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Everything posted by closetojumping
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OU Football 2025 - League Average & Loving It
closetojumping replied to closetojumping's topic in Football
On the OU defense, in regard to their outlook for 2025 as of 6/16/25, here are my thoughts: Edge (Left side): LDE1 Marvin Jones JR (SR); LDE2 Danny Okoye (FR); LDE3 Nigel Smith JR (FR) – Jones JR was highly rated out of HS and everyone recruited him like he was his father. It turns out, he’s not on that level. He’s made disruptive plays when he actually makes a play, including 6.5 TFL and 4 sacks last season. Problem is, he takes a lot of plays off and spends a lot of time on the sideline. The next play he makes in the running game might be his first. Bo Davis really wanted Okoye, but his home-schooling mom was sold on the evils of Austin by Todd Bates and he’s now on the OU depth chart. The reporters seem to think OU is really high on the guy, so we’ll see. There is far less buzz about Smith compared to Okoye. DT: DT1 Jayden Jackson (Soph); DT2 Gracen Halton (SR); DT3 Trent Wilson (FR) – The duo of Jackson and Halton played really well last season and they’ll be part of the strength of the team in 2025. Jackson won the starter role as a true freshman and was a stalwart, but Halton actually put up better numbers as the other piece of the rotation. OU added another highly rated 4 star in Wilson, who might force his way into the rotation. NT: NT1 Damonic Williams (SR); NT2 David Stone (Soph); NT3 Markus Strong (Soph) – Bizarrely, Williams has garnered more press and praise than the two guys at DT combined. The guy is steady and has basically put up the same numbers all 3 years in college, two at TCU and 2024 in Norman. Those numbers average around 33 tackles a year, a couple of sacks and 3 TFLs. He’s tough to move in the middle, unless he’s pulling himself to sit on the sidelines. OU thought he was worth $500k when they landed him and blowhards here on Surly lambasted Texas and TOF for not just stepping in and blowing that offer out of the water. Turns out, no one besides OU thinks that dude is worth $500k, including in this cycle when Williams put out feelers. Stone tried to transfer to Miami for an allegedly absurd 3 year deal. Nagy panicked and ponied up even though the buzz from those with access to practices is that the guy is far more mouth than play. Strong is a JAG and it’s trouble for OU if that dude is playing. Edge (Right side): RDE1 R Mason Thomas (SR); RDE2 Adepoju Adebawore (JR); RDE3 Taylor Wein (Soph) – Thomas is probably the best player on the entire defense and a reason the strength of the team is the OU front 4. He put up 9 sacks and 12.5 TFLs in 2024, mostly out of nowhere. He was a nonentity versus Texas, but some of that can be attributed to him playing hurt in that game. He didn’t just beat up on also-ran teams and had big games against LSU and Bama. Adebawore is a former consensus 5 star who is currently fully busting at OU. Dude played limited minutes in garbage time last year. OU media continues to talk about the guy in the form of “when the light goes off”. Another highly ranked Venables special. Wein is sort of a OU harbinger of doom. If that guy is on the field, OU is likely in the process of being boat-raced. While Wein is from Tennessee, the dude has to have okie DNA: WLB: WLB1 Kip Lewis (JR); WLB2 Sammy Omosigho (JR); WLB3 Taylor Heim (Soph) – Lewis made two plays last year that many might remember, both pick sixes playing key roles in victories against Auburn and Alabama. Maybe Lewis really hates the state of Alabama. Otherwise, the guy has been the starter for most of the last 2 seasons and I don’t think even OU fans could pull this guy out of a lineup. 60+ tackles a year, a few TFLs and a sack, that’s what he’s giving you. Omosigho seemed like he was putting in more productive work with less time on the field, frankly. He had 5 TFLs last year while missing some games due to injury. Heim is the twin brother of Wein. If he’s out there, something has gone wrong for the dirt burglars. MLB: MLB1 Kobie McKinzie (JR); MLB2 James Nesta (FR); MLB3 Owen Heinecke (JR) – I hope McKenzie is really loving his time up in Norman while not collecting any NIL money, allegedly. He steps into the role vacated by Danny Stutsman, and by that I mean he’s going to be depended upon by Venables to cling to guys 6-10 yards downfield until they fall down. If he does that roughly 12 times a game, he’ll get lauded as an All American and wind up drafted in the 4th or 5th round. I know nothing about Nesta and Heinecke, other than they should go into business together running an auto repair shop after their mediocre careers come to an end. Heinecke is a one-time transfer from Ohio State who didn’t do anything there either. Cheetah: Cheetah1 Kendel Dolby (SR); Cheetah2 Kendal Daniels (SR) – This role is potentially one of the strengths of the OU team. Dolby was viewed as a potential standout for 2024 until going down to a bad leg injury against Tennessee. OU is optimistic about his full return to health. I do not believe that he worked out in the spring. Daniels is the transfer from Oklahoma State and was a solid Safety before noping the fuck out of there after the season closed with 9 straight losses. He was decorated as a FR and Soph before having just a decent season last year. “Cheetah” does a lot of the things a SS does, but also has OLB pass rushing responsibilities added to the list. I think, at least. The guys out there in this spot just usually look like OLB-sized guys that drop into a lot of coverage. LCB: LCB1 Eli Bowen (Soph); LCB2 Devon Jordon (Soph); LCB3 Courtland Guillory (FR); LCB4 Maliek Hawkins (FR) – Eli Bowen was a courtesy take in order to get older brother, Peyton, signed the year before. It turns out, Eli might wind being better than his brother. He’s short, but he plays CB really well. PFF graded him out as the 13th best CB, out of over 800, in run defense last season. His pass defense numbers weren’t terrible either, coming in around 100 out of over 800. If you need an analog, Malik Muhammad graded out at 305 out of 836 in pass defense and 508 out of 803 in run defense. The difference in denominators is that more CB measured saw a statistically relevant amount of pass than run plays. Anyway, the dude is pretty fucking good. He’s going to need to stay healthy, because they have no experience behind him. RCB: RCB1 Gentry Williams (JR); RCB2 Jacobe Johnson (JR); Jeremiah Newcombe (FR); RCB4 Tristan Haynes (FR) – OU mods love to talk up the idea of Gentry Williams coming back and having a big year on the other side of field from Bowen. GW was a highly ranked guy out of HS and had a good season in 2023, but he hurt his shoulder early in 2024 and never played again. I do not believe that he practiced this spring, either. Shoulder injuries can be a killer in football, so it will be interesting to see how it works out. OU has recruited well at CB, so if Williams can’t go, they have talent. Strong Safety: SS1 Peyton Bowen (JR); Jaydan Hardy (Soph); Kenny Powers III (Soph) – Peyton Bowen was supposed to be a star when he signed with OU as a borderline 5 star. As is the case with almost every other 5 star/high 4 star in the Venables Era, things have not gone according to plan for Bowen. He’s been plain as grits for 2 years, creating 2.5 TFLs, 1 sack, 1 FF and 0 INT in 2 years. Not exactly the disruptor he was forecasted to be. The guys behind him have almost zero experience, although Hardy actually does have an INT. The other dude potentially throws a mean fastball. Free Safety: FS1 Robert Spears-Jennings (SR); FS2 Michael Boganowski (Soph) – RSJ, as they refer to Spears-Jennings, is the counter in performance to that of Peyton Bowen. RSJ had 4 FFs, 1 INT, 66 tackles, 5 TFLs and 2.5 sacks in 2024. The dude can disrupt the flow of a game. I assume he’s going to be an All SEC candidate at the least. Boganowski has a future career in accounting or tax law. Funniest shit with that dude last year is that OU played him in a 5th game against Maine, thinking that because the opponent was an FCS program, the 4 games played redshirt rule would not be impacted. Whoops. Defensive Outlook and Coaching: While many pundits and OU honks are focused on hyping up the transfer QB and the returners on the OL, the strength of the OU team is still going to be the defense. The front 4 is going to be excellent. The LBs are going to be average. The CBs could be outstanding and one of the safeties is living up to the other safety’s potential. OU leaned on the defense in 2024 in order to win 6 games. Much of the talent returns and they’re going to be buoyed by an offense that isn’t completely inept. If OU does reach or beat 9-4 this year, the defensive performance will be at the heart of it. Venables is clearly the head of the defense and he’s a pretty damned good playcaller and gameplanner, even if he won’t able to rely on stealing every opponent’s signals in order to have a competitive advantage. Todd Bates is the DT coach with one million titles. He’s a great recruiter. I don’t think he’s as great a coach as many people cast him as when looking at the staff. Venables brought in his failed mentee from Clemson to coach OLBs this season. We can only hope that Venables lets him have plenty of input on the gameplans. The same holds true for Jay Valai, former Texas bum of a DB coach. Dude has 4 titles, indicating that Venables has promoted him a bunch to keep him for some reason. He was overtly taunting the Texas fans and then shittalking me from the OU bench at the end of the 2023 game. He’s a classless, talentless shitheel of a clown and I hope Texas is running it up this year when I’m seated near their bench again.- 119 replies
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When I was a sophomore in HS, we hadn't won a varsity football game in 2 years. We lost our first game on a FG. Second game, away against an inner city HISD school that had many hostile fans in the stands, and many hostile players on the field, our QB had his knee bent in backwards on a hit in the 1st Q. As he screamed on the field in agony, our HC huddled the offensive skill guys up and started trying to talk up our soon to be welcomed to the game JR QB. He'd never played a down of varsity football and he was visibly shaking and looked terrified. The HC said, literally, "fuck it" and put in the starting SR SS at QB because he'd played there the prior year in some spurts late in blowouts. We won and then the JR QB got all week to prepare for Pearland. We won that one as well and he had a fine year. Didn't throw enough to me, IMO, but we damned near went to the playoffs and I enjoyed it. The HC was a former UT player and an old man by that time. He'd seen some shit. He was thinking on the fly. I think Sarkisian is just trying to see around corners. Shit happens.
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I found this ESPN article linked on the Sooner 247 board. The mod over there posted it to talk about the Superman play, which I'll never be over, but Vince.Young.Scores. is #3. I think it should be #1, but I can defend Kick Six and Statue of Liberty as #1 and #2 as well. Anyway, didn't see the article posted anywhere and thought the readers of this thread would find it fun. Not really worthy of its own thread, I don't think. https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/45450737/college-football-top-25-plays-2000
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That's what some folks think. I hope we don't get to find out.
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Texas A&M Recruiting 2026: The World's Drunkest Elk
closetojumping replied to texifornia's topic in 🤫$9.95🤫
Not only is he at LSU, he showed flashes last year and he's going to be a starter this season as a true sophomore. -
They don't want the first live fire for a young back-up to be taken in a hostile environment against a highly talented team. The Troy guy was a free take who does not threaten the room. Owens is getting paid to be a quality back-up who could take over due to long term injury. Troy guy isn't giving Texas that kind of answer.
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Credit to that dumb motherfucker, he is good at posting thoughts so idiotic that you guys can’t help but respond. Like moths to a flame every time he shows up and starts slinging turds on a thread.
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Texas Recruiting Notes 2026: Boulevard of Broken Bagmen
closetojumping replied to texifornia's topic in 🤫$9.95🤫
Maybe it’s the ND catcher? -
Texas Recruiting Notes 2026: Boulevard of Broken Bagmen
closetojumping replied to texifornia's topic in 🤫$9.95🤫
The old “throw out another million” maneuver. Always advocated for by those without the millions. Always the magical and obvious answer no one else has considered. It’s the ultimate ultimate weapon.- 7930 replies
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Texas Basketball Recruiting Notes: It's Miller Time
closetojumping replied to texifornia's topic in 🤫$9.95🤫
Hold up. This guy’s in hydraulics? -
I’m not saying it’s impossible, but I am saying it is likely quite difficult to find photos where Matt Rhule’s mouth isn’t open. Allegedly, he has a case chronic halitosis that rivals that of a goat-eating bridge troll. He’s got to be rough to work with closely. I assume his assistants receive combat pay for sticking around.
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Omahaaaaaawwwwwgggssss!!!! What a fucking joke. Texas needs to put belt to ass on those douchebags next year.
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Your 2021, 2022, 2024 & now 2025 directors cup champions.
closetojumping replied to SDG's topic in UT Sports
Never in doubt. -
Texas A&M Recruiting 2026: The World's Drunkest Elk
closetojumping replied to texifornia's topic in 🤫$9.95🤫
My SIL drives a subaru and he could buy and drive any car he wanted. Dudes swears by it.   -
I went ahead and bought three of them. I’m having them delivered to @HenryJames’ house today.
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Did Melton get hurt? Figured this thread would know.
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I appreciate the effort to post this, but will make the following public service announcement about these kind of IT updates: We have busted the liars at IT making shit up repeatedly for more than a decade. Nahlin leads the charge in creating information when there isn't really much in truth to report. They're clearly lying, such as in this report, when they mention that they didn't even bring something up, but the source just came up and said something that fits into the narrative they've been weaving in other posts.
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Negative Recruiting Your Own School: The aggy Screenshot Megathread
closetojumping replied to texifornia's topic in 🤫$9.95🤫
Are you saying we’re the Jesus Christ of college sports? Or more of a Gozer type deliverer? -
Never Let Me Go My Sister’s Keeper The pre-prom scene, in an otherwise very mediocre movie, is both gutwrenching and terrific. As I was raising my oldest daughter, I think I saw every romcom and chick flick that was created in a decade spanning 2000-2009/2010. Yikes.
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Is this the widest gap in time between a post and a bump in the history of this site? Has to be up there.
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Negative Recruiting Your Own School: The aggy Screenshot Megathread
closetojumping replied to texifornia's topic in 🤫$9.95🤫
I love the guy thinking that Texas fans are worried about a recruiting ranking in June. Until I read that, I didn't have any idea where we actually were ranked right now, and I don't care. I view it as a given that the class will finish top5 and likely top 3. Howell lives in redass aggie fantasyland with his thinking. It's a key part of why he's constantly caught off guard by obvious developments with recruits every cycle, and then he does the PeeWee Herman maneuver where he tells everyone he meant to do that and saw everything coming. One thing the OU fans understand quite clearly in conversations on their boards is that their overall ranking doesn't matter in a standalone manner. What matters is how that ranking compares to their rivals and on-field opponents. OU fan will look at a ranking of 17th and shrug, then see that Texas finished 1st and 7 other SEC teams also finished ahead of them and then start to panic. ATM fan will completely ignore what is happening with anyone else and just find a way to crow about wherever they were ranked and start anew, demanding national titles or else! -
The guy is a piece of shit. The fact that he is gainfully employed in a people person industry is fascinating. He’s never been worth a shit with what he does.
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Texas Recruiting Notes 2026: Boulevard of Broken Bagmen
closetojumping replied to texifornia's topic in 🤫$9.95🤫
I don't think I understand your intent or point with this post, so feel free to flesh it out. -
Texas Recruiting Notes 2026: Boulevard of Broken Bagmen
closetojumping replied to texifornia's topic in 🤫$9.95🤫
@RGBIII had some concrete numbers that he'd heard on Bowman and the numbers both defy gravity and logic. -
Texas Recruiting Notes 2026: Boulevard of Broken Bagmen
closetojumping replied to texifornia's topic in 🤫$9.95🤫
From Wolk on the Georgia 247 site about Prothro, below. It will well and truly suck if Texas misses out on both Bowman and Prothro, both of whom would be awesome fits for what Sarkisian likes to do. I'm cheering for the Heze Kent guy, just because he's such a ridiculous giant athlete, but Texas would take Kent and one of the other two and do different things with the two. "He just left an official visit to Auburn, and our AuburnUndercover recruiting guy Christian Clemente sent me a very, very interesting update. The top TE target went so far as call Georgia his leader when talking to Christian and others. He said Auburn’s in that No. 2 spot, but still has the Florida and Texas visits coming up. For a dude that doesn’t say a whole lot, notable for him to say quite publicly that Georgia is the team to beat."
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