Perrion Winfrey – Page 19 – Syndication Server

Top 21 players for the Oklahoma Sooners entering 2021

As the Oklahoma Sooners get set to continue their reign atop the Big 12 and contend for a national title, here are the top 21 players for 2021.

Heading into the 2021 season, the Oklahoma Sooners have one of the deepest and most talented rosters in the country. On both sides of the ball, the Sooners have great players throughout the lineup that will make big impacts on Saturdays this fall.

On offense, the Sooners are led by Heisman Trophy front-runner Spencer Rattler and a high-powered passing attack. On defense, the Sooners have four guys that can create havoc in both the running game and rushing the passer.

This is a team that should be one of the more exciting teams to watch with their blend of big-play offense and suffocating defense. With just 15 days until kickoff, let’s take a look at the top 21 Oklahoma Sooners heading into 2021.

Trio of Sooners make Todd McShay’s top 50 prospects for the 2022 NFL Draft

3 Oklahoma Sooners make Todd McShay’s list of top 50 draft eligible prospects heading into the 2021 college football season.

Less than three weeks before the official start to this year’s college football season and 2022 NFL Draft talk is starting to come in hot and heavy. Todd McShay, one of the most well known draft experts in the industry posted his preseason Top 50, a ranking of his top 50 draft prospects entering the new season. Three Oklahoma Sooners made the Top 50.

McShay, like many others holds Spencer Rattler’s pro prospects in high regard. So much so, he comes into this season as his number one prospect. His scouting report on Rattler reads as such:

Rattler shows quick feet both in the pocket and extending plays, and unleashes a fast release to get the ball out, often changing his arm angle to make impressive off-platform throws. He has plenty of arm strength, but his accuracy stands to improve a bit. And I’d like to see him process plays a little faster at times, as he stays on his first read too long too often. He might not yet be a finished product, but Rattler has all the tools to be a franchise QB in the NFL, including the ability to pick up yards with his legs. – McShay

Rattler has immense potential with his otherworldly arm talent and the athleticism to make a few plays with his legs.

He really put it together towards the end of the season as he settled in after being benched in the Red River game against Texas. Rattler led the Sooners to another Big 12 title and a Cotton Bowl drubbing of the Florida Gators.

If OU is to match their national title expectations, Rattler will most certainly have to live up to this number one ranking while still improving.

On the other side of the ball for OU, anticipation grows as the defense under Alex Grinch has started to transform the narrative about the Sooners’ defensive efforts of late.

McShay nabbed two of their most important pieces in his rankings. OLB Nik Bonitto and defensive linemen Perrion Winfrey slotted in at spots 12 and 29.

“Disruptive” and “rangy” were the words used to describe Bonitto’s game. He cited Bonitto as being a little light for an edge rusher but his ability to stack tight ends and use his hands would help him quite a bit.

Winfrey’s size creates a bit of a conundrum for NFL teams. Where does his size allow him to fit best? McShay suggests he would play well as a 4-3 defensive tackle or a 3-4 defensive end. Winfrey has to improve gap discipline and his counter moves with his pass rush heading into this upcoming year. Oklahoma will need both to take another step forward as they continue to rewrite the story about Oklahoma’s defense after many years of subpar performance.

All three prospects are key cogs in a machine that is starting to figure it out this summer. The next step for all three is a final season that could solidify their professional aspirations and beckme Oklahoma icons en route to their eighth national championship.

What did Big 12 coaches say to Athlon Sports about the Oklahoma Sooners?

It’s always helpful to get an outside perspective and Athlon Sports got coaches to speak anonymously about the Oklahoma Sooners heading into the 2021 season.

There are just 19 days remaining until the Oklahoma Sooners strap it up vs. the Tulane Green Wave down in New Orleans. The Sooners are one of the best teams in the country heading into the 2021 season and if they’re able to put it all together, it has a chance to end with their first national championship in more than 20 years.

The Sooners have had a ton of success in the conference, but the one thing that’s alluded them since that 13-2 win over Florida State for the BCS National Championship is further championship or playoff success.

Could this be the year they finally break through in the college football playoff?

Only time will tell, but this looks to be Lincoln Riley’s most complete team during his run as the Oklahoma Sooners’ head coach. The defense has become a strength of the team and should help make games easier for an offense that’s had to score 40 and 50 points a game to have a chance to win just a few years ago.

Now, with Alex Grinch’s unit getting better talent across the board developed and making plays, the defense looks ready to help the Oklahoma Sooners compete. No longer are they simply along for the ride.

Obviously, those that cover the team are optimistic about OU’s outlook for the 2021 season, but what does the rest of the Big 12 think about the Oklahoma Sooners heading into 2021.

Athlon Sports spoke with anonymous Big 12 coaches to get a feel for where the Sooners are headed in the 2021 season.

8 Oklahoma Sooners named to the 2022 Senior Bowl watch list

Ahead of the 2021 season, eight Oklahoma Sooners make the 2022 Senior Bowl watch list.

The Oklahoma Sooners come into 2021 with a veteran group on both sides of the football. That’s part of the reason experts are so high on the Sooners’ chances at a seventh-straight Big 12 Championship and contention for the national championship.

Many in that group of veterans will likely be off to the NFL next season, though some will be more highly sought after than others. The NFL draft process can often put more weight on younger players, often leaving seniors to scrap for their spot among a draft class elite.

Whether it’s a late breakout or competition at the top of the depth chart that prevented them from seeing the field, senior draft prospects can sometimes get dinged depending on the situation.

For those seniors, however, there’s one extra opportunity to make an impression for NFL coaches and front office personnel, and that’s at the Reese’s Mobile Senior Bowl.

At the Senior Bowl, players get put through a week of practice with NFL coaching staffs with scouts, coaches, and general managers in attendance. They go through individual and team drills in the lead-up to the Senior Bowl on the weekend. Though the Senior Bowl isn’t the only thing NFL teams take into account, it can often confirm how they feel about certain players for front offices.

It’s an opportunity for an under-the-radar player or a player with questionable technique or character to get in front of teams and allay any concerns.

In 2021, Tre Brown, Rhamondre Stevenson, Creed Humphrey, Tre Norwood, and Adrian Ealy were in attendance at the Senior Bowl. In 2020, Neville Gallimore and Jalen Hurts took part. In 2018, Baker Mayfield surprised everyone when he participated in the evaluation process.

For 2022, the Oklahoma Sooners have eight players named to the Senior Bowl’s watch list. Not every player will make the final rosters for the week in Mobile, but several will and they’ll benefit greatly from the process.

Let’s take a look at the eight players that could represent the Oklahoma Sooners at the 2022 Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.

Titans address defensive line in Draft Wire’s latest 2022 mock

The Titans could be looking for defensive line help in the 2022 NFL draft.

The Tennessee Titans still have a long 2021 season ahead of them, especially now that there’s a 17th game on the schedule. However, Draft Wire is already looking ahead to next year, and more specifically, the 2022 NFL draft.

Luke Easterling shared his latest two-round projections, but of course the Titans only had one selection after sending their 2022 second-rounder to the Atlanta Falcons as part of the package that landed wide receiver Julio Jones.

With their first-round pick, Easterling has the Titans taking Oklahoma defensive lineman Perrion Winfrey with the No. 22 overall pick.

The 6-foot-3, 297-pound lineman played in nine games for the Sooners in 2020, totaling 17 tackles (5.5 for loss), 0.5 sacks and three passes defensed. He likely could play either nose tackle or end in Tennessee’s 3-4 defense.

Tennessee going defensive line early on in 2022 is certainly a possibility.

While two spots up front appear to be locked down for at least the next few seasons thanks to Jeffery Simmons and Denico Autry, the Titans are still trying to figure out who will play next to them in 2021 and beyond.

After the Titans and DaQuan Jones parted ways, Tennessee is left with a competition to replace his snaps between 2020 UDFA Teair Tart, 2020 fifth-round pick Larrell Murchison, and veteran free-agent signing, Abry Jones.

The jury is still out on if any of those three players can make enough of a dent to stick around for the long haul, but if they can’t Tennessee might be looking for help up front sooner rather than later in next year’s draft.

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Oklahoma featured among best ‘scouting matchup games’ of the 2021 season

Touchdown Wire projects Oklahoma’s clash with Iowa State among the best “scouting matchup games” of the 2021 season.

Oklahoma football is gearing up for a very highly-anticipated 2021 season that many expect will see the Sooners provide their best crack at a national title in recent history. Continue reading “Oklahoma featured among best ‘scouting matchup games’ of the 2021 season”

Power ranking the Oklahoma Sooners top 20 players

Preseason player power rankings for the Oklahoma Sooners football team. Can anyone take the No. 1 spot from Spencer Rattler?

Less than 100 days away from the start of the 2021 college football season. Expectations couldn’t be any higher for the Oklahoma Sooners who have arguably Lincoln Riley’s best team to date in his four-plus seasons. Most analysts have Oklahoma among their top two or three teams in the country. They are hoping to challenge the likes of the Clemson Tigers, Alabama Crimson Tide, and Ohio State Buckeyes in the upcoming season.

To do so they will need to run the table in the Big 12 Conference and win their seventh-straight conference title. They also need to avoid the early season hiccups of year’s past to impress the voters. This team is talented but can they pull it off?

Sooners Wire put together their top 20 power ranking of the current team. Which players are the most vital to a run at the elusive CFP Championship?

18 Sooners among Athlon Sports’ 2021 Big 12 All-Conference Team

18 Oklahoma football players featured in Athlon Sports’ 2021 All-Big 12 first, second, third and fourth team projections.

It is beginning to look a lot like football.

Athlon Sports honored the best in the Big 12 conference with a release of the first, second, third and fourth all-conference teams for 2021. The 2021 All-Big 12 team is led by 18 selections from Oklahoma.

The listing is based on projected production of elite players this upcoming season. This is a compilation of the greatest individual assets to teams in the conference with the programs not playing a role in the ranking and the Sooners lead the pack. Oklahoma is poised for a college football playoff berth and the ultimate goal, a national championship with the talent on both sides of the football. Here is a look at which Sooners that made the cut.

First-Team Offense

QB Spencer Rattler

WR Marvin Mims

OL Marquis Hayes

First-Team Defense

DL Perrion Winfrey

DL Isaiah Thomas

LB Nik Bonitto

First-Team Specialists

K Gabe Brkic

Second-Team Offense

RB Kennedy Brooks

TE Austin Stogner

OL Wanya Morris

Second-Team Defense

LB Brian Asamoah

CB D.J. Graham

Third-Team Specialists

PR Marvin Mims

Fourth-Team Offense

RB Eric Gray

WR Theo Wease

OL Tyrese Robinson

Fourth-Team Defense

DL Jalen Redmond

S Delarrin Turner-Yell

Other Big 12 conference selections in Athlon’s 2021 All-Big 12 Team:

Baylor (10), Iowa State (17), Kansas (4), Kansas State (6), Oklahoma State (14), TCU (14), Texas (12), Texas Tech (9), West Virginia (10).

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”