Tag: Seth McGowan

ESPN re-ranked the 2020 recruiting class: Where’d Oklahoma land?

Taking a look back at the 2020 recruiting cycle, where did ESPN rank the Oklahoma Sooners 2020 recruiting class?

The 2022 class has had a few splashes here and there, but we probably won’t have a good grasp on the impact of this group until 2024. A few years since the arrival of the 2020 recruiting class, what kind of impact is this group having for the Oklahoma Sooners?

In their third season in Norman, the 2020 recruiting class is playing a huge role for the Sooners this year. Marvin Mims is one of the best receivers in the country and Anton Harrison is playing like a player that could be taken in the top 50 of the 2023 NFL draft. Andrew Raym has developed into a solid starter at center helping anchor a fast-paced Oklahoma offensive attack.

In ESPN’s look at the 2020 recruiting class, the Sooners improved from the No. 10 class at the time to No. 7 in their re-rank.

How this class finishes under new head coach Brent Venables remains to be seen as the Sooners navigate a rough patch. Several signees are no longer with the program. Under previous head coach Lincoln Riley, with whom they signed, this group has offered some really good production. Pieces of this class helped generate more than 20 wins, a conference title their freshmen season and a pair of bowl wins. WR Marvin Mims was a key target on that Big 12 title team and remains a top receiver for the Sooners. DL Perrion Winfrey was the top junior college DL and was a disruptive starter while with the program. Top signee Reggie Grimes has developed into a good defender, leading the team in sacks. The Sooners signed several four-star OLs with in-state ESPN 300 Andrew Raym and Anton Harrison developing into solid starters. – Craig Haubert and Tom Luginbill, ESPN

The addition of Perrion Winfrey from the junior college ranks was the highlight on the defensive side. Though a bit up and down for the Sooners, Winfrey provided an interior pass rush and was taken in the

Reggie Grimes has been a good player, but hasn’t been the best player in the recruiting class. There’s still another level that he can go to.

Aaryn Parks and Nate Anderson have provided depth along the offensive line and Justin Harrington has become a rotational Cheetah player for the OU defense. D.J. Graham had some good moments at cornerback, but recently made the switch to wide receiver.

Chandler Morris won the starting quarterback job at TCU before suffering an injury in the season opener. Max Duggan’s played so well that Morris hasn’t been able to reclaim the starting quarterback job.

The biggest disappointments in this class were Seth McGowan and Mikey Henderson. Both players had promising starts to their Sooners careers in 2020 before being dismissed during the 2021 offseason amid assault allegations.

If we were re-ranking the players in the 2020 class, Marvin Mims or Anton Harrison would vie for the top player. Both have been among the best at their position in the Big 12 and have received some first round buzz in early mock drafts for the 2023 NFL draft.

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Matchup to watch: Marvin Mims, Sooner wide receivers vs TCU secondary

Taking a look back at last year’s matchup to see how Oklahoma’s wide receivers might fair against TCU’s defense Saturday.

As we near closer and closer to the 2021 version of Oklahoma vs. TCU, we can revisit the 2020 game for a little recap and a better understanding of how last year’s matchup affects might affect this year’s matchup.

Specifically, let’s look at how Oklahoma’s passing offense fared last year against TCU.

Oklahoma made the trip from Norman to Fort Worth to play TCU last year. At the time, Spencer Rattler was only making his fifth collegiate start. He came into the game fresh off his performance in the four-overtime Red River Showdown win against Texas in which he had been benched in favor of Tanner Mordecai but would later return and lead Oklahoma to the win.

Oklahoma didn’t have Rhamondre Stevenson (was serving a suspension) and Kennedy Brooks had opted out due to concerns about COVID. The running back duties fell on the shoulders of T.J. Pledger and Seth McGowan. Out wide, a freshman Marvin Mims had already risen to the top of the depth chart as the lead wide receiver. He would go on to have four catches for 132 yards and two touchdowns. Complimenting him were Theo Wease, Charleston Rambo, and Austin Stogner. Rambo and Stogner both finished with two catches.

Lining up against the Sooners wide receivers were Trevon Moehrig, Ar’Darius Washington, Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson among others. Marvin Mims was not phased by the moment and made some major plays.

Marvin Mims, as he was all last year, was a big-play machine in this game. And that was with the likes of two future NFL players on the field in Moehrig and Washington.

To replace them at safety, TCU has guys like Bud Clark, La’Kendrick Van Zandt, and T.J. Carter. To be fair the secondary has held up well. Tomlinson (nephew of the TCU and LoS Angeles Chargers legend LaDainian Tomlinson) also is back to anchor a pretty experienced TCU secondary.

This year, Oklahoma’s receiver corps looks nothing like it did last year.

Mims is back but Rambo transferred to the University of Miami while Theo Wease remains out indefinitely with an injury. Stogner hasn’t been featured in the passing game much this season.

Mims may not be able to run free and make plays as he did last year simply because teams have a year and a half of tape on him. They will force Oklahoma to rely on Jadon Haselwood, Mike Woods, Mario Williams, and Drake Stoops to move the ball thru the air.

Look for the Sooners to stress the middle of the field as Lincoln Riley looks to attack Gary Patterson’s 4-2-5 defensive alignment. This particular alignment has been noted to combat spread offenses.

The key for the Oklahoma receiver while playing against man coverage is that they use change of direction routes.

While against zone coverage they need to run weak or strong floods and play-action and force these safeties to have to cover. If you can get a LB or DB to move out of his zone or flood it with multiple options, an offense can bust the zones wide open.

Oklahoma has a more talented receiver corps this time around than they did last year and it’s not a stretch to say TCU lost more talent in the secondary than they gained.

Ultimately, the matchups in the passing game will come down to Oklahoma’s secondary receivers making plays while Gary Patterson tries his hardest to take away Mims.

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Report: Mikey Henderson dismissed from Oklahoma football program

According to a release from the Oklahoma Sooners athletics department, Mikey Henderson has been dismissed from the team.

Just over two months ago, former Oklahoma Sooners Trejan Bridges and Seth McGowan were dismissed from the University of Oklahoma and brought up on felony charges. Now there’s a third member of the Oklahoma Sooners football team that has been charged as part of the same incident.

It was reported earlier this evening that Mikey Henderson would face a felony stemming from the same alleged incident that Bridges and McGowan were a part of.

Now, per a release from the University of Oklahoma, Henderson is no longer a part of the program.

In the alleged incident that occurred in April, Norman police responded to a 911 call where the victim described being robbed and assaulted by, at the time, only Bridges and McGowan. Now that Henderson has been named to the report, he suffered the same fate as his teammates and was dismissed from the team by head coach Lincoln Riley.

Sooners Wire will provide more details as they are made available.

Report: Arrest warrant issued for Oklahoma Sooners running back Mikey Henderson

According to reports, an arrest warrant has been issued for Oklahoma Sooners running back Mikey Henderson.

According to a report from SI Sooners’ site, an arrest warrant has been issued for running back Mikey Henderson. This is part of the ongoing investigation that involved fellow teammates Trejan Bridges and Seth McGown. The two were later removed from the program entirely.

The Norman Police Department has submitted a request for an arrest warrant to the Cleveland County District Attorney’s office for University of Oklahoma football player Mikey Henderson, a Norman PD spokeswoman told SI Sooners on Tuesday.

Norman PD public information officer Sarah Jensen said NPD investigators have determined that Henderson is the third party involved in an alleged armed robbery on April 15 at the Crimson Park Apartments that resulted in the arrest of OU football players Trejan Bridges and Seth McGowan.

It would be hard to fathom that if Henderson was indeed the third party in the alleged robbery that he wouldn’t suffer the same fate as the other two involved. Head coach Lincoln Riley will likely dismiss him from the program as well.

Henderson was part of the 2020 recruiting cycle. He was the No. 12 athlete in the country according to 247Sports composite rankings and a four-star recruit. Henderson was expected to have an expanded role with the team following the dismissal of McGowan. It appears that LSU transfer Tre Bradford will likely take on any extra snaps at running back that doesn’t go to Kennedy Brooks or Seth McGowan.

Sooners Wire will pass along any other news as it becomes available.

Five items to monitor heading into the Oklahoma Sooners spring game

Five burning topics to be answered with the Oklahoma spring game.

The Oklahoma Sooners will finally play their first spring game in two years on Saturday. Last year’s camp was canceled before it got started due to COVID-19. Continue reading “Five items to monitor heading into the Oklahoma Sooners spring game”

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Five items to monitor heading into the Oklahoma Sooners spring game

Five burning topics to be answered with the Oklahoma spring game.

The Oklahoma Sooners will finally play their first spring game in two years on Saturday. Last year’s camp was canceled before it got started due to COVID-19. Continue reading “Five items to monitor heading into the Oklahoma Sooners spring game”

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3

DeMarco Murray praised RB Seth McGowan, “Jumps off your eyes”

A spring look at RB Seth McGowan

Oklahoma running back Seth McGowan is gearing up for year two during spring practice. After starting running back Kennedy Brooks opted out of the 2020 season and Rhamondre Stevenson suspended for multiple games, McGowan became the starter as a true freshman. The 5’11, 211-pounder rushed 58 times for 370 yards and three touchdowns in seven games. The young rusher averaged 6.4 yards-per-carry and made an impact in OU’s rushing attack.

He split time in the backfield with T.J. Pledger and showcased his versatility and explosiveness. McGowan was not only a dynamic runner but also a receiving weapon for Lincoln Riley.

Running back’s coach DeMarco Murray spoke with media on McGowan’s skillset and growth during his freshman campaign in Norman.

” He’s a player that when you first look at him from working out in practice, I mean he is going to jump off the field, going to jump off your eyes. He’s explosive, he’s fast, he’s physical, he’s versatile. But as young player, you got to learn the scheme, you go to lean patience, you got to learn the offense. For him, he’s an extremely smart kid and obviously talented. For him, he has to take it one play at a time- good, bad, or ugly… Obviously, this spring getting more reps, more experience, learning the offense and continuing to grow as a person but he is extremely versatile and we are happy to have him.”

He comes into the 2021 season listed as the RB3 behind returning Kennedy Brooks and Tennessee transfer, Eric Gray. However, Oklahoma coaches like to preach and reiterate that during spring camp, there is no depth chart. Competition breeds success.

McGowan made a name for himself after last year’s increased role and he took advantage. He was an integral part of OU’s screen game with his speed after the catch and quickly accelerated through the C and D-gap on runs. McGowan was elusive down the perimeter and will be a promising player to keep an eye on in 2021. As his skills become more refined throughout the offense, he has limitless potential.

Top 10 returning Oklahoma Sooners on offense according to PFF

The Oklahoma Sooners top returning offensive players according to their PFF grade.

The Oklahoma Sooners are expecting to be a top offense in college football once again. They will be led by their quarterback Spencer Rattler, a frontrunner for the Heisman Memorial Trophy. He has one of the highest returning grades in the country, not just the Big 12 Conference according to Pro Football Focus.

Other key returners include standout freshman wide receiver Marvin Mims, who led Oklahoma in receiving. Austin Stogner returns to reprise his role as the mismatch across the middle of the field at tight end. The Sooners also return three starters on the offensive line who will be keys to protecting the quarterback.

Kennedy Brooks had the top grade in 2019 according to PFF. However, on this list of top returning offensive players, it focuses only on those who played in at least five games in 2020.

The top 10 returning offensive players based on their PFF grade:

Oklahoma RB Seth McGowan available for TCU after missing OU-Texas

Oklahoma is going to be getting a boost at the skill position for TCU. Freshman running back Seth McGowan missed the Texas game.

Oklahoma is going to be getting a boost at the skill position for TCU.

Freshman running back Seth McGowan took over the reigns of the running back position during the Kansas State and Iowa State games. He’s averaging 5.3 yards a carry through his first three games and has accounted for three touchdowns.

McGowan, though, missed the Texas game a week ago for an undisclosed reason. He appears to be available today for TCU.

Players out don’t typically travel or warm up in pants.

T.J. Pledger started for Oklahoma against Texas and became the first Sooners’ running back to eclipse the 100-yard rushing game number on the season. Pledger went for 131 yards on 22 carries and scored two rushing touchdowns.

Marcus Major played major snaps in replacement of McGowan. He scored a touchdown, but only rushed for 43 yards on 12 carries.

Oklahoma and TCU will kickoff at 11 a.m. CT from Fort Worth, Texas.

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Oklahoma will be without leading rusher Seth McGowan for Texas

Oklahoma will be without leading rusher Seth McGowan for its matchup with Texas on Saturday. T.J. Pledger will slide into his place.

As kickoff draws near, the bad news just keeps piling up for the Sooners.

Per Fox’s Bruce Feldman, Oklahoma will now be without the services of starting running back Seth McGowan during their bout with Texas on Saturday.

This news comes immediately after reports that Oklahoma’s 2019 sack leader Ronnie Perkins, who recently won his appeal with the NCAA in regard to his suspension, will also be unavailable.

McGowan leads the team in both rushing yards and carries as he’s slid into the RB1 role in the absence of veterans Kennedy Brooks and Rhamondre Stevenson.

Here’s the good news for the Sooners: they’ve remained committed to a running back rotation this season between McGowan and T.J. Pledger, and today they’ll be reaping the benefits of that.

Both Pledger and redshirt freshman Marcus Major will be moving into increased roles this week, but that’s highly-preferred to simply throwing a new guy directly into the fire.