Tag: Seth Littrell

Where each of the Oklahoma Sooners signees finished in final 2024 recruiting rankings

A look at where each Oklahoma Sooners 2024 signee finished in the final rankings for the 2024 recruiting cycle.

The 2024 recruiting class finished in the top 10 for the Oklahoma Sooners. It was an important class, as it marked the first group of players that would play their entire career in the [autotag]SEC[/autotag].

Given the need to rebuild the offensive and defensive lines to be able to contend in the SEC, additional importance was placed on landing a strong offensive and defensive line class. And [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] and his staff did just that.

But that’s not where the impressive returns stopped. Oklahoma also came through with the top running back in the cycle and a blue-chip set of wide receivers. It was an impressive cycle for [autotag]Emmett Jones[/autotag] and [autotag]DeMarco Murray[/autotag].

[autotag]Davon Mitchell[/autotag] was considered the top tight end in the 2025 recruiting cycle before reclassifying to 2024, giving Joe Jon Finley a bonafide star to work with.

At defensive back, Jay Valai and Brandon Hall continued to pull in impressive talents, landing four-star prospects [autotag]Jaydan Hardy[/autotag], [autotag]Reggie Powers[/autotag], [autotag]Jeremiah Newcombe[/autotag], [autotag]Mykel Patterson-McDonald[/autotag], [autotag]Eli Bowen[/autotag], and [autotag]Devon Jordan[/autotag].

At quarterback, the Sooners landed highly productive passers from two big football states in [autotag]Michael Hawkins[/autotag] from Texas and [autotag]Brendan Zurbrugg[/autotag] from Ohio. Two years ago, the depth at the position was questionable. Now [autotag]Seth Littrell[/autotag] has an impressive group of passers to lead his offense into the future.

Looking back at the trenches. The Sooners landed two legit studs in [autotag]David Stone[/autotag] and [autotag]Jayden Jackson[/autotag] for the interior and three blue-chip prospects to work along the edge in [autotag]Nigel Smith[/autotag], [autotag]Danny Okoye[/autotag], and [autotag]Wyatt Gilmore[/autotag].

It was a necessity heading into the SEC, where the offensive line play and physicality in the trenches go to another level. And as much as we love the defensive line recruiting, the offensive line recruiting could end up being just as impactful.

Sure, aside from [autotag]Eugene Brooks[/autotag], Bill Bedenbaugh’s group didn’t receive a ton of recognition in recruiting circles. But it’s an athletically impressive group with a strong work ethic and a lot of upside.

So as we turn the page on Oklahoma’s 2024 recruiting class, let’s take a look at how each player finished in the final player rankings from ESPN, Rivals, 247Sports, and On3.

At the end, you can see which recruiting service liked each of Oklahoma’s signees the most.

Sooners promote Jay Valai to assistant head coach for defense

The Oklahoma Sooners announed on Saturday the promotion of Jay Valai to assistant head coach for defense.

After every season, there’s bound to be some coaching turnover. The Oklahoma Sooners have experienced it at each of their coordinator positions. [autotag]Seth Littrell[/autotag] takes over for [autotag]Jeff Lebby[/autotag] as offensive coordinator and OU announced on Saturday that [autotag]Zac Alley[/autotag] will take over for [autotag]Ted Roof[/autotag] as defensive coordinator.

Though the Sooners will have new coordinators on both sides of the ball heading into the SEC, they’ll keep the rest of their staff intact. In order to make sure they have as much continuity as possible, Brent Venables announced the promotion of [autotag]Jay Valai[/autotag] to assistant head coach for the defense.

“I’m incredibly excited about this defensive staff,” said Venables in an official release from the University of Oklahoma. “The leadership in the room with Coach Valai, Coach Alley, Coach (Todd) Bates, Coach (Miguel) Chavis and Coach (Brandon) Hall is exceptionally strong.”

Valai has served as Oklahoma’s co-defensive coordinator, defensive pass game coordinator, and cornerbacks and nickelbacks coach since joining Venables staff in January of 2022.

Valai has spent time coaching at the collegiate and NFL level and has shown his chops on the recruiting trail over the last two cycles, adding a number of blue-chip prospects from the high school ranks and impact transfers as well.

In promoting Valai, the Sooners assure their defensive staff remains intact as they welcome Alley and Oklahoma’s recruiting shouldn’t miss a beat.

The Sooners defense made significant improvements in 2023 to help Oklahoma earn their first 10-win season of the Brent Venables era. If they can take another step in 2024, it could have the Sooners contending for a spot in the College Football Playoff.

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Casey Thompson commits to the Oklahoma Sooners

The Sooners have their backup quarterback and it’s someone very familiar with the program.

It has felt like a long time coming but the day is finally here as [autotag]Casey Thompson[/autotag] has committed to play for the Oklahoma Sooners. The Oklahoma native and Sooner legacy felt like an Oklahoma lock out of college but ultimately decided to start his college career playing for the Texas Longhorns.

After starting for one season and with the addition of [autotag]Quinn Ewers[/autotag], Thompson elected to transfer and play for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. He started one season there before electing to transfer again after the coaching staff that he committed to was let go. He chose to transfer and play his final season of college football for Florida Atlantic.

But after just three games, Thompson was injured and miss the rest of the season. That allowed him to get a medical waiver and return for one more season. He’s elected to spend that final season at a place he and his family know all too well, Norman, Oklahoma.

Thompson comes in accepting a backup role and reports are saying he would be a preferred walk-on although that has not been confirmed yet. But this is a huge get for Oklahoma because they get experience and production behind a first-year starter at quarterback.

Not many teams can say they have a backup quarterback with more than 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns but that’s what Oklahoma now has which could come in handy if he ever has to be thrown into action.

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Oklahoma Sooners add tight end via the transfer portal

Oklahoma Sooners pick up some tight end help via the transfer portal.

Heading into the offseason, there were two spots the Oklahoma Sooners needed to add talent through the transfer portal on the offensive side of the ball: the offensive line and tight end.

Oklahoma’s added three players along the offensive line and also got some help at tight end with the addition of [autotag]Bauer Sharp[/autotag]. Well, now they have more help at the position heading into 2024. Former UNT and Baylor tight end Jake Roberts committed to the Oklahoma Sooners on Monday night.

Out of Norman, Roberts was a three-star prospect in the 2020 recruiting class who committed to Sooners offensive coordinator [autotag]Seth Littrell[/autotag] while Littrell was the Head Coach at UNT.

Roberts spent three seasons at North Texas before transferring to Baylor for 2023. In 12 games for the Bears last season, Roberts had 23 receptions for 231 yards and a touchdown. In his final season with the Mean Green in 2022, he recorded 28 receptions for 394 yards and a touchdown and had one carry for 10 yards.

Though his numbers might not jump off the page, he was fourth in receiving yards at Baylor last season. He was one of the better blocking tight ends in college football in 2023. Among the 274 tight ends with at least 117 blocking snaps, Roberts was 17th in pass-blocking and 46th in run-blocking, according to Pro Football Focus.

Roberts provides important experience to a tight end room that was young or hadn’t played much at the FBS level. Roberts will have a shot to start or at least be a significant role player in the Sooners offense. His experience and familiarity with Seth Littrell provide the tight end room some leadership for guys like [autotag]Bauer Sharp[/autotag], [autotag]Kaden Helms[/autotag], [autotag]Kade McIntyre[/autotag], and [autotag]Davon Mitchell[/autotag] in 2024.

The other interesting wrinkle in the addition of Jake Roberts, is the recruitment of his younger brother [autotag]Nate Roberts[/autotag]. Nate is a highly sought after four-star tight end in the 2025 recruiting class who was initially committed to Notre Dame. He’s since backed off that pledge and holds offers from a number of Power Five schools, including Oklahoma. The Sooners are hoping to make him their tight end in the 2025 recruiting cycle.

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5 takeaways from the Sooners 38-24 loss to Arizona in the Valero Alamo Bowl

5 takeaways from the Oklahoma Sooners season-ending loss to the Arizona Wildcats.

Team 129 had one final chance to play together on Thursday night in San Antonio. Brent Venables’ team tried to make the best of it, but it finished the 2023 season by losing to the No. 14 Arizona Wildcats, 38-24. Oklahoma ended its season 10-3.

The game was incredibly entertaining if nothing else. It had some head-scratching moments that will stick with fans for the next few weeks into the offseason.

Jackson Arnold was up and down, as one might expect for a freshman. He showcased some real talent and things that his coaches would love to build on in the offseason. He also made some decisions that someone who had fewer than 100 snaps in real game action would make.

Turnovers ultimately did the Sooners in. One of their six on the evening turnovers was returned for a touchdown.

In the wake of the Sooners’ loss, here are five takeaways:

5 Keys to an Oklahoma Sooners win over the Arizona Wildcats

Oklahoma will take on Arizona in the Valero Alamo Bowl Thursday. We shared our five keys to a Sooners victory.

Oklahoma will lace up its cleats and strap on its pads one final time as Team 129 on Thursday evening in San Antonio, Texas.

Its opponent will be a highly motivated Arizona Wildcats team with a nice mix of talent and experience. They are looking to send their upperclassmen out in a big way as they wrap up their final season in the Pac-12.

The Sooners finished the season with a track meet of a game against TCU the day after Thanksgiving. Dillon Gabriel put on one final show in his last game as an Oklahoma player. He has since transferred to the University of Oregon, where he will play his final college football season.

Arizona blasted its in-state rivals, Arizona State, 59-23 in the Duel in the Desert, to retain the Territorial Cup for another year. Its explosive offense, spearheaded by Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year quarterback Noah Fifita, can flat-out move the ball.

As Oklahoma descends upon Texas for one final game, we examine the five keys to a Sooners victory in the season’s last game.

Seth Littrell not looking to change things up ahead of Sooners Alamo Bowl contest

Though the offensive coordinator will be different, the Sooners offense will remain the same in their Alamo Bowl matchup with Arizona.

Anytime there’s a coordinator change, you can expect things to look different on that side of the ball. However, that won’t happen just yet with the Oklahoma Sooners as they get set to take on the Arizona Wildcats.

Gone is [autotag]Jeff Lebby[/autotag]. Insert [autotag]Seth Littrell[/autotag] and [autotag]Joe Jon Finley[/autotag] as the new offensive coordinators. Littrell will call the plays. While the play-caller will be different, the offense will look a lot like the one Lebby produced with the Sooners.

Speaking with the media in the buildup to the [autotag]Alamo Bowl[/autotag], Littrell spoke about maintaining continuity for the Sooners in their bowl preparation.

“The offense that we’re running will stay consistent with what we’ve done throughout the year,” Littrell said. “Then we can look up after the season and figure out what we need to do moving forward as far as adjustments and kind of evolving and how we grow. But this isn’t the time for that. This is the time for these guys to go out there and play fast and have that camaraderie together.”

The tenets of the offense that have been so good this year will still be evident in Littrell’s execution. They’ll want to play fast, run the football, and try to hit big plays in the passing game. With [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] in at quarterback, the Sooners will have a bigger arm to help push the ball down the field.

The question is, will the true freshman have time? Oklahoma will be missing their left guard and center from the final three games of the season after [autotag]Cayden Green[/autotag] transferred and [autotag]Andrew Raym[/autotag] opted out of the bowl to prepare for the NFL draft.

The Alamo Bowl may provide our first look at the offensive philosophy of Seth Littrell. Though the scheme and the plays will remain the same, how they’re called, the flow of the game and Littrell’s offensive demeanor may look different.

Oklahoma legacy Michael Hawkins signs with the Sooners

Oklahoma legacy Michael Hawkins signs national letter of intent with the Sooners.

Oklahoma’s recruiting class had one commitment when April rolled around. That verbal commitment was from four-star cornerback Jeremiah Newcombe. When the calendar turned to April, things changed quickly, and the catalyst came when quarterback Michael Hawkins announced his pledge to the Oklahoma Sooners.

Hawkins is an Oklahoma legacy by way of his father, who played defensive back at Oklahoma under Brent Venables. The younger Hawkins is a surgical passer who has steadily improved over the last two years. In his senior season, he put up video game numbers. He accounted for over 50 touchdowns and fewer than seven turnovers in 2023.

He’s been a recruiter for the rest of the class and has remained solid for Oklahoma despite the offensive coordinator switch from Jeff Lebby to Seth Littrell and Joe Jon Finley.

With Hawkins set to enroll early, he’ll get his opportunity to learn the playbook and get comfortable as an Oklahoma quarterback.

More from the [autotag]2024 Early Signing Period[/autotag]

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State of Oklahoma’s top running back officially signs with the Sooners

The state’s top running back is officially apart of the Oklahoma Sooners football team.

Running back was an up-and-down group in 2023 for the Oklahoma Sooners. But [autotag]DeMarco Murray[/autotag] proved how good he was as a recruiter with the class of 2024.

One of those guys who committed and now has signed is the state of Oklahoma’s top-ranked running back, [autotag]Xavier Robinson[/autotag]. The Carl Albert Titan is built like a titan, standing 6 feet, 2 inches and weighing 220 pounds.

He burst on the scene after an incredible junior season in which he rushed for 2,594 yards and 39 TDs on 9.4 yards per carry. He had another fantastic season in 2023, securing Max Preps Oklahoma Prep Player of the Year. After receiving substantial interest nationally, he committed to the Sooners.

As far as his role for 2024, that is unclear. The Sooners return a great deal in the running back room. It’s unclear if new offensive coordinators [autotag]Seth Littrell[/autotag] and [autotag]Joe Jon Finley[/autotag] will use an H-back or fullback in their offense.

If they do, I can see a world where Robinson makes an immediate impact playing that [autotag]Trey Millard[/autotag], [autotag]Dimitri Flowers[/autotag] or [autotag]Jeremiah Hall[/autotag] type of role.

More from the [autotag]2024 Early Signing Period[/autotag]

 

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Oklahoma Sooners land commitment from talented 4-star OL Eddy Pierre-Louis

Oklahoma has continued to stack up offensive line depth for the future, earning a commitment from four-star guard Eddy Pierre-Louis.

We are now just days away from Oklahoma finalizing their 2024 recruiting class with the early signing period coming on December 20th. Many athletes are having signing day ceremonies early since some schools will be out for winter break during that time.

The recruiting process has ended for many prospects, but for some, it has taken them a lot longer to figure out where they would play college football.

Oklahoma had to play the waiting game for one of their prospects, but with the athleticism and the upside that this one possesses, it could end up being worth the wait. Four-star Tampa Catholic offensive lineman Eddy Pierre-Louis announced his commitment to the Oklahoma Sooners on Friday.

Pierre-Louis chose the Sooners over offers from Oregon, Alabama, UCF, Auburn, Florida, Michigan, USC and many others. The talented offensive lineman is a composite four-star at 247Sports is Rivals number one guard prospect in the country.

This recruitment has been a roller coaster, with UCF holding a distinct advantage at times. Oregon led for some time, as did Oklahoma. The one constant in this was Oklahoma’s ability to never get too far down the pecking order. When the opportunity came for the Sooners to seize control for good, they did just that.

Eddy Pierre-Louis has game-ready size as he stands 6-foot-4 and weighs over 315 pounds already. He is most definitely a guard in college, but he could end up being an all-conference type of guard if his athleticism translates to the collegiate level.

He runs track and field, and his high school tape showcases a physical player who thrives as a pulling lineman, where he can get out in space and punish defenders. With Oklahoma using many more gap-oriented run schemes, which Seth Littrell has incorporated in his offenses before, he has a clear path to showcasing his best skills.

Bill Bedenbaugh is getting a terrific talent whose athleticism raises his ceiling significantly. With Oklahoma’s lack of depth along the interior, it’s entirely possible that Pierre-Louis needs to be ready to play at some point next season.

With him in the boat, the Oklahoma Sooners have 28 high school commitments and remain one of the ten best recruiting classes in the country.

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