Trace Ford – Page 3 – Syndication Server

Oklahoma’s defensive line needs to make a significant jump in 2023

For the Sooners to improve defensively in 2023, Oklahoma’s defensive line will have to make significant improvements.

It’s no secret a big reason the Oklahoma Sooners didn’t achieve what they wanted to last year was the defense. The Sooners finished 106th in run defense, 119th in pass defense and 122nd in total defense.

A big reason those numbers were so horrific was how poor the defensive line was last season. It couldn’t generate a pass rush, and it struggled to get off blocks and make stops in the run game.

It’s clear the staff recognized the issues from last year and attacked the transfer portal, hoping to improve the defensive front. The big priority over the last few recruiting classes has been to add blue-chip defensive linemen.

The Sooners added six players from the transfer portal: Jacob Lacey, Trace Ford, Davon Sears, Rondell Bothroyd, Da’Jon Terry and Phillip Paea. Throw in Dasan McCullough, who played edge for Indiana in 2022, and the Sooners made a concerted effort to add players that can affect the running game and get to the quarterback.

Each of those additions should contribute this year, and a few might even start. The transfer portal is not the only place where the Sooners added talent. They also added five-star P.J. Adebawore.

He might not be a starter immediately, but he has the potential to start by the season’s end. The team also returns starters Isaiah Coe, Ethan Downs and Reggie Grimes.

A guy that played quite a bit last season as a true freshman and is poised for a breakout season is R Mason Thomas. He’s added weight and appears to have kept his speed and twitch.

The starting defensive line could be Thomas, Coe, Terry and Bothroyd when the Sooners deploy four-man fronts. When they go with a three-man front, it could be Thomas or Downs, Terry and Bothroyd until Adebawore becomes more comfortable.

There’s no doubt the Sooners needed to upgrade the defensive line. Now we’ll see if the results follow.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1366]

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.

5 things we’re watching for at Oklahoma’s spring game

Oklahoma has its spring game this weekend, and we’ve got five things we’ll be looking at for Oklahoma’s spring debut of team 129.

Team 129 in Oklahoma’s illustrious football history takes the field publically for the first time on Saturday afternoon. It’s a game and weekend that means a lot to the team, staff, fanbase, and recruits.

Oklahoma comes into this spring off the heels of its worst season in over 20 years. The Sooners were a rough watch at times. Despite that, they still found themselves in a bowl game against a talented Florida State team.

Oklahoma lost the likes of [autotag]Brayden Willis[/autotag], [autotag]Eric Gray[/autotag], [autotag]Anton Harrison[/autotag], [autotag]Wanya Morris[/autotag], [autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag], [autotag]Jalen Redmond[/autotag], and [autotag]DaShaun White[/autotag] to the NFL Draft process.

The Sooners saw players transfer out but also welcomed in a number of players from their top-five recruiting class. The Sooners attacked the portal with some serious intensity bringing in impact transfers on both sides of the ball.

It’s now time for the world to at least get a glimpse of some of these new Sooners while getting a chance to see how the returning players improved from last year.

Here are our top five storylines heading into the spring game.

2023 Player Profile: Can Ethan Downs build on strong finish to 2022?

Ethan Downs finished the 2022 season strong in his first year as a starter. What will he have in store for 2023?

Evaluating the current roster, Sooners Wire profiles the current players, with defensive end, [autotag]Ethan Downs[/autotag] up next.

Continue reading “2023 Player Profile: Can Ethan Downs build on strong finish to 2022?”

Can transfer portal additions fix the Oklahoma Sooners’ defense?

The Sooners were aggressive in the defensive transfer portal market, but will that be enough to right the ship of Oklahoma’s defense?

Year one in Norman of the [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] era didn’t go the way many expected. Particularly on the defensive side of the football.

It was a team that looked really good in nonconference wins over UTEP, Kent State, and Nebraska, only to flounder when they got to Big 12 play. The Sooners allowed an average of 34.7 points per game against Big 12 opponents and Florida State over their final 10 games.

Over at CBS Sports, Shehan Jeyarajah asked asked one question for each of the Big 12 schools, and for the Sooners, everything comes back to the defense. Jeyarajayh asks, “can the transfer portal fix the defense?”

Sooners coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] leaned heavily on the transfer portal in his first season, ultimately flipping 40% of the roster. Results were decidedly disastrous as Oklahoma went 6-7, its worst record since 1998, the year before Bob Stoops took over. The defense was perhaps the worst of Venables’ career, too, finishing No. 122 in total defense behind FIU, Louisiana-Monroe and Hawaii.

Oklahoma brought in an elite defensive recruiting class, finishing No. 4 in the high school composite rankings, but it will once again rely on transfers to fill major holes. Two defenders — safety Reggie Pearson and defensive lineman [autotag]Trace Ford[/autotag] — come from Big 12 opponents (Texas Tech and Oklahoma State, respectively). Defensive lineman [autotag]Davon Sears[/autotag] moves up from Texas State, while linebacker [autotag]Dasan McCullough[/autotag] ranked as one of the best players in the portal. Oklahoma finished bottom-30 nationally in both rushing and passing defense despite ranking among the league leaders in both interceptions and sacks. Havoc plays won’t save Oklahoma; the Sooners need a full-scale upgrade. – Jeyarajah, CBS Sports

In addition to McCullough, Pearson, Ford, and Sears, the Sooners added [autotag]Rondell Bothroyd[/autotag] and [autotag]Jacob Lacey[/autotag] to their defensive front. Veteran players that will factor into the defensive line rotation immediately. Bothroyd comes over from Wake Forest with great production over the last two seasons.

In 2021 and 2022, Bothroyd had 93 total tackles, 24.5 tackles for loss, and 13 sacks. He’s a player that can play defensive end in multiple fronts and can play defensive tackle in pass-rushing situations as well. With his production, Bothroyd could have gone to the NFL and been drafted in the top 100-150 players in 2023.

But it isn’t just the transfer portal additions that will make this team better in 2023. Many of the guys returning were playing significant roles or starting for the first time in 2022. Guys like [autotag]Ethan Downs[/autotag], [autotag]Reggie Grimes[/autotag], [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag], and [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] were all first-time starters last season.

It was also a new system for those guys last year. Heading into year two of the Brent Venables era, they have an opportunity to build on their experiences from the 2022 season. Everything that happened in 2022, the good and the bad, were valuable experiences for a defense that isn’t simply looking to be good but to be great.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1366]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz7cqqgxy50qwt player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=]

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 John on Twitter @john9williams.

ESPN’s David Hale projects the Sooners to have the best comeback in 2023

In ESPN’s latest college football roundtable, David Hale chose the Sooners to have the best comeback in 2023.

There’s a lot to like about what Brent Venables is building in Norman. The Oklahoma Sooners may not have had the season they would have liked in 2022, but there’s a lot of optimism surrounding the Sooners this offseason.

They’re bringing back a lot of the pieces that played significant roles in 2022. Though they lost several starters to the NFL, they’ve made significant transfer additions to mitigate those losses and bolster a defense that struggled for much of the Big 12 schedule.

And it’s those transfer portal additions that has ESPN’s David Hale optimistic that Oklahoma could have the best comeback (ESPN+) in 2023.

There were myriad reasons for Oklahoma’s down 2022 campaign, but Brent Venables isn’t interested in excuses. His focus is entirely on improvement, and there’s reason to believe 2023 will offer quite a bit of it for the Sooners. The transfer portal gutted last year’s roster, but Oklahoma has added some solid players this season, including two potential star edge rushers in Rondell Bothroyd and Dasan McCullough. Add in a terrific recruiting class and the return of QB Dillon Gabriel, and Venables has much more to work with this time around. Those edge rushers are key. Venables loves to dictate the action at the line of scrimmage, something he did better than any coach in the country at Clemson. If Oklahoma’s pass rush takes a big leap and the Sooners get a little better turnover luck — they saw the 10th-biggest year-over-year decline in points off turnover margin in 2022 — they should again be contending for the Big 12 title and a possible playoff berth. – Hale, ESPN

The transfer class, particularly on the defensive side of the ball, will make a huge difference for the Oklahoma Sooners in 2023. They needed an infusion of talent to give them more depth, and depth they have. Their pass rush should be better with the additions of [autotag]Rondell Bothroyd[/autotag], [autotag]Dasan McCullough[/autotag], [autotag]Trace Ford[/autotag], [autotag]Jacob Lacey[/autotag], and [autotag]Davon Sears[/autotag]. They’ll join a defensive front that was good at times and went cold other times. But Ethan Downs finished the season on a high note for the Sooners. After his first year as a starter

While the portal additions on offense will help replace the offensive line departures of [autotag]Anton Harrison[/autotag] and [autotag]Chris Murray[/autotag], Oklahoma will benefit from quarterback continuity and a strong running game.

[autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] now has a season of Power Five under his belt. He was good in 2022 and has a chance to be better in 2023 despite the losses of [autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag] and [autotag]Brayden Willis[/autotag]. [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] emerged as a reliable and versatile option in Jeff Lebby’s offense. They also brought back [autotag]Austin Stogner[/autotag], which provides another reliable option for the passing game.

They’re bringing back a ton of talent, but just as important is that the Big 12 looks incredibly wide open in 2023. Texas may be the frontrunner, but the Sooners will be right there with teams like Kansas State and Texas Tech as contenders for the conference title.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1366 tag=701604155]

[mm-video type=video id=01grppc2evtwgm7h64yj playlist_id=none player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01grppc2evtwgm7h64yj/01grppc2evtwgm7h64yj-0a01db85394b2e5eab694ec57ea560d0.jpg]

Oklahoma landed one of USA TODAY Sports best transfer classes

USA TODAY Sports Paul Myerburg identified Oklahoma’s transfer classes as one of the best in the country this offseason.

The Oklahoma Sooners made a concerted effort to add talent and experience on both sides of the football in the 2023 transfer portal. The Sooners lost a lot of talent to the NFL in [autotag]Anton Harrison[/autotag], [autotag]Wanya Morris[/autotag], [autotag]Chris Murray[/autotag], [autotag]Eric Gray[/autotag], [autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag], and [autotag]DaShaun White[/autotag]. [autotag]David Ugwoegbu[/autotag] is headed to Houston, so the Sooners have a lot of vacated snaps to fill.

According to USA TODAY’s Paul Myerburg, the Oklahoma Sooners brought in one of the best transfer portal classes in the country this cycle. [autotag]Dasasn McCullough[/autotag] was named as the Sooners’ best transfer addition.

This is another solid transfer class for [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag], this time joining one of the top-ranked traditional recruiting classes in the FBS. Stanford transfer [autotag]Walter Rouse[/autotag] pencils into one of the open spots at left or right tackle after spending four season as the Cardinal’s starter on the blind side. After one season at South Carolina, tight end [autotag]Austin Stogner[/autotag] has rejoined the program and figures to be the Sooners’ top option at the position. Former Michigan wide receiver [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] had moments of brilliance with the Wolverines and will have the chance to play a major role as OU tries to replace roughly two-thirds of last year’s receiving yardage. Lastly, (Dasan) McCullough was one of the top freshmen defenders in the Power Five in 2022. – Myerburg, USA TODAY Sports

The Sooners added several impact players on both sides of the ball. Including McCullough, the Sooners landed several defensive front players that can effect opposing passing games and help solidify their run defense. McCullough is rumored to be slotted in at Cheetah for the Sooners, but Oklahoma will utilize his pass rush ability in their blitz packages.

[autotag]Rondell Bothroyd[/autotag] comes to Oklahoma with 13 sacks and 24.5 tackles for loss over the last two seasons at Wake Forest. [autotag]Trace Ford[/autotag] had a productive first two years in Stillwater before being limited by injuries. Oklahoma also added [autotag]Jacob Lacey[/autotag] and [autotag]Davon Sears[/autotag] to help bolster the interior. Lacey comes from Notre Dame, and Sears was being pursued by Tennessee and Penn State before choosing Oklahoma.

Safety [autotag]Reggie Pearson[/autotag] rounds out the defensive additions for the Sooners. He brings a lot of experience and big-hitting ability that can add some extra physicality to the Sooners’ defense.

On offense, Oklahoma made important additions along the offensive line with Rouse and guard [autotag]Caleb Shaffer[/autotag]. Both players could slide into the starting lineup and bring a ton of experience to the offensive line room. Both were four-year starters at their previous stops and join an experienced group that brings back [autotag]Andrew Raym[/autotag] and [autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag] along the offensive front as well. [autotag]Tyler Guyton[/autotag] projects to start at right tackle after playing the swing tackle role for Oklahoma in 2022.

[autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] adds another talented wide receiver to their wide receiver competition opposite [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag]. Anthony has some deep-threat ability that will give him the opportunity to be an option to replace Marvin Mims.

Then there’s [autotag]Austin Stogner[/autotag]. The returning Oklahoma Sooners tight end will have an opportunity for a [autotag]Brayden Willis[/autotag]-type breakout season in 2023. Though the Sooners are a little deeper now that [autotag]Jason Llewellyn[/autotag] and [autotag]Kaden Helms[/autotag] are in their second years in Norman, Stogner will get a vast majority of the opportunities this season.

Time will tell just how impactful this transfer portal class will be, but on paper, the Sooners landed a strong group of players that will be key to the Sooners 2023 season.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1366]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz7cqqgxy50qwt player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=]

College coaches name Oklahoma Sooners a winner in the transfer portal

College coaches pick the Oklahoma Sooners as one of the winners of the transfer portal per ESPN.

The Sooners had to do something this offseason to improve the talent on both sides of the ball. [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] and his staff did just that through the first stage of the [autotag]2022-2023 transfer portal[/autotag].

They’ve added impact players like [autotag]Dasan McCullough[/autotag], [autotag]Rondell Bothroyd[/autotag], [autotag]Reggie Pearson[/autotag], [autotag]Trace Ford[/autotag], [autotag]Jacob Lacey[/autotag], and [autotag]Davon Sears[/autotag] to a defense that needed an infusion of talent. In particular, they needed to add more pass rushers to give them more consistency.

Oklahoma’s also done a good job on the offensive side of the ball. To help mitigate the loss of [autotag]Anton Harrison[/autotag], [autotag]Wanya Morris[/autotag], and [autotag]Chris Murray[/autotag] along the offensive line, Oklahoma brought in [autotag]Walter Rouse[/autotag] and [autotag]Caleb Shaffer[/autotag] to add to a line that will feature [autotag]Andrew Raym[/autotag], [autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag], and [autotag]Tyler Guyton[/autotag] in 2023. The Sooners also added [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] from Michigan and brought back [autotag]Austin Stogner[/autotag] to be the presumptive starter at tight end.

The work Venables and his staff have done to improve the talent has garnered the attention of college coaches around the sport who named the Sooners as one of the winners of the transfer portal, according to ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg (ESPN+).

“They struggled so badly last year,” a Big 12 assistant said. “The portal, if you do it the right way, it can change things. They’ve taken a good hold in the portal.”

Coaches expect edge rusher Dasan McCullough, a transfer from Indiana, to immediately impact the unit. Oklahoma emphasized its defensive line in the portal, adding Oklahoma State end Trace Ford, Wake Forest end Rondell Bothroyd and Notre Dame tackle Jacob Lacey. Former Sooners tight end Austin Stogner will return after a season at South Carolina, where he had 20 receptions. Wide receiver is an area Oklahoma likely will continue to pursue in the portal when it reopens. – Adam Rittenberg

The Sooners currently sit eighth in the nation in the 247Sports transfer portal rankings after the first period of the portal.

This coaching staff has done a really nice job at attacking weaknesses in the portal to give themselves an opportunity to improve upon their 6-7 season from 2022. It won’t be an easy task, but in a wide-open Big 12, the Sooners will be a Big 12 contender late in the season.

If there’s one thing this coaching staff has shown they can do, it’s recruit. Whether it’s in the 2023 recruiting class or the transfer portal, Brent Venables and his staff have done a fantastic job in the talent acquisition department.

[listicle id=79471]

[listicle id=79380]

[listicle id=79384]

[mm-video type=video id=01gm9s13m7nk8qphnk7b playlist_id=none player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gm9s13m7nk8qphnk7b/01gm9s13m7nk8qphnk7b-472b19a2e17ad8e9edb57b0aa3564818.jpg]

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, and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today. You can also follow John on Twitter @john9williams.

ESPN gives props to Oklahoma’s transfer portal additions

Oklahoma’s transfer portal haul has earned praise from pundits over at ESPN.

Oklahoma entered the offseason needing to better its roster. Yes, the 2023 class would include an infusion of talent. However, it’s not reasonable to expect those true freshmen to provide an immediate impact.

How would Oklahoma improve its defense? How would they replace the offensive starters they lost to the draft?

The transfer portal was the answer. And while Oklahoma missed on a few guys, overall, their haul via the portal was excellent. Pundits at ESPN seem to believe the same thing (ESPN+).

ESPN’s Tom Luginbill hailed the addition of Dasan McCullough as one of the best fits in this transfer portal cycle.

The Sooners are in dire need of upgrades on the defensive side, and McCullough is this cycle’s best pass-rusher. He had an excellent freshman campaign, registering 6.5 tackles for loss and four sacks. The former top-50 recruit in the 2022 class brings speed, effort and a disruptive force to Oklahoma. – Luginbill, ESPN

Oklahoma’s best EDGE rushing addition, Dasan McCullough, figures to be a major player next year for Oklahoma. Oklahoma was abysmal in generating pressure off the edge. Now with McCullough there, the Sooners become a bit more dangerous and dynamic. There’s a chance they plug him in as the Cheetah, utilizing his versatility and athleticism.

Oklahoma not only found answers for their departures, but they improved the overall talent as well. It’s precisely why ESPN believes Oklahoma was one of the schools that addressed its needs the best via this portal cycle in particular.

It’s tough to imagine a Brent Venables-led team would struggle on defense, but the Sooners gave up 461 yards per game, which ranked 122 out of 131 FBS teams and surrendered 5.75 yards per play (82nd). Needing to add playmakers, Venables landed versatile and disruptive Indiana freshman linebacker Dasan McCullough. He also added Texas Tech safety Reggie Pearson Jr., Notre Dame defensive lineman Jacob Lacey, Wake Forest defensive lineman Rondell Bothroyd, Oklahoma State defensive lineman Trace Ford and Texas State defensive lineman Davon Sears. Those transfers are paired with a top-five recruiting class as well. – Tom VanHaaren, ESPN

With a mix of upperclassmen leadership, upside, and production being infused with what the Sooners return, Oklahoma got better as a defense on paper this offseason.

The next step is putting it together this offseason and letting it showcase itself on the field in the fall.

[listicle id=79054]

[listicle id=79027]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz7cqqgxy50qwt player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=]

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.

‘They aren’t far from an SEC offense’: Power Five coaches share thoughts on Oklahoma for 2023

Oklahoma’s offense is ready to roll for 2023, but can the Sooners defense improve enough to make them players in the Big 12?

In a season the Oklahoma Sooners played five one-score games and went 0-5, one could say the Sooners were clo … err, not far from keeping their streak of winning seasons alive.

It’s really hard to lose that many one-score games. It takes a great many bad breaks, so 2023 should see offer a regression to the mean. All the Sooners had to do was win one of those one-score games to prevent their first losing season since 1998. However, maybe that losing season is just what the doctor ordered to reset the program.

Oklahoma hasn’t laid back on the recruiting trail or in the first month of the 2022-2023 transfer portal. It has made significant additions to the defensive front and in the secondary to bolster a unit that allowed 30 points per game and allowed 35 or more points in seven games in 2022.

“Based on where they fell to this past year, they’re probably thinking that they’ve got to make a quick fix,” a Power Five coordinator told Adam Rittenberg of ESPN.

To that end, the Sooners have added [autotag]Dasan McCullough[/autotag], [autotag]Rondell Bothroyd[/autotag], [autotag]Jacob Lacey[/autotag], [autotag]Davon Sears[/autotag], [autotag]Reggie Pearson Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Trace Ford[/autotag] to improve their defense. Each should have a significant role if not start for the Sooners in 2023. McCullough, Bothroyd and Pearson, in particular, will bolster the Sooners’ defense. They were playmakers in their previous programs, something the Sooners lacked in 2022, especially from the pass rush. If the Sooners can improve their defense, there’s no telling how good they could be with the offense they have.

“They aren’t far from an SEC team on offense,” a defensive coordinator who faced Oklahoma shared with Rittenberg. “To say that team’s 6-6, I don’t know why. If you’ve got a quarterback and guys that can catch the football, you’re going to be able to score points.”

Oklahoma was 1-6 in games the defense allowed 35 points or more. The Sooners were 5-1 in games the defense held opponents to fewer than 30 points. The path to returning to the top of what will be a convoluted Big 12 in 2023 is getting the defense closer to 20-25 points per game allowed. Of course, that’s easier said than done. However, if the parts can come together, the Sooners will have a chance to do something significant in 2023.

[listicle id=78545]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz7cqqgxy50qwt player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=]

Oklahoma Sooners inside the USA TODAY Sports way too early top 25 for 2023

Oklahoma looks to be a bounce-back candidate for the 2023 season, making USA TODAY Sports way too early top 25 for next year.

Coming off of a 6-7 season in which the defense struggled for most of the Big 12 schedule, it’s a bit surprising that the Oklahoma Sooners find themselves inside the top 25 of these way too early 2023 power rankings.

Whether it was CBS Sports or 247Sports, it appears the Sooners will be a popular bounce-back candidate this offseason. To that end, Oklahoma was included in the top 25 of USA TODAY Sports’ way too early power rankings for 2023 by Paul Myerburg.

It has to get better. There’s plenty of talent on offense to team with established starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel. Based on his track record, it feels very safe to expect the defense to take a huge leap in Brent Venables’ second season. The Sooners will also be a deeper and more experienced team after almost completely redoing the roster last winter and making significant headway in the transfer portal this offseason. Don’t forget that five of OU’s seven losses came by a touchdown or less, so simply returning to the mean in these close games would bring OU back into the eight-or-nine win range. – Myerburg, USA TODAY Sports

Myerburg makes a great point, that if Oklahoma split the five games in which they lost by a touchdown or less, the Sooners would have been at least an eight-win team. Four of those five losses came by a field goal. Improved depth on defense could help the Sooners better withstand late surges by their opponents. P

Getting [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] back is a great start to rebounding after the Sooners’ first losing season since 1998. Having quarterback continuity amid some key losses on the offensive side of the ball will help calm the waters. But more important than that is the work Brent Venables and his staff have done to add immediate difference-makers to the defense in the [autotag]2022-2023 transfer portal[/autotag].

Guys like [autotag]Rondell Bothroyd[/autotag], [autotag]Jacob Lacey[/autotag], [autotag]Trace Ford[/autotag], [autotag]Reggie Pearson[/autotag], and [autotag]Dasan McCullough[/autotag] are ready-made players that will step in and either start or be a part of the two-deep on the Sooners’ initial depth chart when they break camp next fall. Bothroyd, Ford, and McCullough, in particular, bring pass rush productivity to Norman to help a defensive front that struggled with pass rush consistency in 2022. Add that group to Reggie Grimes, who started 2022 hot and Ethan Downs, who finished strong down the stretch, and the Sooners are building quite the arsenal at defensive end.

Improving the defense is the key to the Sooners returning to contention in the Big 12 in 2023. Moving the needle from 30 points per game to closer to 20 will make the biggest difference for the Sooners. It’s too early to tell how all the pieces will come together, but based on what they’ve done in the transfer portal thus far, the Oklahoma Sooners are trending in the right direction.

[listicle id=78731]

[listicle id=78610]