has 6 players make Pro Football Focus’ top-101 players from 2020 season”