Tag: Spencer Rattler

Oklahoma a consensus top-10 team in way-too-early rankings

Yet another star quarterback is out the door for Oklahoma, as well as defensive standouts Kenneth Murray and Neville Gallimore. But all hope is not lost, as the Sooners will be looking to host another high-powered offense next season.

Yet another star quarterback is out the door for Oklahoma, as well as defensive standouts Kenneth Murray and Neville Gallimore. But all hope is not lost, as the Sooners will be looking to host another high-powered offense next season.

Pro Football Focus has Oklahoma ranked No. 7 in the way-too-early Top 25 rankings for next season. Their primary reason for placing Oklahoma among the top teams in the nation will yet again be Lincoln Riley’s dangerous offense.

With Jalen Hurts gone to the NFL, Spencer Rattler will likely step in at quarterback for the Sooners. The highly touted freshman hailing from Pinnacle, Arizona will stand behind an offensive line that returns five of it’s six core members from last season, and should have plenty of talented receiving threats next season.

The five-star trio of Jadon Haselwood, Theo Wease and Trejan Bridges all have games under their belt now, and PFF has Charleston Rambo listed as a top 25 returning receiver in the country.

On top of their established talent, Oklahoma has taken on UCLA’s Theo Howard as a graduate-transfer. Howard saw 51 receptions last season, and is sure to see production with the Sooners.

If their passing game was enough, PFF has three of the Sooners running backs, Rhamondre Stevenson, Kennedy Brooks, and Trey Sermon, rated in the top 25 of the country next year. Brooks and Sermon round out the top-10 at No. 6 and 8 respectively, with Stevenson making the cut at No. 25.

Not much was said of the Sooner’s defense, but with Alex Grinch in his second year, and another patented Lincoln Riley offense full of weapons, the Sooners should be in good position for next season.

Former Oklahoma commit Brock Vandagriff commits to Georgia

Lincoln Riley lost 2021 5-star quarterback prospect, Brock Vandagriff, to Georgia after Vandagriff committed to Oklahoma this past summer.

You win some, you lose some but the Sooners still have a few tricks up their sleeve.

Lincoln Riley lost 2021 5-star quarterback prospect, Brock Vandagriff, to Georgia after Vandagriff committed to Oklahoma this past summer. Vandagriff de-committed from the Sooners a few weeks ago citing the distance from his family in Georgia as one of the main concerns.

The No. 1 2021 quarterback announced his decision to stay home via his Twitter. Vandagriff is from Bogart, Ga., just 20 minutes west of Athens where the University of Georgia is located.

Riley will have to move his focus to another five-star quarterback, Caleb Williams. Williams is the No. 1 dual-threat signal-caller in the 2021 class and is slotted just one spot behind Vandagriff nationally at No. 5.

With the signing of Chandler Morris for the 2020 class and the current quarterbacks on campus in Tanner Mordecai and Spencer Rattler, Riley is sure to find the future of the program with his star-studded track record.

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Oklahoma finishes No. 7 in AP Poll

After a beat down in the Peach Bowl, Oklahoma fell from No. 4 to No. 7 in the AP Top 25 to finish the 2019 college football season.

After a beat down in the Peach Bowl, Oklahoma fell from No. 4 to No. 7 in the AP Top 25 to finish the 2019 college football season.

Losing 63-28 was not what the Sooners were looking for in their third straight, fourth overall College Football Playoff game. But with no one this season being able to stop the bulldozer that was Joe Burrow and the LSU Tigers, the rout stings but should not burn Oklahoma fans.

The Sooners fall from No. 4 to No. 7 is to be expected as No. 4 Georgia, No. 5 Oregon and No. 6 Florida all won their bowl games. The biggest movers inside the top-10 were No. 10 Minnesota and No. 9 Penn State. The Golden Gophers jumped six spots with their 31-24 win over Auburn in the Outback Bowl. The Nittany Lions destroyed Memphis 53-39 in the Cotton Bowl to jump from No. 13.

Oklahoma is joined by Big 12 brethren No. 13 Baylor who lost to Georgia 26-14 in the Sugar Bowl and No. 25 Texas who picked up the lone Big 12 win in the bowl season, beating No. 16 Utah 38-10 in the Alamo Bowl.

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Oklahoma comes in at No. 5 in USA Today’s early 2020 poll

Oklahoma comes in at No. 5 in the USA Today 2020 early poll.

Oklahoma made their third straight College Football Playoff and fourth overall, falling victim to the steamroller that is LSU, 63-28. However, the final rankings give the Sooners the benefit of the doubt to an extent.

Oklahoma comes in at No. 5 in the USA Today 2020 early poll. Behind No. 1 Clemson, No. 2 Alabama, No. 3 Ohio State, and No. 4 LSU, the Sooners are definitely the top of the second tier of college football teams. The 2019 season showed that Clemson, LSU, and Ohio State were very much on their own level and teams like Alabama, Georgia, and Oklahoma were the great but not god-like.

With Jalen Hurts, CeeDee Lamb, and Kenneth Murray all leaving for the NFL Draft, the Sooners still should not have too much to worry about. Five-star quarterback, Spencer Rattler has four years of eligibility left after playing in just four games this season and is the favorite to win the job over Tanner Mordecai.

Center Creed Humphrey will return for his senior season, anchoring the offensive line once again which can help an inexperienced quarterback regardless of whether it is Mordecai or Rattler.

Other Big 12 teams ranked in the early Top 25 include No. 14 texas, No. 21 Iowa State, and No. 22 Baylor. Just missing the cut: Oklahoma State and Kansas State.

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Oklahoma’s Spencer Rattler makes appearance in Peach Bowl

Stop me if you’ve heard this before: Jalen Hurts gets pulled for a freshman quarterback.

Stop me if you’ve heard this before: Jalen Hurts gets pulled for a freshman quarterback.

This time not for his lack of play but as a sign of respect. Lincoln Riley gave Jalen Hurts a much-deserved curtain call albeit in a near Sooner-less Peach Bowl to finish his rollercoaster of a career.

Spencer Rattler trotted in to take the final four offensive snaps for Oklahoma, tallying one eight-yard completion on three attempts and one rush for another eight yards.

With Hurts’ departure from the program and barring another high-profile transfer quarterback, Rattler will have the reigns of the program handed over to him. He will presumably be Lincoln Riley’s first non-transfer starting quarterback since Riley joined the Sooners’ staff.

Heading into tonight’s game, Rattler saw snaps in just two other games, preserving his redshirt. For the season, Rattler was six of eight for 73 yards and a touchdown through the air as well as two rushes for 15 yards.

The countdown to Sept. 5, 2020, begins tonight.

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