Tag: Tyrese Robinson

Oklahoma Sooners 2022 NFL Combine testing results

How did the Oklahoma Sooners perform at the NFL combine? Here are the results.

11 Oklahoma Sooners participated in the 2022 NFL Combine over the weekend. In addition to the testing that occurred, the annual scouting event in Indianapolis provided the first opportunity for players to meet with teams ahead of the NFL draft in late April.

Players didn’t participate in every event as most will wait for Oklahoma’s Pro Day on March 9th to do more on-field work or to test on the bench press.

The only player to take part in each of the combine’s on-field tests was Jeremiah Hall. Hall’s being viewed as a fullback at the next level and has a chance to hear his name called in the 2022 NFL draft because of his pass-catching prowess.

Kicker Gabe Brkic didn’t participate in any on-field testing, but a kicker doesn’t need to run fast or bench 225 a bunch of times to be a good kicker.

As Oklahoma gets set to host its pro day on Wednesday, here’s where 11 of the 12 NFL draft prospects stand.

Testing numbers come via NFL.com

‘He’s got to earn it’: Bill Bedenbaugh on Cal transfer McKade Mettauer

OU offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh weighed in on how OU’s offensive line looks entering the spring and on Cal transfer McKade Mettauer.

Oklahoma is replacing a pair of starters along its offensive line in left guard Marquis Hayes and right tackle Tyrese Robinson. That pair combined for 75 starts over the course of the past three seasons.

In order to withstand that blow, OU added Cal transfer McKade Mettauer who started 28 games for the Golden Bears at right guard over the past three seasons. It figures that Mettauer will slide into the starting role vacated by Hayes’ departure, but OU offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh wasn’t ready to start doling out starting assignments just yet.

“You know, who knows how he’ll contribute right now, but really, really good first impression. We didn’t bring him in here to be a backup. Now, obviously he’s got to earn it. We’ll see. He started I want to say 30-something games at Cal. Obviously had a bunch of tape to study. Knew him from high school. We didn’t recruit him out of high school, but he’s really developed. Extremely smart kid, tough kid. He’s competitive. He’s doing all the right things right now. So, we’ll see once we get the pads on,” Bedenbaugh said.

The Sooners bring back starting left tackle Anton Harrison, starting right guard Chris Murray and starting center Andrew Raym from last season. Harrison made 12 starts for OU last season at left tackle, Murray started all 13 at right guard and Raym started all 13 at center.

It’s still very early to grade any position group, but Bedenbaugh likes where his offensive line unit is at entering the spring.

“Well, we’ve got 16 guys total with a walk-on, who I think is a really good walk-on, Kyle Ergenbright, who’s from Oklahoma—started, I can’t remember the amount of games, but 20 to 30-something games at Northern Colorado. He’s been a pleasant surprise. But it’s so hard to tell right now. I mean, it really is. We’ve got, I don’t know, six, seven guys that have played. We’ve got guys that have started. It’s going to be a new unit. It is every year, basically. Whether you move a guy position to position or whatever, you generally don’t have the same starting five two years in a row at the exact same spot. So, there’s always that transition and getting to know guys and all those things. But it’s hard to tell. I feel good about how they’re working. I feel good about how they’re studying. I feel good about how they’re learning. But we’ll see as time goes on,” Bedenbaugh said.

Oklahoma begins spring practices on March 22.

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‘I love Oklahoma’: Bill Bedenbaugh thrilled to stick around with the Sooners through head coaching change

OU offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh said Oklahoma is home and that he’s thankful to be sticking with the Sooners.

When Lincoln Riley left Oklahoma to become USC’s head coach, that sent everything into flux for the assistant coaches on staff. Assistant coaches can’t always be in the business of waiting around to see if the new head coach wants to keep them around.

Oklahoma offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh made his intentions to stay clear to OU’s administration, but that’s no guarantee. Ultimately, after Brent Venables was hired and announced as Oklahoma’s next head football coach, Bedenbaugh was asked to stay.

“Yeah, basically right away. I had a pretty good idea that it was going to work out. Didn’t know for sure until I can’t remember what day, Monday maybe. I mean, it’s kind of all a blur. But [Venables] just came in and said he wanted me to stay. I said, ‘I’m here.’ So, that’s basically how it happened,” Bedenbaugh said.

Going through a head coaching change was something that was foreign to Bedenbaugh’s career and it’s safe to say he’s happy it’s behind him.

“Yeah, glad it’s over with, obviously. It was something that I never thought I’d be dealing with. And I never have. I’ve coached 28 years now, and I’ve never dealt with it. Never been on a staff where somebody got fired or somebody left. I’ve always been in that situation where I could if I wanted to, have the opportunity to decide. And I found out that Sunday. I mean, I did. And it’s a lot of unknowns. You don’t know. You’ve got a family, and that’s the most important thing, and that’s the first thing that goes through your head. And my kids have grown up here. My wife’s from Oklahoma. And then, hell, I may have been forced to—I don’t want to say forced, but may have had to go. That’s what people on the outside don’t realize. Even these guys that left, you know, they didn’t have a choice. You know what I mean? They had to have jobs,” Bedenbaugh said.

Bedenbaugh said he let administration know early on after Riley left that his intention was to stay at Oklahoma if possible.

“And there’s no guarantees. But at some point I had to make a decision if I didn’t know what was going to happen. And it worked out for the best. I love Oklahoma. I love living here. I love everything about this place, and I think it’s special. And no matter what happens, and I’m told people this, and this is true, and it’s just like recruiting, I can’t guarantee anybody anything in this profession. We just saw that two months ago. But hell, I’m going to live in Oklahoma when I retire. I’ve got a house at Grand Lake. That’s where I’m going to live. I’m not from Oklahoma. I’ve said this before: I didn’t play here, but this is my home now. So, just glad it worked out. And it was tough. It was tough on my kids, tough on my family. And everybody’s got to make their own decisions in life. But that’s what a lot of people don’t see on the outside, is your family, what they’re going through. So, it worked out,” Bedenbaugh said.

Before he took over as head coach in early December, Bedenbaugh didn’t know Venables very well outside of having coached against one another several times and a few meetings at coaching conventions or out recruiting. He’s been blown away by the type of person Venables is.

“I think as good of a coach as he is—and this may be a cliché—he’s a better guy. I mean, you can ask our players. What he’s bringing to this program, not even football wise, has nothing to do with football, is as impressive as I’ve been around. And he’s got his priorities and values straight, and I’m learning a lot. I hadn’t been in something like that. I think he got a lot of it from the place that he came from, and it’s really good stuff. I think if you asked our players, it’s really helping them. And obviously our job, like he says and we all know, is to win. But ultimately it’s to develop these kids on and off the field, because football is going to end at some point in time. And most places I’ve been understand that, but he takes it to another level. You know what I mean? And it’s really, really a priority for him, and he makes it a priority for us. So, it’s been great. I think he’s as good as it gets. I’m excited to be here. I’m excited to work with him, work for him. And I think great things are happening, and I think the things that we may have been lacking in the past are going to help us get over the hump. And that’s not talking about anybody. It’s just a different way of doing it,” Bedenbaugh said.

As a byproduct from the continuity of Bedenbaugh sticking around on staff, OU kept its commitments from and eventually signed four-star offensive linemen Jake Taylor and Jacob Sexton in its 2022 signing class. Oklahoma also held onto its commitment from offensive lineman Joshua Bates in the 2023 class. Bedenbaugh will enter his 10th year on staff leading the Sooners’ offensive line when the 2022 college football season kicks off.

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ESPN: ‘Turnover on offense’ is Oklahoma’s biggest question mark entering 2022

ESPN’s Chris Low writes that “turnover on offense” is Oklahoma’s biggest question mark entering the 2022 college football season.

ESPN ranked Oklahoma No. 17 in its 2022 Way-Too-Early top 25 rankings. Now, ESPN is digging into the biggest question marks for each of the teams listed within that top 25.

For Oklahoma, ESPN’s Chris Low identified “turnover on offense” as the Sooners’ biggest potential pitfall entering 2022.

The combination of the coaching staff overhaul and exodus of talented players on offense could make for a challenging transition for new offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby and his staff. With quarterbacks Caleb Williams and Spencer Rattler both gone via the transfer portal, Lebby will reunite with UCF transfer Dillon Gabriel. Lebby coached Gabriel in 2019, when he passed for 3,653 yards and 29 touchdowns. Some of the biggest question marks for the Sooners will center around the players trying to make plays for Gabriel. Running back Kennedy Brooks is off to the NFL after rushing for 1,000 yards in three different seasons for OU. This is a big opportunity for Tennessee transfer Eric Gray to step up as the go-to running back. Leading receiver Marvin Mims returns, but Jadon Haselwood (Arkansas) and Mario Williams (USC) both transferred. Theo Wease is coming off a 2021 season in which he barely played after being injured in the preseason, and tight ends Jeremiah Hall (NFL draft) and Austin Stogner (transfer to South Carolina) have both moved on. – Low, ESPN.

There’s no arguing that Oklahoma will have a different signal-caller in 2022. The great news for the Sooners is it happens to be Gabriel who has thrown for over 8,000 passing yards and 70 touchdowns during his college career.

He’s also familiar with Lebby, which should help jumpstart Oklahoma’s transition into Lebby’s offensive system.

“I think that the great thing about him walking in the door right now…there’s a couple of things, but, one is the production. The guy’s averaging over 300 yards a game, three touchdowns a game in 26 starts, so you can’t argue that piece of it, but I think probably the thing that I’m most excited about is this guy knows how to operate. He knows how to walk in the building every single day have great ownership in how he’s going to operate, how he’s going to take command of the offense and what it means to be a quarterback. To me, that is huge and that is critical as we set the tone and the standard of how we’re going to do things,” Lebby said.

Oklahoma will be replacing a pair of starters on its offensive line as left guard Marquis Hayes and right tackle Tyrese Robinson both declared for the 2022 NFL Draft. OU added TCU transfer Tyler Guyton and Cal transfer McKade Mettauer to go along with four-star signees Jake Taylor and Jacob Sexton on its offensive line to help withstand those departures.

“I feel good about it. Those guys have really done a nice job as well. We’ve got two in, obviously midyear. Both those guys have been working their butt off, but when you look at it, we’ve got a talented group. We’ve got some guys that are young, that can’t be young anymore. Again, offensively, being a little new, being different than what they’ve been, looking for great maturity from the old guys, guys that have played a bunch of ball that continue to push that group, lead that group,” Lebby said.

At running back, it is a big opportunity year for Gray. Gray finished the 2021 season with 412 rushing yards on 78 carries and had 229 receiving yards on 23 receptions. Marcus Major will factor in at running back, too. Then, there’s the two four-star freshmen: Jovantae Barnes out of Desert Pines High School in Las Vegas and Gavin Sawchuk from Valor Christian High School in Littleton, Colo.

“I think the first thing that sticks out with both of those guys, Jovantae and Gavin, is they can flat run. Those guys have great top end speed. They’re guys that can figure out how to take it distance from anywhere they’re getting it on the field, so that’s exciting for us. Jovantae’s done a really nice job getting going here in the first two and a half, three weeks and then, obviously, really excited about Gavin’s spring track season that he’s having and then as he gets here in June to get him going. Those guys are going to get counted on. We’ve got two guys back, but we’ve only got two other guys on scholarship that are going to be with us. I do think both are incredibly capable and are going to have great careers for us,” Lebby said.

As for the pass-catching departures, OU has its No. 1 wide receiver back in Marvin Mims, returns Theo Wease from injury and saw the emergence of Jalil Farooq in its bowl game win over Oregon. Plus, Oklahoma signed two talented wide receivers in Jayden Gibson and Nicholas Anderson.

The loss of Jeremiah Hall might be what the Sooners feel the most. OU did get good news in the form of tight end Brayden Willis announcing his return and the Sooners added transfer tight end Daniel Parker Jr. from Missouri as well.

There’s no doubt that OU will look vastly different offensively, and, if you’re looking for a question mark, then offensive turnover is a fair question mark to have. Skill positions isn’t where the concerns should be, though.

If Oklahoma’s offensive line comes together, then it’s hard to envision offensive struggles being what holds the Sooners back in 2022.

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Sooners land commitment from TCU transfer OL Tyler Guyton

The Sooners continued to win via the transfer portal as the Sooners land Tyler Guyton, a redshirt freshman offensive lineman from TCU.

If there’s one phrase that’s followed the Oklahoma Sooners over the last month it’s this: “The portal giveth, but it also taketh.” Today, the portal giveth. The Sooners landed a commitment from TCU transfer Tyler Guyton who announced his new home via his social media in the video shown below.

Guyton is a redshirt freshman standing at 6-foot-7 out of Manor, Texas.  According to TCU’s website he played in eight games for the TCU Horned Frogs in 2021.

According to TCU’s official athletics website, he split time throughout the season between offensive tackle and H-back and even caught a pass for a touchdown against Iowa State. He visited Norman on January 15th and less than two weeks later is officially a Sooner.

Guyton figures to be a full-time offensive lineman for the Sooners and will have multiple years to acclimate himself with the Crimson & Cream. Guyton is the second offensive lineman the Sooners have landed this cycle via the transfer portal, joining McKade Mettauer who transferred from California.

The Sooners and offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh return left tackle Anton Harrison, who started every game last season and figures to be the starter as the Sooners start offseason workouts. They will need a new right tackle, as starting right tackle Tyrese Robinson is headed for the NFL. Names like Savion Byrd, Wanya Morris, and Guyton will likely be a part of the competition to replace Robinson.

With his commitment, Guyton becomes the 10th transfer the Sooners have landed which has seen the Sooners do everything possible to land depth and starter caliber players to replace the sheer amount of talent that graduated, transferred, or went off to the NFL.

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What will ‘make or break’ the Oklahoma Sooners’ 2022 season?

247Sports reporter Marsdale touched on what will “make or break” Oklahoma’s 2022 season.

Oklahoma was ranked No. 12 in 247Sports reporter Brad Crawford’s “way-too-early” preseason top 25. That was the second-highest ranking for any Big 12 team, trailing only No. 10 Baylor.

Crawford also ranked fellow Big 12 members Oklahoma State No. 15 and Texas No. 19 in his first preseason top 25.

Using Crawford’s “way-too-early” top 25 rankings, 247Sports’ Sam Marsdale broke down what will make or break each top 25 team’s 2022 season.

Marsdale said that “being able to build an identity under Brent Venables” was the Sooners’ biggest key for 2022. Here’s what Marsdale wrote about Oklahoma.

There’s not a preseason top-15 team that will look more different than the Sooners roster-wise next season under first-year coach Brent Venables. He has watched several top-end playmakers enter the transfer portal since arriving last month, including a couple play-making wide receivers and Heisman candidate Caleb Williams at quarterback. Establishing an early identity on both sides of the football is priority No. 1 for Venables as a first-time head coach at a program expected to win big annually. – Marsdale, 247Sports.

It’s hard to argue with any of that. Whether or not USC transfer Jaxson Dart winds up picking Oklahoma or not, the Sooners appear set to have a new signal-caller in 2022 in the form of UCF transfer quarterback Dillon Gabriel or Dart if he does choose OU.

The Sooners also saw wide receivers Jadon Haselwood and Mario Williams enter the transfer portal. Also, wide receiver Mike Woods announced that he is declaring for the 2022 NFL Draft.

Running back Kennedy Brooks, tight end Jeremiah Hall and offensive linemen Marquis Hayes and Tyrese Robinson also declared for the 2022 NFL Draft.

On the defensive side of the football, OU will be replacing six starters. That list includes linebacker Brian Asamoah, outside linebacker Nik Bonitto, defensive linemen Isaiah Thomas and Perrion Winfrey and safety Delarrin Turner-Yell who all declared for the 2022 NFL Draft.

Safety Pat Fields left for Stanford on a full academic scholarship to continue his academic career where he will have one year of eligibility remaining.

Of course, Oklahoma has been active adding talent out of the transfer portal to help replace those losses. Plus, the Sooners are bringing in a talented 2022 signing class.

So, despite all of the attrition on both sides of the football, it’s not as if Oklahoma will suddenly be devoid of talent in 2022. While expectations are always high within Sooner Nation, it’s hard to disagree with Marsdale that how Venables and his staff build their identity in year one will be the most important factor during the 2022 season and beyond.

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Sooners safety Delarrin Turner-Yell declares for the 2022 NFL Draft

After three years starting for the Oklahoma Sooners, safety Delarrin Turner-Yell has declared for the NFL Draft.

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With the Sooners ending a tumultuous 2021 season on a high note with a win over the Oregon Ducks in the Valero Alamo Bowl, many Sooners took it as a positive way to close their final chapter at Oklahoma.

Nik Bonitto, Perrion Winfrey, and Isaiah Thomas all opted out before the game, while guys like Pat Fields, Marquis Hayes, Tyrese Robinson, Kennedy Brooks, and Gabe Brkic played in the win over Oregon, but have since declared for the 2022 NFL draft.

Following other Sooners defenders, safety Delarrin Turner-Yell has made it known he’ll be heading to the NFL.

Turner-Yell has been a steadfast and reliable option on the backend of the Sooners defense since coming to Norman.

In his career, he was a three-year starter, making 30 career starts. Turner-Yell led the Sooners with three interceptions this season and was fourth in tackles with 53.

For his career, he finishes with 190 total tackles, four interceptions, and a forced fumble. Turner-Yell was an All-Big 12 Second Team selection this season and an Academic All-Big 12 Second Team honoree as well.

Turner-Yell was reliable, had very few busts in coverage, and was a physical player at the strong safety position for Alex Grinch’s Speed D. His experience, leadership, and physicality will be yet another major hole for the Sooners to replace in Brent Venables’ first year as Sooners head coach.

The Hempstead, Texas native marks the 10th starter from this year’s team to declare for the NFL Draft. If Turner-Yell gets drafted, it’ll mark the second consecutive year a Sooners defensive back was drafted.

At a glance, a name like Key Lawrence immediately comes to mind as a guy that can replace Turner-Yell as the Sooners head into a winter where they’ll be retooling a lot of different positions on top of acclimating a handful of new coaches.

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9 Oklahoma Sooners named to All-Big 12 teams

Jeremiah Hall and Michael Turk earned All-Big 12 First Team honors, while seven other Sooners earned All-Big 12 Second Team recognition.

Tight end/H-back Jeremiah Hall and punter Michael Turk earned All-Big 12 First Team honors, while seven other Oklahoma Sooners were recognized on the All-Big 12 Second Team.

Hall finished the 2021 regular season with 30 receptions for 320 yards with four receiving touchdowns. The Charlotte, N.C., native also had a rushing touchdown against Kansas State.

Turk averaged 51.3 yards per punt and downed 15 of his 33 punts inside the 20-yard-line. Nineteen of Turk’s 33 punts traveled at least 50 yards and eight went for at least 60 yards. Turk recorded five of the top 14 single-game punting averages in Oklahoma history, including the best and third-best marks against TCU (59.7) and Texas (58.0).

Linebacker Brian Asamoah, outside linebacker Nik Bonitto, kicker Gabe Brkic, offensive lineman Marquis Hayes, defensive lineman Isaiah Thomas, safety Delarrin Turner-Yell and defensive lineman Perrion Winfrey represented the seven OU players chosen to the All-Big 12 Second Team.

Asamoah leads the Sooners with 89 tackles and has recorded four tackles for loss to go along with one sack.

Bonitto has recorded 39 tackles and owns the Sooners’ team-lead with 15 tackles for loss. The redshirt junior from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., also has seven sacks.

Brkic has connected on 18-of-24 field goal tries, including five from 50-plus yards with a pair from 56 yards out against Tulane and Western Carolina.

Hayes helped anchor an Oklahoma offense that averaged a Big 12 best 38.4 points per game and has started all 36 games in which he has played over the past three seasons.

Thomas ended his regular season by leading Oklahoma in sacks with eight. The Tulsa native also has 11.5 tackles for loss and 38 tackles overall.

Turner-Yell had a team-high three interceptions. He also recorded 47 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss.

Winfrey was the final All-Big 12 Second Team selection from Oklahoma. The Maywood, Ill., product has 11 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks and notched a pair of quarterback hurries.

Safety Pat Fields, defensive back Key Lawrence, wide receiver Marvin Mims, offensive lineman Chris Murray, offensive lineman Tyrese Robinson, wide receiver Drake Stoops, linebacker Danny Stutsman, quarterback Caleb Williams and wide receiver Michael Woods earned honorable mention recognition.

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Report Card: Oklahoma Sooners fail to make the grade vs. Baylor Bears

How did the Oklahoma Sooners’ position groups grade out in their 27-14 loss to the Baylor Bears?

Oklahoma’s performance against Baylor wasn’t as pitiful as other earlier games this year. Still, it certainly lacked any level of competitive fire needed for a team who came into the game looking to answer a plethora of questions about how they would fair if tested by a good top 25 ranked football team. The test did not go as planned, and the Sooners took their first loss of the season 27-14 at the hands of the Baylor Bears.

Despite the final score, the game was tied 7-7 at the half. Oklahoma had a chance to win this game, but they never hit another gear. While this wasn’t a complete dismantling, there were a lot of position groups that struggled, which can only be more head-scratching considering the Sooners were coming off their bye week.

Let’s grade each group and break things down.

3 offensive keys for Oklahoma versus Baylor

Here’s three offensive keys for Oklahoma as they take on a tough Baylor team.

A rested and motivated team should board the bus to head to Waco from Norman, Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Sooners come off their bye in prime position to make a national splash and within their own conference. A win against a top-25 foe can help change the narrative about who Oklahoma is to this point.

It won’t be easy as the Baylor Bears represent the best opponent Oklahoma has played to date. They are well balanced and have equally strong units offensively and defensively. Defensively, Baylor ranks No. 81 nationally in passing defense. There are plays to be made there. However, there are a few keys to this game that ultimately decide how Oklahoma’s offense will look and perform come Saturday.

Lincoln Riley has to show up

What’s about to be said sounds crazy, but just think about it: Lincoln Riley has to show up Saturday. As in, the wizard play-caller Lincoln Riley. Riley’s been stymied by the defense with Aranda’s fingerprints over it a few times now.

The Peach Bowl when the Sooners faced LSU was one example and last year’s game in Norman was another. Yes, Ron Roberts is the defensive coordinator but there’s no reason to believe Aranda doesn’t have input.

Baylor has found ways to pressure Oklahoma quarterbacks and confuse those same quarterbacks with the coverage looks they show them. Riley comes in with a true freshman in a raucous environment. Making things easy and crafting a game plan that keeps him out of situations where he has to be Superman every play is key.

That falls on Riley’s shoulders. We’ll see how the head coach responds.

Cool Hand Caleb

If you’ve never seen the movie Cool Hand Luke, go watch it. It’s one of the best films ever.

The reason it’s brought up here is simple. Caleb needs to become his own version of Cool Hand Luke. In the film, the main character refuses to submit to the order and the pressure of the world he’s thrust into. He navigates his way through and has the last laugh.

The Sooners will need their true freshman to do the same. This isn’t Kansas. This is a very motivated and highly disruptive Baylor team with a fighting chance to go to the Big 12 championship game.

The sparkplug that galvanized Oklahoma’s season will have to be the guy who plays as close to mistake-free football as possible and is able to lead his team to a win in a hostile environment. Any failures to communicate between quarterback and his offense and the Sooners could be in for a long afternoon.

Offensive Line must take ownership

It’s safe to say that the Oklahoma Sooners have a plethora of playmakers now. Mike Woods will be returning as well to add to a receiver room oozing with confidence.

However, the foundation of this offense is its offensive line. There’s a lot of starts on this line amongst left guard Marquis Hayes, right tackle Tyrese Robinson and right guard Chris Murray.

All three have started at least two years worth of power five football games. Andrew Raym remains the most unseasoned of the Sooner starters. This offensive line will need to play their best game against one of the best defensive front sevens in the country to help out their quarterback.

If Caleb has to bail from the pocket every pass attempt or the Sooners aren’t able to run the ball, this game could get weird in the worst way very fast. The leadership and vet presence of their experienced linemen is where Oklahoma will have to win the game.

If those guys show up and continue performing at the level they have been, Oklahoma can put together some drives and win this game.

There’s a very visible path Oklahoma can take to win this game. Championship November is here and players and coaches alike for Oklahoma will need to raise their game even more if the Sooners are going to win the month.

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