Tag: Reggie Pearson

Oklahoma landed one of USA TODAY Sports best transfer classes

USA TODAY Sports Paul Myerburg identified Oklahoma’s transfer classes as one of the best in the country this offseason.

The Oklahoma Sooners made a concerted effort to add talent and experience on both sides of the football in the 2023 transfer portal. The Sooners lost a lot of talent to the NFL in [autotag]Anton Harrison[/autotag], [autotag]Wanya Morris[/autotag], [autotag]Chris Murray[/autotag], [autotag]Eric Gray[/autotag], [autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag], and [autotag]DaShaun White[/autotag]. [autotag]David Ugwoegbu[/autotag] is headed to Houston, so the Sooners have a lot of vacated snaps to fill.

According to USA TODAY’s Paul Myerburg, the Oklahoma Sooners brought in one of the best transfer portal classes in the country this cycle. [autotag]Dasasn McCullough[/autotag] was named as the Sooners’ best transfer addition.

This is another solid transfer class for [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag], this time joining one of the top-ranked traditional recruiting classes in the FBS. Stanford transfer [autotag]Walter Rouse[/autotag] pencils into one of the open spots at left or right tackle after spending four season as the Cardinal’s starter on the blind side. After one season at South Carolina, tight end [autotag]Austin Stogner[/autotag] has rejoined the program and figures to be the Sooners’ top option at the position. Former Michigan wide receiver [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] had moments of brilliance with the Wolverines and will have the chance to play a major role as OU tries to replace roughly two-thirds of last year’s receiving yardage. Lastly, (Dasan) McCullough was one of the top freshmen defenders in the Power Five in 2022. – Myerburg, USA TODAY Sports

The Sooners added several impact players on both sides of the ball. Including McCullough, the Sooners landed several defensive front players that can effect opposing passing games and help solidify their run defense. McCullough is rumored to be slotted in at Cheetah for the Sooners, but Oklahoma will utilize his pass rush ability in their blitz packages.

[autotag]Rondell Bothroyd[/autotag] comes to Oklahoma with 13 sacks and 24.5 tackles for loss over the last two seasons at Wake Forest. [autotag]Trace Ford[/autotag] had a productive first two years in Stillwater before being limited by injuries. Oklahoma also added [autotag]Jacob Lacey[/autotag] and [autotag]Davon Sears[/autotag] to help bolster the interior. Lacey comes from Notre Dame, and Sears was being pursued by Tennessee and Penn State before choosing Oklahoma.

Safety [autotag]Reggie Pearson[/autotag] rounds out the defensive additions for the Sooners. He brings a lot of experience and big-hitting ability that can add some extra physicality to the Sooners’ defense.

On offense, Oklahoma made important additions along the offensive line with Rouse and guard [autotag]Caleb Shaffer[/autotag]. Both players could slide into the starting lineup and bring a ton of experience to the offensive line room. Both were four-year starters at their previous stops and join an experienced group that brings back [autotag]Andrew Raym[/autotag] and [autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag] along the offensive front as well. [autotag]Tyler Guyton[/autotag] projects to start at right tackle after playing the swing tackle role for Oklahoma in 2022.

[autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] adds another talented wide receiver to their wide receiver competition opposite [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag]. Anthony has some deep-threat ability that will give him the opportunity to be an option to replace Marvin Mims.

Then there’s [autotag]Austin Stogner[/autotag]. The returning Oklahoma Sooners tight end will have an opportunity for a [autotag]Brayden Willis[/autotag]-type breakout season in 2023. Though the Sooners are a little deeper now that [autotag]Jason Llewellyn[/autotag] and [autotag]Kaden Helms[/autotag] are in their second years in Norman, Stogner will get a vast majority of the opportunities this season.

Time will tell just how impactful this transfer portal class will be, but on paper, the Sooners landed a strong group of players that will be key to the Sooners 2023 season.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1366]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz7cqqgxy50qwt player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=]

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

College coaches name Oklahoma Sooners a winner in the transfer portal

College coaches pick the Oklahoma Sooners as one of the winners of the transfer portal per ESPN.

The Sooners had to do something this offseason to improve the talent on both sides of the ball. [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] and his staff did just that through the first stage of the [autotag]2022-2023 transfer portal[/autotag].

They’ve added impact players like [autotag]Dasan McCullough[/autotag], [autotag]Rondell Bothroyd[/autotag], [autotag]Reggie Pearson[/autotag], [autotag]Trace Ford[/autotag], [autotag]Jacob Lacey[/autotag], and [autotag]Davon Sears[/autotag] to a defense that needed an infusion of talent. In particular, they needed to add more pass rushers to give them more consistency.

Oklahoma’s also done a good job on the offensive side of the ball. To help mitigate the loss of [autotag]Anton Harrison[/autotag], [autotag]Wanya Morris[/autotag], and [autotag]Chris Murray[/autotag] along the offensive line, Oklahoma brought in [autotag]Walter Rouse[/autotag] and [autotag]Caleb Shaffer[/autotag] to add to a line that will feature [autotag]Andrew Raym[/autotag], [autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag], and [autotag]Tyler Guyton[/autotag] in 2023. The Sooners also added [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] from Michigan and brought back [autotag]Austin Stogner[/autotag] to be the presumptive starter at tight end.

The work Venables and his staff have done to improve the talent has garnered the attention of college coaches around the sport who named the Sooners as one of the winners of the transfer portal, according to ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg (ESPN+).

“They struggled so badly last year,” a Big 12 assistant said. “The portal, if you do it the right way, it can change things. They’ve taken a good hold in the portal.”

Coaches expect edge rusher Dasan McCullough, a transfer from Indiana, to immediately impact the unit. Oklahoma emphasized its defensive line in the portal, adding Oklahoma State end Trace Ford, Wake Forest end Rondell Bothroyd and Notre Dame tackle Jacob Lacey. Former Sooners tight end Austin Stogner will return after a season at South Carolina, where he had 20 receptions. Wide receiver is an area Oklahoma likely will continue to pursue in the portal when it reopens. – Adam Rittenberg

The Sooners currently sit eighth in the nation in the 247Sports transfer portal rankings after the first period of the portal.

This coaching staff has done a really nice job at attacking weaknesses in the portal to give themselves an opportunity to improve upon their 6-7 season from 2022. It won’t be an easy task, but in a wide-open Big 12, the Sooners will be a Big 12 contender late in the season.

If there’s one thing this coaching staff has shown they can do, it’s recruit. Whether it’s in the 2023 recruiting class or the transfer portal, Brent Venables and his staff have done a fantastic job in the talent acquisition department.

[listicle id=79471]

[listicle id=79380]

[listicle id=79384]

[mm-video type=video id=01gm9s13m7nk8qphnk7b playlist_id=none player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gm9s13m7nk8qphnk7b/01gm9s13m7nk8qphnk7b-472b19a2e17ad8e9edb57b0aa3564818.jpg]

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. Let us know your thoughts, and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today. You can also follow John on Twitter @john9williams.

Oklahoma Sooners inside the USA TODAY Sports way too early top 25 for 2023

Oklahoma looks to be a bounce-back candidate for the 2023 season, making USA TODAY Sports way too early top 25 for next year.

Coming off of a 6-7 season in which the defense struggled for most of the Big 12 schedule, it’s a bit surprising that the Oklahoma Sooners find themselves inside the top 25 of these way too early 2023 power rankings.

Whether it was CBS Sports or 247Sports, it appears the Sooners will be a popular bounce-back candidate this offseason. To that end, Oklahoma was included in the top 25 of USA TODAY Sports’ way too early power rankings for 2023 by Paul Myerburg.

It has to get better. There’s plenty of talent on offense to team with established starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel. Based on his track record, it feels very safe to expect the defense to take a huge leap in Brent Venables’ second season. The Sooners will also be a deeper and more experienced team after almost completely redoing the roster last winter and making significant headway in the transfer portal this offseason. Don’t forget that five of OU’s seven losses came by a touchdown or less, so simply returning to the mean in these close games would bring OU back into the eight-or-nine win range. – Myerburg, USA TODAY Sports

Myerburg makes a great point, that if Oklahoma split the five games in which they lost by a touchdown or less, the Sooners would have been at least an eight-win team. Four of those five losses came by a field goal. Improved depth on defense could help the Sooners better withstand late surges by their opponents. P

Getting [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] back is a great start to rebounding after the Sooners’ first losing season since 1998. Having quarterback continuity amid some key losses on the offensive side of the ball will help calm the waters. But more important than that is the work Brent Venables and his staff have done to add immediate difference-makers to the defense in the [autotag]2022-2023 transfer portal[/autotag].

Guys like [autotag]Rondell Bothroyd[/autotag], [autotag]Jacob Lacey[/autotag], [autotag]Trace Ford[/autotag], [autotag]Reggie Pearson[/autotag], and [autotag]Dasan McCullough[/autotag] are ready-made players that will step in and either start or be a part of the two-deep on the Sooners’ initial depth chart when they break camp next fall. Bothroyd, Ford, and McCullough, in particular, bring pass rush productivity to Norman to help a defensive front that struggled with pass rush consistency in 2022. Add that group to Reggie Grimes, who started 2022 hot and Ethan Downs, who finished strong down the stretch, and the Sooners are building quite the arsenal at defensive end.

Improving the defense is the key to the Sooners returning to contention in the Big 12 in 2023. Moving the needle from 30 points per game to closer to 20 will make the biggest difference for the Sooners. It’s too early to tell how all the pieces will come together, but based on what they’ve done in the transfer portal thus far, the Oklahoma Sooners are trending in the right direction.

[listicle id=78731]

[listicle id=78610]

[mm-video type=video id=01gm9s13m7nk8qphnk7b playlist_id=none player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gm9s13m7nk8qphnk7b/01gm9s13m7nk8qphnk7b-472b19a2e17ad8e9edb57b0aa3564818.jpg]

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. Let us know your thoughts, and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today. You can also follow John on Twitter @john9williams.

Oklahoma Sooners going all-in to improve defense for 2023

The Oklahoma Sooners are going all-in via the transfer portal to fix a defense that was one of the worst in the country in 2022.

The transfer portal has created a bit of a chaotic element in the world of college football. Players that coaches expect to be around for three to five years may depart after just one season with the immediate eligibility transfer rule.

At the same time, there’s beauty in the transfer portal as well. A team like the Oklahoma Sooners, coming off its worst season since 1998, isn’t forced to stand pat and wait on its players to develop.

After the 2022 season, in which the defense ranked in the bottom 30 of college football and allowed 30 points per game, the Sooners are aggressively improving the talent on the defensive roster for 2023.

[autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] and the Oklahoma Sooners have added six players on the defensive side through the transfer portal. And that doesn’t include [autotag]Kendel Dolby[/autotag], who they brought in as a junior college addition through the 2023 recruiting class. So far, they’ve earned transfer commitments from:

  • [autotag]Jacob Lacey[/autotag], DT from Notre Dame
  • [autotag]Dasan McCullough[/autotag], Edge/LB from Indiana
  • [autotag]Reggie Pearson[/autotag], S from Texas Tech
  • [autotag]Trace Ford[/autotag], DE from Oklahoma State
  • [autotag]Rondell Bothroyd[/autotag], DL from Wake Forest
  • [autotag]Davon Sears[/autotag], DT from Texas State

That’s a lot of experience and a lot of production at the collegiate level to add to the defensive depth chart for 2023.

Rondell Bothroyd brings 14 sacks and 26.5 tackles for loss over the last two seasons to Norman. Dasan McCullough had a standout season as a true freshman for the Hoosiers and was an ESPN true freshman All-American. We were witnesses to the thunderous tackling ability that Reggie Pearson brings to the Sooners’ secondary in Oklahoma’s loss to Texas Tech in 2022. Jacob Lacey didn’t play much for Notre Dame in 2022, but he was effective in the three games played.

Trace Ford has battled injuries in Stillwater but has been productive when he played. In his first two seasons at Oklahoma State, Ford procured 7.5 sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss as a true freshman and sophomore. Davon Sears has taken the winding road to the Power Five after spending time at Ellsworth Community College and Texas State. He was an effective interior defensive line presence for the Bobcats, even if the numbers aren’t eye-popping.

The Sooners have some defensive building blocks to work with, including [autotag]Ethan Downs,[/autotag] [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag], [autotag]R Mason Thomas[/autotag], [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag], [autotag]Isaiah Coe[/autotag] and [autotag]Jordan Kelley[/autotag].

They have some young guys from the 2022 recruiting class that will have a chance to be impact players in 2023, such as [autotag]Jaren Kanak[/autotag], [autotag]Kobie McKinzie[/autotag], [autotag]Kip Lewis[/autotag], [autotag]Gracen Halton[/autotag], [autotag]Gentry Williams[/autotag], [autotag]Robert Spears-Jennings[/autotag] and [autotag]Jayden Rowe[/autotag]. The Sooners have signed arguably the best defensive recruiting class they’ve had in years.

However, Venables and his coaching staff aren’t waiting around. After a 6-7 season, they felt the mandate to make significant additions to the roster to improve the talent, and they’ve done that. It doesn’t mean Oklahoma will contend for the Big 12 title and the College Football Playoff, but they’re not sitting back to see if the young talent will take the steps this offseason to be the difference makers the Sooners’ defense needs to make significant strides in 2023.

They’ll have a lot to prove when they get into the Big 12 part of their schedule next season. Nonconference play will not give us much of an indication of where this defense is next season. However, with what they’ve done in the transfer portal, the defense should be on an upward trajectory.

[autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] and his staff are doing everything they can to fix the defense, and their work in the transfer portal is indicative of those efforts.

[listicle id=76629]

[listicle id=78488]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz7cqqgxy50qwt player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=]

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. Let us know your thoughts, and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today. You can also follow John on Twitter @john9williams.

Major Michigan State football transfer target Reggie Pearson commits to Oklahoma

A major Michigan State transfer target has committed to Oklahoma

Yesterday, after a big early signing period that saw fourteen recruits and twelve transfers join the Michigan State football program, Mel Tucker held a press conference where he mentioned that more players, specifically guys from the state of Michigan, may still be on the way, including a safety who is a ‘heavy hitter.’

Many believed that player to be Reggie Pearson a former Wisconsin commit who then transferred to Texas Tech and was one of the most highly coveted players in the transfer portal. Pearson is from River Rouge, Michigan.

Instead, on Thursday, Pearson committed to Oklahoma, seemingly surprising some around the program, unless there is another heavy-hitting safety from Michigan on the way that we don’t know about…

[listicle id=106097]

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan state news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Andrew Brewster on Twitter @IAmBrewster.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Michigan State football offers Texas Tech transfer DB Reggie Pearson

Michigan State is looking to bolster their secondary with a local talent that has entered the transfer portal

Michigan State is looking to bolster their secondary with a local talent that has entered the transfer portal.

Reggie Pearson of Inkster, Mich. announced on Wednesday that he’s received an offer from Michigan State. Pearson is in the transfer portal after playing the past two seasons at Texas Tech. He originally played for Wisconsin out of high school and before transferring to Texas Tech.

In his career, Pearson has recorded 174 tackles, four forced fumbles and three interceptions. He was a three-year starter.

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan state news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on Twitter @RobertBondy5.

[mm-video type=video id=01gkj5r17d3ca49md3nz playlist_id=01eqbz825g32p3akwt player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gkj5r17d3ca49md3nz/01gkj5r17d3ca49md3nz-ce8ac9e7423b5cc6610f9aaeb9e9af90.jpg]

[listicle id=105460]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1362]

Where recently-transferred former Badgers stand on their new teams’ depth charts

Where recently-transferred former Badgers stand on their new teams’ depth charts

The addition of former Clemson running back Chez Mellusi was one of the biggest offseason storylines for the Wisconsin Badgers.

But while the team added both Mellusi and former Oregon DE Isaac Townsend to the program, there were also quite a few players who chose to transfer out.

RB Nakia Watson went to Washington State, ILB Malik Reed went to Arizona, S Reggie Pearson went to Texas Tech and more.

Well, now that it’s game week across the college football landscape, here is an update via Bally Sports’ Dave Heller on where several former Badgers stand on their new team’s depth charts:

  • Nakia Watson: Backup running back at Washington State
  • Reggie Pearson: Starting LB/S at Texas Tech
  • Malik Reed: No depth chart, but his head coach said he’ll play
  • Madison Cone: Backup safety at Appalachian State
  • Gabe Lloyd (North Dakota State) and Dante Caputo (Pittsburgh): Not listed on two-deep depth chart

Contact/Follow us @TheBadgersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin news, notes, opinion and analysis.

[listicle id=35589]

Wisconsin CB transfer Reggie Pearson announces his next school

The former Badger is headed to the FCS

Cornerback Reggie Pearson was one of the hardest hitters on Wisconsin’s roster as a redshirt freshman, but unfortunately a medical issue derailed his time as a Badger. After a strange situation kept Pearson off the field last year, the CB is transferring.

Wisconsin would not medically clear Pearson to play, despite the former Badger saying he had medical clearance from a pair of outside professionals.

Pearson has found a new home, as the Michigan native is headed to South Dakota to continue his collegiate career:

LOOK: Wisconsin releases their official 2020 football roster

With the season kicking off in exactly one month the Wisconsin Badgers will open their fall camp on Wednesday and, as a result, today…

With the season kicking off in exactly one month the Wisconsin Badgers will open their fall camp on Wednesday and, as a result, today released their official 2020 roster.

Here is their group heading into the season:

A surprise addition to the roster is senior offensive lineman Boyd Dietzen, a player who retired two years ago because of injuries.

One absence of note, though, is safety Reggie Pearson after he impressed in his first year as a starter.

Head coach Paul Chryst in a press conference today addressed his absence and cited a physical issue as the reason he isn’t on the roster.

Pearson will still stay in school and with the football program.

A final piece worth noting is the significant weight differences several players have entering the season:

A few names that stick out from this list: Graham Mertz up nine pounds, Cole Van Lanen down seven pounds, Eric Burrell up eight pouynds and Izayah Green-May up 11 pounds.

 

There have been countless schedule releases in the last few months that have made the Badgers’ 2020 football season feel real. This roster release, though, takes the cake. We’re one month from Badger and Big Ten football.

The Wisconsin defense ranked in the top five in power five of this stat by PFF

Last year, the Wisconsin defense was nothing short of amazing for most of the season. They had star players in key positions like Chris Orr at linebacker, Zack Baun at edge rusher, as well as Eric Burrell and Reggie Pearson at safety.

Last year, the Wisconsin defense was nothing short of amazing for most of the season. They had star players in key positions like Chris Orr at linebacker, Zack Baun at edge rusher, as well as Eric Burrell and Reggie Pearson at safety.

Pro Football Focus tweeted the top five power five defenses last season in defensive touchdowns. Wisconsin ranked at fourth tied with the Oregon Ducks at four defensive touchdowns behind Missouri and Utah with five, and Illinois with six. Wisconsin had 21 total turnovers with 11 interceptions and 10 fumble recoveries that led to a plus-three turnover margin overall for the Badgers.

The Badgers defense has been consistently rated highly by analysts and other coaches, yet it is a very underrated aspect of this Wisconsin team. This team even had three big parts of their defense from last season return for this year in Reggie Pearson, Jack Sanborn, and Eric Burrell before the postponement of the season. It will be tough to not watch them play this fall, but it will be promising to see how some of our recent highly rated recruits perform in the coming years.