Oklahoma Sooners Football – Page 2

Oklahoma Sooners target named best available QB in transfer portal

OU’s top transfer quarterback target is among the best in the portal.

The Oklahoma Sooners have to get busy in the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] this winter. Coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] has had 25 players hit the portal from the 2024 roster as of Tuesday night, and the Sooners have added just two transfers.

But help could be on the way. OU is reportedly pursuing one of the portal’s best available players, former Washington State quarterback [autotag]John Mateer[/autotag].

Mateer ranked at the top of the list of best quarterbacks in the transfer portal, according to USA TODAY Sports’ Paul Myerberg. Ten QBs were ranked by Myerberg, including players who have already found new schools.

Myerberg’s list includes two former Sooners, Virginia’s Chandler Morris and Auburn’s Jackson Arnold, who are ranked eighth and ninth, respectively. But no one topped the player Oklahoma’s coaching staff has reportedly set its sights on.

“Mateer is the jewel of this transfer class and the one addition capable of matching Dillon Gabriel and Cam Ward — himself a former WSU transfer — as a top-level Heisman contender on a playoff contender,” Myerberg said. “Playing off the national map in Pullman, the rising junior threw for 3,139 yards, ran for 826 yards and had 44 total touchdowns. Mateer could be a transformative addition for a quarterback-starved program such as Oklahoma, which recently hired his former offensive coordinator, [autotag]Ben Arbuckle[/autotag].”

It’s hard to imagine Oklahoma would be described as a “quarterback-starved program,” but that illustrates exactly how much the Sooners need Mateer.

Many of the other players on Myerberg’s list have already chosen their next schools: Darian Mensah (Duke), Devon Dampier (Utah), Miller Moss (Louisville), Connor Weigman (Houston), Morris and Arnold. If OU cannot persuade Mateer to come to Norman, it could be in deep trouble at a very important position in 2025.

On the other hand, there’s a reason Mateer is so highly sought. He was a star this season and could help the Sooners turn their offense around next season if he decides Oklahoma is the right place for him.

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Former Oklahoma defensive coordinator hired by Big 12 school

Oklahoma’s former defensive coordinator is taking over the defense at UCF

Former Oklahoma Sooners defensive coordinator Alex Grinch was hired to run the defense for the Central Florida Knights. Grinch will call the defense for coach Scott Frost, who returns to UCF after seven seasons away.

Of course, Grinch spent three seasons at OU under former coach Lincoln Riley from 2019 to 2021. He was Riley’s attempt to fix the defense in the wake of his firing of Mike Stoops in 2018. After Ruffin McNeill took over in the interim, Grinch was hired as the permanent DC heading into Riley’s third season at the helm.

There was much anticipation when Grinch arrived in Norman: His “Speed D” was supposed to lift the Sooners to greater success alongside record-breaking offenses. In the 2017 and 2018 seasons, Oklahoma had Heisman Trophy winners at quarterback but defenses that let them down.

In the end, Grinch could not move the needle enough on the defensive side of the ball, and OU made just one more trip to the College Football Playoff in the Riley era. When the coach bolted for USC after the 2021 regular season finale, Grinch was one of the first assistants to follow him.

It ended up being a blessing for the Sooners. They had the best defense fans had seen in years in 2024. Grinch, on the other hand, struggled at Southern Cal. He was fired by Riley midway through the 2023 season.

Now, he’ll return to a different-looking Big 12 in 2025, a conference that features a few familiar opponents from his three seasons at Oklahoma.

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Former Sooners WR Nic Anderson transfers to SEC school

Former Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver Nic Anderson joining the LSU Tigers.

The Oklahoma Sooners’ wide receiver room faces a serious makeover this offseason. Of the players considered among of the top eight at the position, only [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag] and [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag] remain.

One of those wide receiver [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] departures was former four-star [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag], who committed to the LSU Tigers. Anderson will return to Norman when LSU makes the trip for the 2025 season finale.

Anderson was a revelation in 2023, emerging in the wake of Andrel Anthony’s season-ending injury. Anderson caught the game-winner to beat Texas and had a career year with 798 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns.

However, an injury in fall camp forced him to miss the start of the season. He attempted to return against Tennessee but reaggravated his hamstring injury in the loss and missed the remainder of the season.

Anderson will join fellow former Sooner Bauer Sharp, who also transferred to LSU. They’ll join a Tigers offense that was one of the best passing offenses in the SEC in 2024. He will get the opportunity to catch passes from Garrett Nussmeier, who is likely to be a Heisman contender in 2025.

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Oklahoma Sooners defensive lineman entering the transfer portal

Oklahoma Sooners defensive tackle in the transfer portal.

The Oklahoma Sooners lost another player to the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag]. According to Tom Green of Sooners Illustrated and 247Sports, former three-star defensive lineman [autotag]Ashton Sanders[/autotag] is in the transfer portal.

Sanders was a late addition in the 2023 recruiting class out of Southern California. Though he saw some playing time early in 2024, the Sooners defensive line depth made it difficult to get Sanders on the field.

According to Pro Football Focus, Sanders played 45 snaps in two seasons with the Sooners. In 2024, Sanders recorded one tackle for loss and a half sack.

Coming out of high school, Sanders had offers from Oklahoma, Cal, Arizona State, Wisconsin, Colorado, Kansas, Maryland, Notre Dame and Utah.

The Oklahoma Sooners are deep at defensive tackle heading into 2025. Damonic Williams hasn’t decided if he’s going to return for one more season with the Sooners. But the Sooners will likely have Gracen Halton, Jayden Jackson, David Stone, Markus Strong and incoming defensive tackle Trent Wilson available for their defensive line rotation.

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Deion Burks returning huge for the Oklahoma Sooners

The Oklahoma Sooners got great news with the return of wide receiver Deion Burks.

The Oklahoma Sooners have watched a number of players leave the team via the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] in December. Most have come from an offense that was in shambles in 2024 due to injury and inexperience.

One of the players who battled injuries in 2024 was wide receiver [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag]. Burks announced his return to the Oklahoma Sooners on social media on Saturday evening.

Burks’ return provides the Sooners with a little continuity on offense. He was second on the team in receptions despite only playing in five games. He finished the season with 31 receptions for 245 yards and three touchdowns. That after a productive year at Purdue that made him one of the more highly sought-after wide receivers in last year’s transfer portal class.

Oklahoma is retooling the wide receiver room after [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag], [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag], and [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] departed via the portal. They were anticipated to lead the way in 2025, and Burks was a candidate to leave for the NFL. But Burks’ return helps provide the wide receiver room with starting experience as Brent Venables, Ben Arbuckle, and Emmett Jones scour the wide receiver market.

“Easy decision, man,” Burks said after practice on Monday via The Oklahoman. “Just want to come back. … Got great characters here, coach BV, I believe in his plan, what he has going on. I believe in coach Emmett Jones. … I wanted to leave the place better than I found it.”

The Sooners need leadership in the room. A guy who knows what’s expected in the offseason program, especially as the Sooners look to add talent via the transfer portal.

But beyond what he provides off the field, the Sooners will be glad to get his explosiveness and route-running back on the field for whoever plays quarterback for the team in 2025. Burks is a big play threat every time he steps foot on the field. Oklahoma’s issues along the offensive line didn’t allow the Sooners offense to take advantage of his big-play ability. But with a developing offensive line room and, hopefully, a healthier wide receiver group in 2025, the Sooners can get everything out of Burks that he’s capable of.

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Former Oklahoma Sooners 5-star WR target enters the transfer portal

Former Oklahoma Sooners 5-star wide receiver target enters the transfer portal.

The [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] continues to heat up, and the Oklahoma Sooners may have a new wide receiver target to pursue. Former five-star Zachariah Branch, who committed to USC out of high school, entered the transfer portal on Tuesday, according to Pete Nakos of On3. Branch’s brother Zion also entered the portal.

Branch was considered the No. 1 wide receiver in the 2023 recruiting class out of Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Sooners were the first to offer Branch in 2020, according to 247Sports. That was under Lincoln Riley, but that’s also the same high school that produced Sooners running backs coach DeMarco Murray.

In his second season in Los Angeles, Branch recorded 47 receptions for 503 yards and a touchdown for a Trojans offense that ranked 52nd in the nation in points per game. He also averaged 21 yards per kick return and 5.7 yards per punt return this season.

As a true freshman, Branch had both a kickoff and punt return for a touchdown to go along with 31 receptions for 320 yards and two receiving touchdowns. He also had a rushing touchdown and nine carries for 70 yards.

He’s a dynamic playmaker who will be an intriguing portal prospect. He can create big plays after the catch. Among players with at least 34 targets in 2024, Branch led the Big Ten and was tied for eighth nationally in yards after catch per reception.

Who knows if the Sooners will have interest in Branch, but he’d be an impact player that any team in the nation would want to add to their offense and special teams unit.

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Joel Klatt believes Jackson Arnold can still have success

Joel Klatt thinks Jackson Arnold QB could still have a good career.

Former five-star quarterback [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag]’s short time with the Oklahoma Sooners came to an end on Saturday when he signed with the Auburn Tigers.

The young QB, who was supposed to be the face of the program for at least two seasons and lead OU into the Southeastern Conference, will now try to help Hugh Freeze and the Tigers improve upon their 5-7 season in 2024.

He started 10 games in an OU uniform after serving as the backup during his freshman season in 2023. He went 5-5 as a starter, but just two of those wins came against power conference teams and only one was against an SEC team. 2024 was supposed to be the year that he broke out on the scene, but it didn’t happen.

However, there are many who still believe in Arnold’s potential and what he can do at Auburn.

Fox Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt thinks that Arnold can still be successful, but he also has some questions. He appeared as a guest on “The Next Round” podcast and remarked it was hard to say for sure whether Arnold would live up to his potential with the Tigers.

“My biggest question is going to be his confidence,” Klatt said. “I’m wondering what happened to his psyche during the course of this year.”

Arnold’s confidence appeared shaken a couple of times in 2024, most notably against Tennessee and later in the season against Missouri. In some of the biggest moments for the Sooners, Arnold was turnover-prone and made mistakes that cost OU dearly.

However, he played very well against Alabama and looked more confident in his second stint as the starter for the final five games of the regular season.

“I think he can have a lot of success,” Klatt said. “It remains to be seen.”

Oklahoma’s quarterback room in 2024 consisted of five players. With Jackson Arnold and [autotag]Brendan Zurbrugg[/autotag] opting for the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] and Casey Thompson out of eligibility, it will undergo another makeover in 2025.

[autotag]Michael Hawkins Jr.[/autotag] will return, and the Sooners signed [autotag]Jett Niu[/autotag] as a part of their [autotag]2025 recruiting class[/autotag] earlier this month. Steele Wasel, a walk-on, could return, but OU will need to add at least one portal QB to fill out the room again.

That likely includes a player who will either be the starter or compete to be the starter under OC [autotag]Ben Arbuckle[/autotag] as Oklahoma tries to bounce back at the position in 2025.

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Could an Oklahoma Sooners transfer target be a Heisman contender in 2025?

One of Oklahoma’s transfer targets could be a Heisman contender in 2025 according to USA TODAY Sports.

After Colorado defensive back/wide receiver Travis Hunter edged Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty for the 2024 [autotag]Heisman Trophy[/autotag], some already have their eyes on the next recipient of the award.

The Oklahoma Sooners are no strangers to the coveted trophy; seven OU players have won the Heisman. Running backs [autotag]Billy Vessels[/autotag], [autotag]Steve Owens[/autotag] and [autotag]Billy Sims[/autotag] won in the 20th century. Quarterbacks [autotag]Jason White[/autotag], [autotag]Sam Bradford[/autotag], [autotag]Baker Mayfield[/autotag] and [autotag]Kyler Murray[/autotag] are OU’s 21st century winners. autotag]Josh Heupel[/autotag], [autotag]Adrian Peterson[/autotag] and [autotag]Jalen Hurts[/autotag] finished as runners-up for the prestigious award.

But looking ahead, could the 2025 winner of the Heisman Trophy be wearing a Sooner uniform?

The answer could be found via the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag]. In fact, USA TODAY Sports already has a list of potential Heisman candidates for 2025, identifying 11 players.

One of those players was former Washington State quarterback John Mateer. He has entered the transfer portal and will be one of the top quarterbacks available. He’s expected to be at the top of Oklahoma’s wish list at the position.

That’s because Oklahoma’s new offensive coordinator [autotag]Ben Arbuckle[/autotag] coached Mateer to an excellent season in Pullman in 2024. With Arbuckle in Norman, the Sooners could have an inside track to landing the native Texan.

Mateer’s former offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle recently took the same job at Oklahoma and would be an obvious potential landing spot if he decides to enter the transfer portal, although he may very well be a Heisman contender regardless of what school he plays for next year. – Austin Curtright, USA TODAY Sports

Mateer signing with OU would be massive for the program. The Sooners struggled at the quarterback position all year, and he would be an upgrade at the position.

Furthermore, he already knows Arbuckle’s offense, so there would be much less of a learning curve for him under center.

Mateer is expected to have plenty of other suitors, so the Sooners will have to pay up if they want to bring him to Norman.

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Oklahoma Sooners earn commitment from 3-Star offensive lineman

The Oklahoma Sooners picked up their third commitment for the 2026 recruiting class in three-star offensive lineman Will Conroy.

The Oklahoma Sooners picked up their third commitment of the [autotag]2026 recruiting class[/autotag] on Monday afternoon, earning a pledge from three-star interior offensive lineman Will Conroy.

Conroy hails from Cleveland, Ohio and is the No. 14 interior offensive lineman in the 2026 class, according to the On3 Industry Rankings. The Sooners beat out Michigan, Miami, Arizona State, and Florida in the recruiting battle.

Earlier Monday, Steve Wiltfong of On3 issued a prediction favoring the Sooners, and it didn’t take long for Conroy to make it official, committing to the Sooners later in the day.

“I love the culture at Oklahoma,” Conroy told On3. One thing about Oklahoma is they know who they are. They stand on that, and they don’t change for anyone. It is a storied program with a lot of history, and you feel that as soon as you walk into the building.”

In the On3 piece, Conroy shared more thoughts on Oklahoma as a program and offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh’s ability to develop.

The Sooners are just getting started in the 2026 recruiting class. Conroy joins four-star quarterback [autotag]Jaden O’Neal[/autotag] and three-star tight end [autotag]Ryder Mix[/autotag].

Will Conroy’s Recruiting Profile

Film

Hudl

Rating

	Stars	Overall	Position	State
ESPN	3	—	—	—
Rivals	3		14	13
247Sports	3		17	16
247 Composite	3	372	29	19
On3 Recruiting	3		48	27
On3 Industry	3	358	14	13

Vitals

Hometown	Cleveland, Ohio
Projected Position	Interior OL
Height	6-foot-3
Weight	275 pounds

Recruitment

Offered on March 26, 2024
Visit April 10-11, 2024 (Spring Game)

Notable Offers

Per 247Sports

Arizona
Arizona State
Boston College
Florida
Indiana
Kentucky
Miami
Michigan
Michigan State
Missouri
Ohio State
Oklahoma
Oregon
Purdue
Texas A&M
UCF
USC
Virginia Tech
West Virginia
Wisconsin

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Oklahoma Sooners projected to land highly coveted 2026 offensive lineman

On3’s Steve Wiltfong predicts the Oklahoma Sooners to land interior offensive lineman with 20 Power Four offers in the 2026 recruiting class.

The Oklahoma Sooners have turned the page on the [autotag]2025 recruiting class[/autotag], signing 18 players in the class, including four offensive linemen. As the transfer portal begins to heat up, the Sooners continue to lay the groundwork for the [autotag]2026 recruiting class[/autotag]. One that currently features four-star quarterback [autotag]Jaden O’Neal[/autotag] and tight end [autotag]Ryder Mix[/autotag].

The Sooners now appear to be the leader for three-star interior offensive lineman Will Conroy. Steve Wiltfong of On3 predicted Conroy to land with the Oklahoma Sooners. Out of Cleveland, Ohio, Conroy holds 20 Power Four offers, including offers from 12 Big Ten and SEC schools.

He’s considered the No. 14 interior offensive lineman in the class by On3. Back in July, Conroy listed a top five that included Oklahoma, Michigan, Miami, Arizona State, and Florida.

Conroy plays with good physicality and continues moving his feet after contact. He does a good job of sealing players in the run game and shows really good awareness in pass protection.

He’s a player that will need some time to develop to add size to his frame in order to play along the interior in the SEC. But he’s technically sound and has a good base to work from.

Will Conroy’s Recruiting Profile

Film

Hudl

Rating

	Stars	Overall	Position	State
ESPN	3	—	—	—
Rivals	3		14	13
247Sports	3		17	16
247 Composite	3	372	29	19
On3 Recruiting	3		48	27
On3 Industry	3	358	14	13

Vitals

Hometown	Cleveland, Ohio
Projected Position	Interior OL
Height	6-foot-3
Weight	275 pounds

Recruitment

Offered on March 26, 2024
Visit April 10-11, 2024 (Spring Game)

Notable Offers

Per 247Sports

Arizona
Arizona State
Boston College
Florida
Indiana
Kentucky
Miami
Michigan
Michigan State
Missouri
Ohio State
Oklahoma
Oregon
Purdue
Texas A&M
UCF
USC
Virginia Tech
West Virginia
Wisconsin

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.