Open Post | Weekend, August 25th – 27th
Posted on: August 25, 2023
Sunday Brunch | Offensive Future is Bright
– Charlie S – Posted on: August 20, 2023
Wanted to take a minute today to talk about the offensive skill position recruiting in the ’24 class and how dynamic and diverse the group is.
As we discussed when he first arrived in Norman as the offensive coordinator, Jeff Lebby’s offense starts and ends with creating conflicts for the defense even before the ball is snapped. With wide splits and the propensity to run the ball coupled with tempo, when the offense is working correctly, the backend of the defense is immediately put in conflict as the safeties in particular are forced to make decisions early.
Lebby went out and got his potentially elite QB of the future last year in Jackson Arnold to run things and this year he and his staff have added a diverse array of weapons which will only help further exasperate the conflicts on the opposing defenses.
Lebby has added two additional quarterbacks to his room in the ’24 class in Michael Hawkins and Brendan Zurbrugg, Arnold is the immediate future and Kevin Sperry in the ’25 class follows up Hawkins and Zurbrugg. That is great and the QB position in Norman is quickly becoming well-stocked which is something we hadn’t seen under the previous regime.
The impact of this class can be found in the diverse skill position players that will support the quarterbacks. Emmett Jones, DeMarco Murray and Joe Jon Finley have secured the verbal commitments from an outstanding group who bring a little bit of everything to the table.
You start by looking at the top ranked running back in the country in Taylor Tatum who is paired with in state phenom Xavier Robinson in the running back class. Tatum is a guy I compare to Rodney Anderson while Xaver Robinson is a large man who may remind some of Semaje Perine, but he is bigger and faster coming out of high school. DeMarco may not be done as he and Emmett Jones could share Andy Bass who is a Swiss Army knife who is smaller than both Tatum and Robinson but very diverse in his skill set.
Joe Jon Finley went out and secured the verbal commitment of one of the top tight ends in the ’24 class as Davon Mitchell. Mitchell is a massive target with tremendous hands and very good speed who also happened to be physically mature enough to reclassify to the ’24 class and enroll early.
But the really interesting aspect of the ’24 class to me is the wide receiver room. I do not have to rehash my feelings about the wide receiver room over the past 5 years. Simply put, it hasn’t been up to OU standards.
Emmett Jones has secured verbal commitments from five wideouts who will bring a ton of matchup problems to the offense based on their diversity. You have big guys, small guys, fast guys, polished route runners, good hands guys…you have it all.
The diversity of this class will cause nightmares in the future for opponents. Lebby will be able to run out four wide receivers while running tempo which can change the conflicts for the defense from snap to snap. One minute your defensive back will be charged with covering a 6’6 tower and on the next play he could be faced with covering a 5’9 speedster.
Your safeties and linebackers will be put in conflict with the threats from the top rated running back in the country, one of the top tight ends, and then the plethora of talented and diverse wideouts.
One difference between this staff and last staff can be found in the wide receiver recruiting, in my opinion. The last staff brought in one of the all time great receiver classes on paper when they secured three five star players in Theo Wease, Jadon Haselwood, and Trejan Bridges. The difference with that class? They were very similar players. They were all in the same mold in regard to being ‘complete’ receivers and not specialists in any one area. I am not dissing that class, even though it never really panned out for the Sooners, but the same approach was replicated in the class that fell apart when they bolted to Southern Cal. Not a lot of diversity.
The different weapons and skill sets will allow Lebby and the OU offense to come out of the box and immediately put the defense in even more conflict than the scheme itself does. Every play, every snap, every 20 seconds the defense will have to pick their poison if this staff can coach up the influx of weapons.
Obviously, this is all on paper and the coaches have to coach them up and the players have to develop, but this ’24 class of skill position players is really something to be excited about!
Big Week on the Trail | Bass and Stone
– Charlie S – Posted on: August 21, 2023
Big week ahead for the Sooners on the recruiting trail…
***Athlete Andy bass is set to announce his commitment to the school of his choosing on Thursday (August 24th). We continue to feel good about OU here and have him trending to the Sooners. (as you know Bass did announce to the Sooners).
***Defensive lineman David Stone is set to announce his decision on Saturday (August 26th). As Super K noted last week HERE we have this trending to the Sooners at this time so long as the date does not get pushed back.
Right now, we have not been given an indication that his date will get pushed, but if it does, we would obviously reevaluate things at that time.
2023 Fall Camp All Buzz Team
– Charlie S – Posted on: August 22, 2023
Let’s take a look at the names who generated the most buzz from sourced notes over the course of fall camp.
As you all know, circumstances often dictate the buzz, but I thought it would be cool to document the names who were talked about the most at each position and then take a look back at the end of the year.
Here we go…
QB – While Jackson Arnold was probably the most talked about quarterback, the consensus is that Dillon Gabriel was clearly the most proficient QB and the leader of the offense throughout fall camp. Sources are clear that Arnold is the most talented QB in Norman, but they were fair in noting that he has work to do in regard to running the offense. Gabriel knows the offense very well and one thing he does in large part is protect the ball very well.
RB – Despite missing a day here and a day there, Gavin Sawchuk was the guy that sources talked about the most in regard to making big plays. Sawchuk seems like he will get his share of reps coming out of camp to start the year so long as he stays healthy and his home run ability on any given snap could give the Sooners a big boost in offensive production.
WR – This one is easy, Gavin Freeman was consistently the most talked about wide receiver in camp. We actually heard things like ‘future Pro’ and ‘kid is going to shock a lot of people’. After Freeman, another pair of newcomers drew the most buzz in Michigan transfer Andrel Anthony and true freshman Jaquaizie Pettaway. Nic Anderson also got his fair share of buzz. Sounds promising, but after the last few years, the wide receiver room in Norman has a lot to prove.
TE – The only real buzz at tight end was centered around Austin Stogner who made his way back to Norman after a one year stop in South Carolina. Stogner was lauded for his leadership and his improved blocking capabilities. This is a room that is searching for some dependable depth and Blake Smith is currently holding down the second tight end spot that Daniel Parker worked at last year. Some good news toward the end of camp emerged as Jason Llewellyn began to be a full participant in practice.
OL – This group as a whole received a lot of buzz but the one guy all the sources wanted to talk about the most was right tackle Tyler Guyton. There are a lot of people very high on him and they believe he is one of the most physically talented guys that Bill Bedenbaugh has ever had in Norman. Andrew Raym at center also had some folks talking as many are impressed by his progress in development. Overall, there was a lot of praise for the offensive line and a lot of talk about the competitive depth along the front as well.
IDL – This is a spot where no one individual picked up the lions share of the buzz. At times you had people talking about Tennessee transfer DaJon Terry, Isaiah Coe, Jordan Kelley, Gracen Halton, and Kelvin Gilliam, but there was no consistent buzz about any individual through camp. You can view that as you choose….could be a good thing as there is not much dropoff from any one individual on the depth chart…could be a not so good thing as nobody made a consistent enough impression to get people talking. We will see how this all plays out here in about 10 days time.
EDGE – Rondell Bothroyd is the name who was talked about most consistently at the EDGE spot. Bothroyd left Wake Forest to make his way to Norman and from the sounds of it, the coaching staff has not been disappointed. R Mason Thomas picked up some buzz as did Trace Ford and young stud PJ Adebawore. I will say that it sounds like the staff is pleased with the progress of this group as a whole.
ILB – The discussion about who generated the most buzz through fall camp at linebacker starts and stops with Danny Stutsman. Stutsman was all over social media and Venables heaped praise on him every opportunity he could when in front of a mic as he talked about his ability on the field and his leadership as well. Jaren Kanak, Kobie McKinzie and Kip Lewis also drew their share of buzz, but Danny is the leader of the all buzz team from fall camp for sure.
Cheetah – Its fall camp so that means you hear about Justin Harrington. Hopefully, this year he is able to take the buzz from fall camp and run with it and have a productive season. Dasan McCullough drew his share of buzz as well and as one source said ‘all he does is make plays’. I would not be shocked to see Harrington begin the season getting the first reps, but I would wager that McCullough will get as many if not more snaps than Harrington when all is said and done by the end of the year.
S – The most talked about safety in fall camp was freshman Peyton Bowen because everyone wanted to talk about the freak he is both mentally and physically. Brent Venables said it himself, football comes easy for Bowen and while he has worked at five different spots, expect him to see a lot of his action this year at one of the safety spots. Right now he is backing up Billy Bowman who also created a lot of buzz this camp, but we will see how long that lasts as it is not beyond the realm of possibility that you see a safety tandem of Bowen and Bowman relatively early in the season. Reggie Person also created some buzz with his physical nature, but Bowman and Bowen were consistently the most talked about.
CB – The young guys created the most buzz here as Jasaiah Wagoner (early in camp) and Makari Vickers (came on as camp evolved) were the hot topics for sources. Wagoner and Vicekrs will get their opportunities in the out of conference portion of the schedule for certain as they look to push Woodi Washington and presumed starter Gentry Williams. Both Woodi and Gentry had their moments in camp, but the young guys really excited a lot of folks in Norman.
2023 Fall Camp All Sleeper Team
– Charlie S – Posted on: August 23, 2023
Yesterday we discussed the guys who generated the most buzz around our sources at each position for team 129 through fall camp…2023 Fall Camp All Buzz Team
Today, let’s discuss the guys at each position who may not have generated the most buzz but may be significant contributors.
Here we go!
QB – I mean, the two projected contributors have been discussed thoroughly, but to be fair, Dillon Gabriel was not the guy that most of the buzz was on in fall camp. I believe that is because he has been doing what has been expected of him and he didn’t stink the joint up…which would have been very concerning. So Gabriel is the guy that sources slept on more than Arnold, but let’s face it…there was no sleeper between the two. Perhaps Davis Beville staking claim to QB3 over General Booty qualifies?
RB – The one guy out of the most likely contributors who was least mentioned throughout fall camp? Marcus Major…who just may walk out on the field for snap one of game one. Most of the talk in the running back room was on Jovantae Barnes and his recovery from surgery in the spring, Gavin Sawchuk coming off the big bowl game and flashing early and often in camp, freshman Kalib Hicks turning heads with his performance and comprehension of the offense, Daylan Smothers and a bit of drama as he voluntarily missed a couple days and Tawee Walker getting a lot of run in fall camp, particularly in the red zone situations. Meanwhile, Marcus Major has stayed healthy and has been leading the room through drills this last week or so. Major has yet to play a full season in Norman, maybe this is the year and hopefully he can make an impact.
WR – Perhaps the least talked about receiver throughout fall camp is the guy that most people have penciled in as WR1…Jalil Farooq. Farooq hasn’t been the guy that sources have been talking about and it may be as simple as he is a known commodity among the staff and sources. We have heard that he is one of the leaders of the room, and perhaps in this case, maybe the less that is said is better as it could indicate that OU feels like he is doing what he is supposed to do and is happy with his progress. Emmett Jones did take time to speak about him and the way he values Farooq, so I do not take it as a bad thing that there hasn’t been a ton of sourced info on him.
TE – Can a true freshman be slept on, because if they can, Kade McIntyre is that guy. McIntyre would have obviously benefitted from being in Norman for the spring, but he wasted little time in earning some praise about his work ethic and his potential. Austin Stogner is the unquestioned leader of this room and Blake Smith will see plenty of run as will Jason Llewellyn as long as he stays healthy. Josh Fanuiel is a guy who is athletic as all get out and he seems to be picking things up rapidly for a guy that’s new to football, but McIntyre is a guy who could make an impact as the year progresses.
OL – Sources have been quite complimentary of the offensive line as a whole and they have discussed nine guys pretty consistently. Out of those nine guys, one guy that did not get talked about enough, in my opinion, was Jake Taylor. Taylor is a man without a home right now as he has been working at right tackle behind Tyler Guyton for most of camp. However, he worked at guard all last year and with the reviews he is getting in camp this year, I would not be surprised to see him be the long term answer at any of the spots should an injury (or ineffectiveness) take place among the starting five. Taylor likely will get his reps at tackle to begin the season behind Guyton, but when Sexton is cleared, Taylor will likely be playing at whatever position needs a push.
IDL – Again, as with the all-buzz team, there really is no guy that is being slept on here. Perhaps Jonah Laulu is the guy who could be considered the least talked about in fall camp, but he drew a lot of praise throughout the spring and summer. Laulu is a guy who could provide a spark in regard to rushing the passer from the interior, but again, this group has pretty much been lumped together with no consistent standouts all around.
EDGE – As weird as it sounds, I think PJ Adebawore is the guy that we will all look back on and say ‘we didn’t hear enough about him’ throughout fall camp. Yes, we had reports about him flashing, but I just cannot help but feel that he will have a larger impact on the rotation as each game clicks off the schedule. Adebawore is a freakish athlete and we are told he is a quick study and picks things up easily. I don’t know that a five star prospect is ever ‘slept’ on…but he may be being a bit overlooked right now.
ILB – Kobie McKinzie went from being on the all-buzz spring team to being on the all-sleeper fall camp team and I do not think it was because of his performance this fall. Kobie has been very good in fall camp according to sources, but with the talk about Stutsman and Kanak being the loudest, it feels like people are forgetting about Kobie and the strides he has made in the last year. McKinzie will get his reps at the MIKE…how many he gets will depend on how he does when the live rounds are firing and how he compares to Kanak and Near. My guess is that McKinzie solidifies his snaps and will be a pretty significant contributor.
Cheetah – Don’t sleep on Peyton Bowen getting a significant amount of snaps here. While I think Bowen eventually winds up playing free safety and being elite at it, Bowen has made it very difficult for the staff to keep him off the field and with his instincts, ball skills, and physicality, he certainly could find himself playing a lot of Cheetah.
S – Sleep on Robert Spears Jennings at your own risk. I think a lot of the reason people do not put him in the equation at safety much at this point is because he is coming back from injury and will most likely not be quite ready to go for the start of the season. Once healthy though, RSJ has all the tools to be very effective and he has some experience in the defense which will help him be ready to go when fully healthy. If he can be ready to go by the time Tulsa rolls around, look for him to work his way into the rotation.
CB – Kendel Dolby has been a man flying completely under the radar for the most part as Woodi Washington, Gentry Williams, Makari Vickers, and Jasiah Wagoner were featured prominently on the All Buzz team. Dolby is a seasoned guy who is new to the system at OU and it may take him some time to get his feet under him (see CJ Coldon last year). We have heard bits and pieces about him flashing throughout camp, but once things slow down for him and the lights come on, I expect him to find his footing and work his way into the rotation.
The Latest | Grant Brix
– Charlie S – Posted on: August 24, 2023
As you know, the Sooners are still in pursuit of ’24 offensive line priority target Grant Brix (6’5.5 280) out of Logan, Iowa.
The Sooners offered Brix back in September of ’22 and he has been to Norman multiple times including for an official visit this summer as well as an appearance at the end of July at the Party at the Palace.
OU has always been among his top three schools, but at one point it looked like the battle was between Kansas State and Nebraska with OU trailing a bit. That characterization was bolstered by sources in the building at Kansas State at the time as we reported.
However, around the time that he decided to get back to Norman for the Party at the Palace event, KSU seemed to be slipping and Nebraska and OU were the prominent names being thrown around.
Sources in the building at Nebraska have been confident and remain so currently.
However, sources in Norman are ‘very hopeful’ and gaining confidence.
Source tells me that Brix is rapidly closing in on a decision.
We have talked about OU sources being very optimistic throughout this cycle, sometimes without solid reasoning. However, it is important to keep one thing in mind in this case. Some of the staff on the offensive side, including Bedenbaugh, are holdovers from the previous head coach(s) and they tend to temper their optimism a bit more than the new staff members. So OU gaining confidence, as the source indicates, could be viewed in a very positive light.
Oklahoma is looking to add Brix to an offensive line class that consists of Isaiah Autry, Eugene Brooks, and Josh Aisosa.
Nigel Smith | Updated Trending
– Super K – Posted on: August 24, 2023
Earlier this week, I gave OU the trending edge in the battle for 2024 DL, Nigel Smith (Melissa, TX).
In the post (HERE), I gave the Sooners the trend at 58.5/41.5.
However, I did warn you all that I was still waiting to hear back from a source in the DFW area. And, I mentioned I would update things based on additional information I may receive.
I did receive some additional information so I’m going to update my trending.
I’m going to bump the Sooners up from a 58.5 to a 75.
Source in the DFW feels very good about the Sooners.
Sourced Team Notes | August 24th
– Charlie S – Posted on: August 24, 2023
Picked up some sourced team notes for the community this week…
***First, James was told WR DJ Graham is back at practice and had a couple of big plays this week including a one-hander that went for 50 plus which was thrown by Jackson Arnold. No word on whether he will still consider a redshirt or not at this point, but it is good to hear he is back on the field for sure.
***I was told Peyton Bowen had a monster week which included multiple picks and more importantly, no signs of typical freshman busts. Was told several of the interceptions he pulled in were from the safety spot but he is still getting run at multiple positions throughout the backend of the defense.
***Source tells me that the linebacking competition has brought out the best in all the candidates in the room. Was told Lewis Carter continues to impress with his athleticism and instincts. Sounds like Stuts and Kanak are locked in and the battles rage in competition for the MIKE and WILL backup spots. Source said Kobie McKinzie is still turning heads with his physicality.
***More accolades for Andrel Anthony at the wide receiver spot, but in news that should be nice to hear, source tells me that Jalil Farooq ‘turned it up this week’ and that is exactly what you like to hear as the team heads into game prep.
***I was told Jovantae Barnes continues to elevate his game and in particular his vision. Source noted that it looks like things have really opened up for him and he is making more moves that we didn’t see last year.’
***Source tells me that the EDGE room continues to make some gains coming off their impressive performance in the second scrimmage. Was told Bothroyd continues to pace the group but Downs just continues to get better as camp goes along. Source noted that R Mason Thomas had a big week which included a ‘bunch’ of batted passes as well as a forced fumble.
***In regard to the offensive line, source says, ‘Those guys are starting to gel. They have been good all fall, but they haven’t even scratched the surface of where they can go’. Was told Tyler Guyton continues to grow daily but Savion Byrd and Jake Taylor had really impressive weeks as well. Source said ‘Taylor is gonna make it difficult to keep him on the bench’.
