Open Post | Weekend, October 18th – 20th
Posted on: October 18, 2019
Another SEC Territory Visitor
– Super K
As we reported earlier in the week, Sooners will host athletic defensive lineman, Reggie Grimes (Nashville, TN) for an official visit, this weekend.
You’ll recall that during the bye week, Grinch visited 4-star Tennessee DB commit, Keshawn Lawrence (Nashville, TN). We were told at the time that Grinch came away impressed with Lawrence as an athlete but was not likely to continue the pursuit of him as a recruit.
However, it appears that has changed. Lawrence is expected to take an official visit to Oklahoma this weekend.
As of now, Grimes and Lawrence are the only two official visitors expected who are not committed to Oklahoma.
Other official visitors expected in are…
Nate Anderson
Jalin Conyers
Andrew Raym
Trevon West
Quick-Hitters | New Visitor, Last Visit & More
– Super K
***You’ll recall, the Sooners were in pursuit of explosive 2020 WR, Marvin Mims (Lone Star). Mims’ leaders for quite some time were OU and TCU.
Then, in August he suddenly committed to Stanford. However, it doesn’t sound like Oklahoma has given up on him. I’m hearing Mims will be in town for an official visit.
I checked with a source close to Mims and I got the sense the Sooners have a legit shot here.
***Alfred Collins is scheduled to take his Texas OV this weekend. So far, he has visited the Sooners, Alabama, and TAMU.
Collins says this will be his last visit so I’d imagine we will know his decision sometime fairly soon after.
***Also, a bit of a random note but speaking to a source close to Darion Green-Warren, it sounds like if the Sooners did try to get back in with the talented DB, DGW would be open to it.
Right now they appear to be focused on Eaton, Robinson and Manning but DGW is exceedingly talented and you never know how some of these other recruitments will play out.
Post Texas | Position Group Progress Reports
– Charlie S
Handing out the rankings for the Sooners position groups following their game against Texas felt like ‘Opposite Day’ for a minute, as the defense received a higher overall rank in my opinion!
Let’s get to it!
Also, I want to give a shout to SoonerGridiron on Twitter who allowed us to use his tweets. The guy does great work be sure to give him a follow if you haven’t already.
QB: 3* (High 3*) – Last week – (Low 4*)
During week leading up to the Red River Showdown, Sooners Quarterback Jalen Hurts was repeatedly asked about the Cotton Bowl and if he was prepared for the ‘Big Stage.’ As expected, throughout the week, Hurts basically brushed it off (rightfully so) by saying he had played in a ton of big games throughout his career including a storied rivalry (Iron Bowl).
The moment was not going to be too big for Hurts as he has been down this road before.
Once the game got underway, Hurts went out and pretty much laid an egg in the first half with a couple of costly turnovers (fumble & interception) which cost Oklahoma the chance to bury the Longhorns early. Jalen also made a couple of additional questionable decisions and almost coughed the ball up a couple of other times throughout the game. It was easily his worst performance of his short Sooners career.
With that said, his stat line was still quite impressive: 16 for 28 passing for 235 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. He added 17 carries for 131 yards and another touchdown.
He still led his team to a victory and had some special plays. Hurts accounted for four touchdowns in a huge rivalry game… but still… lot of meat left on that bone.
Jalen did excel in the run game and, by his own admission, had a swollen hand. However, it was his decision-making on passing plays and turnovers which brought his ranking way down for me. For instance, on the play he fumbled, if he had looked up when rolling to his left, Nick Basquine was 15 yards open about 30 yards downfield and would have walked into the endzone.
The moment wasn’t too big for him, and Riley’s playcalling admittedly didn’t help him through the second and third quarters; however, it was just a slightly above average performance by his and OU’s standards. Yes, I know he set a record (most QB rushing yards) for a rivalry that is 115 years old, so that has to count for something, right? Well, not as much as you’d think. As I said, slightly above average play from Hurts Saturday.
RB: High 4* – Last week – (High 4*)
The run game was there all day. The Sooners rushed 38 times for 276 yards, which is 7.3 yards per carry.
Jalen Hurts carried the ball 17 times, and the three running backs who got carries totaled 17 carries combined.
The stat lines read:
Kennedy Brooks: 10 carries | 105 yards | 10.5 yards per carry
Rhamondre Stevenson: 6 carries | 37 yards | 6.2 yards per carry
T.J. Pledger: 1 carry | 5 yards
What’s missing? Trey Sermon. Sermon, according to Riley, actually played the second-most snaps out of all the running backs, his number just never got called to carry the rock.
Kennedy Brooks averaged more than a first down each time he carried the ball. When the Sooners got the ball at the 50, with a 10 point lead and less than 10 minutes to go, I completely expected Brooks, Sermon, Stevenson, and Pledger to start salting the game away.
Instead, you got four pass plays in a row and a turnover on downs. Again, Riley was not on top of his play-calling game in my opinion.
The limited opportunities are the only thing keeping them from getting a 5* ranking this week, as they weren’t able to dominate the game as they certainly could have with more carries.
I truly feel that Oklahoma could have rushed for over 400 yards if they wanted to against Texas. The Longhorns had no answer, particularly on the counter plays.
WR: 4* – Last week – (4*)
The simple equation here to get to my 4* ranking for the wide receivers… CeeDee was elite (5*), while the rest were average (3*), which gives you a 4*!
CeeDee Lamb was breathtaking. He certainly renewed his case for being a top draft pick with his performance.
The Sooners receiving stat line for the game:
CeeDee Lamb: 10 receptions | 171 yards | 17.1 yard per catch | 3 TDs
Brayden Willis: 1 reception | 25 yards
Charleston Rambo: 3 receptions | 23 yards | 7.7 yards per catch
Nick Basquine: 1 catch | 17 yards
Soooo 10 receptions for Lamb and 5 combined for the rest of the receivers. Certainly a different look than the game against TTU, when 13 different receivers had a catch and none had more than two. That is just Riley’s offense: it truly is a week to week thing at all the skill positions.
At any rate, CeeDee was all the Sooners needed in the end as, once he caught the ball, the Texas defensive players were unable to bring him down. He displayed some incredible evasive maneuvers and left the Horns running into each other.
OL: 4* – Last week – 3*(Low 3)
One to remember for Bedenbaugh’s boys as the Sooners offensive line turned in a gutsy performance.
Coming off one of the worst performances by an OU offensive line in a long time (the Kansas game), the Sooners looked to have an Achilles heal heading into the RRS.
Adrian Ealy and Erik Swenson had missed the Kansas game with injuries and, early in the week, coach Riley painted a dire picture by calling both Ealy and Swenson ‘Highly Questionable.’
We had a sneaking suspicion that Ealy would play and we mentioned as much. However, when warmups began and Swenson was warming up with the ones, well that was pretty much a complete surprise.
I am sure having the two tackles back got the entire offensive line group pumped up and they went out and did their job.
Creed handled Texas Keondre Coburn heads up, Hayes and Robinson kept the middle of the pocket very clean, and the tackles gutted it out, while still not 100%. As far as the run game goes, the OL was back to its dominant self.
There was a lot of talk about the Longhorns offensive line heading into the game… I’m here to say, until further notice, the Sooners line is still the class of the Big 12.
Now, the real fun begins…
DL: 5* – Last week 4*
Sooners defense was credited with nine sacks.
Let me repeat that… the Sooners defense was credited with NINE sacks in the Red River Showdown.
All week, the pundits and homers on social media were proclaiming that this is Texas’ best offensive line in a decade… it very well may be, but what does that say for the Oklahoma defensive line? They were dominant, plain and simple.
Neville Gallimore” 4 tackles | 2 sacks | 2 TFL
Ronnie Perkins: 5 tackles | 1 sack | 1 TFL
Q Overton: 1 sack | 1 TFL
Jalen Redmond: 1 sack | 1 TFL | 3-4 other hard hits on Ehlinger
Marcus Stripling: 1 sack | 1 TFL
The performance was amazing to watch from the very first series. They were constantly in the backfield and pressuring Ehlinger, which was a huge key for the entire defense.
The scary part is… the Texas offensive line was completely healthy. The Sooners defensive line led a defense which gave up 100 yards rushing on the day, and 57 of those yards came on one play where the Sooners had their hands on Johnson in the backfield for a loss (Bonitto) but missed the tackle.
Gallimore and Overton dominated the Texas interior, which was considered a strong point for them coming into the game. Just a dynamic performance from every player on the defensive line and they get their first 5* ranking of the season. Well deserved.
LB: 4* (High 4*) – Last week (Low 4*)
Kenneth Murray was a 5* for certain. I don’t care what the PFF grades are or if he missed a few gaps (which he did); he was the heart and soul of the defense and every Sooner defender fed off of his energy and play.
Murray finished with 5 tackles, 1 sack, and 2 additional tackles for loss.
DaShaun White and Brian Asamoah also had strong games as did RUSH Nik Bonitto (aside from his missed tackle). Bonitto had a sack and 1.5 tackles for loss.
But Murray was the story, setting the tone early with what looked to be a clothesline of Devin Duvernay coming across the middle. Turned out there was no penalty and he simply took Duvernay down with a strong left arm.
Murray played like a man possessed the entire game.
The linebacking corp was very close to receiving the 5* ranking; if Bonitto hadn’t missed that tackle, they would have had it.
As it was, they certainly played at an elite level.
Corners: High 4* – Last week – (4*)
The corners played very well against the run.
Jaden Davis was a beast on several occasions setting the edge. On one play, he set the edge on the receiver’s outside shoulder, shook the block, and made the tackle on the running back. It was beautiful.
As for Brown and Motley, they were both engaged and physical against the run as well. Tre Brown finished with 7 tackles and a defended pass and Motley was also credited with a defended pass.
As mentioned above, Jaden Davis was great against the run as well.
Now, in coverage, they were ‘good:’ not great, not bad, but ‘good.’ Ehlinger threw a couple really nice passes which the wide receivers dropped (Ehlinger impressed me with his accuracy at times) and the DBs got away with it.
Their coverage was not bad by any means, but when the receivers were in a position to make the catch, they simply didn’t convert.
Play a little tighter and make some plays on the ball to get that fifth star. All in all, they played at an elite level for most of the game.
Safeties & Nickel: 5* – Last week 4*
Your unsung hero for this game… Bookie.
I talked last week about the Texas horizontal passing game. Texas used basically the same game plan against LSU that they used against OU and they went for well over 500 yards versus LSU while only gaining 300ish against OU: Bookie was a huge reason for that.
Pat Fields and DTY played the best games of their careers as well. The entire group was elite on Saturday.
DTY led the team with 10 tackles and Fields pitched in another 7 tackles, including a wild sack where he basically came from Houston to make the play in the Cotton Bowl. He was that deep at the start of the play, but timed it perfectly to get there without Ehlinger seeing him until it was too late.
If you had told me after the UCLA game when I was ready to call for both DTY and Fields to be benched that I would be feeling like they played like 5 stars against Texas, I would have laughed heartily.
They played absolutely outstanding in every facet of the game. Fields looked like a swinging gate against UCLA when trying to cover AsiAsi; on Saturday, he looked like a polished veteran and an elite safety. Kudos to him.
DTY has been coming on for the past 3 or 4 weeks and, now that he is wrapping up while tackling, the rest of his game has fallen into place!
Now… we can get to Bookie and his rather pedestrian stat line which read: Brendan Radley-Hiles: 2 tackles.
That was it. Two tackles. But there’s so much more.
If you watched the game, you know that stat line was about as deceiving as a stat line could be. Bookie forced Ehlinger into multiple sacks as he read the play and forced the issue on bubble screens time and again. He played incredibly disciplined and assignment-sound, holding the outside contain and funneling Duvernay into the waiting arms of his teammates.
At times, he recognized the play so quickly and acted so instinctively that Ehlinger actually looked confused and had to take time to reset himself and, by that time, the rest of the Sooners were crashing down on him.
A month ago, the safties were viewed as a weakness.
Saturday, they proved to be a strength.
Special Teams: 4* – Last week – 4*
Brkic did what was asked of him.
Mundschau was ok, had one bad punt.
Coverage was spectacular, no fumbles, no injuries. Solid day.
Tyler Baron | The Latest
– Super K
As you all know, this past summer, 2020 DE, Tyler Baron (Knoxville, TN) took his an official visit to Oklahoma.
Along with Oklahoma, Baron had been primarily considering Tennessee, Ohio State and Kentucky.
While Baron clearly liked what he saw at Oklahoma and built a strong bond with the staff, it seems Baron is looking to stay closer to home.
The latest I’ve heard is that Baron is no longer really considering the Sooners. I believe the Sooners do know where they stand and have been focused on…
Reggie Grimes – who is actually the top rated player in Tennessee and is set to visit this weekend; and
Alfred Collins – who is coming off his TAMU official visit. Collins is a Texas legacy but the Sooners feel good about him. We should have an update on Collins, soon.
We are told the Sooners are only looking for one more defensive lineman in this class. But with the talent Grimes and Collins possess, you’d think they have to take both.
One on Ones | West Virginia
– Charlie S
The Sooners are back in action on Saturday as they take on West Virginia in an 11:00 am start in Norman!
As usual, during game week, I’ve picked out a couple of ‘One on One’ matchups that interest me.
So here we go:
One on One number one:
The Stills Brothers (Darius & Dante) on West Virginia’s defensive line vs The Oklahoma Offensive Line
The Sooners offensive line faced arguably their toughest challenge that they will face throughout the regular season, from a talent standpoint, last week in the Texas Longhorns and they passed the test in very strong fashion.
The Sooners offensive line led an offensive unit which put up over 500 yards on the Horns including over 275 rushing yards and they kept the Longhorns hands off of quarterback Jalen Hurts for the most part. Getting Adrian Ealy and Erik Swenson back at the tackle spots certainly helped the banged-up unit and it was only the second game of the season that the entire group was together for a game.
This week, they face a different type of challenge against West Virginia. The West Virginia defense is a much more attack-oriented defense as opposed to the two-gap scheme that Texas employs and they have a couple of standout defensive linemen in brothers Dante and Darius Stills.
Dante is a sophomore defensive end who was a priority target for Oklahoma during his recruitment and he has four sacks. Darius, the older brother is a junior defensive tackle and he has three sacks. The brothers also rank among the best in the Big 12 in tackles for loss.
Against common opponent Texas, Darius Stills exposed a weakness in the opposing offensive line which the Sooners would exploit the following week. During the WVU vs Texas game, Super K was very impressed with his burst off the ball and his heavy hands. The burst and strength helped Darius find his way into the Texas backfield early and often and he was a very disruptive force for the mountaineers.
Creed and the guards will have their hands full with Darius and fellow interior defensive lineman Quondarius Qualls who is also a bright spot for a struggling Mountaineer squad.
As for Dante, he is having a very good year as a sophomore and he brings a good deal of speed and athleticism off the edge. He is another guy that the OU offensive line will be paying attention too as the linebacking corp for West Virginia has been decimated by graduation and injury.
It will be important for the Sooners to come out ready to play as the lone bright spot for the Mountaineers has been their defensive line. If the Sooners come out flat, WVU could cause a few problems defensively and prevent OU from getting out to an early substantial lead which they will be looking for in order to get the ones some rest and the twos and threes some reps early.
One on One number two:
Oklahoma vs Complacency
Look, the Sooners are 33.5 point favorites against West Virginia. There truly are not a lot of interesting matchups.
I couldn’t even go with West Virginia Quarterback Austin Kendall vs his former teammates in Norman as a One on One as it is not clear if he will even play in the game following an injury suffered last week vs Iowa State.
Simply put, the Sooners will be battling themselves for the most part.
Coming off a highly anticipated matchup versus their rival in the Cotton Bowl, OU’s biggest worry this week will be: Not getting better.
The Sooners will have to fight, all week, to get their level of intensity as high (if not higher) than it was against Texas simply because without that intensity, they will not get better.
I am sure the coaches are drilling that into the player’s heads this week.
I am sure they will all be saying the right things…dangerous opponent…have to prepare for anything…they are skilled…
I’m here to tell you it’s all coachspeak and politically correct nonsense. West Virginia is not good, they really have no chance, and the game should be decided by the end of the first quarter.
The Sooners need to set absurdly lofty goals for this game in some form or another and play to that level. Whether it be in the shape of turnovers, points allowed, no missed tackles…whatever it is, they need to set those goals and try to exceed them.
This is a game where everyone will see what the true mentality of this defensive unit is. Do they come out and try to put their foot on West Virginia’s throats early and then let off…or do they put their foot on the throat early, and continue pressing down harder as the game goes on.
You hope it is the latter, you cringe if it is the former.
They had a big game last week and they performed very well. Stay away from the rat poison and go get better.
New Wave 19 | To Redshirt or Not to Redshirt? | Halfway Point
– Charlie S
Sooners have gotten a lot of the young guys from the ‘New Wave 19’ class on the field throughout the first half of the season.
We are now entering the pinnacle of ‘To redshirt or not’ portion of the schedule as we have reached the second half of the season.
Below, I have compiled a list of the entire class which I have updated in regard to their participation.
The number of games they have played can be found in parenthesis.
A player (any year) can play in up to four games during the season and still have it count as a redshirt (if they have one available). Once they step on the field for the fifth game, they are no longer eligible for a redshirt.
The Majority of the class has played in games so far. To this point, only Hicks, Alexander, and DeArman have not made an appearance and Jonathan Perkins has portaled (making up words as I go).
New Wave 19 Participation:
QB Spencer Rattler (2 GP – SD, TTU)
RB Marcus Major (3 GP – SD, TTU, KU)
RB Rhamondre Stevenson – Redshirt Burned
WR Trejan Bridges – Redshirt Burned
WR Jadon Haselwood – Redshirt Burned
WR Theo Wease – Redshirt Burned
TE Austin Stogner – Redshirt Burned
OL Marcus Alexander (RS – 0 GP)
OL Finley Felix (4 GP – SD, UCLA, TTU, KU) – At Limit
OL EJ Ndoma-Ogar (4 GP – SD, UCLA, TTU, KU) – At Limit
OL Stacey Wilkins (4 GP – SD, UCLA, TTU, KU) – At Limit
DL Marcus Hicks (RS – 0 GP)
DL Kori Roberson (4 GP – HOU, UCLA, TTU, KU) – At Limit
DL LaRon Stokes – Redshirt Burned
DL Marcus Stripling – Redshirt Burned
DL David Ugwoegbu – Redshirt Burned
DL Joseph Wete (1 SD)
LB Jonathan Perkins (Portal)
DB Jeremiah Criddell (2 GP – SD, TTU)
DB Jaden Davis – Redshirt Burned
DB Ty DeArman (RS)
DB Jamal Morris (1 GP – HOU)
DB Woodi Washington (2 GP – SD, TTU)
*** One other guy I mentioned in the previous update as being a possible Redshirt was Safety Robert Barnes. Barnes appears to be on a Redshirt path as he did not suit up for Texas.
*** In regards to the guys who are ‘At the Limit’: Finley, Ndoma-Ogar, Wilkins, and Roberson…I think you could see a couple of them burn their shirts at any time (Would lean towards Finley and Roberson being most likely) while I think Ndoma-Ogar and Wilkins will be in a ‘Break glass in case of emergency” situation.
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