Tag: Sam Bradford

Could an Oklahoma Sooners transfer target be a Heisman contender in 2025?

One of Oklahoma’s transfer targets could be a Heisman contender in 2025 according to USA TODAY Sports.

After Colorado defensive back/wide receiver Travis Hunter edged Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty for the 2024 [autotag]Heisman Trophy[/autotag], some already have their eyes on the next recipient of the award.

The Oklahoma Sooners are no strangers to the coveted trophy; seven OU players have won the Heisman. Running backs [autotag]Billy Vessels[/autotag], [autotag]Steve Owens[/autotag] and [autotag]Billy Sims[/autotag] won in the 20th century. Quarterbacks [autotag]Jason White[/autotag], [autotag]Sam Bradford[/autotag], [autotag]Baker Mayfield[/autotag] and [autotag]Kyler Murray[/autotag] are OU’s 21st century winners. autotag]Josh Heupel[/autotag], [autotag]Adrian Peterson[/autotag] and [autotag]Jalen Hurts[/autotag] finished as runners-up for the prestigious award.

But looking ahead, could the 2025 winner of the Heisman Trophy be wearing a Sooner uniform?

The answer could be found via the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag]. In fact, USA TODAY Sports already has a list of potential Heisman candidates for 2025, identifying 11 players.

One of those players was former Washington State quarterback John Mateer. He has entered the transfer portal and will be one of the top quarterbacks available. He’s expected to be at the top of Oklahoma’s wish list at the position.

That’s because Oklahoma’s new offensive coordinator [autotag]Ben Arbuckle[/autotag] coached Mateer to an excellent season in Pullman in 2024. With Arbuckle in Norman, the Sooners could have an inside track to landing the native Texan.

Mateer’s former offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle recently took the same job at Oklahoma and would be an obvious potential landing spot if he decides to enter the transfer portal, although he may very well be a Heisman contender regardless of what school he plays for next year. – Austin Curtright, USA TODAY Sports

Mateer signing with OU would be massive for the program. The Sooners struggled at the quarterback position all year, and he would be an upgrade at the position.

Furthermore, he already knows Arbuckle’s offense, so there would be much less of a learning curve for him under center.

Mateer is expected to have plenty of other suitors, so the Sooners will have to pay up if they want to bring him to Norman.

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

Oklahoma Sooners to honor Bob Stoops Saturday night

Oklahoma Football set to honor Bob Stoops during Saturday’s home finale against the Alabama Crimson Tide.

The Oklahoma Sooners will be honoring one of the greatest coaches in program history on Saturday. [autotag]Bob Stoops[/autotag], the winningest coach in OU Football history, will be celebrated on Owen Field as Oklahoma hosts the Alabama Crimson Tide.

He’s the final coach to be honored during home games this season, as [autotag]Bud Wilkinson[/autotag] and [autotag]Barry Switzer[/autotag] were also celebrated earlier this year.

Stoops took the reins of the program at a tumultuous time in Norman. Following Switzer’s resignation a decade earlier, the Oklahoma football program experienced a decade of darkness, looking nothing like the Sooners of old. For ten years from 1989 to 1998, OU cycled through three head coaches and failed to get close to winning at the level that the program was accustomed to.

But that all changed when Stoops was hired. Beginning in 1999, he brought the program back to its former glory, going undefeated and winning the national championship in 2000 in just his second year on the job. For his 18-year career as OU’s head coach, the Sooners were typically in the title hunt, as Stoops coached in three more national title games.

Oklahoma won 10 Big 12 championships, dominating the conference with Stoops at the helm. He produced two Heisman Trophy winners ([autotag]Jason White[/autotag] and [autotag]Sam Bradford[/autotag]) and coached two more who won later in their careers ([autotag]Baker Mayfield[/autotag] and [autotag]Kyler Murray[/autotag]).

From 1999 to 2016, Stoops amassed more wins than any other coach in the history of the program. His time in Norman was marked by a number of big wins and the rebirth of one of college football’s blue blood programs.

The legendary head coach decided to retire in the summer of 2017, passing the baton to [autotag]Lincoln Riley[/autotag], his offensive coordinator for the previous two seasons. He would dabble in tequila sales, college football studio analysis and coaching in the XFL over the next few years.

But when Riley decided to head west for Southern California in 2021, athletic director [autotag]Joe Castiglione[/autotag], who had hired Stoops way back in the winter of 1998, turned to Stoops again as the Sooners suddenly needed an interim head coach for the 2021 Alamo Bowl.

In addition to taking over as the interim head coach and leading OU to a bowl game victory over Oregon, Stoops was a calming force at a time of great uncertainty. Riley’s move was a shot across the college football landscape and Stoops was once again a steadying force for Oklahoma.

He passed the torch to Oklahoma’s current coach, [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag], after the win over Oregon and has returned to coaching in the XFL and UFL over the past couple of seasons with the Arlington Renegades, winning a championship in 2023. He’s stayed very involved with OU over the years since he retired, and his son [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag] enjoyed a long, productive career as a Sooner.

Now, Stoops will be honored for his accomplishments as Oklahoma’s winningest head coach.

It’s been a rocky season for the Sooners, and the best way to honor Coach Stoops would be with an upset win at home on Saturday. After all, he went 3-0 against the Tide, and would love to see OU earn bowl eligibility on national TV on the same night he’ll be celebrated on Owen Field.

Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in ESPN’s top 25 stadiums

Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium is one of the most iconic settings in all of sports.

College football is all about the pride, passion, and pageantry of the sport, which is unmatched by anything else. The fans, the atmospheres, and the moments can’t be topped by any other sport, college, or professional.

ESPN took the time this week to rank their Top 25 college football stadiums as the 2024 season approaches in a month and a half.

We asked 14 of our college football writers to rank the best stadiums in the sport. No parameters, no criteria. Writers were asked to submit their top 20 stadiums in order. We then awarded points: 20 for first-place votes, 19 for second and all the way down to 1 point for a stadium voted No. 20. – ESPN

The Oklahoma Sooners play in one of the best stadiums in college football, and ESPN agreed, putting them in the Top 25. [autotag]Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium[/autotag] ranked No. 24 on their list.

Here’s what ESPN’s Dave Wilson had to say about the iconic stadium:

Also known as the “Palace on the Prairie,” the Sooners’ stadium is surrounded by reminders of Oklahoma’s football glory. Outside the south end zone, there are statues of coaching legends [autotag]Bennie Owen[/autotag], [autotag]Bud Wilkinson[/autotag], [autotag]Barry Switzer[/autotag] and [autotag]Bob Stoops[/autotag]. On the east side, Heisman Park is packed with seven of the Sooners’ [autotag]Heisman Trophy[/autotag] winners: [autotag]Billy Vessels[/autotag] (1952), [autotag]Steve Owens[/autotag] (1969), [autotag]Billy Sims[/autotag] (1978), [autotag]Jason White[/autotag] (2003), [autotag]Sam Bradford[/autotag] (2008), [autotag]Baker Mayfield[/autotag] (2017) and [autotag]Kyler Murray[/autotag] (2018). Amid the Gothic architecture of the surrounding campus, “BOOMER” and “SOONER” ring out, as the Sooner Schooner glides across the field, forming one of the most quintessentially college settings in the country. – Wilson, ESPN

ESPN also gave their ranking criteria for the list, as Oklahoma finished with 40 points, two ahead of Texas‘ Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.

In addition, Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium turns 100 years old this season, and the university has a number of different themes and promotions planned out for its centennial season.

The Sooners will begin the season in their home stadium on Friday, August 30th, when they take on the Temple Owls.

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

Can Jackson Arnold be the next great Oklahoma quarterback?

Being the quarterback at Oklahoma brings a lot of pressure and Jackson Arnold is ready to live up to the hype.

Being the starting quarterback at a blue-blood program brings a lot of pressure. Being the starting quarterback at a place like Oklahoma with all of its recent success is another animal all on its own.

That’s what [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] is stepping into. He’s following [autotag]Josh Heupel[/autotag], [autotag]Jason White[/autotag], [autotag]Sam Bradford[/autotag], [autotag]Landry Jones[/autotag], [autotag]Baker Mayfield[/autotag], [autotag]Kyler Murray[/autotag], [autotag]Jalen Hurts[/autotag] and [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag].

That doesn’t even include the guys pre-2000 or even guys like [autotag]Spencer Rattler[/autotag] and [autotag]Caleb Williams[/autotag]who were extremely talented but finished their careers elsewhere.

Arnold spoke about how much that played into his decision to come to Oklahoma.

“It definitely impacted my decision,” Arnold said. “Just knowing the caliber of QBs that came before me and just knowing that I wanted to be a part of that group really stood out to me. Being in the lineage of Heisman winners is obviously something I want to join and follow those footsteps. This is the place that I wanted to be.”

The thing for Arnold is for him not to try to be too much like them and let that pressure get to him. Instead, he just needs to be himself. That’s what earned him five-star status. It’s why the expectations are so high for Arnold.

He’s got all the talent in the world to be a successful college quarterback. But so much of what goes into playing the position goes beyond the scouting report or the box score. But early in his career, Jackson Arnold has shown he’s capable of overcoming adversity. He’s made up of the right stuff. 2024 is the season we see Arnold have a breakout year.

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 Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.

Top 20 Oklahoma Sooners all-time in career passing yards

A look at the top 20 passers in Oklahoma Sooners history in career passing yards.

The Oklahoma Sooners have had their fair share of quality quarterback play over the years. That play has earned numerous All-American awards and four Heisman trophies.

Oklahoma has had success with a variety of offensive styles and quarterback play. That shows up when you look at the Sooners’ all-time leaders in career passing yards. Sure you have [autotag]Landry Jones[/autotag] and [autotag]Baker Mayfield[/autotag], who threw for more than 10,000 yards in their career with the Sooners. Then you have a player [autotag]Jamelle Holieway[/autotag] who is top 20 in both career passing yards and career rushing yards. Holieway and [autotag]Jack Mildren[/autotag] had more rushing touchdowns in their career than they did passing touchdowns.

There is one quarterback inside the top 10 all-time in career passing yards that didn’t play in the last 20 years and that guy is still with the Oklahoma Sooners: wide receivers coach [autotag]Cale Gundy[/autotag]. Gundy is No. 6 in career passing yards. Makes you wonder what kind of damage he could have done in a modern spread offense.

After two seasons in Norman, Dillon Gabriel was productive enough to enter the top 10 in career passing yards at the University of Oklahoma. His 55 passing touchdowns ranks fifth all-time and he finished tied for 17 in rushing touchdowns by a quarterback. Gabriel had a prolific career with Oklahoma and now will hope to have continued success with the Oregon Ducks.

Here’s a look at the top 20 Oklahoma Sooners in career passing yards.

Trent Williams Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded offensive tackle; Ever

Trent Williams continues to add to his Hall of Fame career this time getting a distinct honor from Pro Football Focus.

Since being drafted No. 4 overall in the 2010 NFL Draft, [autotag]Trent Williams[/autotag] has been one of the best offensive linemen in all of football. Williams had a stellar career at Oklahoma from 2006-2009.

He was named to two All-Big 12 teams and was a consensus All-American in 2009. Since getting into the NFL, he’s been selected to 11 Pro Bowls, earned three first-team All-Pro selection and was also named to the second-team once. All three of his first-team selections have come in the last three seasons with the San Francisco 49ers..

He’s had a stellar career and has earned the designation of highest-graded offensive tackle in Pro Football Focus history.

PFF was founded back in 2006 and really took off around 2014. So, it’s not every offensive tackle in NFL history, but it is still quite an accomplishment for the former Sooner.

Now, he has his sights set on winning a Super Bowl. He’s competed in one before, losing to the Kansas City Chiefs. He and his 9ers teammates get a chance to redeem themselves against the Chiefs this Sunday.

I’m sure his quarterback is happy to have him blocking his blind side. Williams decade-plus run of success at the NFL level is just another reason why Oklahoma is Offensive Line University.

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 Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.

25 SKOL’s of Christmas: Teddy Bridgewater’s triumphant return

After everything he had been through, seeing Teddy return was a moment of pure joy

Welcome to the 25 SKOL’s of Christmas!

In a similar vein to how Freeform has done the 25 days of Christmas, we will look back at different moments in Vikings history to bring a little extra joy to you this holiday season.

It’s that simple. The holidays can be a trying time for some people and we want to put a smile on people’s faces by reminiscing about some truly joyous times in Vikings’ history.

On the eighteenth SKOL of Christmas, the Vikings gave to me: Teddy Bridgewater’s triumphant return to football.

The Minnesota Vikings were set up to make a real Super Bowl run in the 2016 season. They were coming off a season where they won the NFC North in dramatic fashion against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field and dominated the wild card matchup against the Seattle Seahawks but they couldn’t get it done.

The confidence level surrounding the team was sky-high and the preseason game against the Los Angeles Chargers gave even more hope to Vikings fans as he ran the offense to perfection with explosiveness.

That all came to an end on August 30th which ended up being a fateful day for the franchise.

Bridgewater didn’t just hurt his knee, he destroyed it. One wrong step caused a torn ACL and a brutal dislocation that without the quick reaction of head trainer Eric Sugarman, Bridgewater could have lost his leg.

The Vikings went into somewhat of a tailspin for the next few months. They traded first and fourth-round picks for Sam Bradford and, after a 5-0 start, they missed the playoffs at 8-8.

During the offseason, there was discussion about what this team would do at the quarterback position? They had Bradford on the roster and the injury prognosis was unknown. He ended up starting the season on injured reserve and didn’t start another game for the Vikings.

Once he was healthy, there was a lot of speculation that he would end up getting the starting job over Case Keenum, as he was winning games, but making multiple bonehead decisions per game had head coach Mike Zimmer openly questioning his quarterback.

While he never made the switch, Keenum led the Vikings on quite a journey. It ultimately ended in the NFC Championship Game, but one of the best moments in Vikings history came when they hosted the Cincinnati Bengals.

It ultimately ended up being a 34-7 win for the Vikings, but it was more about the moment. It was the game where Bridgewater made his triumphant return and the standing ovation was so loud, it felt like the roof of U.S. Bank Stadium was going to shatter.

While things never were quite the same for Bridgewater, that one moment will forever live in Vikings’ lore.

Previous SKOL’s of Christmas:

Drafting Randy Moss
Vikings 1997 Wild Card Comeback
Jarius Wright Walks Off the Jets
Jared Allen traded to Vikings
Adrian Peterson Sets Rushing Record
Brett Favre Revenge Tour
Bud Grant Rocks a Polo in Freezing Temperatures
Adrian Peterson Stiff Arms Defender to Oblivion
Anthony Carter Dominates the 1987 Playoffs
Kirk Cousins’ First Major Comeback
Randy Moss Dominates Monday Night Football
Tuesday Night Joe Webb
Randy Moss Laterals to Moe Williams
Miracle At The Met
Cris Carter catches number 1,000
Resurgence of Randall Cunningham
Sam Bradford Opens Up U.S. Bank Stadium

25 SKOL’s of Christmas: Sam Bradford opens up U.S. Bank Stadium

Bradford had a way of delivering some memorable highlights

Welcome to the 25 SKOL’s of Christmas!

In a similar vein to how Freeform has done the 25 days of Christmas, we will look back at different moments in Vikings history to bring a little extra joy to you this holiday season.

It’s that simple. The holidays can be a trying time for some people and we want to put a smile on people’s faces by reminiscing about some truly joyous times in Vikings’ history.

On the seveteenth SKOL of Christmas, the Vikings gave to me: Sam Bradford opening up U.S. Bank in incredible fashion.

The 2016 season felt like it was primed to be a special one. The Vikings had won the NFC North the year prior and the team was gelling with a quarterback on a rookie deal. Mike Zimmer’s team was falling into place.

Unfortunately, things didn’t play out perfectly. Teddy Bridgewater tore up his knee in a freak accident just two weeks prior to opening day and the Vikings were in a pickle. Their backup plan was Shaun Hill and that’s not good enough for a team that was primed to make a Super Bowl run.

That prompted the Vikings to trade a first-round and fourth-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for Sam Bradford. The move was seen as a panic one at the time and, while it didn’t work on long-term for the Vikings, it did give us some incredible moments but none of them were better than his first start in a Vikings uniform.

After a 25-16 win over the Tennssee Titans, the Vikings hosted the Green Bay Packers in week two for the first regular season game at the brand new U.S. Bank Stadium.

After being acquired by the team just 17 days prior, Bradford didn’t just start the game, he looked like the future of the franchise. He operated the offense like he had been in it for years, not just a few weeks. He was slinging the ball everywhere, including touchdowns to Kyle Rudolph and Stefon Diggs, the first one is in the below clip.

The Vikings went onto win 17-14 in Bradford’s first start but injuries derailed the team’s ultimate path to success. Despite his short time due to his own injuries, Bradford’s highlights will always be some of the best in Vikings’ history.

Previous SKOL’s of Christmas:

Drafting Randy Moss
Vikings 1997 Wild Card Comeback
Jarius Wright Walks Off the Jets
Jared Allen traded to Vikings
Adrian Peterson Sets Rushing Record
Brett Favre Revenge Tour
Bud Grant Rocks a Polo in Freezing Temperatures
Adrian Peterson Stiff Arms Defender to Oblivion
Anthony Carter Dominates the 1987 Playoffs
Kirk Cousins’ First Major Comeback
Randy Moss Dominates Monday Night Football
Tuesday Night Joe Webb
Randy Moss Laterals to Moe Williams
Miracle At The Met
Cris Carter catches number 1,000
Resurgence of Randall Cunningham

Where does Dillon Gabriel rank among the best quarterbacks in Oklahoma history?

Dillon Gabriel was only in Norman for two seasons but where does that put him in OU history?

[autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] wrapped up his final season as an Oklahoma Sooner a couple of weekends ago because he is entering the transfer portal to pursue other options. Gabriel finished his Oklahoma career with 6,828 yards, 55 touchdowns and 12 interceptions on 66% passing.

His yardage and touchdown total put him in the top six in OU history. So, where does he rank among the greats that played this prestigious position in Norman? Keep in mind, the Sooners have had four Heisman-winning quarterbacks. Gabriel also only played two seasons in the Crimson and Cream.

So where would he rank among Oklahoma’s best quarterbacks all time? Let’s take a look.

Dillon Gabriel joins former Sooner legend in historical performance

Dillon Gabriel joined some elite company after his performance against West Virginia.

What a career it has been for Oklahoma Sooners quarterback [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag]. Just last week, Gabriel entered into the top 10 all-time in passing yards in NCAA history.

He joined two other Sooners, [autotag]Baker Mayfield[/autotag] and [autotag]Landry Jones[/autotag]. Depending on how his career finishes, he has an opportunity to pass Mayfield and Boise State Broncos’ quarterback Kellen Moore to move into No. 7 all-time. Also, last weekend Gabriel accounted for eight touchdowns which broke Mayfield’s single-game touchdown record.

That’s not all Gabriel did this past weekend. Gabriel’s 50 yards rushing put him over 1,000 yards for his career, making him just the second player in NCAA history to throw for more than 14,000 yards and run for 1,000 yards joining Mayfield.

Oregon Ducks‘ Bo Nix has a chance to join the group this weekend if he throws for just 21 yards. They take on the Arizona State Sun Devils.

There’s no question it’s been an incredible career for Gabriel, and yet he doesn’t get the recognition he deserves. Many before the season were hoping Jackson Arnold would take over the reins, but Gabriel kept working.

He’s having a career year and a Heisman-type season. If Oklahoma didn’t slip up twice, he’d probably be right in the Heisman race. Also, he led one of the greatest drives in program history to knock off Oklahoma’s biggest rival.

He might not be better than Mayfield, [autotag]Kyler Murray[/autotag] or [autotag]Sam Bradford[/autotag], but he’s very good, and Oklahoma fans should be thankful once [autotag]Caleb Williams[/autotag] decided to enter the portal, Gabriel came to Norman.

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 Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.