Tag: Theo Wease

Oklahoma safety Jordan Mukes to enter transfer portal

Oklahoma sees former four-star safety Jordan Mukes head to the transfer portal. From @thatmanbryant

With days left before guys can officially enter the transfer portal, things are getting spicy across the country. Tuesday saw an insane amount of players dropping tweets, posts, and other edits to announce their intentions to join the portal come December 5.

Oklahoma already has one player in Theo Wease who plans to put himself in the portal per the folks at 247Sports. They now have a verified second as safety Jordan Mukes shared on Tuesday that he plans to enter the portal.

Mukes, a local kid from Tulsa will have three years of eligibility wherever he decides to go. Mukes, a four-star saw action in 2021 at safety but per Pro Football Reference saw no time on the field this year under Brent Venables and defensive coordinator Ted Roof.

Mukes joins five other 2021 signees from Oklahoma to transfer. He follows Caleb Williams (USC), Mario Williams (USC), Latrell McCutchin (USC), Nathan Rawlins-Kibonge (South Alabama), and Cody Jackson (Houston) who all have left the program via the portal. The Sooners now have just 10 players remaining from the 2021 class on the roster.

It’s possible Mukes made this decision after a careful conversation with Brent Venables and his position coach. Despite his size and athleticism, Mike’s was never able to see the field at safety over Trey Morrison, Justin Broiles, Damond Harmon, and Key Lawrence. With Gentry Williams and Robert Spears-Jennings also getting some snaps, a way to playing time looked like an uphill battle for Mukes.

With the regular season over and the portal opening up next week, expect for several more players to enter the transfer portal.

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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. Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today. You can also follow Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.

Report Card: Sooners defense can’t hold up in finale vs. Texas Tech

Oklahoma’s defense was unable to get stops at the end as the Sooners fell 51-48 to Texas Tech. From @thatmanbryant

With an opportunity to solidify themselves above .500, Oklahoma traveled to Lubbock, Texas to take on the Texas Tech Raiders. Texas Tech took the first couple of punches from the Sooners on the chin before fighting their way back into the game. The game would eventually go to overtime, where a missed Zach Schmit field goal would lead to Texas Tech kicking the game-winner for a 51-48 victory to leave the Sooners at 6-6 for the regular season.

It was far from a horrible performance for the team as a whole, but it followed a similar script we’ve seen too many times this year. Oklahoma came out on fire before they eased up and let the other team back in the game.

The offense did a magnificent job from the opening snap, while the defense and special teams left a bit to be desired.

Here’s our report card from the Sooners’ loss to Texas Tech.

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Oklahoma wide receiver Theo Wease expected to enter transfer portal per 247Sports

After a career game against Texas Tech, 247Sports is reporting that Theo Wease will enter the transfer portal. From @john9williams

With the end of the regular season, the Oklahoma Sooners await their bowl situation and work to lock in their 2023 recruiting class. Another important process they have to go through is assessing what their roster will look like in 2023.

One area that the Sooners will need to address is the wide receiver position. According to 247Sports’ Mike Roach, wide receiver Theo Wease is expected to enter the transfer portal.

Wease caught 64 passes for 1,033 yards and 10 touchdowns across three seasons in Norman.

Wease had a career game against Texas Tech, going for three receptions for 123 yards and a touchdown. He had multiple receptions with a high degree of difficulty, making plays in 50-50 situations.

Wease returned in 2022 after suffering an injury in fall camp of 2021. Despite his big game in the finale, Wease experienced his lowest numbers since his freshman year in 2019. On the season, he played just 366 snaps, fourth among wide receivers in 2022 behind Marvin Mims, Drake Stoops, and Jalil Farooq.

If he indeed transfers, in his final season in Norman, Wease caught 19 passes on 34 targets for 378 yards and four touchdowns. He was sixth in targets and receptions and tied for third on the team in touchdowns.

When given the opportunity, Theo Wease was a big part of the passing offense, tying for the team lead in receptions in 2020. With the potential that Marvin Mims could declare for the NFL draft, the loss of Wease would be huge.

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Transfer portal officially opens on December 5; Lincoln Riley is waiting to pounce

#USC plays Utah Dec. 2. The bowls are revealed Dec. 4. On Dec. 5, the portal officially opens. One #Oklahoma WR just said he’ll enter the portal.

USC’s substantial and immediate transformation in college football is the product of several forces. One central force is the impact of the transfer portal.

The obvious connection to make with the portal and its influence on USC is the simple fact that Lincoln Riley believes in the centrality of the portal. This is not a peripheral pursuit for him. Riley views the portal as essential to making USC better. It’s not a luxury or an add-on; it’s an absolute necessity.

Riley understands how the portal can transform rosters. So many other coaches do not. This has been a game-changer for USC.

Let’s review some of USC’s high-impact transfers and take note of some 2022-2023 transfer prospects while reminding you that the new portal cycle officially begins on December 5.

We can also tell you that Oklahoma receiver Theo Wease has expressed his desire to enter the portal when it does open on Dec. 5.

Social media reacts to Oklahoma’s 51-48 loss to Texas Tech

What did social media have to say following Oklahoma’s loss to Texas Tech?

The Oklahoma Sooners couldn’t find a week in Big 12 play where the offense and the defense came together simultaneously. In their loss to Texas Tech, it was the defense reverting to the team that gave up 40 points in four straight games to start Big 12 play.

The defense came out hot against the Red Raiders, not really allowing much of anything the first quarter. But once the clock flipped to the second, it was a totally different ball game.

Over the remainder of the game, the Sooners were outscored 51-34 as the defense couldn’t get much of a pass rush going and the coverage struggled to contain Texas Tech wide receivers.

It was a frustrating yet fitting end to the Sooners’ 2022 season. Sure, they have the bowl game to play, but that performance won’t do much to assuage any concerns about this team heading into 2023.

Brent Venables and his staff have a lot of work to do to try to improve the worst defense in the Big 12. Here’s a look back at how social media reacted to the Sooners loss.

5 takeaways from the Oklahoma Sooners 51-48 loss to Texas Tech

5 takeaways from Oklahoma’s 51-48 overtime loss to the Texas Tech Red Raiders. From @thatmanbryant

Oklahoma’s regular season came to a fitting end. A 51-48 loss that perfectly encapsulates what the team has been all season. They started fast, and then adversity hit, and they struggled to weather the storm. The Sooners found some momentum in the second half, but ultimately couldn’t get enough stops to win the game. With the loss, Oklahoma falls to 6-6 for the year.

The game itself was a classic Big 12 affair featuring oodles of offensive fireworks, while defenders were run ragged. In the end, poor defense, Oklahoma’s inability to convert in overtime, and a Zach Schmit FG miss doomed the Sooners.

There were great moments and big plays to be enamored with, but ultimately it was for naught. Here are five takeaways from the Oklahoma Sooners loss to Texas Tech.

Oklahoma Sooners fall 51-48 in OT to Texas Tech Red Raiders

The Oklahoma Sooners lost to the Texas Tech Red Raiders in overtime on a field goal from Trey Wolff. From @bendackiw

The long, neverending nightmare that is the 2022 season for the Oklahoma Sooners got a little worse in the final game of the regular season. The Sooners lost to the Texas Tech Red Raiders 51-48 after leading 14-0 in the first quarter and 24-6 in the second.

In the final seconds of regulation, Texas Tech lined up for the game-tying field goal. Brent Venables decided to ice the Texas Tech kicker. Venables called his timeout, but Texas Tech snapped the ball. The play proceeded as normal. OU blocked the kick.

No matter.

Since Venables called timeout, the play didn’t count. Trey Wolff did not miss his second attempt. After Oklahoma kicker Zach Schmitt missed his field goal on the opening possession of overtime and Wolff hit his attempt to give the Red Raiders their first win against OU in a decade.

There were over 1200 yards of total offense in this game. Jeff Lebby, for the most part, called an excellent game, and Dillon Gabriel looked phenomenal. The southpaw had a career-high six touchdowns on the night. Gabriel threw for 449 yards and six touchdowns.

Texas Tech’s secondary could not defend the deep ball, and Marvin Mims, Theo Wease, and Jalil Farooq all took advantage. The Sooners’ talented trio of pass-catchers each burned the Red Raiders downfield. Mims finished a yard shy of setting a new career-high in yards with his five-catch, 162-yard first-half outburst. After a dominant performance in the first 30 minutes, Mims didn’t have a reception in the second half. Wease stepped up to set a new career-high in yards with 123 yards and a touchdown on three receptions. Brayden Willis got in on the action as well, with seven receptions for 74 yards and a touchdown.

But the strong offensive performance was let down by another poor performance from the Oklahoma Sooners defense.

After last week’s phenomenal effort against Oklahoma State, the defense looked dreadful. There always seemed to be one Texas Tech receiver open downfield. Down the stretch in the fourth quarter, the pass rush got no push. Another quarterback that started the season as a backup sliced and diced the OU defense.

This time, it was Tyler Shough’s turn. Shough threw for 436 yards and two touchdowns and added 44 yards rushing, taking advantage of wide-open space in the scramble drill to kill Oklahoma’s defense. Texas Tech gained 599 total yards and converted 7 of 17 third downs and both of their fourth down attempts.

It was just an incredibly frustrating and, quite frankly, deserved loss. The Sooners did not deserve to win this game. They had their chance to bury Tech, much like they could have buried Oklahoma State, and they couldn’t.

OU will finish the season 6-6 and 8th in the Big 12.

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Oklahoma wideouts with pair of tremendous catches against Texas Tech

Oklahoma wide receivers were putting on a show against Texas Tech

It has not been a year up to typical Oklahoma standards.

The Sooners still will go to a bowl game and were finishing their regular season on Saturday against Texas Tech.

Marvin Mims Jr. and Theo Wease were giving their all as they made a couple of fantastic catches against the Red Raiders.

And an easier one for Mims:

5 Sooners to watch on offense vs. West Virginia

Getting ready to take on one of the worst pass defenses in the country, which Sooners are due for a big game on the road vs. West Virginia. From @bendackiw

After an uncharacteristicly sloppy day from the Oklahoma Sooners’ offense, OU heads into Morgantown to face the 3-6 West Virginia Mountaineers.

Bowl eligibility has become a tiresome topic, but it’s going to continue to be brought up until the Sooners get that elusive sixth win.

The offense needs a more consistent performance against the Mountaineers. Let’s take a look at five players to watch on Jeff Lebby’s offense.

Eric Gray leading the way of highest-graded Oklahoma Sooners per Pro Football Focus

Eric Gray leading the way for the Oklahoma Sooners as the highest-graded player from Pro Football Focus.

At the midway point of the season for the Oklahoma Sooners, we’ve seen enough that we should have a good feel for who some of the best players are on this squad.

Dillon Gabriel may be the most valuable player on this team. We witnessed the difference in the offense when he wasn’t available. His and the Sooners’ performance against the Kansas Jayhawks a week ago put his value to this team on full display, throwing for 403 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

But there’s another player that should be in the discussion of best player on the squad and that’s Eric Gray. He’s been invaluable this season, rushing for 695 yards and averaging 7.2 yards per carry. Even after the bye week, he’s still inside the top 10 in runs of 10 yards or more.

Gray’s elusiveness has led to a breakaway percentage of 43.7%, which is top 20 in the nation among running backs with at least 96 carries on the season. Breakaway percentage reflects the percentage of carries that have gone for more than 15 yards. Eric Gray’s 12 runs of 15 yards or more is tied for 15th in the nation.

And it’s that ability to break big plays that has the Eric Gray as the highest-graded Sooner through the first half of the season.

Here’s how the Oklahoma Sooners rank and were graded by Pro Football Focus among players with at least 100 snaps.