Tag: Woodi Washington

Oklahoma Sooners top Pro Football Focus’ Top 25 Power Rankings

Pro Football Focus has the Oklahoma Sooners as the number one team in the country in their preseason power rankings.

The time for talking season will be done once the Oklahoma Sooners take the field against the Tulane Green Wave on Sep. 4. That day will start their journey to return to the national championship glory that has eluded them for more than 20 years now.

They’re one of the best teams in the country heading into the 2021 season, and while they may not land number one in all of the polls, all it takes to find their way to number one is to “just win, baby.”

Win the football games on your schedule, and the ranking and championships will take care of themselves. One publication that is a big fan of the  Oklahoma Sooners with more than a couple of weeks left till the start of the regular season is Pro Football Focus. The data-driven site has the Sooners number one in the country on their preseason power rankings.

Oklahoma has cracked a spot in the College Football Playoff four times since its inception seven years ago but has yet to earn a spot in the National Championship Game. This year could be different with the Spencer Rattler‘s return being a key reason why. The quarterback returns after earning the best single-season passing grade by a first-time starter of the PFF College era in 2020 (92.5). Rattler has a little bit of former Texas Tech Patrick Mahomes in him, both stylistically and situationally. He has an ultra-quick, effortless release to pair with jaw-dropping arm talent and elite playmaking ability on the move. The Sooners’ secondary is their biggest concern, but their pass-rush unit might just be enough to stabilize that side of the ball. – Anthony Treash

While the secondary might be a concern, it’s all relative. With Woodi Washington and D.J. Graham taking over at the outside cornerback spots, the Sooners have a couple of long, playmaking corners on the outside that will benefit greatly from the Sooners’ strong pass rush.

The Sooners offense will put the defense in situations where they’ll be able to pin their ears back and get after the passer because they’ll be playing with big leads in most, if not all, of their games.

Spencer Rattler got more comfortable as the 2020 season went along and cut down on some of the mental miscues that led to his benching in the Red River Shootout. With a full offseason in Lincoln Riley’s system after 2020’s COVID shortened spring and abbreviated fall camp, the Sooners are getting a much better prepared and experienced starting quarterback.

The Heisman Trophy winner is set to embark on what could be an award-laden season that will have the Oklahoma Sooners contending for the national championship in 2021.

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Oklahoma’s biggest question mark heading into camp

What is the Oklahoma Sooners biggest question mark heading into fall camp?

When you look at the Oklahoma Sooners football team ahead of fall camp as a whole, they are a loaded team. Perhaps the most talented roster since Lincoln Riley became head coach in 2017. They have an experienced quarterback in Spencer Rattler.

Rattler is viewed as a top draft pick and the heavy favorite to be the Heisman Trophy winner. Riley has seen plenty of success when he deploys an experienced quarterback. The expectation will be a return to the College Football Playoffs after a one-year hiatus in 2020. It isn’t only the quarterback that has fans and media alike excited about their potential.

The team brought in three big-time transfers from Tennessee. Kennedy Brooks, who has two 1,000-yard seasons under his belt, returns after he opted out in 2020. The offense has playmakers all over the field. There is a question of the center position and replacing the departing Creed Humphrey, who is now in the NFL. That isn’t their biggest question mark.

On defense, the front seven (six) is ready to make their mark on the upcoming season led by rush linebacker Nik Bonitto. Isaiah Thomas, Perrion Winfrey, and Brian Asamoah all expect to make their impact. The real question mark is in the secondary and replacing starters at all three cornerback positions.

Oklahoma fielded a strong secondary in 2020, paving the way for the Sooners to rank 17th of the 65 Power Five programs in unit coverage grade. But three of their five highest-graded defensive backs from that group have departed — safety Tre Norwood, cornerback Tre Brown and slot corner Brendan Radley-Hiles — and the secondary is now riding on unproven talent. There is certainly potential, especially in cornerback D.J. Graham, who earned a 72.8 coverage grade as a true freshman in 2020, but the group has a wide range of outcomes.

How concerned should Oklahoma fans be with the secondary in 2021? According to Anthony Treash of PFF,  not that concerned.

Oklahoma also boasts a pass rush that is on par with Ohio State’s for the best in college football. A strong pass rush in the Power Five means more than in other levels of football, so if the secondary is nothing but average in 2021, this team can still easily take home its first College Football Playoff title.

Defensive coordinator Alex Grinch does have Graham, as well as Woodi Washington and Billy Bowman among others to deploy. It might take some time to gain traction but come playoff time they should be humming along.

Three ‘ifs’ for the Oklahoma Sooners in 2021 to overcome to become title contenders

What is standing in the way of the Oklahoma Sooners being title contenders in 2021?

We all know what the goal is for every college football team when they take the field in early September. Each team is looking to become title contenders for the 2021-22 college football season. For some teams, those dreams and aspirations are a lot more achievable. For instance, the Oklahoma Sooners are closer than their two rivals in the Oklahoma State Cowboys and Texas Longhorns. Well on paper anyway, nothing is known until the teams actually strap on the helmets and go to war on Saturdays.

Oklahoma returns a vast majority of their offensive explosions with Spencer Rattler at quarterback, wide receivers Marvin Mims, Theo Wease, Jadon Haselwood, tight ends Austin Stogner, and Jeremiah Hall. In the backfield, Kennedy Brooks returns to take back his role as the starting running back. The only real question surrounding the offensive line after losing Creed Humphrey and Adrian Ealy to the NFL draft. Impact transfer Wanya Morris will help lock down the edge of the offensive line. Andrew Raym might just be the guy to replace Humphrey.

The Sooners lost Ronnie Perkins and a trio of cornerbacks that will add some pressure to that unit. However, Isaiah Thomas and Nik Bonitto were impact players at the position. Adding back in Jalen Redmond, Marcus Stripling should help that unit. In the secondary, D.J. Graham and Woodi Washington look to man the outside cornerback spots. The nickel cornerback might just be freshman Billy Bowman. They are a unit to keep an eye on.

ESPN recently came up with three “if’s” (link requires subscription) that could mean the Sooners are contenders in 2021.

First up the running back situation

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Spring Football: A look at the cornerback position

A breakdown of the cornerback position for the Oklahoma Sooners ahead of spring practices starting early next week.

Spring football nears for the Oklahoma Sooners. With the return of football on the way, Sooners Wire takes a look at each position group ahead of camp.

With the departure of Tre Brown and Tre Norwood in the NFL draft, Oklahoma’s cornerback group will look different in 2021. The tandem of Brown and Norwood combined for eight interceptions and there will be cleats to fill in OU’s secondary. Nickel corner, Brendan Radley-Hiles transferred to Washington following the 2020 season and the vacant roles have to be replaced.

D.J. Graham, Woodi Washington, and Jeremiah Criddell will return in 2021 with increased roles. Shadowing some of the Big 12’s most premiere receivers is no easy task but having players that fight for the football is Alex Grinch’s specialty. In 2018, the Sooners ranked 112th in interceptions with six, 100th in 2019 with seven, and vastly improved to 3rd in 2020 with 16 under Grinch’s tutelage. Here is a breakdown of the cornerback position ahead of spring camp.

Let the chess match begin!

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Oklahoma 2020 player card: No. 5 Woodi Washington

Washington tallied 10 total tackles, bringing truth to Alex Grinch’s ‘swarm the ball’ philosophy with seven of his 10 tackles…

There is a ton of momentum to having a 2020 college football season these days. No definite signs, yet, but the season would start three and a half months from now.

Sooners Wire will be creating player cards for readers to be introduced to the 2020 roster.

Here is the defensive No. 5 for the Sooners.

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Name: Woodi Washington

Number: No. 5

Year: Redshirt freshman

Position: Safety

Hometown: Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Height/Weight: 5-foot-11, 192 pounds

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Part of the 2019 class, Washington was a four-star coming out of high school.

Although redshirted through the year, Oklahoma utilized Washington in four games. He made his debut against South Dakota, racking up three total tackles in the blowout win. After appearances against Texas Tech and Oklahoma State, Washington was one of the few things that went right for the Sooners’ defense against LSU in the 63-28 Peach Bowl loss.

Washington tallied 10 total tackles, bringing truth to Alex Grinch’s ‘swarm the ball’ philosophy with seven of his 10 tackles coming by way of assists.

With crucial snaps under his belt, Washington may see more time on the field this upcoming season.

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Bookie Radley-Hiles ejected for targeting against LSU

An already thin secondary following the loss of Delarrin Turner-Yell just got thinner.

An already thin secondary following the loss of Delarrin Turner-Yell just got thinner.

Bookie Radley-Hiles was ejected for targeting LSU running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire on a Joe Burrow scramble.

The hit occurred away from the play as Radley-Hiles gave up on tracking down Burrow.

Radley-Hiles will be eligible to play in the Sooners’ next game as the penalty occurred in the first half.

Filling in for Radley-Hiles is true freshman Woodi Washington from Murfreesboro, Tenn.

Washington was a four-star cornerback coming out of high school according to Rivals. Washington had offers from Alabama, Ohio State, Florida and LSU.

Oklahoma trails LSU 28-7 early in the second quarter.

For live scoring updates click here.

For live thoughts and takeaways click here.

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