Tag: Wanya Morris

Pair of Sooners OL declare for 2024 NFL Draft

Oklahoma lost two starting linemen as Andrew Raym and Tyler Guyton both declared for the NFL draft on Saturday.

Along with replacing starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who will head to Oregon, the Oklahoma Sooners will be trotting several new starting offensive linemen out next year as well. Saturday saw two of Oklahoma’s starters declare their intentions to enter the NFL Draft.

Tyler Guyton and Andrew Raym took to social media to express gratitude to the Oklahoma Football program before declaring their plans to forego any remaining eligibility and seek out the NFL.

For Tyler Guyton, this comes as no surprise. Guyton has been on mock drafts and prospect rankings as a consensus top 75 or 100 player all season. He was rock solid all year long and didn’t do anything to tank his stock. He should be drafted by the latest on the second day of the draft. This was Guyton’s first full year as a starter at Oklahoma since transferring from TCU. He helped hold down the right side of the Sooners’ offensive line after OU had to replace a third-round pick from last year in Wanya Morris.

Andrew Raym also plans to pursue his NFL dreams. Raym is a homegrown Sooner from Broken Arrow, Okla. He was a four-star recruit out of high school and had to follow in the footsteps of one of the best offensive linemen ever to put on crimson and cream. Creed Humphrey is an All-Pro in the NFL, so filling in his shoes at Oklahoma would always be a tough ask.

Raym was a mainstay on the offensive line for multiple seasons, and the Sooners will have to fill his spot at center as they head into the SEC. He put together some solid performances against tough interior defensive linemen in the Big 12.

Oklahoma got a commitment from Spencer Brown, a right tackle transfer from Michigan State who probably has the inside track to replacing Guyton at that spot. Things are a lot less straightforward at the center, but Troy Everett and Josh Bates are two early candidates who could take that spot.

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 Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.

Chiefs RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire expected to start in Week 14 vs. Bills

#Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire is expected to start for Kansas City in Week 14 against the Buffalo #Bills.

The Kansas City Chiefs will be without multiple players against the Buffalo Bills this Sunday. Starters on both sides of the ball will be missing action due to injuries as the coaching staff is preparing to shuffle in veteran backups seeking to prove they are up for the challenge heading down the stretch this season.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid announced Friday during the team’s post-practice press conference that Isiah Pacheco, Drue Tranquill, and Donovan Smith will be listed as out for this Sunday. All three didn’t practice during the week. Pacheco continues to be evaluated for a shoulder injury, Smith for a neck injury, and Tranquill remains in concussion protocol.

“Yeah, well, the guys that are stepping in have played. So that’s a positive part of that. And so it’s not new territory, you know, for him as a as a get in there.” Reid told reporters. “So with the way Spags (Steve Spagnuolo) rotates people that’s happened in that way Andy (Heck) rotates the offensive line, that works, too. But anyway, they’ve done good. ”

Clyde Edwards-Helaire is next on the depth chart to be the starter this Sunday in Pacheco’s absence, and it was confirmed by Reid when discussing the plan.

“Yeah, I mean, we’ve got different personnel groups, but yeah, that’s, he’s, he’s the number one guy. Yes,” said Reid. He’s (Edwards-Helaire) done a great job. He’s a good kid. And the chances he’s had to play, he’s done very well.”

Rookie Wanya Morris is also a candidate to start in place of Smith after replacing him last Sunday in Green Bay, and the speculation is that Nick Bolton could return to the lineup following his stint on injured reserve for a wrist injury.

Three Oklahoma Sooners to watch on offense against Arkansas State

Taking a look at three Oklahoma Sooners to watch on offense vs. Arkansas State.

Saturday will mark the start of year two for Jeff Lebby as Oklahoma’s offensive coordinator. While the Sooners posted some solid numbers last year, it always felt like they could’ve done more. That sentiment is something players and coaches alike have echoed throughout the offseason. Situational football was emphasized, along with consistency.

However, some significant pieces from last year’s team are no longer in Norman.

OU’s rushing attack ranked No. 10 in the country, averaging 219.4 yards per game. The offensive line responsible for that lost three starters in [autotag]Anton Harrison[/autotag], [autotag]Wanya Morris[/autotag], and [autotag]Chris Murray[/autotag]. Harrison was a first-rounder to the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Morris was a third-rounder to the Kansas City Chiefs. Starting running back [autotag]Eric Gray[/autotag] went off and posted the ninth-best season on the ground in program history last year. He’s with the New York Giants.

[autotag]Brayden Willis[/autotag] and explosive star receiver [autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag] will be missed in the passing game. Willis is with the San Francisco 49ers, and Mims was a third-round pick by the Denver Broncos. The two combined for 1,597 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns. That’s an insane amount of production lost and presents a massive hole in the passing game.

The challenge in the offseason for Lebby was finding replacements for the names lost. Additionally, he and the offensive staff had to help develop the guys coming back this offseason. The time to prove it starts on Saturday.

With that in mind, here’s our look at three offensive players to watch for the season opener against Arkansas State.

Up Next: An Ascending Offensive Linemen

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4

Tyler Guyton among Dane Brugler’s top-50 prospects for the 2024 NFL Draft

Oklahoma’s Tyler Guyton is the lone Sooner in Dane Brugler’s initial 2024 top 50 draft board.

Oklahoma is just a week away from kicking off its 2023 season. They’ll take on Arkansas State at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. The  Sooners look to distance themselves from a squad that started 3-0 but struggled inside Big 12 play.

Along the offensive line, the Sooners lost three starters from last year. Chris Murray graduated, and the tackles Anton Harrison and Wanya Morris were drafted in the first three rounds of the 2023 NFL draft.

Enter Tyler Guyton, a former transfer from TCU who played in 10 games and made five starts last year. His best performance came against Jared Verse and Florida State in the Cheez-It Bowl.

Verse would have been a top-ten pick in the 2023 NFL draft, but opted to stay in school one more year. It’s likely he’ll be a top-ten pick in the 2024 draft.

It was a nice back and for the battle between the two, with both Guyton and Verse winning snaps.

That performance and his noteworthy physical traits have caught the eye of the NFL and draft aficionados. Dane Brugler, one of the best scouting and draft experts in the business, released his initial top 50 draft board for the 2024 NFL Draft (subscription required). Oklahoma’s Tyler Guyton was the lone Sooner to crack the top 50.

If he were to be drafted there, Guyton slotted in at No. 31. He’s currently Dane Brugler’s No. 6 offensive tackle in the 2024 class. With a premium placed on offensive tackles in the draft, there’s a good chance Guyton could be a first round pick.

Now, there are a couple of ways to look at that. As it stands, Guyton is comfortably a top-100 pick. Anton Harrison was similarly in the same range to start last season and stayed in the top 50 range until the draft before being selected 27th by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Guyton has more to prove than Harrison, as this year would be his first full season as a starter. Harrison started the 2021 season and played a lot in his true freshman season in 2020.

This is a prove-it year for Guyton. Pro Football Focus said he played 400 snaps and allowed two sacks and no hits on 191 pass-blocking plays in 2022. Those numbers work, but how will they play when teams consistently gameplan for you? That will be one of Guyton’s challenges.

Offensive line coach Bill Bedenabugh had a glowing review for his starting right tackle. “He’s got all the ability in the world,” Bedenbaugh said. “He’s one of the most talented guys I’ve ever seen, and we’ve had some pretty talented guys come through here.”

Guyton’s size and athletic traits will make him one of the more intriguing prospects in draft circles next spring. The stage is set for Guyton to become one of the best players on Oklahoma’s roster. He can also position himself as a first-round draft choice next April.

If he can take his game to the next level and secure Dillon Gabriel’s blindside, he has a great chance of becoming Oklahoma’s next first round offensive tackle.

[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 Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.

Savion Byrd looking to be more consistent in the 2023 season

Oklahoma offensive lineman Savion Byrd is ready for his opportunity to make an impact on the 2023 season.

The [autotag]Oklahoma Sooners[/autotag] have consistently had one of the best offensive lines in college football since [autotag]Bill Bedenbaugh[/autotag] took over. They consistently put people in the NFL, most recently [autotag]Anton Harriso[/autotag]n and [autotag]Wanya Morris[/autotag].

To play for someone like Bedenbaugh can be grueling because of what he demands from his lines. But in the end, it is rewarding.

This year shouldn’t be any different.

Offensive Coordinator Jeff Lebby already named four of the five starters, [autotag]Tyler Guyton[/autotag], [autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag], [autotag]Andrew Raym[/autotag] and [autotag]Walter Rouse[/autotag]. All four of those guys have started at the Power Five level.

With Raym, Rouse, and Mettauer, the Sooners have three guys who have started three or more seasons of college football. With that much experience, there’s only one spot up for grabs.

[autotag]Savion Byrd[/autotag] looks to be the front runner to start at left guard, taking most of the first-team reps at this point in fall camp. Byrd told reporters, he has been working on being more consistent.

“Taking it one day at a time,” Byrd said. “Getting the game plans down, learning how to watch film properly, learning how to be consistent, like really consistent day in and day out. Being physical is not going to be the problem it’s making sure my hands are in the right place, feet, leverage, just really being consistent in my blocks and molding to be the offensive lineman I can be.”

In the [autotag]Baker Mayfield[/autotag] and [autotag]Kyler Murray[/autotag] years, Oklahoma’s offensive lines were known to be nasty. They were physical and just wanted to maul you every play. Since then, there haven’t been too many players on the line with that mentality. Byrd brings that to this team.

But much was made about Byrd’s weight this offseason. He admitted to getting down to 265-270 pounds at one point. But staying consistent and putting in the work has helped him get up to 305 pounds.

As for his diet, “Eat anything that I can put my hands on,” Byrd said. That has obviously worked for him. To be a big-time guard you need to have that mentality that Byrd has but you can’t be too light in the pockets either.

Now the question is if he can take his game to the next level and become the next Oklahoma offensive lineman to go to the NFL. That’s the plan, now we have to see it play out.

[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.

Highest rated football recruits in Tennessee history

A look at the highest rated recruits in Tennessee football history.

Third-year head coach Josh Heupel is on pace for a top 10 2024 recruiting class.

Tennessee has 19 commitments for its 2024 recruiting class ahead of the upcoming season. The Vols’ 2024 class ranks No. 8 nationally and No. 5 in the Southeastern Conference.

Tennessee’s 2024 recruiting class is headlined by five-star wide receiver Mike Matthews. Matthews ranks as the No. 13 overall prospect in 2024. He is the Vols’ ninth-highest rated commit all time.

PHOTOS: Tennessee football head coaches through the years

Prior to the 2023 season, Vols Wire looks at Tennessee’s highest rated recruits all time. The list below excludes players who committed to Tennessee and did not sign with the Vols.

Chiefs duds in preseason Week 1 loss at Saints

These #Chiefs left something to be desired in Kansas City’s loss to the #Saints on Sunday.

The Chiefs’ 26-24 preseason Week 1 loss to the New Orleans Saints wasn’t exactly a pretty game. There were some standouts for Kansas City, sure — even some studs — but there were plenty who didn’t exactly show out, either.

Below are Chiefs players who had a rough game in the first week of the preseason, and may have even hurt their stock a little in the process:

Walter Rouse back from his injury and ready to roll

After spending four years playing for the Stanford Cardinal, Walter Rouse is excited about making one last statement at OU.

The [autotag]Oklahoma Sooners[/autotag] made a few splashes last offseason both in the transfer portal and in the [autotag]2023 recruiting class[/autotag]. One of those was the addition of [autotag]Stanford Cardinal[/autotag] offensive tackle transfer, [autotag]Walter Rouse[/autotag].

Rouse finished his four-year career at Stanford with multiple accolades. He was an All-Pac 12 honorable mention selection twice and freshman second-team All-American. Instead of going pro, something he admitted was the plan. He decided to use his COVID year and transfer to Oklahoma.

That’s how he ended up at the [autotag]University of Oklahoma[/autotag]. The Sooners had a need at tackle after the departures of [autotag]Anton Harrison[/autotag] and [autotag]Wanya Morris[/autotag] to the NFL.

Combine that with the injury to freshman [autotag]Jacob Sexton[/autotag], and the Sooners were thin. Rouse comes to the Sooners with 38 starts under his belt and more than 2,500 snaps at the collegiate level. Despite missing the spring due to a shoulder injury, he said he’s ready to go.

“The shoulder feels great,” Rouse said. “A lot better than I expected it to be. Honestly, from the first day to now, I feel like I’ve been getting better every single day and improving just a little bit. Honestly, I’m just having fun. I haven’t been able to hit somebody in about eight months.”

He admits missing the spring led to a learning curve, but he said it helped that he could ask questions and do some mental reps on the side. But even with that missed time, Rouse feels the offensive line is coming along really well.

“Overall, especially the one’s group, we are really connecting with one another, and I’m loving working with Savion (Byrd) on the left side,” Rouse said. “Just really forming a great relationship with one another. Some of the stuff we are doing is non-verbal because we just are already feeling it, it’s already instinctive.”

The offensive line plays a major role in how the offense performs as a whole. It helps to have one of the best in the business coaching them in Bill Bedenbaugh. It might be crazy to say after losing a first-round left tackle, but if this group can come together, they have a chance at being even better than a year ago.

And if they are, the addition of Walter Rouse through the portal will be a big reason as to why.

[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.

Chiefs OT Wanya Morris ready for ‘breathtaking’ preseason debut

Wanya Morris is fired up and ready to make his presence felt during the #Chiefs’ first preseason game against the #Saints. | from: @WesleyRoesch

The beauty of the NFL’s preseason is that it gives hundreds of incoming rookies an opportunity to show their skills.

For Kansas City Chiefs rookie offensive tackle Wanya Morris, like most of his peers, it’s a chance to prove that he deserves a spot on the 53-man roster. Few roster spots are guaranteed in the NFL, so Morris is understandably excited for his first NFL action when the Chiefs play the New Orleans Saints on Aug. 13.

“Like every kid, it’s a dream come true,” Morris said during Saturday’s presser. “You know, you dream about days like this and to actually go out with them and actually do it, it’s a dream come true. It’s very … breathtaking. Being able to step out there on that field and just go out there and compete with my brothers, and just show everything I’ve got.”

Drafted in the third round of the 2023 draft by Kansas City, the 6-foot-6, 307-pound lineman out of Oklahoma is projected to be the Chiefs’ swing tackle. Frequently working with the first and second teams in camp, Morris could be the backup and eventual successor to either left tackle Donovan Smith or right tackle Jawaan Taylor.

But Morris doesn’t have the backup gig locked down yet. His competition includes third-year players Prince Tega Wanogho and Lucas Niang, among others. The preseason is when Morris will have the chance to stand out amid the competition. On Sunday, it’s sink or swim.

“It’s not done ’til it’s done,” Morris said. “I haven’t made the 53 [man roster] yet. So, I have to go out there and ball.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1]

Top quotes from Chiefs’ August 5 post-practice press conference

Check out some of the top quotes from the Chiefs’ post-practice press conference on August 5:

The Kansas City Chiefs finished another week of practice on Saturday during training camp displaying more triumphs and improvements on the field during their workouts at Missouri Western State University. Four Chiefs got in front of the podium for the team’s post-practice press conference, and each gave reporters’ generous responses heading into their day off on Sunday.

Dave Toub, Wanya Morris, Leo Chenal, and Justin Reid spoke to reporters and provided valuable insight into their thoughts on training camp, teammates, and more.

Check out their top quotes below: