Tag: Robert Spears Jennings

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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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.

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Oklahoma at Iowa State: Sooners Wire staff predictions

Oklahoma looks to stay on the winning side of things on the road against Iowa State. Here are this week’s Sooners Wire staff predictions.

There’s nothing like ending a losing streak to make all feel right with the world.

Well, mostly.

It’s amazing what a passing threat will do for an offense and how much having your leader back on the field will do for a team. Dillon Gabriel took Oklahoma from a team that was incapable of scoring against Texas to an offense that looked unstoppable against Kansas.

Two weeks ago, the Sooners put up 700 yards of offense and were incredibly balanced. Gabriel threw for 403, and the rushing attack, led by Eric Gray, had just under 300 yards rushing (only under because they kneeled at the end of the game).

The Sooners needed an offensive performance like that to rid the team of the three-game losing streak.

Against the Iowa State Cyclones, Oklahoma will have a chance to put together another solid performance, but moving the ball on offense won’t be easy. The Cyclones rank sixth in points allowed per game and ninth in total yards allowed per game.

Let’s get ready for Saturday with this week’s staff predictions.

Up Next: Sooners Wire Staff Predictions

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4

5 freshmen we can’t wait to see in the Oklahoma Sooners Spring Game

5 freshman we’re looking forward to watching in the Oklahoma Sooners’ spring on Saturday.

When discussing Oklahoma’s spring game it’s very easy to focus on the more established players or those that have proven themselves in the collegiate ranks. However, the youngsters of the bunch, the freshmen, and the redshirt freshmen deserve some love as every team isn’t complete without its share of young studs that will eventually become the future stars and leaders of the team.

For Oklahoma, there are quite a few players that fit into this criteria especially considering how many players exited the Oklahoma program via the portal, headed to the NFL, or graduated from college.

For many freshmen, this may be the only time we get to see them on the field in 2022. For others, this might act as the springboard to a breakout freshman campaign.

We’ve amassed a list of five players with a freshman designation that we are looking forward to seeing participate in the Oklahoma spring game.

Jaren Kanak and Kani Walker were both featured when we looked at 5 Defensive players to watch in the Spring game, so we chose to highlight a couple other players we’re intrigued by.

247Sports asks if the Oklahoma Sooners secondary can step up

247Sports reporter Chris Hummer’s one burning question for Oklahoma entering 2022: can the Sooners’ secondary step up?

Any doubt that follows the Oklahoma Sooners as they get set for the start of spring practice on March 22 is largely due to the losses on the defensive side of the football. Oklahoma lost five starters to the NFL and Pat Fields transferred to Stanford. Delarrin Turner-Yell and Fields’ departures leave a huge leadership void at the back end of the Sooners’ defense.

247Sports reporter Chris Hummer has one burning question for Oklahoma entering the 2022 season: can the Sooners’ secondary step up?

With so much new in Norman this spring, there are a number of pressing questions. Quarterback will be under the microscope. So will the o-line, wide receiver depth and the defensive scheme. But if there’s been a continued weakness for Oklahoma, it’s the secondary. Oklahoma never ranked better than 58th in passing yards allowed per game under Lincoln Riley, and the team dropped all the way to 109th last year after moderate improvements the previous two seasons.

Can it improve next year? Perhaps. But Brent Venables will have to work with rather similar personnel. There are two losses at safety with Delarrin Turner-Yell and Pat Fields moving on. Turner-Yell was probably the best player in the secondary and Fields might have been the worst. As for the returning cornerbacks, they’re all back. There’s also North Carolina transfer Trey Morrison, who projects to play safety, and Wyoming cornerback transfer C.J. Coldon.

Coldon and Morrison are experienced pieces who are near locks for the two-deep. But the ceiling of this room will be determined by younger pieces taking a step. Can Key Lawrence and Billy Bowman emerge as difference makers? Will D.J. Graham and Woodi Washington be better at cornerback after up-and-down debut seasons as starters? Can young players like Kani Walker, Jayden Rowe and Robert Spears-Jennings take a step? Those questions will define the Sooners’ spring. – Hummer, 247Sports.

It’s a fair question to ask. As Hummer points out, Oklahoma plummeted all the way to 109th nationally in passing yards allowed as the Sooners surrendered 261.8 passing yards per game and 26 passing touchdowns on the season. By comparison, the two top passing defenses in the Big 12 last season were Iowa State and Oklahoma State. The Cyclones ranked 11th nationally surrendering just 188.2 passing yards per game, while the Cowboys ranked 36th nationally allowing 210.2 yards per game.

One bit of good news for Oklahoma is that new head coach Brent Venables arrives with the pedigree of producing strong defenses annually. That should provide some form of an immediate boost. Clemson’s defense ranked 34th nationally after surrendering just 209.2 passing yards per game in 2021.

OU has plenty of options on the back end of its defense. Cornerback is boosted by the returns of both starters in D.J. Graham and Woodi Washington. C.J. Coldon comes over from Wyoming where he recorded 68 tackles and 10 pass breakups in 2021.

Key Lawrence showed serious flashes last season at both cornerback and safety. It’s likely he’ll slot in at safety alongside Justin Broiles. Morrison is another interesting option in OU’s defensive backfield. He made starts at both safety and nickel back for North Carolina last year.

Oklahoma also brings back cornerbacks Jaden Davis and Joshua Eaton as well in addition to the signings of Gentry Williams and Jayden Rowe. At safety, the Sooners also return Jordan Mukes and Bryson Washington and signed Robert Spears-Jennings. Defensive back Jamarrien Burt signed with Oklahoma, too.

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Oklahoma defense has ‘good blend’ of returning players and newcomers

Oklahoma defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Ted Roof discussed what OU has added to its roster defensively.

Oklahoma is replacing six starters defensively, so there were always going to be plenty of new faces across the Sooners’ defense in 2022. It feels like quite the defensive overhaul, though, thanks to a rash of transfer portal additions, several late signees and a defensive coaching staff that’s brand new at every position group.

In addition to its 2022 signees, Oklahoma added transfer defensive linemen Jeffery Johnson from Tulane and Jonah Laulu from Hawaii; linebacker T.D. Roof from Appalachian State; and Wyoming transfer C.J. Coldon, North Carolina transfer Trey Morrison and Louisville transfer Kani Walker in the defensive backfield.

“The emphasis is get better at every spot, you know, because at a place like this, when you go through the grind of a season, you’ve got to have quality depth. One deep is not going to get it done. I know that we’ve got some guys that have started some games in the front, but we were able to address the defense at every level. Certainly, if you’re not winning up front on defense, you’re not going to win very many ball games. If you can’t get to the quarterback and you can’t stop the run, that’s going to be a long day at the office,” defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Ted Roof said on national signing day.

“We’ve got some guys returning that we’re really excited about. At the same time, needed to add depth there and we did between the portal and obviously high school. We’ve addressed it at every level and there’s opportunities. At the same time, really like what we’ve got here that were already on the roster, so I think it’ll be a good blend.”

Of course, Roof likes the numbers that Oklahoma has added across the board. Combining the signing class arrivals with transfer portal additions, OU is bringing in seven defensive linemen, four linebackers and seven defensive backs.

He also feels OU’s additions provide more than just balance in numbers across the board. According to Roof, they’re the right type of players to join Oklahoma.

“You want to as you recruit have the balance in your classes as you go along, but there were some things, opportunities and some things that were out of our control that created opportunities. When they came, we had to have first of all players that fit Oklahoma from a skill standpoint, from a character standpoint, from just a fit, because the longer that I’m in it, the more I believe it’s about getting players that fit where you are,” Roof said.

“Whether from a mentality standpoint, obviously from an ability standpoint, but from a work ethic standpoint, all those things where a guy has to fit because we’re a blue-collar program and you’ve got to work to be successful here. If you’re going to be in this program and be part of it, you’re going to have to put in the work and you’re going to have to grind, so getting the right type of young man in here was critical. Things had popped up where we knew some guys. I had recruited a couple of those kids before, so there was some opportunity there, some familiarity and it worked out.”

It makes sense because it’s the position group Roof will coach directly, but there’s a genuine excitement from the longtime collegiate coach about what Oklahoma already had at linebacker.

“You’ve got DaShaun [White] and David [Ugwoegbu], two of the older guys there that have played a lot of football who are doing a great job leading in the offseason program. You’ve got Shane [Whitter], you’ve got Joseph [Wete] and Danny [Stutsman]. You know, Danny has some real toughness and some grit and I love that about him that he’s shown so far. With Shane, the athleticism that he has, the speed. He’s got some real ability there and looking forward to working with those guys,” Roof said.

And, of course, what the Sooners are adding at linebacker as well.

“Then, have added a combination of three young guys and an older guy to that room. All of those guys are unique in what they bring. Jaren [Kanak] is, he’s really mature in his body. His strength numbers and speed and his measurables are all off the charts for somebody his age from where he is. He’s worked really hard to get there. Kobie McKinzie has a really high football IQ that, again, understands concepts and things of that nature. Kip Lewis has got a huge upside, a guy with a lot of ability and a lot of want-to. So, we’re looking forward to developing those three young men. And then, T.D., you know, he’s been around the block a time or two. It’s a good blend and excited about all of them, the unique things that they bring to the table. A couple of the grad transfers that we signed were captains at their schools, so, we’re putting leaders into our locker room as well from a grad transfer standpoint,” Roof said.

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Positional breakdown of additions made by the Oklahoma Sooners in 2022

A positional breakdown of the players the Oklahoma Sooners added through the transfer portal and the 2022 recruiting class.

The Oklahoma Sooners suffered losses to the NFL draft and the transfer portal. The talent that walked out the door is difficult to replace. However, holes in the lineup mean new opportunities for younger players to step up and the depth chart to do its job.

Brent Venables and his staff did a tremendous job addressing needs through the transfer portal, and they attacked the 2022 recruiting cycle looking to the future of the program.

Through it all, they’ve added some nice pieces that can contribute right away and a bright future that might be able to make an impact in year one with the Sooners.

Here’s a positional breakdown of each player the Oklahoma Sooners added this offseason.

Oklahoma football’s official recruiting class after national signing day 2022

A look at the 2022 recruiting class and where each player ranks with the four major recruiting services after national signing day.

The Oklahoma Sooners put together one of the eight best recruiting classes in the country through national signing day. The declarations of the Sooners’ demise was greatly exaggerated as Brent Venables and his staff has breathed new life into a program that had struggled to maintain its top spot in the Big 12 over the last couple of years. That ultimately led to missing the Big 12 title game altogether in 2021.

Unlike other major college programs that experienced a coaching change, the Sooners were able to create positive momentum heading into the spring despite the coaching change.

The Sooners are the only team in the top 10 without a five-star recruit. While it would be nice to land Josh Conerly or Lebbeus Overton in the 2022 cycle, the teams high ranking in the cycle reveals just how good their four and three-star players are.

The Sooners have several incoming freshman that could come in and earn an opportunity right out of the gate. A top eight class is nothing to sneeze at and it speaks to the tremendous talent of the players and the work done by the coaching staff to get the guys on board.

As we continue our look at national signing day, here are where the Sooners 21 incoming freshman rank across the four major recruiting services; 247Sports, On3, Rivals, and ESPN.

Oklahoma bolsters defensive backfield with signing of Jamarrien Burt

Oklahoma made it a big national signing day in the defensive backfield, adding the signature of Jamarrien Burt out of Ocala, Fla.

National signing day has turned into a big day for the future of Oklahoma’s defensive backfield. Earlier this morning, OU secured a signature from the No. 1 player in the Sooner State, four-star defensive back Gentry Williams.

Now, Oklahoma has locked in the signing of Jamarrien Burt. Burt has been a two-way player at Forest High School in Ocala, Fla., but the expectation is for Burt to wind up as a piece in OU’s secondary in the future.

In just two weeks time, Oklahoma managed to add Burt to a talented 2022 defensive backs class. Originally a Florida commit, Burt decommited from the Gators on Nov. 21 after then-head coach Dan Mullen was fired.

Oklahoma offered Burt on Jan. 20 and he visited OU a day later. Now, he joins Williams, safety Robert Spears-Jennings and cornerback Jayden Rowe as defensive back signees.

ESPN ranks Burt the highest of the four recruiting services. According to ESPN, Burt is a four-star signee, the No. 52 wide receiver and the 48th-best player from the state of Florida.

247Sports, Rivals and On3 all rank Burt as a three-star signee. According to 247Sports, Burt is the the nation’s No. 29 athlete and the No. 54 player out of Florida. Rivals rates Burt as the country’s No. 55 cornerback and the No. 75 player from Florida. Lastly, On3 ranks Burt as the nation’s No. 61 cornerback and the No. 72 player from Florida.

Jamarrien Burt’s Recruiting Profile

Rating

Stars Overall State Position
ESPN 4 N/A 48 52
Rivals 3 N/A 75 55
247Sports 3 N/A 54 29
247 Composite 3 471 60 28
On3 Recruiting 3 N/A 72 61
On3 Composite 3 453 59 43

Vitals

Hometown Ocala, Fla.
Projected Position Defensive Back
Height 6-1
Weight 175

Recruitment

  • Offered on Jan. 20
  • visit on Jan. 21

Film

Here’s a look at Burt’s Hudl tape.

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Oklahoma Sooners ink four-star EDGE R Mason Thomas out of Florida

Oklahoma and new defensive ends coach Miguel Chavis signed four-star EDGE R Mason Thomas, winning the recruitment over Iowa State and Miami.

New Oklahoma defensive ends coach Miguel Chavis made R Mason Thomas one of his first targets when he arrived in Norman.

It paid off today as Thomas officially signed with the Sooners.

The 6-foot-2, 215 pound EDGE rusher is out of Cardinal Gibbons High School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. OU won out over Iowa State and Miami. Thomas had been committed to Iowa State since July 6, 2021, but a Dec. 9 visit from Chavis began to flip his recruitment.

Thomas was offered the next day by Oklahoma and he officially visited the Sooners on Jan. 21. OU also had to hold off a late charge from Miami. Thomas visited Miami on Jan. 28 and his high school teammate and fellow OU target Ahmad Moten wound up signing with Miami today.

Ultimately, Moten and Thomas’ paths diverged and the allure of being coached by Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables and Chavis won out over both Iowa State and Miami.

Naturally, Chavis was fired up about the signing.

According to both On3 and 247Sports, Thomas is a four-star signee. On3 ranks Thomas as the No. 139 player nationally, the No. 17 EDGE and 20th-highest-rated player from the state of Florida. 247Sports rated Thomas as the No. 205 player overall, the No. 22 EDGE and the 24th-best player from Florida.

Rivals and ESPN rank Thomas as a three-star signee. Thomas is the No. 34 weakside defensive end according to Rivals and the 67th defensive end in ESPN’s rankings.

Thomas joins cornerback Gentry Williams, safety Robert Spears-Jennings, athlete Jaren Kanak, linebacker Kobie McKinzie, linebacker Kip Lewis, cornerback Jayden Rowe, defensive lineman Cedric Roberts and defensive lineman Alton Tarber as a defensive signing in Oklahoma’s 2022 class.

R Mason Thomas’s Recruiting Profile

Rating

Stars Overall State Position
ESPN 3 N/A 119 67
Rivals 3 N/A 79 34
247Sports 4 205 24 22
247 Composite 3 410 52 34
On3 Recruiting 4 139 20 17
On3 Composite 4 284 31 28

Vitals

Hometown Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Projected Position EDGE
Height 6-2
Weight 215

Recruitment

  • Offered on Dec. 10, 2021
  • visit Jan. 21, 2022

Film

Here’s a look at Thomas’ Hudl tape.

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