Tag: Walter Rouse

Walter Rouse selected in the sixth round by the Minnesota Vikings in the NFL Draft

With the 177th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings select Walter Rouse from the University of Oklahoma.

The Minnesota Vikings added one of the steals of the NFL draft when they selected offensive tackle Walter Rouse in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL draft. The Vikings took Rouse No. 177 overall.

Rouse, who started his career at Stanford, played one season with the Sooners, helping solidify Oklahoma’s offensive line. His experience and work ethic made a huge difference on a unit replacing both offensive tackles after the 2022 season.

In five seasons, Rouse played more than 3,400 snaps and was good in both the run and pass blocking schemes.

In 2023, he was a part of a Sooners offense that was one of the most efficient and explosive in college football. On 480 pass blocking snaps, he didn’t allow a sack, according to Pro Football Focus.

Rouse will be remembered for his awareness and effort at the end of the Red River Showdown. Down three in the final seconds of the game he blocked two Longhorns, giving Dillon Gabriel just enough time to find Nic Anderson in the corner of the end zone to beat the Longhorns.

Now, Rouse gets the opportunity to compete for snaps with another explosive offense in Minnesota.

Vikings select OT Walter Rouse with 177th overall pick in 2024 NFL Draft

The Minnesota Vikings have selected Walter Rouse out of the University of Oklahoma with the 177th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

The Minnesota Vikings have selected Walter Rouse out of the University of Oklahoma with the 177th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Rouse has been a key offensive centerpiece for two schools’ lines and is one of the better pass-protecting tackles in all of college football.

You may be asking, “If he is among the better pass-protecting tackles, why wasn’t he drafted sooner?”

The film shows that he is a tad slow out of his set when the ball is snapped and the size and system raised some questions. Despite that, Rouse is a very experienced player and will provide a great depth addition to the Vikings tackle group.

Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill are bona fide starters at tackle, but injuries do happen. The team recently had to release Coy Cronk due to a non-football injury, which left them short-staffed at left tackle. Rouse comes in and fills that void.

If Rouse can develop into something more, great, but this is a low-risk selection compared to most under GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.

Tyler Guyton inside top 15 of ESPN’s latest 2024 NFL Mock Draft

Oklahoma Sooners offensive tackle continues to get a lot of love in NFL mock drafts, landing inside the top 15 of ESPN’s latest mock draft.

Development is the name of the game in college football. One of the best developers in the game coaches the offensive line for the Oklahoma Sooners, [autotag]Bill Bedenbaugh[/autotag].

Heading to the NFL combine are three of his offensive linemen from the 2023 season, [autotag]Andrew Raym[/autotag], [autotag]Tyler Guyton[/autotag], and [autotag]Walter Rouse[/autotag]. The Super Bowl featured a pair of former starters, [autotag]Creed Humphrey[/autotag] and [autotag]Wanya Morris[/autotag]. The 2023 NFL draft featured a Bedenbaugh offensive tackle going in the first round, Anton Harrison.

A couple of months out from the 2024 NFL draft, Bedenabaugh and the Sooners may go back-to-back if early mock drafts are any indication. [autotag]Tyler Guyton[/autotag] has been a popular pick in the back end of the first, but in Field Yates’ latest mock draft for ESPN (ESPN+), Guyton was taken No. 15 overall by the New Orleans Saints.

The Saints might need to replace two offensive tackles this offseason, as longtime stalwart Ryan Ramczyk has dealt with a knee injury that could force him into retirement and Trevor Penning has struggled since being taken in the first round just two years ago. Guyton oozes upside with excellent quickness and the potential to anchor either tackle spot for a long time. He has allowed one sack over 29 career games (15 starts). – Yates, ESPN

If Guyton were to go No. 15, it would be Oklahoma and Bedenbaugh’s highest offensive line selection during his tenure as Sooners offensive line coach.

Guyton’s path to a potential first-round draft pick has been a unique one. He started out as a defensive lineman with TCU before switching to offensive tackle. Then, after transferring to Oklahoma, served in a reserve role, filling in for Wanya Morris during the 2022 season. He started the Cheez-It Bowl and received rave reviews that spilled over into the 2023 season.

He’s got great athleticism for the position and is an ascending player. He’ll continue to get better and will be an asset at the next level for a number of teams. At the NFL combine, he’ll get a chance to increase his draft stock even further when he goes through athletic testing and meetings with NFL front offices.

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Oklahoma Sooners must solve their offensive line problem heading into 2024

The Oklahoma Sooners have their work cut out for them with the offensive line but could any of the young guys be an answer?

There is no doubt the Oklahoma Sooners’ biggest question mark heading into 2024 and their inaugural season in the [autotag]SEC[/autotag] is the offensive line. The Sooners lose five guys who started a bunch of games last season.

[autotag]Walter Rouse[/autotag], [autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag], [autotag]Andrew Raym[/autotag], [autotag]Cayden Green[/autotag] and [autotag]Tyler Guyton[/autotag] are gone. Four are off to the [autotag]NFL[/autotag]. The other found a new home in Missouri. That means the Sooners will have their work cut out for them to replace those five.

[autotag]Troy Everett[/autotag] played some at guard but started the bowl game at center, which is probably his more natural position. We’ll see if he wins that job, but it appears he’s the leader to take over for Raym. [autotag]Jacob Sexton[/autotag] started the last few games after Guyton went down with an injury and did pretty well. The Sooners also brought in two transfers [autotag]Spencer Brown[/autotag] and [autotag]Febechi Nwaiwu[/autotag], who look poised to take over at tackle and guard.

But that still leaves spots unfilled. The Sooners are almost certainly going to remain active in the portal, but it’s also possible an incoming freshman gets a look. Most people have assumed that would be [autotag]Eddy Pierre-Louis[/autotag], seeing how highly thought of he is. But a constantly mentioned top performer at the Under Armour All-American events is [autotag]Eugene Brooks[/autotag].

“I don’t know where it will start for me, but I’m just going to go in there and ball out,” Brooks said. “I’m going to work my butt off. I’m going to go in there every day and give it 110% and be the first one in and the last one out.”

It seems with Brooks, [autotag]Daniel Akinkunmi[/autotag], Pierre-Louis, [autotag]Isaiah Autry[/autotag] and [autotag]Josh Aisosa[/autotag], the Sooners have a class of offensive linemen that are physical and bring some nasty back to the offensive line.

That’s something they’ve been missing the last few years, and something we know Bedenbaugh wants out of his linemen. Combine that with what appears to be a strong work ethic from each, and Oklahoma could have a better offensive line class than many thought initially.

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Oklahoma Sooners receive three predictions for transfer offensive lineman

Oklahoma Sooners could be getting some more good news, this time in the transfer portal.

It’s no secret, the Oklahoma Sooners have a lot of work to do along the offensive line before next season. The Sooners must replace all five starters from this season, although [autotag]Jacob Sexton[/autotag] and [autotag]Troy Everett[/autotag] started a few games in 2023.

[autotag]Walter Rouse[/autotag], [autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag], [autotag]Andrew Raym[/autotag], [autotag]Cayden Green[/autotag] and [autotag]Tyler Guyton[/autotag] are gone. Sexton replaced Guyton at the end of the season due to an injury. Everett played some guard earlier in the year when they were trying to solidify that position before Green took over.

The Sooners brought in [autotag]Eddy Pierre-Louis[/autotag], who is the top interior offensive lineman in the 2024 recruiting class, according to Rivals. While [autotag]Bill Bedenbaugh[/autotag] showed he will play freshmen, we know that’s not what he wants to do.

So, the Sooners have hit the portal hard. They’ve received one commitment, former Michigan State Spartans offensive tackle [autotag]Spencer Brown[/autotag]. Now, they’ve received three predictions from SoonerScoop’s Josh McCuiston, Michigan State insider Justin Thind and national recruiting analyst Brian Dohn for his running mate at guard, [autotag]Geno VanDeMark[/autotag].

VanDeMark and Brown started on the right side of the line, so they have chemistry playing together. Given Sexton played right tackle, those two could be moved to the left side or they could move Sexton to the left side if VanDeMark were to sign.

Michigan State had an up-and-down season, and so did VanDeMark, although his best games came against his best competition. According to Pro Football Focus, he had pass-blocking grades of 71.7, 76.6, and 86.4 against the Michigan Wolverines, Ohio State Buckeyes and the Penn State Nittany Lions.

He definitely is better at pass blocking than run blocking, although he’s solid at that as well. Ultimately, he would bring experience and depth to a depleted offensive line.

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Oklahoma Sooners land Rivals’ top interior offensive lineman

It was a long recruiting battle but the Sooners officially land the signature of one of the most sought offensive linemen.

The Oklahoma Sooners will have to replace five starting offensive linemen from this season’s team. [autotag]Walter Rouse[/autotag], [autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag], [autotag]Andrew Raym[/autotag], [autotag]Cayden Green[/autotag] and [autotag]Tyler Guyton[/autotag] are gone in 2024.

That’s why it was so important Bill Bedenbaugh landed the nation’s top interior offensive linemen, according to Rivals, [autotag]Eddy Pierre-Louis[/autotag]. He did just that by earning his commitment less than a week ago. The commitment became official Wednesday when Pierre-Louis signed his letter of intent with the Sooners.

The 6-foot-3, 335-pound guard is a freak of nature. He recorded 25 reps at 225 pounds on the bench press at a camp last summer which would have been the 16th most at the NFL combine by an offensive lineman in 2023. He also ran a 12.97 100-meter dash in high school.

He could compete immediately for playing time given the losses Oklahoma has had on the offensive line. As long as he gets the details down, he’ll have a chance to make an impact. Regardless, he has a very bright future.

More from the [autotag]2024 Early Signing Period[/autotag]

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Sooners trying to figure out the offensive line for the bowl game

The Sooners will be down three offensive line starters heading into the bowl game something they are still trying to figure out.

The Sooners are two weeks away from taking on the [autotag]Arizona Wildcats[/autotag] in the [autotag]Alamo Bowl[/autotag]. One thing several teams, including the Sooners, have to deal with is players opting out of their bowl game.

As of now, the Sooners are going to be down three starting offensive linemen. [autotag]Andrew Raym[/autotag] and [autotag]Tyler Guyton[/autotag] announced they would opt out to prepare for the NFL Draft and [autotag]Cayden Green[/autotag] shocked everyone by announcing he would be entering the transfer portal. Although as of this moment, he hasn’t officially entered.

Thankfully for Oklahoma, seniors [autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag] and [autotag]Walter Rouse[/autotag] appear to be playing in the game, giving them some stability. Also, [autotag]Jacob Sexton[/autotag] started the last few games for Guyton, who was battling an injury. So, they’ll have three players with starting experience this season ready to line up for the Sooners against the Wildcats.

Now, they have to figure out the center position and left guard. During the media viewing opportunity, it looked like freshman [autotag]Josh Bates[/autotag] was the one handling the snapping duties. [autotag]Troy Everett[/autotag] is who many think will take over that position but he was mainly an observer. It’s unclear if that is injury-related.

Mettauer talked about how key it is for the linemen to know multiple positions. “We don’t really know what the starting lineup is going to be yet,” Mettauer said. “But Coach B (Bill Bedenbaugh) does a good job at, we practice at a lot of different positions so him shifting us around during our individual period is good. We can play whatever. I mean it’s our responsibility to know both sides.”

On top of all of that, a true freshman will be making his first career start at quarterback. What a way to have your first start.

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Sooners OL Cayden Green plans to enter the transfer portal according to report

In a shocking turn of events, offensive lineman Cayden Green is planning to enter the transfer portal, according to a report from On3.

As the Oklahoma Sooners prepare for their [autotag]Alamo Bowl[/autotag] matchup with the Arizona Wildcats, the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] is starting to heat up. Oklahoma received a commitment from Purdue transfer WR Deion Burks on Tuesday.

But the more shocking news is that offensive lineman [autotag]Cayden Green[/autotag] plans to enter the transfer portal, according to a report from On3.

Green made a huge impact in his first season with the Sooners, coming into the Texas game to help stymie the Longhorns‘ stout interior defensive line. He started seven games for the Sooners and would be Oklahoma’s only returning starter from much of the 2023 season.

Green played 568 snaps this season and became a linchpin to an offensive line that really started to hit its stride on the ground in the second half of the season.

He was considered the No. 10 offensive tackle in the 247Sports composite in the 2023 recruiting cycle and was the highest-rated commitment earned by Bill Bedenbaugh in his tenure with the Sooners.

Thought to be an anchor for Oklahoma’s offensive line as it made it’s way to the SEC, now the Sooners have a huge hole on the left side of their offensive line.

They’ve already lost [autotag]Walter Rouse[/autotag] and [autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag] to eligibility and the NFL and [autotag]Tyler Guyton[/autotag] and [autotag]Andrew Raym[/autotag] have already announced their decision to pursue the NFL draft. The loss of Green leaves Jacob Sexton, Troy Everett, and incoming Michigan State transfer Spencer Brown as the only linemen with significant snaps under their belt from 2023.

The offensive line was already a need in the transfer portal, but now it shoots up to the highest priority for the Oklahoma Sooners.

Green’s loss stings. He was a player that had an All-American and top 50 pick trajectory. Now it’s up to the coaching staff to retool the offensive line on the fly to protect five-star quarterback [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] in year one in the SEC.

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2023 Position Review and Recruiting Outlook: Sooners offensive line marked by inconsistency

The Oklahoma Sooners offensive line was up-and-down in 2023 but once again finished strong and the future is bright.

The Oklahoma Sooners offensive line had an up-and-down season in 2023. They once again started the season slow, which has become a common theme in recent years.

But they were able to close the season pretty well, another common theme under Bill Bedenbaugh. It was a weird year for the offensive line that saw a lot of reshuffling up front.

They started the season with [autotag]Walter Rouse[/autotag], [autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag], [autotag]Andrew Raym[/autotag], [autotag]Savion Byrd[/autotag] and [autotag]Tyler Guyton[/autotag] as the starters along the line. At various points in the season, the line changed whether that was [autotag]Troy Everett[/autotag], [autotag]Cayden Green[/autotag] or [autotag]Jacob Sexton[/autotag] working their way into the starting lineup.

This was a group I was very high on to start the season, so let’s take a look at how I thought they fared.

Oklahoma offers Michigan State transfer OT Spencer Brown per 247Sports

Oklahoma is pursuing offensive line help in the portal, offering OT Spencer Brown, a grad transfer from Michigan State.

Oklahoma’s offensive line will look quite different when they get set to start their first season in the SEC.

The Sooners have lost or could potentially lose every starter from the line that took the field for the first game of this season. [autotag]Walter Rouse[/autotag], [autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag], and [autotag]Tyler Guyton[/autotag] are headed to the NFL. [autotag]Savion Byrd[/autotag] and [autotag]Nate Anderson[/autotag] entered the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] today. [autotag]Andrew Raym[/autotag] has yet to make his plans known, but there’s a real chance he will bolt for the NFL.

The offensive line changed throughout the season, and true freshman [autotag]Cayden Green[/autotag] usurped the left guard spot. He looks like the only penciled-in piece heading into next year. [autotag]Jacob Sexton[/autotag] took over at right tackle after Guyton suffered an injury and will have the inside track at one of the starting tackle spots.

So, how does [autotag]Bill Bedenbaugh[/autotag] construct the offensive line for new play-caller [autotag]Seth Littrell[/autotag]? That’ll be something to monitor over the coming months, but we know that Oklahoma is unafraid of seeking help outside the building.

Oklahoma has offered Michigan State transfer Spencer Brown (subscription required), per 247Sports national recruiting analyst Allen Trieu. Ole Miss and USC are also contending for his services. No visits have been set up as of yet, per Trieu.

A grad transfer, the 6-foot-6, 315-pound Brown is a true mauler who could bring some nastiness and much-needed experience to the offensive line. He has one year left and could slot in at the other tackle spot that Sexton doesn’t occupy.

The Sooners look to be actively searching for offensive line help via the portal, and tackle is an excellent start. It’s conceivable they bring in possibly two linemen from the portal to add depth, at minimum, for the interior offensive line and tackle.

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