Tag: Patrick Fields

Safeties bring the most depth to the Oklahoma Sooners’ roster

Heading into 2023, the safety position arguably has the most depth of any other on the Sooners roster.

Last season the safety position was filled with inexperience. [autotag]Patrick Fields[/autotag] and [autotag]Delarrin Turner-Yell[/autotag] were gone after starting the previous three seasons.

Billy Bowman played some in a rotational role as a true freshman, but it has been a rocky couple of years in Norman. [autotag]Justin Broiles[/autotag] and [autotag]Key Lawrence[/autotag] had experience but were mainly role players.

This upcoming season the safety position arguably has the most depth of any on the Sooners’ roster. Lawrence and Bowman are back. They then added [autotag]Reggie Pearson Jr.[/autotag] who started at Texas Tech.

[autotag]Robert Spears-Jennings[/autotag] is also back this year after playing some as a true freshman last season. He’s been injured this offseason but is expected to be good to go by the start of the regular season.

Then the Sooners added five-star [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag]. If you read our article on the five freshmen who could make an immediate impact, you’ll see why he will factor into the safety room.

All in all, this room is the one with a ton of depth and talent. It could be the best position group on the team. The secondary as a whole could be very good in 2023.

Now, they’ll only be as good as their pass rush allows them to be. If the Sooners don’t get pressure on the quarterback, you could put Deion Sanders back there, and it won’t matter. Given enough time, wide receivers get open.

They have to work together as a team but if they do, this defense should see a ton of improvement in 2023.

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Know the Opponent: Ducks catch Stanford defense at end of tough stretch of games

Stanford’s defense was touted as a very good one, but it has had a tough time early on playing explosive offenses.

Whoever makes the Pac-12 schedule didn’t have the Stanford defensive players in mind.

First, it was USC. Then it was a road trip to Seattle. Now it’s a voyage to Autzen Stadium as the Cardinal will face their third straight dynamic offense this early in the season.

Of course, the schedule makers didn’t know about the Trojans bringing in transfer after transfer, or Michael Penix, Jr. changing the Huskies into a Pac-12 darling. Chalk it up to bad luck, and the Ducks hope to continue that streak.

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USC put up 41 on the Cardinal and Washington scored 40. Given the fact that Stanford’s offense isn’t made for high-scoring affairs, the defense needs to be better or the Cardinal is in for a long year. After seeing what the Oregon offense can do, Stanford could be in big trouble on Saturday night.

The Cardinal doesn’t boast a huge defense, but they are big enough and definitely fast enough to cause some havoc. Linebacker Levani Damuni is out of the best out there. He leads Stanford with 19 tackles through its first three games.

Cornerback Kyu Blu Kelly was a second-team All-Pac-12 player a year ago and defenses are showing him the proper respect by throwing to the other side of the field most of the time.

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At the back of that defense is safety Patrick Fields, a transfer from Oklahoma. He already has 16 tackles and two sacks. The other safety, Kendall Williamson, also has 19 tackles so far.

According to Oregon coach Dan Lanning, the Cardinal defense is better than what the stats say.

“There is a lot of experience. It’s a team that plays with great discipline,” he said. “They don’t give up big explosives. “I think that shows when you look at their penalties … they’re one of the lower-penalized teams in the nation as well. There’s some experience that certainly shows up and you can see it on film.”

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Oklahoma second-year safety Billy Bowman standing out in fall camp

Speaking with the media Tuesday, Brent Venables mentioned that Billy Bowman had been one of Oklahoma’s best players in fall camp.

For a true freshman on a team with several veteran defensive backs, Billy Bowman played a lot in 2021. It was an up-and-down first season in Norman, but he showed a lot of promise. There were enough flashes from his performance in 2021 to be excited about what he could do in year two.

After playing multiple positions for the Oklahoma Sooners in 2021, [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] made it a point to stick [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] at safety in the spring and leave him there. Focusing on just safety, as opposed to trying to learn safety, cornerback, and slot corner, Bowman, is finding solid footing in fall camp.

“I’m not really intrigued to know a whole lot more about him, other than I respect how he goes; he shows up every day,” Venables shared with the media after practice on Tuesday via OUInsider. “He’s super mature. He wants to be excellent. Very quiet, humble, one of our best workers, one of the most consistent guys on our team. Right now [he’s] maybe playing better than anybody on defense if I was to single one person out. And only the biggest thing is he just hadn’t had a bunch of dips. He’s had plenty of mistakes, like all of them, but he has shown up every day with the right mindset to improve, to get better, the same thing in the meeting room. He’s just very mature. And he’s hungry, and he’s prideful, but he’s got great humility and toughness to him.”

[autotag]Patrick Fields[/autotag] is at Stanford. [autotag]Delarrin Turner-Yell[/autotag] is with the Denver Broncos, leaving a lot of snaps to be had at safety. Key Lawrence is likely to be the starter at strong safety after a strong end to the 2021 season, but Billy Bowman could very well start at free safety.

He’s got the natural athleticism and speed to play the free safety position, and if he continues to catch the eye of head coach Brent Venables, Bowman is set to play a lot in 2022.

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6 Sooners make Athlon Sports’ All-Big 12 second team ahead of 2022 season

With an early look at the 2022 season, 6 Oklahoma Sooners were named to Athlon Sports All-Big 12 second team.

Brent Venables and the Oklahoma Sooners coaching staff did a great job at addressing immediate needs in the transfer portal. Finding starters and rotational players to replace the guys they lost will help the Sooners stay in contention in the Big 12 and potentially for a playoff spot.

The new coaching staff combined with the addition of Dillon Gabriel has the Sooners projected to be one of the top teams in the Big 12 three months ahead of the 2022 season. At the same time, a lot of the optimism is in projecting how the new additions and the guys rising up the depth chart will do with increased opportunities.

Looking ahead to the 2022 season, Athlon Sports named their 2022 All-Big 12 first and second teams. The Oklahoma Sooners had six players selected to the second team and no first-team selections. Zero.

Dillon Gabriel, Marvin Mims, Anton Harrison, Jalen Redmond, Danny Stutsman, and DaShaun White were named to Athlon’s All-Big 12 second team.

It’s understandable how the Sooners might not get [autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag] in as a first-team wide receiver. Xavier Worthy, Quentin Johnston, and Xavier Hutchinson are really good players. Mims is in the mix and there’s certainly an argument to be made for his inclusion, but those three guys are just as talented and Worthy and Hutchinson have the production to go along with the talent.

Where an argument can be made is with Spencer Sanders as the first-team quarterback. Sure, I wrote about how Sanders could be a problem for Oklahoma in 2022 and he’s coming off of an incredible game against Notre Dame and was the first-team quarterback selection in 2021. But are we sure he can maintain the consistency needed to be the top quarterback in the conference again in 2022?

Of course, [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag], who was the second-team quarterback hasn’t played a snap in the Big 12, but he’s had a ton of success in his career and his work against the Power Five is pretty solid. In games against Stanford, Pittsburgh, and Georgia Tech, UCF was 2-1 and Gabriel averaged 367 yards passing, threw 10 touchdowns, just two interceptions, and completed 65% of his passes.

[autotag]Anton Harrison[/autotag] also made the second team and has received a lot of first-round buzz in early mock drafts for 2023. He’ll be relied upon to anchor the Oklahoma Sooners’ offensive line as it looks for a bounceback season in 2022.

The Sooners also had three defensive players selected to the second-team. [autotag]Jalen Redmond[/autotag], [autotag]DaShaun White[/autotag], and [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] lead the way for a Sooners defense that is looking to replace five NFL draft picks and a starter in [autotag]Patrick Fields[/autotag] who went to Stanford as a grad transfer. The talent is there, but it’s largely unproven.

White and Stutsman will be expected to take on bigger roles at linebacker along with [autotag]David Ugwoegbu[/autotag] while Redmond will look to put together a big 2022 with [autotag]Perrion Winfrey[/autotag] gone.

[autotag]Brayden Willis[/autotag], [autotag]Woodi Washington[/autotag], and [autotag]Key Lawrence[/autotag] were named to the third team while [autotag]Eric Gray[/autotag], [autotag]Chris Murray[/autotag], and [autotag]Reggie Grimes[/autotag] were selected to the fourth team.

With 13 selections, the Sooners were behind Texas, Oklahoma State and Baylor, who each had 14 players named to the four All-Big 12 teams.

There’s a buzz surrounding the Oklahoma Sooners, who have been considered the favorite in the conference despite all of the turnover on both sides of the ball. A testament to the addition of Gabriel and the new coaching staff, the Sooners might have questions to answer when the 2022 season gets underway, but there’s a lot of optimism about this roster.

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Key Lawrence added to the Lott IMPACT Trophy 2022 watch list

After a tremendous finish to the 2021 season, Oklahoma safety Key Lawrence is primed for a big 2022 and was placed on the Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch list.

Key Lawrence had a bit of a slow start to his career for the Oklahoma Sooners, but when he began to see the field regularly due to injuries, the Sooners couldn’t take him off the field. He spent time at cornerback and safety and was an important piece to the Sooners secondary down the stretch.

With [autotag]Delarrin Turner-Yell[/autotag] off to the NFL and [autotag]Patrick Fields[/autotag] to Stanford, Lawrence figures to be in for a key role in Brent Venables’ defense. With a starter’s complement of snaps, the sky’s the limit for the Tennessee product.

In anticipation of what will likely be a big season for Lawrence, he’s been named to the Lott IMPACT Trophy 2022 watch list.

Named after former NFL Hall of Fame star Ronnie Lott, The Lott Trophy annually goes to the Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year, a player who has had the biggest impact on his team both on and off the field.  IMPACT stands for Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity, all characteristics exhibited by Lott during his illustrious playing career.

Lawrence is one of 42 players the voting panel will be keeping their eye on heading into 2022 and one of 14 defensive backs.

Other nominees for the award include [autotag]Will Anderson Jr[/autotag]. of Alabama. Anderson finished fifth in the Heisman voting in 2021. Lawrence joins [autotag]Felix Anudike-Uzomah[/autotag] as the only players from the Big 12 to be considered on the preseason watch list.

In 2021, Lawrence registered 47 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, a sack, and three forced fumbles while playing just the 10th-most snaps on the team last season.

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Five reasons the Oklahoma Sooners will beat the Iowa State Cyclones

In search of a bounce-back performance, here are 5 reasons why the Oklahoma Sooners will beat the Iowa State Cyclones.

Oklahoma and Iowa State has become much more of a competitive affair of late. In the last five games, the Sooners own the edge, 3-2, but the games have been competitive for the most part.

The margin between the two schools when they’ve played has been razor-thin., and the latest matchup will likely be no different. Despite the record, the Cyclones are a talented group led by quarterback Brock Purdy, running back Breece Hall, tight end Charlie Kolar, and linebacker Mike Rose.

Both teams come into the game on the heels of a loss. So, what will separate these two come Saturday afternoon in Norman, Oklahoma? What will be the difference and the reason Oklahoma gets the win?

Oklahoma Football: Sooners earning national awards recognition

As No. 4 Oklahoma continues winning, national awards recognition keeps pouring in for a number of different Sooners.

No. 4 Oklahoma is on a roll. The Sooners just beat Texas Tech 52-21 and are now a perfect 9-0 on the season.

Plenty of OU’s contributors are getting national recognition for their efforts. After passing for 402 yards and six touchdowns, true freshman quarterback Caleb Williams received the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback of the week award.

Oklahoma redshirt junior outside linebacker Nik Bonitto was named earlier this week as one of the semifinalists for the Bednarik Award.

Given out annually to the nation’s top linebacker, redshirt junior linebacker Brian Asamoah was announced as one of the 16 semifinalists for the Butkus Award.

Asamoah has notched 54 tackles this season and produced consistently. The Columbus, Ohio, native has recorded at least six tackles in six of the Sooners past seven games.

Meanwhile, redshirt junior wide receiver Drake Stoops was nominated for the Burlsworth Trophy which is awarded to the nation’s most outstanding player who began their career as a walk-on.

Stoops has become an important piece in Oklahoma’s wide receiver corps. Stoops currently has 14 receptions on the season for 177 receiving yards. He caught a 12-yard touchdown last week against Texas Tech.

Oklahoma senior safety Patrick Fields was also selected as one of 12 semifinalists for the Wuerffel Trophy, which is presented to the FBS player who best combines exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement.

The two-time team captain was also previously announced as one of the 13 finalists for the prestigious William V. Campbell Trophy. That is awarded to the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation for combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.

On the gridiron, Fields has been a starter at one of the safety spots and a key contributor. Fields intercepted a pass against Texas Tech last week off a deflection by defensive lineman Isaiah Thomas.

Fields currently leads the Sooners’ defense with 56 tackles on the season. He also has 2.5 tackles for loss and a pass breakup to his credit.

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5 Areas of Concern for the Oklahoma Sooners vs. the Kansas Jayhawks

Five areas of concern for No. 2 Oklahoma when the Sooners travel to take on the Kansas Jayhawks.

If history is any indication, there’s just not much to be concerned about when it comes to playing the Kansas Jayhawks in football for the Oklahoma Sooners.

OU has won its past 16 against Kansas — the Sooners’ longest active winning streak against an opponent — and the four matchups with Lincoln Riley as head coach by an average margin 33 points, 51-18.

So, admittedly, it’s a stretch to be worried about much of anything Kansas presents. But, bear with me for this exercise as we look at five areas of concern for the Oklahoma Sooners vs. the Kansas Jayhawks.

Oklahoma’s Pat Fields spoke to NCAA about more interaction with strength coaches

Oklahoma’s Pat Fields spoke to NCAA about more interaction with strength coaches.

NCAA Football Oversight Committee recently had a conference call, and Oklahoma safety Patrick Fields took advantage of his chance to speak.

Fields, who is a student athlete representative on the  committee, reportedly spoke eloquently about players around the country’s desire to have more interaction with their strength coaches.

Due to the coronavirus, players have been having to workout on their own, and some sports are just now letting players back into their facilities.

It’s no secret that Fields is one of the most well spoken players on Oklahoma’s squad, and he is often times a target for interviews.

Field has played two years with the Sooners, already seeing the field in 18 games. He finished with 44 solo tackles in 2019, and now has 52 overall for his collegiate career. Six of his tackles were for loss last season, including two sacks.

Fields best game to date was against Iowa State last season, when he recorded six solo tackles, eight in total, and assisted on a tackle in the backfield.

The committee will soon discuss the prospect of fractured schedules, and whether FBS teams can play multiple FCS teams without repercussions towards bowl eligibility.

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