Tag: Sooners

5 storylines to follow as the Oklahoma Sooners get set to open fall camp

As the Oklahoma Sooners get set to open fall camp, here are five storylines to follow ahead of the 2023 season.

You can taste it. We are so close to the start of the 2023 college football season.

Some teams that will play in Week 0 have already started fall practice. For everyone else, such as the Oklahoma Sooners, they start this week. The first event on the horizon is OU football media days on Tuesday.

The summer is filled with official visits and major recruiting events. The Sooners just concluded their summer recruiting efforts with “Sooners under the Stars” and “Party at the Palace.” They’ve put a good foot forward and have already reaped the rewards of their efforts.

But the dead period starts Tuesday, so it’s time for these teams to lock in and get ready for the season.

Oklahoma kicks off fall camp on Thursday and there are a number of storylines to look for. Whether that’s position battles or progress from players from a year ago, we’ll have you covered throughout camp here on Sooners Wire.

So, without further adieu, let’s take a look at the five storylines I’m looking for this fall camp.

How did the Big 12 stack up in CBS Sports ‘Best in Sports’ rankings for 2022-2023?

How did the Big 12 shake out in CBS Sports “Best in Sports” rankings for the 2022-2023 academic year?

The 2022-2023 college sports season is in the rearview mirror as teams across the country are moving on to the 2023-2024 season.

In 2013, CBS Sports began awarding the “Best in Sports” award to the athletic department that had the best year. This ranking consists of football, men’s and women’s basketball and two wild cards. Louisville won the inaugural award, and the Oklahoma Sooners took home the crown after an impressive 2015-2016 season.

The Tennessee Volunteers took home this year’s crown.

The two wild cards are the school’s two most successful spectator sports. That could include baseball, softball, volleyball, soccer, gymnastics, lacrosse, hockey or wrestling.

The weighted formula puts 2.5 times as much emphasis on football and 2.0 times as much on men’s basketball compared to the rest of the sports. In both sports, Oklahoma struggled during the 2022-2023 school year.

Here is how the Big 12 teams from a year ago stacked up.

Oklahoma is the second winningest Power Five program this century

Since Oklahoma won the 2000 national championship, they’ve been one of the most successful programs in the nation.

It is no secret, the Univesity of Oklahoma is a true blue blood in the college football landscape.

They’ve been that way since Bennie Owen led them to its first 10-win season in 1915. It was then followed by Bud Wilkinson, who took it to another level, including winning three national championships and having an NCAA record 47-game winning streak.

Barry Switzer then created the “monster” that is Oklahoma football in the 1970s and 1980s, winning three more national championships.

Then at the turn of the century, Bob Stoops, in his second season in Norman, reminded the college football world that Oklahoma is back and here to stay after a pedestrian 1990s decade.

Since Oklahoma won the 2000 national championship, they’ve been one of the most successful programs in the nation.

They’ve dominated the conference, winning 14 Big 12 championships. Whether it was Stoops or Lincoln Riley leading the way, Oklahoma has been a perennial powerhouse this century.

They’ve been so dominant that only one other program has a higher winning percentage than the Sooners, Ohio State.

Brent Venables played a big part in that success when he was a defensive coordinator under Stoops and hopes to continue that success after a poor first season in 2022. There’s no doubt it’s going to be different going to the SEC. However, it’s a move the administration is ready for, believing they have the right guy to lead them there.

Why does it matter that the Sooners are one of the most successful programs since 2000. Because they can tout it to prospects on the recruiting trail. Oklahoma is in some heated battles for several big-time recruits, including two five-star defensive linemen in David Stone and Williams Nwaneri.

With commitment dates for both coming in August, the time is now to turn up the heat on the recruiting trail.

If they’re able to land the pair of top 10 players, Stone and Nwaneri will play a big role in reminding everyone, “There’s only one Oklahoma.”

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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.

Sooners receive prediction for talented 2024 offensive lineman

Oklahoma Sooners received a prediction to land 2024 NFL London product Daniel Akinkunmi, who released his top 10 on Friday.

After the last few days, the 2025 recruiting class is getting all of the spotlight as they’ve vaulted up to number three nationally after the commitments of Ka’Mori Moore and Elijah Thomas. But the Sooners are still in the midst of closing out what .

One name that has popped up recently is offensive lineman Daniel Akinkunmi. Akinkunmi is a part of the NFL Academy in London, England. He’s a raw player but someone who possesses a ton of talent.

He’s a versatile athlete that can play guard or tackle but most likely will find himself playing guard for the Sooners.

He’s 6-foot-4 and weighs 295 pounds. For a while, it has felt like the Temple Owls were the leader in his recruitment, but the Sooners have been picking up steam. Temple Insider Ryan Wallen issued a Crystal Ball favoring the Oklahoma Sooners.

After the crystal ball was released on Thursday, Akinkunmi shared his top 10 on Friday, narrowing his recruitment. The Oklahoma Sooners were included alongside Baylor, Georgia Tech, Boston College, Minnesota, Duke, Ole Miss, Marshall, Arkansas, and Washington State.

Akinkunmi only started playing football just a little more than a year ago, but his athleticism is impressive, and he has an incredible upside.

Combine that with the potential to be coached by one of the best offensive line coaches in America, and he’s got a good chance to develop into something special.

This would be a perfect player to add to this offensive line class. The class was at one point struggling, but has gained some momentum in recent weeks with the commitment of Eugene Brooks and predictions favoring the Sooners for Josh Aisosa.

He would be the project of the group. With all of the young talented offensive linemen on campus, isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Given the amount of upside he possesses, he’s certainly worth a roster spot.

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.

Oklahoma Sooners favored to land 2025 four-star tight end

OUInsider’s Parker Thune issued a Rivals FutureCast favoring the Oklahoma Sooners for 2025 four-star Tight End DaSaahn Brame.

“Sooners under the Stars” has wrapped as we get ready for the “Party at the Palace” to begin. One of the visitors at the first event of the week was four-star tight end, DaSaahn Brame.

The Derby, Kan. native is a big target standing at 6-foot-6 and 225 pounds. He ranks as a composite top 250 guy and ninth overall at his position. After Davon Mitchell reclassified to the 2024 class, it looks like the Sooners are all in on their 2025 guy.

On Thursday, OUInsider’s Parker Thune put in a prediction favoring the Sooners in Brame’s recruitment.

The Sooners continue to work towards a stacked tight end room. If Joe JoneFinley can pull in the commitment of the blue chip tight end out of Kansas, it would mark the fourth four-star player at the position to join the Sooners since 2022.

It would not come as a surprise if the Sooners didn’t have six or seven commitments in the 2025 class before the 2024 class has officially signed.

Right now, it looks like the Sooners will be battling with the in-state Kansas State Wildcats for Brame’s commitment.

Brame comes from an athletic background and is a Kansas State legacy. His dad, Da’Von, played linebacker at Kansas State, and his mom, Nicky, played women’s basketball for the Wildcats as well.

Brame displays the ability to be a threat as both a receiver and as a blocker, holding up well in the running game. In the modern era of college football, tight ends aren’t often called upon to block as much. Brame is an impact player in every facet of the game.

In Jeff Lebby’s system, it’s important for the tight end to contribute in both the running game and the passing game. With his size and athletic ability, he’ll be an impact player at the collegiate level.

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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.

Jayda Coleman, Vernon Turner nominated for 2022-2023 Big 12 Athlete of the Year

Oklahoma’s Jayda Coleman and Vernon Turner are the Sooners nominees for Big 12 Athlete of the Year.

The 2022-2023 athletic season has come to a close as we approach the start of the 2023-2024 season.

Two Oklahoma Sooners were nominated for Big 12 Athlete of the Year. One was softball star Jayda Coleman and the other was track and field star Vernon Turner.

Coleman started every game for the record-setting 61-1 Sooners who won the program’s third straight national championship. She was named the 2023 Big 12 Player of the Year. She was also an NFCA first team All-American selection for the third straight season.

She led the Big 12 in home runs (17), runs (71) and on-base slugging percentage (1.321).

She also led the Women’s College World Series with five runs scored, earning WCWS all-tournament team honors.

Off the field, she was selected to the OU president’s honor roll with a 4.0 GPA in the fall and to the dean’s honor roll with a 3.5-plus semester GPA in the spring.

Turner was named the 2023 Big 12 Men’s Outdoor Performer of the Year. He won the Big 12 men’s indoor and outdoor high jump titles while tying his school record in the outdoor high jump.

He was the runner-up in the men’s high jump at both the NCAA indoor and outdoor championships.

Off the field, he is pursuing a master’s degree in public relations and is a three-time Academic All-Big 12 first-team honoree. He volunteered at Norman high schools, teaching students about the importance of human relations.

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The 2022-23 Big 12 Athlete of the Year nominees will be featured each day at 10 a.m. CT and 2 p.m. CT, listed in alphabetical order by school through Friday, July 28.

Each institution nominated one male and one female athlete of any classification that competed for the institution during the school year. Student-athletes were required to be in good academic standing and had to be from a league-sponsored sport.

The 10 schools that competed during the 2022-23 academic year are eligible.

The winners will be announced Monday, July 31. Stay tuned to Big12Sports.com and the league’s social media platforms to see the rest of the candidates.

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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.

Sooners predicted to flip 2024 3-Star QB Brendan Zurbrugg

After hosting Northwestern commit Brendan Zurbrugg this week, SoonerScoop’s Josh McCuistion issued an On3 prediction favoring the Sooners.

We are in the midst of two massive recruiting events for the Oklahoma Sooners.

2025 and 2026 prospects are in town for “Sooners under the Stars.” Then comes the final bash of the summer, the “Party at the Palace” for 2024 recruits.”

One player in attendance this week is Northwestern Wildcats commit Brendan Zurbrugg, a three-star quarterback.

It’s been clear for a while the Sooners would like to add a second quarterback in the 2024 class. They’re hoping to enter the SEC and the 2024 season with three scholarship quarterbacks on the roster.

The recent controversy at Northwestern that led to the dismissal of long-time head coach Pat Fitzgerald opened the door for Oklahoma to flip the Ohio native.

Josh McCuistion from SoonerScoop and On3 is predicting the Oklahoma Sooners to land Zurbrugg.

Last season, Zurbrugg threw for 2,184 yards and 23 touchdowns while completing 76% of his passes. He ran for 804 yards and 11 more scores.

He’s a talented track athlete who runs the 110-meter and 300 hurdles. He won the regional title in the 300 hurdles. Zubrugg was an All-Eastern Buckeye Conference selection in both.

He is a raw prospect, but he’s a talented player with plus athleticism. With a unique athletic background, Zurbrugg could be developed into a contributor.

It happens all of the time but with five-star Jackson Arnold presumed to take the reins from Dillon Gabriel, Michael Hawkins committed to the 2024 class, and Kevin Sperry on board for 2025, it’ll be an uphill battle.

However, one can never have enough talented quarterback prospects and Zurbrugg’s potential makes him an intriguing option for the Oklahoma Sooners.

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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.

Is Texas more prepared for the SEC jump than Oklahoma?

One analyst believes the Longhorns are doing a better job at preparing for the jump to the SEC than the Sooners.

The Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorns will spend one final season in the Big 12 before they make the jump to the best conference in the nation, the SEC.

SEC media days were filled with questions about the readiness of the Red River Rivals for their move to the SEC. Most coaches and players thought they are ready, even if analysts have some skepticism.

Making an appearance on “The Paul Finebaum Show,” Billy Liucci shared why he thinks Texas is more ready.

Texas is doing a (expletive) of a lot better job than OU is in terms of preparing to come into this league. Sooner fans are in for the rudest awakening because they’ve been going, except last year, 10-2, 11-1, making the playoffs. They’ve been doing that because they’ve been doing it against the Big 12. – Liucci, TexAgs via The Paul Finebaum Show

He added the success Texas has had in recruiting has created a talent gap between the Longhorns and Sooners’ rosters.

These comments scream someone who isn’t following what is happening in Norman. Texas has recruited well, but Oklahoma had a top-five class a year ago, too, and has a better class than the Longhorns this season. The Sooners are trending toward another top five class in the 2024 recruiting cycle.

The nation better hope Brent Venables doesn’t land two, let alone three, five-star defensive linemen in this class. It may sound crazy, but doubt Venables and this coaching staff at your own peril.

The other part is him dismissing the recent success of the Sooners by saying, “They’ve been doing it against the Big 12.” Did Liucci forget what conference Texas is in?

Texas has had one 10-win season since 2010. While last year was an improvement, the Longhorns still went 8-5 (just two games better than the Sooners) but are being discussed like they just went 11-2.

Since 2000, the Sooners have won fewer than nine games in a season four times. An 8-5 record at Oklahoma is looked at as a disappointment. Is that what’s considered successful at Texas?

Now, it doesn’t help that one of those seasons was a year ago, and it was the worst since the turn of the century. However, that looks like it’s going to be an aberration more than the beginning of a trend.

The argument for Texas being more prepared is simple. It started its rebuild two years ago with its new head coach. Oklahoma began its first and hopefully their last phase, just a year ago. The Longhorns have a head start on the Sooners.

But as we’ve seen the last decade, Oklahoma’s rebuilds are very short, whereas Texas is in the midst of one. Until Texas proves it is actually back, I wouldn’t be saying it is more prepared than anyone.

It had better win at least 10 games this year and compete for the conference title or it’s very possible Steve Sarkisian will not be there much longer.

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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.

2024 OL Eugene Brooks commits to Oklahoma Sooners

The Oklahoma Sooners earn commitment from 2024 4-star offensive lineman Eugene Brooks. Brooks picked OU over Texas.

The Oklahoma Sooners kicked off Tuesday with a bang: Sierra Canyon High School offensive lineman Eugene Brooks committed to the Sooners over the Texas Longhorns.

Brooks is a mammoth offensive lineman. He stands 6 feet, 3 inches and 320 pounds. He has impressive strength and mauls opposing defenders. However, he needs to work on his technique. He’s a work in progress.

We’ve been watching Brooks since he was a freshman playing at Las Vegas Desert Pines and can count on less than one hand how many one on one reps he has lost on the camp or 5v5 circuit. He’s a naturally strong kid with good feet and is tough to beat with a bull or speed rush. We’ve watched him take reps at both guard and tackle and he wins the majority of his reps with an opposing defensive lineman not even getting past the line of scrimmage. – Greg Biggins 247Sports

Brooks makes the 10th commitment for the Sooners since the ChampU BBQ in late June. He’s the second offensive lineman to commit to the class after Isaiah Autry broke the ice in April. 

The Sooners are on an impressive run and hope to close the month strongly. Four-star safety Mykel Patterson-McDonald is next on the schedule. He plans to announce his decision on Monday (July 31).

After missing on Casey Poe and Harrison Utley, this was a big win for Bill Bedenbaugh and company. He needs to develop, but Bedenbaugh has proven capable of that task in his time as the offensive line coach at Oklahoma.

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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.

Who are the best players and position groups Oklahoma will face in 2023?

Who are some of the players that could give the Sooners the most problems in 2023?

The 2023 Oklahoma Sooners schedule leaves much to be desired. After canceling the game against Georgia Bulldogs, there aren’t many games that move the needle.

Georgia would likely have the most talented players at each position. Losing the back-to-back national champion certainly kills Oklahoma’s strength of schedule.

But the Sooners still face teams with talent, such as the Texas Longhorns and the TCU Horned Frogs. There’s some talent joining the Big 12 this year as well.

So, who are some of the players Oklahoma fans should be looking out for, and what position groups could give the Sooners the most problems heading into the season?

Let’s take a look at the best player or position group the Sooners will face in 2023.