Open Post | Weekend, November 6th – 8th
Posted on: November 6, 2020
Searching for Another 2021 DB
– Super K
***As you know, with the Sooners parting ways with Caleb Johnson, they are in the market again for another defensive back.
***I should note that there is a chance depending on how they see the numbers playing out that they actually look to add two DBs. But for now it’s one.
***We already saw a JUCO offer go out to Oregon commit, Jadarrius Perkins (Mississippi Gulf Coast CC).
***I’m told Sooners are also considering revisiting things with yet another Oregon commit, Daymon David (Reisterstown, MD). David was a Sooners target back in the spring and into the summer but I don’t get the sense that the Sooners pushed quite as hard as they could have. That was by design. Had they done so, I think he would’ve been a Sooner. If they push now, a flip is possible, in my estimation.
***I get the sense that the Sooners are pushing quite hard for Jardin Gilbert (Baton Rouge, LA). Gilbert’s most recent top five included Alabama, Miss. State, TAMU, Southern University and the Sooners. Gilbert is the guy to watch. We should be bringing you more on him, shortly. I will say that I don’t think that top five holds anymore. I will also say that Gilbert looks impressive on film. He’s a safety with what I call “TCU feet”.
***Also, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Sooners attempt to revisit things with Texas CB commit, Ishmael Ibraheem or even look at one of the late blooming DBs in TX like Marvin Covington (Mansfield, TX). Have been told Covington has a heck of an upside. The bit I saw of him on film, he plays at the LOS like few in high school do.
***The Sooners are trying to get a feel for what each room (CB and safety) will look like next year. The feeling I get is that if Tre Brown gets any chance to leave for the NFL, he will do so.
***Also, continue to hear that DJ Graham wants to move the offensive side of the ball. It’s unfortunate that this is the case. Graham looks really good on the field. The upside is there but if the will isn’t then that’s a problem. Perhaps they’re hoping to entice him to stay with defense but you can’t count on that number.
***Latrell could come in and blow everyone away but you don’t want to rely on a freshman. So as it stands you’ve got Davis, Washington and the hope that Eaton and Dennis will develop next year.
***I know there is some thought that Harrington could play cornerback. That’s where they had him this past spring. I’m personally skeptical and despite what they might think, this recent JUCO offer tells me that deep down the Sooners are, as well. I’ve been told Harrington is already over 210 lbs. I suppose a guy could play CB at that size but it’s too rare to gamble on.
***At safety and nickel, they don’t rotate a ton but there does seem to be a continued desire to upgrade, especially in terms of size. I think DTY, despite his size, is a favorite. Both Bookie and Pat will have to continue to compete.
Inside The Numbers | OU Defense vs TTU
– Charlie S
Taking a look at the rough snap counts and a few other observations courtesy PFF stats…
Snap Count:
S Pat Fields – 42
S Tre Norwood – 40
NB Bookie – 35
LB Brian Asamoah – 34
S Justin Broiles – 33
CB Tre Brown – 33
CB Woodi Washington – 32
DE Ronnie Perkins – 31
LB David Ugwoegbu – 29
DB Jeremiah Criddell – 29
CB DJ Graham – 28
DL Isaiah Thomas – 27
LB DaShaun White – 27
EDGE – Jon-Michael Terry – 27
DT Josh Ellison – 26
DT Perrion Winfrey – 26
DT Jordan Kelley – 25
EDGE Nik Bonitto – 24
LB Bryan Mead – 23
DT Kori Roberson – 23
CB Jaden Davis – 22
LB Brynden Walker
LB Shane Whitter
S Bryson Washington
***Ugwoegbu once again got more snaps at MIKE than DaShaun White did…and both played very well (DWhite’s best game, you’ll see below)
***Justin Broiles getting that many snaps was surprising
Top 5 Rated Overall Defenders for the game:
1. Ronnie Perkins – 84.8
2. Perrion Winfrey – 82.7
3. DaShaun White – 73.8
4. Jordan Kelley – 72.8
5. Kori Roberson – 70.3
***Look at the defensive line shine.
Top 5 Rated Defensive Tacklers for the game:
1. Justin Broiles – 83.3
2. Ronnie Perkins – 77.1
3. JMT & Woodi Washington – 77.0
4. Bookie – 74.8
5. Isaiah Thomas – 74.2
Guys PFF was not kind too for overall defense:
1. Josh Ellison
2. Tre Norwood
3. Jaden Davis
Position Group Progress Report | TTU
– Charlie S
Wrapping up the Texas Tech game and handing out the weekly position group progress reports! The Sooners played their most complete game of the season, for the second consecutive week, and the ratings will reflect that.
I will be including the previous weeks rankings so we can all see how the units are shaking out on a week by week basis!
Let’s see how things shook out against the Red Raiders!
QB: 5* (Last week 4*)
Starting this one off with a bang!
Rattler’s stat line read: 21 of 30 for 288 yards and 2 touchdowns,
That’s great. Impressive.
He was much better than his stat line. He had three balls flat out dropped by his receivers which would have likely padded his stats with the addition of close to 100 yards and 2 more touchdowns. On 3 balls.
He also ran the ball 3 times for 24 yards and his poise and pocket presence really showed his maturation process.
He made the easy throws. He made spectacular throws. He didn’t turn the ball over. He led his offense to their most impressive output of the season.
There was nothing more he could have done on the night.
The scary part for future opponents is…he just continues to get better.
RB: High 4* (Last week 4*)
The addition of Rhamondre Stevenson to the running back room had an immediate and impressive effect on the OU running game, and in fact, the offense overall.
Stevenson came back with a bang as his stat line read: 13 carries for 87 yards and 3 touchdowns.
But his impact was much larger than his stat line.
I mentioned in the comment section of the ‘Film Don’t Lie’ thread that Stevenson made his offensive line look great and it looked as though he served as an in game instructor for the other Oklahoma backs. In particular, it appeared as though Seth McGowan went to school on the way Stevenson was running the ball and you could see him change his style as the game wore on.
McGowan finished with 10 carries for 58 yards and 1 touchdown and displayed a much more patient running style as the game wore on.
Suddenly, the OU running back room looks like a potential strength as opposed to an uncertainty. While Stevenson’s addition will help the Sooners on the field in regards to the actual game play, I do not think the effect of his presence on the other backs, in terms of learning from his style, can be overstated. We saw it in his first game back.
WR/TE: High 3* (Last week High 3*)
Rinse and repeat…the drops have got to be corrected.
Theo Wease was poised to have a breakout game for his season. He caught 5 balls and went for over 100 yards.
He also dropped a sure touchdown.
Marvin Mims added another chunk play among his 4 catches.
He also dropped a sure touchdown and 2 other passes.
Austin Stogner had a good bounce back game from a sub par outing against TCU (multiple drops) so that was a good sign.
Can’t progress if you don’t fix your issues, and the OU wide receivers continue to show signs of being a very strong group, but they must fix the drops issue.
OL: 5* (Last week 4*)
The offensive line get’s their first 5* rating of the year for their performance in the Texas Tech game.
They paved the way for over 550 yards of offense for OU and only had one penalty (which was called on TRob but it wasn’t him, that much I know, and I still could not locate who it was on…kind of a phantom call).
They protected Rattler who barely got hit the entire game and they got some serious push when they needed to down near the goal line.
Not only did the starting unit play exceptional ball, the second unit was pretty salty as well.
Creed Humphrey had his best game, in my opinion, in over a year and even old Erik Swenson looked very good.
In the run game, it is amazing what happens when you get a back who is patient enough when it comes to following his blocks and hitting his keys.
Superb outing by Bedenbaughs group.
DL: Low 5* (Last 5*)
Sooners defense had 2 sacks and 9 tackles for loss.
Could have been a ‘High 4*’ or ‘5*’ so I split the difference and gave my first ever ‘Low 5*).
I did that in large part to leave some room for improvement as I believe the addition of Perkins will obviously only raise their ceiling.
The 2 sacks are not an accurate reflection of the pressure that OU applied all night and it came from everywhere.
Winfrey and Thomas (when he lined up inside) and Perkins, Thomas, Bonitto, JMT, and Stripling all were very impactful in their roles.
Perrion Winfrey is going to have a decision on his hands at the end of the year as will Isaiah Thomas. The betting man in me says enjoy Winfrey while you have him.
Want to give Jordan Kelley a shout out on the progress report as he played another really good game and is quickly developing into a factor instead of just a depth guy. That’s a great sign.
Big picture: I was very interested in watching how the DL would perform following the Texas game. They have continued to grow and get better over the course of the last 3 weeks. That is great news for Sooner fans.
LB: 3* (Last week 3*)
Not a big night for the linebackers again.
Asamoah continues to be inconsistent. He can make the highlight reel on one play and then completely whiff on the next play. He has to become more consistent, and over the last 3 games or so, I actually see him trending the opposite way…becoming more inconsistent. Hopefully he can turn that around.
DaShaun White had a quiet game, but quality game in my opinion, and David Ugwoegbu got more snaps than White for the second consecutive week.
I will say I liked what I saw in terms of Ugwoegbu becoming a linebacker instead of becoming a guy playing linebacker. Things appear to be coming more naturally for him.
DB: High 3* (Last week 4*)
This is a difficult one for me this week.
Yes OU got 2 interceptions. However, those interceptions were not caused by the defensive backs, they were a product of being in the right place at the right time. Still, that has to account for something…right?
Tre Norwood, who was starting in place of the COVID stricken DTY, was the guy in the right place at the right time for the interceptions, but he was also one of the biggest culprits in terms of missed tackles and a few busts.
Tre Brown got picked on early, but did get better as the game went on, and as I pointed out previously, that is exactly the type of in game adjustments you want to see.
Didn’t notice Fields much except on a couple occasions where he was caught flat footed or out of position, but nothing egregious. Kinda odd that a guy who led the team in defensive snaps didn’t register at all in the stat line…even Bryson Washington was credited with a tackle in his limited snaps.
Bookie was not noticeable and Woodi and Jaden had ok games (both got beat a time or two but were fortunate to not give up a big play).
Just kind of a ‘meh’ outing for the group…which is not always a bad thing.
Special Teams: High 2* (Last week High 3*)
Brkic was fine.
PR was ok.
KR was not really a factor.
Punting is bad. Bordering on terrible.
2021 DB Jardin Gilbert | Trending
– Super K
As we mentioned yesterday, the Sooners are still hoping to add an additional defensive back to this class.
2021 DB, Jardin Gilbert (Baton Rouge, LA) has been a top target of the Sooners for quite some time – and for good reason. He’s extremely talented.
Gilbert originally had a top five of Alabama, Texas A&M, Mississippi State, OU and Southern.
From what I gather, this one is trending very strongly towards OU. I would outright call this for OU, however, I do believe that LSU still has Gilbert on their board and should they offer, that’s always a tough thing to overcome.
But if LSU stays out of this fight, the Sooners are looking like they have a very good shot of bringing in an exceptional DB recruit out of Louisiana.
Quick Hitter | Stacey Wilkins
– Charlie S
***Back in early October, Sooners offensive tackle Stacey Wilkins made the decision to officially opt out for the year.
***Heading into the season, Wilkins, a sophomore, was expected to push for the starting job at left tackle after participating in four games during his freshman season.
***There has been a lot of speculation as to where things would go from that point, and right now, while it is not necessarily a done deal, it sounds as though he is leaning towards joining EJ Ndoma-Ogar in regards to entering the NCAA transfer portal.
***Again, this is not a done deal, but it does sound reasonably likely.
One on One | Kansas | What I’ll Be Watching
– Charlie S
I began this post with every intention of picking out some ‘One on One’ matchups for the OU vs Kansas game.
It didn’t go well.
Kansas is a terrible football team.
Their offense is anemic and their defense is porous.
I could have gone out and focused on a guy like Kyle Mayberry (CB) on defense, but realistically, it wasn’t worth the effort.
Instead, I’m gonna talk about some things I want to see in what will likely amount to a glorified scrimmage in Norman.
1. First thing I will be paying attention to is the energy level and focus of the team, particularly in the first half. Last week the Sooners put up 45 in the first half against Texas Tech, despite looking a bit sluggish out of the gate. OU gave up a rather easy touchdown defensively to Tech on the first defensive series and then went 3 and out on their first offensive series. Anything less than the exact opposite of that against Kansas would be a bit of a disappointment in my opinion.
2. The offensive line is probably feeling pretty good about themselves following the TTU game, and rightfully so. Show me the ability to dominate the Kansas defense from snap one. This is where focus will be very important in respect to having another clean game penalty wise while keeping Rattler clean and opening lanes for the backs.
3. The wide receivers need to put together a game with no drops. None. Not one. Could there be an appearance from Haselwood? Not certain, but I’m going to focus on the guys who are there and have dropped far too many passes this year. Would like to see Marvin Mims involved early and often which would help him wipe that bad taste out of his mouth. Spencer Rattler deserves a clean game from his receivers.
4. Running backs need to continue to watch Rhamondre Stevenson and learn from him. You saw Seth McGowan develop some patience as the game wore on last week and he was able to see how Rhamondre was doing it. I’m hoping to see more of that from all the backs.
5. As far as the defensive line goes, last week Iowa State recorded 5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss against Kansas. Match or exceed those numbers, preferably in the first 3 quarters. Iowa State held Kansas to a 2.1 ypc average when it came to rushing the ball. The Sooners defensive line should be ready to feast. Come out focused and take control early.
6. I will be paying attention to the linebackers rotation and snap counts initially, and then I will be focusing on the missed assignments and missed tackles. Brian Asamoah is a guy who has led the team in missed tackles over the last 3 games, that has to change. He has a lot of potential to make the spectacular play, but he needs to become more consistent and he needs to get there quickly.
7. Grinch and Manning should be able to rotate the defensive backs liberally. Even from the start. I would like to see some of the tounger guys get meaningful snaps in the first half. Show me more from Criddell and Bryson Washington. DJ Graham got a good chunk of snaps last week, let’s see him and Josh Eaton get some run before the game is out of hand. The score is not going to matter in this one, the game will be won by OU, give the kids a chance to play when they feel a sense of pressure instead of solely in garbage time.
8. The last thing I don’t want to see is OU punting the ball. They are not very good at it and there should be little need for it.
Good News…
– Super K
I saved a ton of money on my…
But seriously, it is looking like the Sooners could get some good news on the recruiting front this weekend. Stay tuned.
