Tag: zion ragins

3 freshmen to watch for Oklahoma Sooners against Tulane

The Sooners will be counting on their young players to play a pivotal role against Tulane.

The Oklahoma Sooners are 2-0 on the young season, and after defeating Temple and Houston, they’ve turned their attention to Tulane. OU will once again be at home for week three, as the Green Wave come to Norman, looking to pull the upset.

After a mostly positive week one win against Temple, the Sooners had a below-standard performance on offense against Houston in week two. The defense and special teams performed up to par, and OU was able to walk away with a four-point victory.

Another offensive performance like the one we saw last Saturday won’t cut it against the Green Wave. They nearly upset Kansas State last week. Tulane is the best team the Sooners have played so far this year, and with injuries and questions all over the place offensively, some unexpected names may need to step up.

Oklahoma’s freshmen class has gotten a bit more of a run than we normally see, especially on offense. Again, this is primarily due to the injuries that OU has suffered all over the offensive line and at wide receiver. With that in mind, here are three true freshmen to keep an eye out for Saturday afternoon against Tulane.

1. Zion Ragins, WR

Wide receiver [autotag]Zion Ragins[/autotag] got plenty of valuable playing time last week against the Cougars and was targeted multiple times, mostly in the second half. He only recorded one catch and showed his youth versus the stronger, older Houston cornerbacks, as he was out-muscled along the sidelines a few times.

The name of Ragins’ game is speed, as the 5-foot-8, 150-pound wideout takes what he lacks in size and makes up for it with blazing quickness. Fade routes down the sidelines against bigger players aren’t his strong suit, yet that’s what he ran a lot of against Houston. As the Sooners search for someone to step up alongside [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag] at wide receiver, Ragins looks like he’ll get plenty of chances once again.

2. Eddy Pierre-Louis, OL

[autotag]Eddy Pierre-Louis[/autotag] wasn’t used last week against Houston, but as the offensive line continues to shuffle, he may find himself playing more in the weeks to come.

Oklahoma’s offensive line has dealt with injuries and forced to move guys around each of the last two weeks. As the Sooners wait for injury updates on players like Branson Hickman and Jake Taylor, two starters when healthy, it may be a freshmen that steps up to provide some assistance.

Currently, OU is down to fourth-string center Joshua Bates and has been rotating through tackles on both sides of the ball. Guard has been one of the strengths up front, with Febechi Nwaiwu and Jacob Sexton serving as the most consistent players on the line to this point.

But if the Sooners feel they need Sexton to step out and play left tackle, his ideal position, so that they can move Michael Tarquin over to the right side to cover the loss of Taylor, then Pierre-Louis could get valuable snaps at left guard as OU inches closer to [autotag]SEC[/autotag] play.

3. David Stone, DT

The defensive line has been one of Oklahoma’s strengths so far this season, and it starts on the interior. OU’s top four players at those spots have been really good. Jayden Jackson, Damonic Williams, Da’Jon Terry, and Gracen Halton have all had big moments through the first two weeks.

But Oklahoma’s fifth player in that role is valuable as well. Defensive tackle [autotag]David Stone[/autotag] has been getting his feet wet at the college level, after not being as ready-made to start as Jackson, his former high school teammate. However, Stone has as much upside as anyone on the roster and was a massive recruiting win as a five-star signee for head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag].

If OU’s offense continues to struggle, it means the defense will be on the field more and more as the season wears on, beginning on Saturday against Tulane. Those extra plays are especially hard on the 300-pounders that the Sooners now have on the defensive line. Stone will be an integral part of making sure that the players above him on the depth chart don’t get run down or injured if the defense is going to have to play more snaps than expected due to poor offensive play.

Stone being the fifth-best defensive tackle on the roster speaks to the job Venables is doing to build up the roster in his third season. In the past couple of years, a player of Stone’s natural ability may have had to play right away, despite not being ready yet. Now, through recruiting and the portal, Venables has a talented future superstar waiting in the wings and learning everything there is to know about playing his role in OU’s defense.

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Oklahoma Football releases depth chart for week 2 vs. Houston Cougars

What’s new on the Oklahoma Sooners depth chart ahead of their week two matchup with the Houston Cougars?

The Oklahoma Sooners released their depth chart for their week two matchup against the Houston Cougars on Friday night. Though a lot has stayed the same from week one, there are a few notable differences.

With Jalil Farooq out for six to eight weeks with a foot injury, J.J. Hester is slated to start opposite Brenen Thompson OR [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag], while [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag] continues to occupy the slot position. Behind Hester are true freshmen [autotag]Zion Kearney[/autotag] and [autotag]Zion Ragins[/autotag]. The Sooners may have to go to their talented former four-star prospects if Hester’s unable to improve from his performance against Temple, where he had a couple of drops.

The offensive line is pretty much the same as last week, but [autotag]Joshua Bates[/autotag] has moved and is now listed as a co-starter alongside [autotag]Branson Hickman[/autotag]. Bates impressed during fall camp and earned some first-team reps but dealt with injuries in the latter stages of camp. Hickman, who was the solo starter last week for Temple, hurt his ankle in the first quarter. Initially, the Sooners slid Geirean Hatchett over from left guard to center to fill in for Hickman, but in the second half, it was all Bates.

Notably, the Sooners ran for 40 more rushing yards and just over nine yards per carry in the second half, albeit more against Temple’s backups. Given Hickman’s injury situation, the Sooners may choose to be conservative with their veteran center against Houston, making sure he’s healthy for the remainder of the season.

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Sooners wide receiver Jalil Farooq expected to miss significant time with injury

The Oklahoma Sooners will be without wide receiver Jalil Farooq for an extended period of time.

The Oklahoma Sooners went into fall camp feeling great about a deep wide receiver room. Fast forward through the first week of the regular season and that depth has evaporated.

Despite a 51-3 win over Temple, the Sooners have taken a hit on the injury front.

Senior wide receiver [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] hauled in a 47-yard reception to help the Sooners score on their first possession. He then left the game and was seen on the sidelines with a walking boot. In his postgame press conference, [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] revealed that Farooq will miss the next 6-8 weeks with a broken foot.

https://twitter.com/JoshMCallaway/status/1829718447120331055

Oklahoma lost [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag] for the season during fall camp and were without [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] in week one. [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] made his return to the field, but had a limited snap count, making one catch for four yards.

Transfer wide receiver [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag] was really good in his debut for the Sooners, catching three touchdowns on six receptions. But Oklahoma’s going to need someone to step up among their young blue chip wide receivers. [autotag]Ivan Carreon[/autotag], [autotag]Zion Kearney[/autotag], [autotag]Jaquaize Pettaway[/autotag], and [autotag]Zion Ragins[/autotag] each earned time in the win over Temple, but they’ll likely be asked to do more over the next two months while Farooq works his way back to the field.

https://twitter.com/EricBaileyTW/status/1829720359077363750

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Who steps up at wide receiver with Jayden Gibson out?

With Jayden Gibson set to miss the 2024 season, which wide receivers could step up for the Oklahoma Sooners?

Anytime you lose a player, it’s going to put the depth chart to the test. With Jayden Gibson set to miss the 2024 season, the Sooners will need to rely on their depth at wide receiver more than they anticipated.

Gibson was one of those players expected to have a huge breakout season. As part of the rotation in 2023, Gibson caught 14 passes for 375 yards and five touchdowns. As Andrel Anthony (knee) and Jalil Farooq (toe) were working their way back from injuries, Gibson was getting a great deal of run with the first team and was taking advantage of it.

Now that he’s out, who will step up in his place?

“You hate that for anybody when a season comes to an end prematurely,” Brent Venables said. “But that’s a group that we feel really good about.”

If everyone’s healthy, it’s likely Nic Anderson, Deion Burks, Farooq and Anthony are your top four wide receivers. Farooq is back and Anthony is expected to be ready for the season. In the event they’re not, the Sooners will need to go deeper into the wide receiver well.

One of the more unheralded figures on the wide receiver depth chart is former Missouri transfer and Tulsa native J.J. Hester. Hester arrived in Norman during the 2022 offseason, but dealt with injuries for much of his time with the Sooners. Those injuries limited his development. However, with a healthy offseason, Hester looks primed for a breakout season of his own.

He has great size and speed to be a difference-maker at every level of the offense. He can win in the intermediate part of the field with his size to box out defensive backs. Hester can also stretch the defense deep with legitimate 4.4 40-yard dash speed.

In addition to Hester, two other speedsters, though smaller in stature, have a chance to earn a significant role out of fall camp. Another transfer addition, Brenen Thompson, made an impact in a limited role, but he hasn’t seen many snaps with the Sooners. [autotag]Jaquaize Pettaway[/autotag], a four-star wide receiver in the 2023 recruiting class has the ability to work at several spots. He has the speed to threaten teams deep and the quickness to be a threat out of the slot.

Beyond the veterans on the roster, the Sooners have a nice group of prospects from the [autotag]2024 recruiting class[/autotag]. [autotag]Ivan Carreon[/autotag], [autotag]Zion Kearney[/autotag], [autotag]Zion Ragins[/autotag], and [autotag]K.J. Daniels[/autotag] provide a diverse range of abilities.

Though there may not be an answer right now as to who fills Jayden Gibson’s role in the offense, the Oklahoma Sooners have a number of options for [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag], [autotag]Emmitt Jones[/autotag], [autotag]Seth Littrell[/autotag] and [autotag]Joe Jon Finley[/autotag] to choose from.

Projected Wide Receiver Depth Chart

X WR Nic Anderson Andrel Anthony Zion Kearney
Slot WR Deion Burks Jaquaize Pettaway Brenen Thompson
Y WR Jalil Farooq J.J. Hester Ivan Carreon

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Sooners have a top 10 WR corps in the country according to PFF

Oklahoma is deep and talented at wide receiver this year, and Pro Football Focus ranked the Sooners as one of the ten best WR units in America.

The Oklahoma Sooners have an embarrassment of riches at the wide receiver position heading into the 2024 season. As OU football exits the [autotag]Big 12[/autotag] and moves to the [autotag]SEC[/autotag], they’ll be leaning on their strengths in Year 3 of the [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] era. Wide receiver is one of the deepest and most talented units on the roster, even after losing [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag].

[autotag]Emmett Jones[/autotag] has been excellent since joining the Oklahoma staff from Texas Tech. He’s recruited very well and the unit improved noticeably in his first season as wide receivers coach.

Pro Football Focus agrees that the Sooners are very good at wideout heading into 2024, ranking the Sooners as one of their top 10 receiving corps in the country.

Oklahoma snuck onto the list at No. 10.

Oklahoma brings back five of its six leading receivers from a year ago, losing only Drake Stoops. [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] is the leader of those returners and was second in the Big 12 last year with 10 touchdowns to only Adonai Mitchell. [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] and [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] also came back and combined for 1,109 receiving yards this past season.

The Sooners also found a couple starting pass-catchers in the transfer portal in Purdue wide receiver [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag] and Baylor tight end [autotag]Jake Roberts[/autotag]. Burks was second in the Big Ten with 18 forced missed tackles on receptions in 2023. Despite serving as Baylor’s backup tight end in 2023, Roberts was still ninth in the Big 12 at the position with 143 yards after the catch. – Max Chadwick, Pro Football Focus

Anderson, Farooq, Anthony, and Burks figure to be the four players who receive the most targets, but [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag] came on very strong as the 2023 season progressed.

Younger players like [autotag]J.J. Hester[/autotag], [autotag]Brenan Thompson[/autotag], [autotag]Jaquazie Pettaway[/autotag], [autotag]Zion Kearney[/autotag], [autotag]Zion Ragins[/autotag], [autotag]Ivan Carreon[/autotag] and [autotag]K.J. Daniels[/autotag] are all providing plenty of depth and were all talented recruits.

At tight end, Roberts may not even start, as [autotag]Bauer Sharp[/autotag] got those snaps in the spring game. Four-star true freshman [autotag]Davon Mitchell[/autotag] joins [autotag]Kaden Helms[/autotag] and [autotag]Josh Fanuiel[/autotag] in the tight end room as well. [autotag]Joe Jon Finley[/autotag] will be able to mix and match what he wants from that position, tasked with replacing [autotag]Austin Stogner[/autotag].

With a talented but unproven quarterback and an overhauled offensive line, look for the weapons in the passing game to be something the offense can lean on this season.

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Oklahoma Sooners earn commitment from 2025 four-star running back Tory Blaylock

Oklahoma adds another weapon to their 2025 recruiting class, earning a commitment from four-star running back Tory Blaylock.

The Oklahoma Sooners [autotag]2025 recruiting class[/autotag] is in a really good spot as the Sooners work through spring ball. It’s currently a top 10 group and just added another blue-chip prospect to the class, earning a commitment from four-star running back [autotag]Tory Blaylock[/autotag].

Blaylock is the first running back to commit to the Sooners in the 2025 cycle and brings OU’s total pledges back to 10.

He’s considered a four-star prospect by Rivals and ESPN and held offers from notable schools like Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, Michigan State, Missouri, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State, SMU, South Carolina, TCU, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, UCF, and Wisconsin.

He chose the Sooners over the Buckeyes, Longhorns, Ducks, Crimson Tide, and Volunteers, who were in his top six back at the beginning of March.

Running backs coach DeMarco Murray and the Oklahoma Sooners have been pursuing Blaylock since their initial offer back in August of 2022.

Blaylock is an incredible athlete with great speed. And when we say great speed, not just football speed, but track speed. Blaylock and his Atascocita teammates just set the national 4×100 relay record at a track meet in Texas a week ago.

At that same meet, Blaylock ran a 10.62 100-meter dash.

On the football field, he displays that speed and twitchiness and combines it with good strength and great lateral agility. When he gets a lane, he’s hard to stop because of his burst.

Blaylock adds another big-time speed element to a Sooners offense that has been recruiting track speed over the last several years, earning commitments from guys like [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag], [autotag]K.J. Daniels[/autotag], [autotag]Jaquaize Pettaway[/autotag], and [autotag]Zion Ragins[/autotag].

The commitment of Blaylock moves the Oklahoma Sooners from No. 8 back into the No. 5 spot in the 247Sports team recruiting rankings.

More: Oklahoma Sooners 2025 recruiting commitment tracker

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Oklahoma Sooners enter spring with tons of depth at wide receiver

Emmett Jones and the Oklahoma Sooners have assembled an incredibly talented group of players at wide receiver for 2024.

In each of the last two seasons, the Oklahoma Sooners have lost their leading receiver.

[autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag], who led the team in 2022, earned a Pro Bowl selection with the Denver Broncos in his rookie season in 2023. [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag] is hoping to hear his name called in the 2024 NFL draft after his breakout season in 2023.

And despite the turnover, the Sooners are still stacked at wide receiver.

[autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] is back after his breakout season in 2023. Anderson caught 38 balls for 798 yards and 10 touchdowns. He led the nation in yards per reception among qualified wide receivers. [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag], who also experienced a breakout year in a rotational role also returns looking to build off of a season in which he had 14 receptions for 375 yards and five touchdowns. Swiss Army knife wide receiver [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] returns to give the Sooners a veteran in the room. He had a solid year that was marred by ball insecurity that reared its head in the Alamo Bowl loss to Arizona. Farooq was second on the team in receptions and third in receiving yards last season.

[autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] returns after suffering an ACL tear in the Red River Rivalry win over Texas. Prior to his injury, Anthony was leading the Sooners in receiving, winning at every level of the passing game.

Also back are speedsters [autotag]Brenen Thompson[/autotag] and [autotag]Jaquaize Pettaway[/autotag]. Though they saw limited playing time, their speed put defenses on notice last year. Thompson provided big play ability every time he stepped on the field and will look to earn a bigger role this offseason. Pettaway was getting his feet wet as a true freshman but could see an increased workload on offense and special teams.

And if that was the depth chart at wide receiver heading into 2024, you’d feel great about what Jackson Arnold will be throwing to. And yet, the talent that Emmett Jones has assembled at wide receiver looks like the heroes arriving at the culmination of Avengers: End Game for the battle with Thanos.

Jones also brought in talented playmaker [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag] from Purdue. Burks could be a candidate to start for the Sooners in the slot, taking over for Stoops in 2024. And if that weren’t enough, the Sooners added a really good freshman class with [autotag]Zion Kearney[/autotag], [autotag]Ivan Carreon[/autotag], [autotag]Zion Ragins[/autotag], and [autotag]K.J. Daniels[/autotag].

To say the Sooners are talent-rich at wide receiver heading into 2024 would be an understatement. From top to bottom, it’s easily the deepest position group on the roster. And with Jackson Arnold taking over at quarterback and transition along the offensive line, a lot will be expected of Emmett Jones’ wide receiver crew to provide big plays for the Sooners in 2024.

And with the talent that Jones and the Sooners have assembled, they’re about to have a huge season in their first in the SEC.

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Oklahoma Sooners’ 2024 signing class position outlook

A position by position look at who signed with the Oklahoma Sooners in the 2024 signing class.

The Oklahoma Sooners put together another top-10 recruiting class, signing all 27 of their prospects on the first day of the early signing period.

It’s a class that will help define Oklahoma’s success in the SEC. It’s a class that’s balanced, with 14 offensive signees and 13 on the defensive side of the ball. The defensive front is garnering all of the attention, but the Oklahoma Sooners brought in a number of really talented players on both sides of the ball.

Here’s a position breakdown of the Sooners’ 2024 signing class.

More: [autotag]2024 Early Signing Period[/autotag] coverage

Oklahoma Sooners 2024 Early Signing Period Tracker

Get to know the 2024 recruiting class with our Oklahoma Sooners 2024 early signing period tracker.

It’s Day 1 of the [autotag]2024 early signing period[/autotag], and the Oklahoma Sooners are already off to the races. A number of their prospects started the ball rolling first thing this morning, signing their national letters of intent to play ball at Oklahoma.

It’s expected that nearly all of Oklahoma’s committed players in the 2024 class will sign for the Sooners on Day 1 of the early signing period. However, as we saw in the Peyton Bowen recruitment a year ago, there could be a surprise or two during the early signing period.

As Oklahoma welcomes in its 2024 recruiting class, here are the players that officially became members of the Oklahoma Sooners.

The Sooners have officially signed each of their 2024 commitments.

Get to know the Sooners 2024 recruiting class with our early signing period tracker.

Follow along for all of our [autotag]2024 Early Signing Period[/autotag]

Speedster out of Louisiana signs letter of intent with the Oklahoma Sooners

Dynamic Louisiana playmaker K.J. Daniels signs letter of intent with the Oklahoma Sooners.

The Oklahoma Sooners have built a diverse and dynamic wide receiver room since the arrival of Emmett Jones. The latest addition during the early signing period is an impact player with dynamic speed, Kelly “KJ” Daniels.

Daniels signed his national letter of intent for the Oklahoma Sooners during the early signing period.

Considered a three-star prospect, Daniels is a big play waiting to happen. Whether in the passing game or the running game, he is a cheat code with his ability to accelerate and break away from defenders. He’ll be an impact player for the Sooners on the outside, but he could carve out a role in the slot as he continues to refine his game.

The three-star wide receiver out of Franklinton, Louisiana, was a priority recruitment for wide receivers coach [autotag]Emmett Jones[/autotag], who recruited Daniels while with the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

In choosing the Sooners, Daniels joins a wide receiver room that could be the best in the SEC in 2024. That group includes returning players Nic Anderson, Jalil Farooq, Jayden Gibson, Andrel Anthony, Brenen Thompson and Gavin Freeman. As impressive as that group is, the six will be pushed by the 2024 signees at wide receiver: Daniels, [autotag]Zion Kearney[/autotag], [autotag]Zion Ragins[/autotag] and [autotag]Ivan Carreon[/autotag].

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

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