Tag: Reggie Pearson

Oklahoma Sooners defensive backs in for a battle in spring ball

If the Oklahoma Sooners secondary can find more consistency, the defense will take another big step in 2024.

Last year, by and large, was a solid year for Oklahoma’s defensive backs. If there’s a knock against them, it was their inconsistency.

[autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] was a bright spot for the Sooner. He recorded 63 tackles, six interceptions, three pick-sixes, four pass breakups, and three tackles for loss last year and should have been an All-American.

Elsewhere, guys made plays but struggled to string together the caliber of performances that Bowman had.

There were moments when [autotag]Gentry Williams[/autotag] was excellent but never sustained his level of play due to a shoulder injury he dealt with for most of the year. His inability to stay on the field had a negative impact on the defense.

[autotag]Kendel Dolby[/autotag] had moments, in particular at cheetah. So did [autotag]Woodi Washington[/autotag]. Former five-star freshman [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag] also flashed at moments but lacked consistency.

So what have we learned? Talent won’t be an issue in 2024. Consistency is the name of the game. And as the Sooners get deeper into spring practice and summer preparations for the season, we’ll be on the lookout for more consistency.

According to reports, coaches have Washington working at cornerback, nickel corner, safety, and cheetah. San Diego State transfer [autotag]Dez Malone[/autotag] is working to acclimate himself, giving Oklahoma length and another veteran option out at corner. He tallied 90 tackles, three for loss, one sack, four interceptions, and 12 pass breakups from 2022-2023.

In-house, the Sooners need leaps from multiple guys. [autotag]Reggie Pearson[/autotag] is gone, and [autotag]Key Lawrence[/autotag] transferred to Ole Miss. Pair that with the need for depth at all secondary spots, and things will get interesting. Billy Bowman and Peyton Bowen are likely your starting safeties but don’t be surprised if Robert Spears-Jennings gets significant playing time at safety as well.

Spears-Jennings is looking to take a big step forward in year three. He feels like a guy we could see much of when Oklahoma goes into three safety looks. After that, Oklahoma will depend on youth. Four-star freshmen Reggie Powers and Jaydan Hardy will likely have to contribute somehow.

Woodi figures to be a starter somewhere on this defense, and barring health issues, Williams is a starting corner, too.

At cornerback, [autotag]Makari Vickers[/autotag], [autotag]Jasiah Wagoner[/autotag], and [autotag]Jacobe Johnson[/autotag] offer a lot of talent and saw time on the field last year. If they come along, Oklahoma’s depth would be outstanding.

Who is the cheetah? [autotag]Justin Harrington[/autotag] is recovering from the injury he suffered early season against SMU and isn’t participating in spring practices. [autotag]Dasan McCullough[/autotag] is working full-time as a linebacker right now.

[autotag]Kendel Dolby[/autotag] is an option, and sophomore now sees reps at the versatile spot too. Maybe four-star prospect [autotag]Michael Boganowski[/autotag] will join the mix as he finds a positional home.

Ultimately, there are a ton of question marks about Oklahoma’s secondary heading into the spring. There’s good potential, but a lack of experience on the depth chart. It’s a group that has to get more consistent for the Sooners to contend in the SEC.

Cornerbacks coach [autotag]Jay Valai[/autotag] and safety coach [autotag]Brandon Hall[/autotag] have their work cut out for them as the Sooners prepare for 2024.

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Oklahoma Sooners defender primed for a breakout season per ESPN

Former five-star prospect expected to have a breakout season according to ESPN.

The Oklahoma Sooners’ defense made positive strides in 2023, but they have work to do to turn [autotag]Zac Alley[/autotag]’s unit into an elite squad.

[autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] and his coaching staff have done a great job on the recruiting trail to stockpile talent over the last three recruiting cycles. In the last two years, the Sooners have added 17 four- and five-star players to their defensive ranks. Three were five-star prospects [autotag]Adepoju Adebawore[/autotag], [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag], and [autotag]David Stone[/autotag].

Bowen earned opportunities early in 2023 and was a productive playmaker on both defense and special teams. His production in a rotation role has ESPN’s David Hale believing Bowen will be the Sooners’ breakout star in 2024.

A year ago, safety [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag] arrived as a five-star recruit, ranked No. 14 nationally, hoping he could help be the future of OU’s defense after a disappointing 2022 season. He was able to carve out a role, playing in all 13 games with two starts, 36 tackles (including a season-high 5 against Texas), a sack, 5 passes broken up and a forced fumble. He also showed off his game-breaking ability with two blocked punts, most in the Big 12. He is poised to play an aggressive style under new defensive coordinator Zac Alley, who worked as an assistant under Sooners coach Brent Venables at Clemson when he was the Tigers’ defensive coordinator. Last year, Allen’s defense at Jacksonville State allowed just 2.8 yards per carry (fourth nationally), and was in the top 10 in turnovers (25) and interceptions (16). — Dave Wilson, ESPN

Bowen played 363 snaps in 2023, fourth among safeties but first among true freshmen on the roster last year. And he proved to have a nose for the football, making plays in both the run and passing game.

With [autotag]Key Lawrence[/autotag] (Ole Miss transfer) and [autotag]Reggie Pearson[/autotag] (eligibility) out the door, there’s an opportunity for Bowen to earn a starting role next to Billy Bowman. He’ll contend with [autotag]Robert Spears-Jennings[/autotag] for snaps. Even if he doesn’t start for the Sooners in Year 2, we’ve seen Oklahoma rotate safeties, and he can help the Sooners at free safety, strong safety and nickel cheetah.

The breakout is coming for Peyton Bowen. He’s a big reason there’s optimism about Oklahoma’s defense improving yet again in 2024.

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Oklahoma Sooners safety group stacked heading into 2024 spring ball

With their success on the recruiting trail since Brandon Hall’s arrival, Oklahoma’s safety group boasts great depth ahead of spring ball.

In the first couple of years of Brent Venables tenure with the Oklahoma Sooners, the safety position was one of the areas of the defense that lacked depth.

After [autotag]Delarrin Turner-Yell[/autotag] left for the NFL and [autotag]Patrick Field[/autotag]s for Stanford after the 2021 season, the Sooners were left with just two guys, [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] and [autotag]Key Lawrence[/autotag], that had played significant snaps for the Sooners. Both guys served as utility pieces, playing some corner during that 2021 season.

In 2022, safety was ravaged by injury early in the season, most evident in their blowout loss to TCU.

In 2023, the position had more depth with the All-American season from [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag], the improved play from Key Lawrence, the emergence of [autotag]Robert Spears-Jennings[/autotag], and the additions of [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag] and [autotag]Reggie Pearson[/autotag].

The depth chart took a bit of a hit this offseason with the departures of Lawrence (Ole Miss) and Pearson (eligibility), but safety looks to be in great shape as the Sooners go through winter workouts.

Bowman is back for his fourth season, looking to build off of his incredible 2023. So are Bowen and Spears-Jennings, two guys who will vie for starter snaps in the secondary.

Oklahoma will get [autotag]Erik McCarty[/autotag] back after he took a redshirt year in 2023 after suffering an injury in the Oklahoma 4A state title game at the end of 2022.

The Sooners also welcomed a deep recruiting class at safety, welcoming [autotag]Reggie Powers[/autotag], Jaydan Hardy, [autotag]Michael Boganowski[/autotag], and [autotag]Mykel Patterson-McDonald[/autotag] to the program. It’s an incredibly fast and athletic group that adds more talent and playmaking ability to the roster as they head into the SEC.

By all accounts, the 2024 safety additions have been standouts of winter workouts with their athleticism and strength.

Those new additions will need to prove what they’re capable of this offseason, we’ve seen [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] and [autotag]Brandon Hall[/autotag] utilize their young safeties.

Hall and Venables’ success on the recruiting trail has strengthened the safety group and it’s the deepest it has been in years.

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Sooners expected to host highly-touted Clemson defensive back per report

The Oklahoma Sooners are expected to host Clemson safety transfer Andrew Mukuba.

The Oklahoma Sooners have been active in the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag], targeting guys with experience who can come in and add to the competitive depth on the roster. They’ve added Michigan State offensive tackle Spencer Brown, and it looks like they’re in the mix for one of the top transfers in the portal.

According to Jason Suchomel of Orange Bloods, the Oklahoma Sooners will be one of several teams to host elite Clemson safety Andrew Mukuba. Along with Oklahoma, Mukuba will visit Texas, Oregon, and Ole Miss in the coming week.

Mukuba is a former four-star safety out of Austin, Texas, who has played the last three seasons with the Clemson Tigers. He’s amassed more than 1,700 snaps in his collegiate career.

More: 2023-2024 Oklahoma Sooners Transfer Portal Tracker

The Texas Longhorns are the favorite to earn Mukuba’s commitment in the transfer portal, given they’re the hometown team. However, given Mukuba’s ties to Brent Venables from their time together at Clemson, there’s a chance the Sooners could add Mukuba to their defensive backfield.

Mukuba spends most of his time as the free safety but will also line up in coverage on opposing slot players. In three seasons, he’s totaled 143 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, one interception, and 16 passes defended. In 2023, quarterbacks had an NFL passer rating of 64.7 when targeting Mukuba in coverage, which was the 13th-best opposing passer rating in the ACC among defensive backs with at least 453 snaps on the season.

The Oklahoma Sooners will return [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag], [autotag]Robert Spears-Jennings[/autotag], and [autotag]Daeh McCullough[/autotag] at safety for 2024. There’s still a highly-anticipated decision coming from [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] about his future. Even if Bowman returns, the Sooners could use another difference maker in the secondary with [autotag]Woodi Washington[/autotag] (expected to go to the NFL), [autotag]Key Lawrence[/autotag] (transfer), and [autotag]Reggie Pearson[/autotag] (eligibility) out the door.

Mukuba is a do-it-all player who is good in every aspect that’s needed to play the safety position. He’s excellent in coverage and a sure tackler. His experience would help further solidify the Sooners’ safety position and provide more versatility on the back end.

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5 positions the Oklahoma Sooners should target via the transfer portal

With the transfer portal set to open up next week, what position groups could the Sooners target for some help?

With just one game left to put a bow on the 2023 season, Oklahoma’s vision has widened a bit to prepare for 2024. 2024 is a significant year in the history of Oklahoma football as the Sooners will be moving to the SEC along with the Texas Longhorns.

Oklahoma’s 2023 season is a success after a dismal 2022 campaign where they won just six games. The Sooners have already won 10 games and have shown a lot of growth on and off the field.

Looking at the roster heading into the new calendar year, it’s easy to see that while Oklahoma got better, they will have some holes they must address immediately.

And that’s where the transfer portal comes in.

Oklahoma could lose significant pieces on the offensive and defensive lines and at quarterback. They could also add talent to the secondary and the linebacker unit.

This year, they benefitted from the transfer portal by landing Walter Rouse from Stanford, a rock-solid left tackle who routinely posted some of the best pass-blocking grades on the team, per Pro Football Focus. Da’Jon Terry was a foundational piece of a defense that took a step forward.

Other names like Andrel Anthony, Dasan McCullough, and Reggie Pearson made immediate impacts in their first year with the Sooners.

The transfer portal doesn’t officially open until Dec. 4, but players nationwide have begun announcing their plans to enter the portal.

Here’s a look at five positions the Sooners could target in the transfer portal.

Relive the Oklahoma Sooners 69-45 win over TCU with these amazing photos

Relive the Oklahoma Sooners explosive performance against the TCU Horned Frogs with these incredible photos.

It was a magical day at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. The Oklahoma Sooners hosted their final Big 12 home game before their move to the SEC next summer.

Oklahoma earned double-digit wins for the first time in Brent Venables’ career. The Sooners had a nice send-off for their seniors. And their seniors were instrumental in the 69-45 win.

In particular, Dillon Gabriel and Drake Stoops had huge days on Senior Day. Gabriel threw for 400 yards and accounted for four touchdowns. Stoops caught 12 passes for 125 yards and a touchdown. It was his third 100-yard day in the last four weeks as he became the Sooners’ top receiving option.

After the first half, it seemed like the Oklahoma Sooners were going to roll to an easy win, but TCU made things really interesting, pulling to within 14 points in the second half. But at 52-38, the Sooners went on a 17-0 run, capped off by Billy Bowman’s interception return for a touchdown.

It wasn’t a dominant performance, but it was a performance that will be memorable as it allowed Oklahoma’s seniors to walk off Owen Field with a perfect 5-0 record at home in 2023.

It remains to be seen if the Sooners will have one more meaningful game in Big 12 play or if they’re simply awaiting their bowl destination. However, Oklahoma did what it needed to on Black Friday to give them a shot at a Big 12 title game berth.

Relive the big 69-45 win over the TCU Horned Frogs with some of the best photos from the game.

Oklahoma Sooners win final Big 12 home game, beat the TCU Horned Frogs 69-45

The Oklahoma Sooners cap off their 2023 regular season with a big win over the TCU Horned Frogs.

The Oklahoma Sooners played their final [autotag]Big 12[/autotag] home game against the [autotag]TCU Horned Frogs[/autotag], coming out on top with a 69-45 win.

On senior day and Oklahoma’s final day in the Big 12, this game had everything.

The defense forced a punt on their first drive and nearly earned an interception.

The offense marched right down the field on their first drive of the game. [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] hit [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] on a 50-yard pass to start the drive. TCU was called for pass interference on Austin Stogner and on the following play, Gabriel then ran it in from eight yards out for his 12th rushing touchdown of the season.

After a muffed punt by [autotag]Gavin Freeman[/autotag] set TCU up with great field position, the Horned Frogs scored on a [autotag]Josh Hoover[/autotag] keeper but missed the extra point.

The offense picked up right where it left off. Gabriel found [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag] on 3rd and 11 for a gain of 17. He then found Gibson on a 59-yard touchdown pass, dragging a defender into the end zone.

After a 48-yard pass to [autotag]Jojo Earle[/autotag] got the Horned Frogs into OU territory, TCU took advantage as Hoover hit Earle on a 6-yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to 14-13.

To start the second quarter, the Sooners went with Freeman, Drake Stoops and [autotag]Brenen Thompson[/autotag] as the wide receivers. OU used their speed, and Gabriel hit Thompson on a deep post route for a 53-yard touchdown pass.

The defense forced a three-and-out, and Gabriel continued his incredible performance. He helped convert a third and long and then a fourth down on the drive. [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag] capped it off with a 12-yard touchdown run that gave the Sooners a 28-13 lead.

The Sooners forced a three and out on a sack by [autotag]Reggie Pearson[/autotag]. But TCU tried a fake field goal, and it was snuffed out by the Sooners. The offense took over and marched right down the short field and capped it off with a 7-yard run by Sawchuk.

The Sooners’ defense forced its third straight three and out on TCU’s next drive. And on Oklahoma’s next possession, Sawchuk took off on a 41-yard run, setting OU up in TCU territory. The drive was capped off by a 9-yard touchdown run by [autotag]Tawee Walker[/autotag].

The Sooners took a 42-16 lead into halftime.

The Sooners outgained the Horned Frogs 375-221. They were also 7 of 9 on third and fourth down while holding TCU to 4 of 12. Gabriel finished the half 14-23 for 278 yards and three touchdowns.

The Sooners drove right down the field on their first drive of the half but had to settle for a 23-yard field goal. [autotag]Zach Schmit[/autotag] nailed it to extend the Sooners lead to 45-16. TCU responded as Emani Bailey ran it in untouched from 32 yards out. Gabriel tried another deep shot to Thompson, but it was into the wind and a bit late, and this time it was picked off.

TCU took advantage as Hoover found [autotag]Jared Wiley[/autotag] for the four-yard score to cut the lead to 45-31 after TCU converterted the two-point try. The Sooners faced a 4th and 1 on their own side of the 50 and Gabriel picked up 40 yards on the option keeper. Stoops capped off the drive with a 9-yard touchdown pass from Gabriel.

TCU went right back down the field like it was nothing. Bailey had a 49-yard run and then a touchdown catch on the following play to cut the Sooners lead back to 14. The Sooners drove the field but, after a sack, were forced to kick a 40-yard field goal. Schmit knocked it through to put OU up 17 with 10:14 remaining in the fourth quarter.

The defense finally made a stop, forcing TCU to turn it over on downs in their own territory. The Sooners capitalized as Sawchuk ran it in from nine yards out to make it 62-38. [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] would add to the lead after a 45-yard interception return to seal the win.

The Sooners had several big-time performances in the win. Dillon Gabriel completed 63% of his passes for 400 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for 36 yards and a touchdown. Gavin Sawchuk had his fourth straight 100-yard day with 22 carries for 130 yards and three touchdowns. Sawchuk added 16 yards on two receptions to his big performance.

On the receiving end, Oklahoma had three players with more than 75 yards in the win. Drake Stoops caught 12 passes for 125 yards and a touchdown. Nic Anderson had four receptions on eight targets for 97 yards. Jayden Gibson continued his strong finish to the season with two receptions for 76 yards and a score.

Defensively, the Sooners struggled in the second half, allowing 299 total yards and 9.3 yards per play. But as they’ve done often this season, the defense came up with big plays in key moments. In addition to his interception return for a touchdown, Billy Bowman led the team with nine tackles.

In total, Oklahoma outgained the Horned Frogs 607-520 on the day.

Oklahoma moved to 10-2 in year two under [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag]. Now they wait for this weekend’s results in the Big 12 to know if they’ll be playing next week in Arlington, Texas for the Big 12 title.

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Dillon Gabriel, Drake Stoops have huge nights; Sooners dominate West Virginia 59-20

The Oklahoma Sooners got back to their winning ways with a huge 59-20 win over West Virginia.

The Oklahoma Sooners entered their primetime matchup with the West Virginia Mountaineers on a two-game losing streak. The OU team that showed up on Saturday night looked nothing like we’d witnessed in their road losses to Kansas and Oklahoma State in their 59-20 win over West Virginia.

On the opening drive of the game, the [autotag]West Virginia Mountaineers[/autotag] marched down the field on an eight-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that took a little over four minutes off the clock to take a 7-0. And then it was all Oklahoma from then on out.

The Sooners put together their own eight-play, 75-yard drive, culminating in Dillon Gabriel’s first touchdown of the night, a two-yard run to tie the game.

After the opening drive, the Sooners’ defense locked in and shut down the Mountaineers’ offense until their final drive of the first half. Oklahoma’s defense forced three punts, two turnovers on downs, including one at the goalline, and WVU missed a field goal. By the time West Virginia scored their second touchdown of the game, it was 31-14 Sooners.

In the first half, [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] threw touchdowns to [autotag]Austin Stogner[/autotag] and [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag] and ran for two scores to stake Oklahoma to a big halftime lead.

In the second half, Oklahoma kept the pressure on West Virginia, and [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag] started to take over the game. On another career day for the veteran wide receiver, Stoops caught three touchdown passes in the second half to leave no doubt in the Sooners win.

On one of those scores, Stoops was hit hard in the end zone on a play that was reviewed for targeting. That play led to a skirmish under the strobe lights inside Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. No penalties came of it, but on the ensuing point after attempt, [autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag] went after Anthony Wilson for his hit and taunt of Drake Stoops and was ejected from the game.

But by that point in the game, the outcome was academic, as the Sooners had run away with the game.

In the win, Gabriel passed former Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan for 10th all-time in passing yards and had eight total touchdowns in the Sooners’ win. Gabriel finished the day completing 64% of his passes for 423 yards and five touchdowns and added 50 yards and three rushing touchdowns in the huge win. His eight total touchdowns are the most combined passing and rushing in the history of Oklahoma Football.

[autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag], who had a career game a week ago in the loss to Oklahoma State, was dominant for the Sooners in the passing game. He had 10 receptions for 164 yards and three touchdowns.

Getting his second consecutive start, [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag] carried the ball 22 times for 135 yards, showing great patience and explosiveness.

[autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] returned for the Sooners defense and recorded eight total tackles and two tackles for loss. [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] had seven total tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss.

The Sooners held West Virginia to 330 total yards, 4 of 16 on third down, and 2 of 4 on fourth down. Oklahoma was able to keep Garrett Green in check running the football, holding the dual-threat quarterback to 24 yards on 10 attempts.

Oklahoma recorded two interceptions in the win. One from [autotag]Reggie Pearson[/autotag] and the other from true freshman [autotag]Jacobe Johnson[/autotag]. As they had done during their 7-0 start to the season, the Sooners won the turnover battle.

With the win, the Sooners move to 8-2 on the season and 5-2 in Big 12 play. They received a bit of help from UCF who dominated Oklahoma State, opening the door a bit more for a trip to the Big 12 title game.

Oklahoma took care of their end of the bargain and will travel to Provo next Saturday to see if they can beat the BYU Cougars. BYU holds the all-time series lead at 2-0 over the Sooners.

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Robert Spears-Jennings breaks down 4th Down stop on Ollie Gordon

Robert Spears-Jennings breaks down one of the biggest plays from the Sooners loss to Oklahoma State.

Early in the first half against the [autotag]Oklahoma State Cowboys[/autotag], the Oklahoma Sooners found themselves in a predicament. Starting safety [autotag]Key Lawerence[/autotag] went out of the game with an injury. His backup, [autotag]Reggie Pearson[/autotag], was suspended for the first half due to a targeting call during the second half of the loss to Kansas.

In came sophomore [autotag]Robert Spears-Jennings[/autotag]. Spears-Jennings had shown promise but was hurt in the offseason and is just now finding his groove. Man, did he have a day on Saturday. He finished second on the team with seven total tackles and had a pass deflection.

His most important play came on 4th Down early in the 3rd Quarter. The Sooners were down 17-14, and [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] had just thrown an interception. The Cowboys marched all the way down to the Sooners’ 16-yard line but faced a 4th and 1.

Mike Gundy decided to go for it and give it to the nation’s leading rusher, [autotag]Ollie Gordon[/autotag]. As Gordon took the handoff and worked off of left tackle, Spears-Jennings came on a blitz and tracked him down from the backside, stopping him short of the sticks.

He broke down that play after Monday’s practice.

“Coach gave me a blitz, and I tried to make sure to try to make this play right here because this is a game-changing play,” Spears-Jennings said. “They were in high red, so if they get that first down, it’s a high chance of them scoring.”

At the time, it was a game-changing play as the Sooners marched down the field to take a 21-17 lead. Unfortunately, that play got lost a bit in the outcome, but it was another example of young talent making plays.

As the Sooners continue to build upon a defense that was one of the worst in the nation in 2022, seeing blue-chip prospects out there making plays provides encouraging signs that Oklahoma is headed in the right direction.

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Oklahoma Sooners name captains for week 8 contest with UCF Knights

The Oklahoma Sooners captains for the Week 8 game vs. the UCF Knights has been set.

It’s finally almost “football time in Oklahoma” once again after their bye week. The Oklahoma Sooners take on their new [autotag]Big 12[/autotag] foe the [autotag]UCF Knights[/autotag] on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. CT.

On Monday night, the Sooners announced via social media the captains for this week’s contest. The captains are [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag], [autotag]Da’Jon Terry[/autotag], [autotag]Reggie Pearson[/autotag], [autotag]Shane Whitter[/autotag] and [autotag]Caleb Shaffer[/autotag]. Gabriel is fresh off a huge game in the Cotton Bowl and is also playing his former team, perhaps some gamesmanship from Brent Venables.

Pearson is a guy who started early in the year before getting injured. Since returning Pearson, has maintained a steady role in the safety rotation.

Terry is fresh off his best game of the season, where he was virtually unblockable and unmovable.

Shaffer being a captain is interesting because it might point to him winning the starting right guard job while [autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag] is out. He came in and played well, especially given the circumstances.

Whitter is someone who is mainly a special teams player for the Sooners. He’s someone people have always thought would be a transfer candidate. He’s committed to the program, to Venables and the standard he’s laid out since arriving in Norman. That’s a guy you want as a leader because it would have been easy to just up and leave.

All in all, it’s a good group of captains, and it’s good to have football back at the palace.

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