Tag: Sooners

3 freshmen to watch for Oklahoma Sooners against Auburn Tigers

Who are three freshman players on OU’s depth chart to keep your eye on this week against Auburn?

The Oklahoma Sooners are 3-1. After beginning the year with three straight wins, they’re looking to get back into the win column following their first loss of the season last week. OU will head to Auburn for the first road game of the season and its first road game as a member of the [autotag]SEC[/autotag].

The Tigers are 2-2, having lost to Arkansas in Week 4. They’re looking for a bounce-back win as well.

With injuries galore for the Sooners, this game could be closer than previously expected.

Head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] will look to young players all over the roster to step up at key positions. That includes some players who are playing their first season at the collegiate level.

Here’s your list of three true freshmen to watch in Week 5.

1. Michael Hawkins Jr., QB

[autotag]Michael Hawkins Jr.[/autotag] will become the first true freshman to make his first career start on the road for the Sooners since Troy Aikman in 1984. Aikman played very poorly in that game, and OU fell to Kansas.

Oklahoma fans are hoping for a different result on Saturday, as Hawkins takes over after [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] was benched last week. The true freshman played his first meaningful snaps at this level last week and gave the struggling OU offense a bit of a spark late in the fourth quarter. It was too little too late, but Hawkins did enough to earn the start for the Auburn game.

Hawkins is a dual-threat at QB, but he will not have much help behind a shaky offensive line and without the top five wide receivers on the roster. If Hawkins can move the ball more effectively than what we’ve seen from Arnold and get the win, it’ll be considered a success, even if it isn’t pretty.

2. Zion Kearney, WR

True freshman wide receiver [autotag]Zion Kearney[/autotag] is one of the few healthy players left in OU’s wide receiver room that offer size. With Jayden Gibson, Jalil Farooq, Nic Anderson, Andrel Anthony and Deion Burks all out this week, Oklahoma will try to piece things together to give Hawkins someone to throw the ball to.

Kearney hasn’t received much run so far this season, but against the physical cornerbacks Auburn employs on the outside, a bigger body will be needed to create separation. Jaquaize Pettaway should get plenty more looks in the slot this week, and Oklahoma needs something from the duo of Brenen Thompson and J.J. Hester. Cornerback Jacobe Johnson made the switch to wideout to offer a potential solution.

Kearney and Hawkins came to Norman in the most recent recruiting class, along with Zion Ragins, Ivan Carreon, K.J. Daniels and Jacob Jordan. Maybe the chemistry of the freshmen can open the field up the passing game for the OU offense.

3. Reggie Powers III, DB

The loss of starting cheetah Kendel Dolby for the rest of the season is a big one for the Sooners. Dolby had begun to make the role his and had become an excellent player. Without him on the field, it’ll likely be Samuel Omosigho who steps up to be the starter, and Woodi Washington will probably see time there as well. OU is unsure if Dasan McCullough, who has played the position in the past, will be back this week.

One true freshman who could see a lot of snaps at cheetah on Saturday is [autotag]Reggie Powers III[/autotag]. He’s a versatile player on the back end of the defense, capable of playing safety or cheetah. Before last week’s game, he was listed third on the depth chart at the position behind Dolby and Omosigho.

Powers will certainly be tested whenever he’s in there, but his future is bright at OU as part of the next generation of the defensive backfield in Norman. Just like so many other parts of the roster, injuries are forcing players to step into roles where they may not be ready.

We’ll get to see what these true freshmen have as OU takes to the road in week five.

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‘College GameDay’ team takes batting practice with Oklahoma Softball

Oklahoma Softball welcomed “College GameDay” to Loves’ Field before Saturday morning’s show.

The Oklahoma Sooners will host the Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday night in Norman. OU’s first conference game as a member of the [autotag]SEC[/autotag] is one of the biggest games of the 2024 college football season.

It’s such a big game that ESPN’s “College GameDay” will be doing their live show on campus in Norman on Saturday morning before that night’s primetime affair between the Sooners and Volunteers.

A few members of the “GameDay” team took a visit to Oklahoma’s softball team on Friday before the big day on Saturday. The Sooners are coming off of a four-peat of national championships, and are one of the best softball programs ever, led by head coach [autotag]Patty Gasso[/autotag].

Gasso and the team welcomed the ESPN personalities to Loves’ Field to take some practice swings. “College GameDay” took to social media to post video of the results.

https://twitter.com/collegegameday/status/1837265501988208811?s=46&t=c0IUXD99Gev3mDup6hgrLA

Of course, Pat McAfee, a former NFL punter, gets the recognition with a big-time hit over the wall. But the best part of this video, in my opinion, is the smooth swing by former Alabama head coach Nick Saban.

Saturday will mark the first time “GameDay” has been in Norman since 2020 when the Sooners hosted Oklahoma State. Since that game occurred during the COVID-19 season, this week will be the first appearance with fans in attendance since 2012, when Oklahoma hosted Notre Dame.

McAfee interviewed Patty Gasso during his show Friday live from Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium and they plan to feature OU Softball during the three hour pregame show Saturday morning.

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Alabama football set to play at Oklahoma on Nov. 23, 2024

Alabama set to travel to Oklahoma the week before the Iron Bowl

With the additions of both Oklahoma and Texas to the SEC in 2024, the conference is doing away with the traditional East and West divisions. The Tide’s schedule next season will look much different than years past with five former SEC East opponents, two old West rivals and Oklahoma.

Alabama’s conference schedule for next season already has locked in dates of Georgia on Sept. 28, at Tennessee on Oct. 19, at LSU on Nov. 9 and Auburn on Nov. 30. On X, Alabama football just announced that the the trip to Norman to face the Sooners will be on Nov. 23, one week before the Iron Bowl. In the past, the SEC and Alabama have been known to schedule some “cupcake” games leading up to rivalry weekend, but that will not be the case as of 2024.

It is projected that Jalen Milroe and four out of five starting offensive linemen will return in 2024 giving the Tide a strong chance to compete for another SEC title and Playoff berth. A trip to Norman, OK is something new, but a very attractive blue blood matchup. The last time the two met the Tide handled the Sooners 45-34.

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‘We’re just a work in progress’: Ted Roof sees changes in the defense but feels there’s still a long way to go

Ted Roof has noticed a difference in this year’s defense but feels there’s still a long way to go.

Through two games, the improvement from the Oklahoma Sooners’ defense is noticeable. The team is flying around and is more physical than we’ve seen in years past.

The Sooners rank No. 35 in total defense this season which is a massive improvement from the No. 122nd ranked defense a year ago. The biggest improvements have been in scoring defense, run defense, and third down defense.

The Sooners are the No. 6 ranked scoring defense, No. 28 run defense, and No. 8 third-down defense. A year ago, they ranked No. 98, No. 105 and No. 87, respectively.

It’s still early to tell how good of a defense this team will be in 2023. Those numbers are sure to change as the season goes on and the competition gets tougher, but Defensive Coordinator Ted Roof said he feels the difference has been the competitive depth.

“You look at depth, competitive depth,” Roof said. “We’re just starting out, and by no means are we a finished product, and we have arrived. We’re just a work in progress that’s going to grind every day. That’s the attitude of our staff and players, and it’s all about incremental improvement. We’ve got to get better because we left some plays out on the field the other night. Some situations where we had opportunities to get off the field, and we didn’t.”

That’s the mindset the coaches and players should have. Two games don’t fix nearly a decade of poor defensive performances. The Sooners have shown signs of improvement, but that must continue for the whole season.

Their next opportunity to show that is this Saturday in their first away game versus the Tulsa Golden Hurricane at 2:30 p.m. CT on ESPN 2.

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Oklahoma Sooners trap game on the 2023 schedule per Heartland Sports

Each year there’s always one “trap game” teams have to look out for, the one for Oklahoma could surprise some people.

Each and every year, there are certain games teams look over because of a bigger matchup the following week. These are called “[autotag]trap games[/autotag].”

The best teams know how to be prepared for any game but at the end of the day, these are college kids. It’s natural to look at other teams on their schedule as games they are more excited about.

Heartland Sports identified one trap game for each [autotag]Big 12 [/autotag] team, who did they select for the [autotag]Sooners[/autotag]? That is the[autotag]Kansas Jayhawks[/autotag].

Oklahoma narrowly escaped an offensive shootout with Kansas in 2022, winning 52-42 in Norman. However, that was without Jalon Daniels on the field. If Daniels can stay healthy in 2023, the Jayhawks’ offense should be even more potent than it was a season ago.[autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] faces his former team with UCF coming to town in Week 8, while the last-ever Bedlam game is scheduled for Week 10. Brent Venables had better have his guys ready for a trip to Lawrence, because KU will certainly be ready to give the Sooners their best. – Bryan Clinton Heartland Sports

As I mentioned in my season preview, Kansas could be a problem. The Jayhawks have a high-powered offense and return just about everyone on both sides of the ball. They could have won the matchup a year ago if not for the injury suffered by [autotag]Jalon Daniels[/autotag].

That game is sandwiched between two emotional games for the Sooners. One versus Gabriel’s old team, the UCF Knights. The other is the final [autotag]Bedlam[/autotag] matchup for the foreseeable future. Don’t be fooled. This isn’t the Kansas of old. [autotag]Lance Leipold[/autotag] is doing a great job of building something there.

Their defense isn’t great, but as Sooner fans know, if you have an elite offense, you can compete with anyone. If the Sooners aren’t ready to play and overlook that game, the Jayhawks will gladly send them to the SEC with a loss.

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R Mason Thomas brings the ‘mamba mentality’ to the defensive end room

R Mason Thomas looks to have a breakthrough year and he got a big endorsement from his position coach.

There are a few bright spots when you have your worst season in over two decades. One of those bright spots was the flashes you saw from true freshman [autotag]R Mason Thomas[/autotag].

You look at his numbers, and nothing jumps out at you, but he has unique athleticism and twitchiness at the edge position. He was ultimately just too light to make much of a difference on the line.

That’s why this summer, he put in the work adding muscle to his frame. With increased size and strength while keeping his quickness and agility, he could be in for a breakout season this year.

One person who was glowing about the progress he’s made was defensive ends coach, [autotag]Miguel Chavi[/autotag]s. “I’ve seen an elite level of consistency,” Chavis said. “Talking about a guy who weighed 216 pounds last year, he weighs 240 today.”

It’s not just the work he put in the offseason. Chavis feels he’s seen a shift in his mindset. A look in his eyes where you know he’s ready for a breakout season.

“Coach Schmitty gave a report on him, and he just has a maturity that’s different,” Chavis said. “He’s got a mamba mentality. He’s got a look in his eyes that’s different.”

Mamba mentality was coined by the late great Los Angeles Lakers guard and future hall of famer, Kobe Bryant.

“To sum up what mamba mentality is, it means to be able to constantly try to be the best version of yourself,” Bryant explained back in 2016. “That is what the mentality is. It’s a constant quest to try to better today than you were yesterday.

“Mamba mentality is all about focusing on the process and trusting in the hard work when it matters most. It’s the ultimate mantra for the competitive spirit. It started just as a hashtag that came to me one day, and it’s grown into something athletes — and even non-athletes — embrace as a mindset. Hard work outweighs talent — every time. Mamba mentality is about 4 a.m. workouts, doing more than the next guy and then trusting in the work you’ve put in when it’s time to perform. Without studying, preparation and practice, you’re leaving the outcome to fate. I don’t do fate.”

Bryant’s competitiveness and drive defined a legendary career.

It’s that mentality and drive in Thomas that leads Chavis to believe his sophomore defensive end is going to make a lot of teams mad they didn’t recruit him.

“He was a little undersized for a lot of people that’s why a lot of people missed on him. I’m telling you, this is going to be a guy in a couple of years from now, everyone’s going to say, ‘how in the heck did we miss on that kid?’ He has the opportunity if he keeps working to be that guy.”

For a team that needs to improve their pass rush heading into 2023, that’s music to our ears. After a strong offseason, Thomas is looking to be one of the answers to Oklahoma’s defensive resurgence in 2023.

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Brent Venables hopes to improve in ‘every single area’ in year two

Year one of the Brent Venables era was a disaster but after diving deep, Venables feels he’s ready for a bounce-back year two.

You couldn’t have asked for a worse start to a head coaching career at the University of Oklahoma. The Sooners, led by Brent Venables, went 6-7 and fell woefully under the “Blue Blood” standards the program has.

Part of that is he just didn’t have the roster, but part of that was mistakes he made along the way too. The roster was probably the worst it’s been since maybe 2014.

But on the flip side, they were in a lot of one-score games, or they had leads late in games they just blew. Some of that is the roster, but another big part of that is the coaching.

For Venables, he feels he needs to be better in “every single area.” He spoke more in-depth on that at Oklahoma Media Days on Tuesday.

“Even through success, you should continue to be improving and getting better,” Venables said at OU media day. “I’ve said that lots of times. So there’s no area that I can’t get better at. So, I’m working on all of them. My expectation is be the best version of me in year two. There’s not any one area.”

One specific area he mentioned that is different from being a head coach is having to deal with everyone’s needs, whether that’s the staff or the players. To be the best leader he wants to be, he said he needs to be “more mindful of that.”

That’s what fans and the administration hope happens with Venables and the entire staff that they learn from all of the mistakes they made a year ago. There are always mistakes that come with being a first-time head coach, but being a first-time head coach at a place like Oklahoma, those mistakes are magnified.

But for Venables, I’m sure he wouldn’t want it any other way.

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Sooners a CFP contender? One ESPN analyst isn’t so sure

The Oklahoma Sooners have a 10.7% chance to make the CFP per the ESPN Football Power Index, but one writer thinks that’s still too high.

We continue to hear more and more optimism coming from the Oklahoma Sooners.

Whether it was from Big 12 media days a couple weeks ago or Tuesday’s OU Football media day, the positive vibes are strong in Norman. But some nationally have been skeptical. There may be skepticism of the personnel or of Brent Venables. Both of which are reasonable.

Count ESPN college football writer Heather Dinich (ESPN+) in the skeptical camp at the moment. ESPN’s Football Power Index gives Oklahoma a 10.7% chance to make the playoff, something Dinich disagrees with.

After a 6-7 season that included a 49-0 loss to rival Texas, expectations should be higher but not that high. Even the defense, which is Brent Venables’ forte, hit the worst marks by a defense under Venables in his career. – Dinich, ESPN

Dinich does think the committee will look favorably upon the Sooners if they can win the Oklahoma and Texas “state titles.”

Unofficial state titles in both Oklahoma and Texas. OU can win its home state by beating Tulsa and Oklahoma State on the road, and it can get the edge in Texas with wins over SMU, Texas and TCU. If OU is going to be taken seriously as a CFP contender, it doesn’t have to look far to build its case in the committee meeting room. – Dinich, ESPN

But ultimately, she feels they won’t like the weak schedule. That’s why the Texas and Oklahoma State games are so important. Even though Oklahoma State may not be on the same level as Texas, it’s a “move the needle” type of game in a hostile road environment.

Not playing Baylor, Kansas State, or Texas Tech will certainly hurt the Sooners in strength of schedule discussions.

This will be the first time since 2000 Oklahoma will not play a Power 5 opponent in a regular season nonconference game. The Sooners were originally scheduled to play Georgia, but the game was canceled because of OU’s eventual move to the SEC. The Sooners also face three of the four new conference members in Cincinnati, BYU and UCF, which replace Baylor, Kansas State and Texas Tech three of the six Big 12 teams that beat OU last year. – Dinich, ESPN

Oklahoma’s strength of schedule is a legitimate concern. It schedule looks a lot different if the Georgia Bulldogs were on the schedule still. But that’s a short-term sacrifice for a long-term gain for the Sooners.

Dinich isn’t speaking unreasonably when discussing the concerns she has about Oklahoma’s chances to make the playoffs. Though there’s optimism, there’s a lot that still needs to be proven on the football field before the Sooners can be taken seriously as a national title contender.

Making the playoff is a little bit of a stretch, but with that schedule can be obtainable. The problem is there’s little room for error for Oklahoma if it wants to play for something meaningful in the postseason.

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Sooners get two predictions for 4-Star in-state wide receiver

Emmett Jones continues his hot streak on the recruiting trail with two predictions for talented four-star Oklahoma wide receiver.

We’ve talked about how hot the Oklahoma Sooners football recruiting has been the last month, whether it’s the 2024 class or the 2025 class.

A big reason for that has been the absolute roll new wide receiver coach Emmett Jones has been on.

He’s landed seven combined wide receivers in the 2024 and 2025 classes as of now.

As to why he’s been so successful recruiting since joining the staff, his answer was short and sweet and something Sooner fans will love to hear.

“I feel like I can recruit against anybody with this logo,” Emmett Jones said at OU Football media day Tuesday.

But he’s not stopping anytime soon. The Sooners received two predictions for 2025 four-star wide receiver Jaden Nickens.

Brandon Drumm of OUInsider at Rivals and Josh McCuistion of SoonerScoop at On3 both issued predictions favoring the Oklahoma Sooners for the talented in-state prospect.

Nickens is a talented wide receiver who plays at Millwood High School in Oklahoma City.

He’s also a big-time basketball recruit with a few Division 1 offers. He’s a big athletic wide receiver standing at 6-foot-3 and weighing 170 pounds.

The next question is, could a commitment be coming soon? It’s something he might have hinted at.

But for now, we have to wait and see.

Jaden Nicken’s Recruiting Profile

Projections

  • Oklahoma appears to be the favorite with two of the three recruiting sites issuing predictions for Jaden Nickens to end up with Oklahoma.

Film

Via Hudl

Sooners five-star freshmen carry some of best traits in the 2023 class

Jackson Arnold, Peyton Bowen, and Adepoju Adebawore carry some of the best traits in the 2023 class according to ESPN.

Anytime you land five-star recruits, the eyes of the fan base immediately open wide with excitement. Oklahoma landed three five-star recruits in the last recruiting cycle, powering it to a top-five recruiting class in the country.

As fall camp begins this week, high expectations surround the Sooners’ three five-star prospects, [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag], [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag] and [autotag]Adepoju Adebawore[/autotag].

ESPN took a look at which of the 2023 signees (ESPN+) had the best traits at each position and OU’s five-star additions were included.

Arnold was considered the most accurate passer among the 2023 quarterbacks.

Arnold’s accuracy is the result of great footwork, balance and a compact delivery. He also has some of the best awareness in this class and doesn’t force throws. He threw for 3,476 yards and 33 touchdowns against just two interceptions as a senior while completing nearly 70% of those passes. Following a successful spring in which he became more comfortable with the playbook, Arnold enters the season at No. 2 for the Sooners behind starter Dillon Gabriel. — ESPN’s Craig Haubert and Billy Tucker

It’s that accuracy and playmaking ability that has Sooner fans hyped for what the future holds at quarterback. The Elite 11 MVP has incredible downfield accuracy that will blend well with Jeff Lebby’s vertical passing scheme.

Next is Adebawore who was listed as the best speed off of the edge.

From his elite length (84-inch wingspan) to his flexibility and change of direction (7.35 L-drill), Adebawore brings so many desired traits for an elite pass-rusher. It all starts with his initial explosiveness and ability to attack upfield with speed. As he continues to fill out and develop his pass-rushing arsenal, he will only become more difficult to contain. – Haubert and Tucker

Let’s be real, Oklahoma just hasn’t had someone like Adebawore on the defensive line in a long time. That speed off the edge was on full display at the spring game. The Sooners need to improve their pass rush. If Adebawore can earn some snaps, he’ll add juice to a defensive end rotation that needs to be better than it was a year ago.

Last is Bowen, who ESPN believes has the best deep-field range of any true freshman in 2023.

Bowen has clocked a laser verified 4.5-second 40-yard dash and a near 22 mph in pads. He quickly gets off the hash and on top of deep routes for big pass breakups and interceptions. His range is aided by great timing and angles on his pass breaks. He excels in the center field role roaming, reading and reacting with great speed and range. His football knowledge complements his physical skills and should lead to this true freshman earning playing time this season. — Haubert and Tucker

Every time I watch Bowen play, I immediately think of Earl Thomas with the way he covers the field. He is just elite, and, as Sooner fans saw at the spring game, has the ball skills to make the play when he gets there.

It’s unclear what role all three will have this season. Adebawore and Bowen should play early and often, whereas if all things go well, Arnold will probably sit and learn behind Gabriel.

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