It’s easy to see that something isn’t right with the Oklahoma Sooners’ offense. It’s not running with the same efficiency as in previous years, which has to do with several factors. Quarterback, offensive line, and at times the receivers just aren’t playing well enough to keep the offense humming.
While they’re struggling, it’s not all bad news. The Sooners are getting good performances from several players this year. Mario Williams and Michael Woods continue to stand out in the passing game, and Eric Gray showed his explosiveness on his big catch and run early in the game.
One of the more underrated positive performances for the Sooners has been the play of tight end/h-back Brayden Willis. Though he hasn’t been used much in the passing game, just five targets, he’s been excellent as a blocker in 2021 and finds himself with the highest grade of any tight end through four weeks per Pro Football Focus.
It’s going to be tough for any receiving tight end to supplant Willis if he keeps dominating defenders in the run game. He leads the country in run-blocking grade at the position (84.1) and places 19th in pass-blocking grade (75.2).
On every contending team, you need guys that are “glue guys.” They’re not the guys that fill up the stat sheet, but the ones that do all the little things the right way every time they’re on the field. Brayden Willis is one of those guys.
When he was called upon last year in the wake of the Austin Stogner injury, he was solid in the passing game. This year with Stogner back, he’s still not getting a ton of opportunities in the passing game (of course, neither is Stogner), but Willis is still finding a way to contribute in a meaningful way every single week.
When we get to the end of the season and start talking about team MVP candidates, it’s unlikely that Brayden Willis’ name shows up. However, his contribution can’t be understated because of what he’s done in the running game.