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40 minutes ago, texifornia said:

It's like our game at Maryland - a chance for their Northeastern alums to see a game. They played one at Army relatively recently, too.

I may be misremembering, but I also think it was a 2 for 1. 

I actually really like the strategy of scheduling 2 for 1s with programs located in fun destinations. Tulane, UCF (probably wouldn't do a 2 for 1 and I know people loathe Orlando, but those of us with kids could make it work), SDSU, UNLV, probably some others. 

The indefensible part is Philadelphia. Of every big city I've been to in the US, which is most of them, Philly is far and away the place I least enjoy visiting. Maybe that's because I was dealing with a couple of nasty people at Comcast as part of most trips, but, yeah, fuck that place. 

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Posted
18 hours ago, closetojumping said:

Here's the WRs preview. Mateer apparently thinks their WR room is "so deep". Uh huh. Highlights:

-Neither Gibson is cleared medically to be on the field.

-They're expecting "big things" from the McNeese guy who put up middling stats in FCS, Sategna, the meh transfer from Arkansas, and Elijah Thomas, a true freshman. 

-Somehow Deon Burks is still regarded by everyone as a major threat.

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Oklahoma football 2025 fall camp position preview: Wide receivers

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    Fall camp is around the corner, and Oklahoma football's second SEC season is set to kick off in less than six weeks. As the first day of preseason practice approaches, it's time to take a closer look at each position group for the Sooners and where things stand for each unit entering Year 4 under head coach Brent Venables. The 11-part series continues with an examination of OU's overhauled wide receiver corps.

    Departed: Nic Anderson (transfer to LSU), Jalil Farooq (transfer to Maryland), Andrel Anthony (transfer to Duke), Brenen Thompson (transfer to Mississippi State), J.J. Hester (transfer to Kentucky), Jaquaize Pettaway (transfer to East Carolina).

    Returning starters: Deion Burks, redshirt senior (started five games).

    Other returning players: Jayden Gibson, redshirt senior; Zion Kearney, sophomore; Zion Ragins, sophomore; Ivan Carreon, sophomore; Jacob Jordan, sophomore; KJ Daniels, redshirt freshman.

    Offseason additions: Isaiah Sategna, redshirt junior (Arkansas transfer); Keontez Lewis, redshirt senior (Southern Illinois transfer); Javonnie Gibson, redshirt junior (Arkansas-Pine Bluff transfer); Josiah Martin, sophomore (Cal transfer); Jer'Michael Carter, junior (McNeese transfer); Elijah Thomas, four-star freshman; Manny Choice, four-star freshman.

    No position on Oklahoma's roster underwent a more significant overhaul than Emmett Jones' wide receiver room. A position that was projected to be a strength for the Sooners during their inaugural SEC season instead became a liability, as the receiving corps was ravaged by injuries to each of its top five players, causing them to miss either substantial time during the season or — in some cases — the entire season (or close to it).

    That led to an odious passing attack, as Oklahoma ranked 119th in the FBS in passing yards per game (175.8), 128th in yards per pass attempt (6.1) and 101st in pass efficiency offense (125.42). That, as the receiving corps accounted for fewer than 1,500 yards receiving on the year, with no wideout finishing the season with more than 315 yards receiving.

    It led to an extensive retooling of the position this offseason, with six outgoing transfers — including 2023 standouts Nic Anderson, Jalil Farooq and Andrel Anthony — while Oklahoma returned a key piece in Deion Burks (along with a handful of other pass-catchers) and filled out the room with five transfer additions and a pair of well-regarded freshmen. The Sooners are betting on the positional overhaul — along with better luck on the injury front — paying off in a big way for their new-look offense under first-year offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle and transfer quarterback John Mateer.

     

     

    Projected depth chart:

    WIDE RECEIVER

    -- Isaiah Sategna, redshirt junior (2024 stats: 37 receptions, 491 yards, one touchdown)

    -- Zion Kearney, sophomore (2024 stats: eight receptions, 128 yards, one touchdown) OR

    -- Keontez Lewis, redshirt senior (2024 stats: 49 receptions, 813 yards, five touchdowns) OR

    -- Jayden Gibson*, redshirt junior (2024 stats: N/A)

    WIDE RECEIVER

    -- Javonnie Gibson*, redshirt junior (2024 stats: 70 receptions, 1,215 yards, nine touchdowns)

    -- Elijah Thomas, freshman (2024 stats: N/A) OR

    -- Jer'Michael Carter, junior (2024 stats: 37 receptions, 537 yards, three touchdowns)

    SLOT

    -- Deion Burks, redshirt senior (2024 stats: 31 receptions, 245 yards, three touchdowns).

    -- Josiah Martin, sophomore (2024 stats: 12 receptions, 112 yards) OR

    -- Jacob Jordan, sophomore (2024 stats: 27 receptions, 234 yards, one touchdown.

    *Injured in the spring

    Deion Burks

     

    Post-spring departures: N/A

    Outlook: Oklahoma's receiving corps — and passing offense writ large — set a low bar last season, though it was almost entirely due to the unprecedented string of injuries the Sooners experienced at the position. As Brent Venables said, when asked a tongue-in-cheek question at SEC Media Days last week about playing a season without any healthy wide receivers, "it's hard to do; certainly, is hard to get a first down or two."

    But Oklahoma is hoping last year's issues at receiver were an anomaly, especially with a remodeled corps of pass-catchers and the offseason changes with the program's training staff. The Sooners overhauled the personnel in the room, bringing back only a handful of players — Deion Burks (the big portal add from last offseason, Jayden Gibson (who emerged as a big-play option in 2023 before a preseason patellar tendon tear) and a quintet of rising sophomores in Zion Kearney, Ivan Carreon, Jacob Jordan, Zion Ragins and KJ Daniels — while adding five transfers and a pair of blue-chip 2025 signees.

    Of the returning pieces, Burks stands to have the biggest role in Oklahoma's new-look offense. When healthy, Burks is a dynamic playmaker in the slot; he led Purdue in receiving in 2023 before his injury-shortened debut season in Norman last fall. Gibson is a big question mark after he missed all of last season due to his fall camp knee injury and then sustained a setback on the eve of spring practices. He's expected to be cleared early in the season, if not by the opener, but it remains to be seen if he'll be able to seamlessly pick up where he left off pre-injury, when he was widely expected to emerge as a key downfield threat in the passing game.

    Among the rising sophomores, Kearney has generated the most buzz throughout the offseason and will look to carve out a larger role than the one he played last year when he logged 247 snaps but just 15 targets in the passing game). Jordan also impressed, as the walk-on emerged as a viable option in the slot — but will have a more difficult path to significant playing time with a healthy Burks back in the mix.

    Most of the attention on the receiving corps this offseason, though, has come from the new additions. The Sooners added transfers Javonnie Gibson, Isaiah Sategna, Keontez Lewis and Josiah Martin during the winter portal window before landing Jer'Michael Carter in the post-spring window. They also signed a pair of four-star freshmen in Elijah Thomas and Manny Choice.

    Javonnie Gibson was the talk of the spring and emerging as a potential go-to option in the offense before he sustained a broken leg in early April. The Arkansas-Pine Bluff transfer is currently out of his protective boot and working his way back into the fray, and the expectation is that he'll be ready for the opener — though we'll see just how quickly he gets back to 100%, and how Oklahoma deploys him early in the schedule. When healthy, though, he figures to be a significant part of the offense.

    Sategna has been one of our under-the-radar impact players heading into the year, as the former Arkansas transfer brings SEC experience and a level of versatility to his game. He can play in the slot (behind Burks) or split out wide as a downfield playmaker in the Sooners' system, along with serving as a top option in the return game this season. Martin, a transfer from Cal, provides additional depth in the slot, while Lewis is another intriguing outside receiver who was solid at the FCS level last season and brings additional Power 4 experience (at Wisconsin and UCLA) to the table. Carter, meanwhile, was the lone post-spring addition to the room as the Sooners went out and landed the FCS transfer to provide another rangy target on the outside amid the spring injuries to the two Gibsons.

    As for the two freshmen, Oklahoma is high on the long-term potential of both Thomas and Choice. However, the 6-foot, 194-pound Thomas has turned heads since he arrived in the spring and should vie for some immediate opportunities within the Sooners' retooled offensive scheme as a potential big-play weapon.

    Just how the pecking order and rotations at the three receiver spots shake out over the course of fall camp remains on of the most interesting questions for Oklahoma's offense entering the year. Assuming the Sooners can avoid the kinds of injury — both in quantity and severity — that decimated the receiving corps last season, Oklahoma should have an improved crop of pass-catchers at the disposal of offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle and quarterback John Mateer.

    What they said: "I think it's important to note it's so deep. Our (wide receiver) room is so deep, and I trust all those guys. One-on-one matchups are going to be huge and we're going to continue to find out who can win consistently. We've got a lot of guys that can do it." —  QB John Mateer during SEC Media Days.

 

That's a whole lot of fing OR's. I remember Texas had a lot of those when Mack had a bunch of average joe's and had that marvelous losing season in 2010.

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Posted
2 hours ago, texifornia said:

It's like our game at Maryland - a chance for their Northeastern alums to see a game. They played one at Army relatively recently, too.

All those OU alums with their flashy degrees networking on the east coast.  Dozens of them.

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Posted

Spoilered below is the Sooners Illustrated preview on the OL. Remember, OU's OL sucked last year, leading the country in allowing 50 sacks. They were hurt up and down the line all season long, but I'm sure having the defense go full contact and teeing off on them for more than half the season didn't play role. 

Highlights:

-Ozeata (LG) and Howland (LT) finished the year in 2024 as starters, but each had to have surgery on torn labrums in the shoulder, and missed the spring. They're each being challenged for the 1st team role. Luckily, good OL play doesn't involve shoulder health and strength. 

-Nwaiwu was penalized for more stupid shit than anyone else on their team last year and he was regularly buttfucked by SEC DLs throughout the year. He's still penciled in to start at RG. 

-They have multiple guys who will either start or be 2nd team that transferred in from far lesser programs (Simmons - Western Carolina, 2 Stanford OLs, Nwaiwu from NT two years ago, Everett from App State in 2023). That's not how you build a quality OL. There may be the occasional diamond in the rough from some of those places, but Bedenbaugh isn't hitting a bullseye on 5 guys being better than what he could have actually recruited. 

-Due to the shoddy depth of quality talent by lazy recruiting and depending upon the portal, they're also touting the utilization of true freshman Fasusi and Fodje, early, in the rotation. Folks who cover recruiting view both guys as quality talents in the long term, but neither guy should be starting or playing much in the rotation as true freshmen. 

-One of the interesting battles between Nagy and Venables that we're going to witness early on is within the OL ranks. Bedenbaugh talks to these reporters offline and he's telling folks that Everett is his center. Meanwhile, Nagy went out and bought the C from Stanford, Maikkula, and he's telling people that that guy is the starter. I cannot fucking wait to see how that sorts itself. 

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Oklahoma football 2025 fall camp position preview: Offensive line

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(Photo: Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images, USA TODAY Sports)

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    Fall camp is around the corner, and Oklahoma football's second SEC season is set to kick off in less than six weeks. As the first day of preseason practice approaches, it's time to take a closer look at each position group for the Sooners and where things stand for each unit entering Year 4 under head coach Brent Venables. The 11-part series continues with an examination of Oklahoma's offensive line.

    Departed: Spencer Brown (graduated), Michael Tarquin (graduated), Branson Hickman (graduated), Joshua Bates (transfer to SMU), Geirean Hatchett (transfer to Washington), Eugene Brooks (transfer to UCLA), Josh Aisosa (transfer to West Virginia), Evan McClure (transfer to Tulsa).

    Returning starters: Troy Everett, redshirt senior (seven starts at center); Logan Howland, redshirt sophomore (six starts at left tackle); Heath Ozaeta, redshirt sophomore (eight starts at left guard); Febechi Nwaiwu (13 starts at right guard); Jacob Sexton (eight starts between left tackle and left guard).

    Other returning players:  Jake Taylor, redshirt junior; Eddy Pierre-Louis, sophomore; Daniel Akinkunmi, redshirt freshman; Isaiah Dent, redshirt freshman

    Offseason additions: Derek Simmons, redshirt senior (Western Carolina transfer); Luke Baklenko, junior (Stanford transfer); Jake Maikkula, redshirt junior (Stanford transfer); Michael Fasusi, five-star freshman; Ryan Fodje, four-star freshman; Darius Afalava, three-star freshman; Owen Hollenbeck, three-star freshman; Sean Hutton, freshman.

    Bill Bedenbaugh is one of the most well-respected offensive line coaches in the country, but Oklahoma's inaugural SEC season featured an offensive line that didn't come close to approaching that standard in the trenches. Among the many issues the Sooners had offensively in 2024, it started with an inconsistent offensive line — a unit that navigated injuries, started eight different lineups through the season's first nine games before finally settling on a core fire, and which allowed more sacks (50) than any other team in the country.

    In short, an attempt to rebuild the line through the transfer portal — with five additions, all of whom made at least one start — backfired on Oklahoma. The Sooners' offensive line finished the season 119th among FBS teams in pass-blocking efficiency, according to Pro Football Focus, as the program endured its worst offensive season since 1998. Oklahoma will attempt to turn things around up front with improved depth (and health) — along with homegrown experience — across the line, with a much lesser reliance on the transfer portal (three additions, with only one projected to start) to help set the foundation of a new-look offense this season. The Sooners return four players who finished the season as starters — Logan Howland, Heath Ozaeta, Troy Everett and Febechi Nwaiwu — along with quality depth up and down the line that should better position the unit for success this fall.

     

     

    Projected depth chart:

    LEFT TACKLE

    -- Logan Howland, redshirt sophomore (2024 stats: six starts, 502 snaps, two sacks allowed, 19 total pressures allowed, 96.0 pass-blocking efficiency)

    -- Michael Fasusi, freshman (2024 stats: N/A)

    LEFT GUARD

    -- Jacob Sexton, senior (2024 stats: eight starts, 510 snaps, four sacks allowed, 18 total pressures allowed, 96.1 pass-blocking efficiency) OR

    -- Heath Ozaeta, redshirt sophomore (2024 stats: eight starts, 630 snaps, four sacks allowed, 15 total pressures allowed, 97.1 pass-blocking efficiency)

    -- Eddy Pierre-Louis, sophomore (2024 stats: no starts, 65 total snaps, no sacks or pressures allowed, 100.0 pass-blocking efficiency)

    CENTER

    -- Troy Everett, redshirt senior (2024 stats: seven starts, 523 snaps, four sacks allowed, seven total pressures allowed, 98.1 pass-blocking efficiency)

    -- Jake Maikkula, senior (2024 stats: 11 starts, 764 snaps, three sacks allowed, 19 total pressures allowed, 97.4 pass-blocking efficiency)

    RIGHT GUARD

    -- Febechi Nwaiwu, redshirt senior (2024 stats: 13 starts, 864 snaps, four sacks allowed, 16 total pressures allowed, 97.9 pass-blocking efficiency) OR

    -- Eddy Pierre-Louis, sophomore (2024 stats: no starts, 65 total snaps, no sacks or pressures allowed, 100.0 pass-blocking efficiency)

    -- Ryan Fodje, freshman (2024 stats: N/A)

    RIGHT TACKLE

    -- Derek Simmons, redshirt senior (2024 stats: nine starts, 612 snaps, no sacks allowed, 11 total pressures allowed, 98.6 pass-blocking efficiency)

    -- Jake Taylor, redshirt junior (2024 stats: four starts, 169 snaps, two sacks allowed, 10 total pressures allowed, 93.3 pass-blocking efficiency)

     
    13189818.jpg?fit=bounds&crop=620:320,offset-y0.50&width=620&height=320

     

    Post-spring departures: Josh Aisosa (transfer to West Virginia)

    Outlook: For all that's being made of Oklahoma's additions of quarterback John Mateer and running back Jaydn Ott, along with a retooled wide receiver corps, the success of the Sooners' offensive rebuild—and season at large—hinges on the growth of the offensive line. The unit will either raise the floor for Oklahoma in 2025 or lower its ceiling.

    The Sooners are hoping on the latter after last year's failed experiment with a portal-heavy rebuild up front. This time around, the Sooners are only expected to rely on one new transfer addition, right tackle Derek Simmons, who came in from Western Carolina and has allowed just one sack since the 2021 season. Simmons emerged as the projected starter at right tackle in the spring, and while Oklahoma returns players at the four remaining spots along the line who started at least the final six games of last season — left tackle Logan Howland, left guard Heath Ozaeta, center Troy Everett and right guard Febechi Nwaiwu — there's expected to be some real competition for three of those jobs during fall camp.

    Everett, in his third year with the program after transferring from Appalachian State, is firmly entrenched as the starting center and has developed into one of the key leaders on the roster for Oklahoma offensively. The real intrigue is at left tackle and the two guard spots, where the Sooners have a wealth of quality options to choose from.

    Howland and Ozaeta both showed promise during the second half of last season, when the two former 2023 signees settled into a comfort zone on the left side of the line. However, both missed spring practices after undergoing offseason labrum procedures, opening the door for more competition at left tackle and left guard. While both redshirt sophomores will vie to hold onto those starting spots, a lot hinges on what Oklahoma wants to do with Jacob Sexton, who started eight games last season (four each at left tackle and left guard) before missing the end of the season due to injury and has 13 total starts over the last three seasons. Sexton worked with the first-team offense at left tackle in the spring but could kick back inside during fall camp, as Oklahoma is expected to tinker with its combinations early on and move some pieces around. It seems likely that Sexton and Ozaeta could compete for the starting job at left guard, while Howland remains at left tackle and is backed up by five-star freshman Michael Fasusi, who impressed in his first spring on campus and could realistically see the field as a true freshman.

    That would mean sophomore Eddy Pierre-Louis, who got most of the first-team work at left guard in Ozaeta's absence this spring, would likely kick back to the right side and compete with Nwaiwu for the job at right guard. Nwaiwu, a former North Texas transfer, started all 13 games last season and led the offense in snaps played but struggled with consistency in his first SEC Season. Pierre-Louis, meanwhile, has continued to turn heads with his development, and Brent Venables identified him first among underclassmen you could "see a lot of" this season.

    That's to say nothing of the other up-and-coming pieces Oklahoma has along the line, including redshirt freshman guard Daniel Akinkunmi (another player Venables believes can contribute this season) and true freshman Ryan Fodje, as well as more experienced depth with the return of Jake Taylor (likely the backup to Simmons at right tackle) and the additions of Stanford transfers Luke Baklenko (experience at both tackle spots) and Jake Maikkula (expected to back up Everett at center, with experience at both guard spots as well).

    Over the course of fall camp, how the offensive line takes shape will be the most intriguing aspect of the Sooners to monitor. Bedenbaugh (with the help of analyst Kevin Wilson) and new offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle have no shortage of viable options — with improved depth at each position — to choose from, but it's pertinent that Oklahoma settles on a starting five sooner rather than later. The Sooners can't afford a repeat of last season along the line, and there's reason to believe the unit will be much improved this fall.

    What they said: "Obviously, you got to learn from your mistakes, but you can't just live off of that all the time. You got to learn from it, move on, swallow it and move on. That's in the past. We all know what happened and know it was not even close to where we need to be, but now we're going to a place where, 'OK, use that for what we did last year, and drive it as motivation to make sure it never happens again.'" — center Troy Everett after the Crimson Combine.

 

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Posted

Holy shit.  That is some truly macabre shit! 

They've convinced themselves that Mateer is the chosen one and they are going to make a playoff run.  It sure sounds like they are much more likely to have a blowout, run off the road into a ditch and explode into a spectacular fireball.

I'm picturing something similar to the end of Mad Max.  Maybe after they run off into the ditch in the middle of the season LSU can handcuff them to the car frame and leave them a hacksaw and a timebomb to put them out of commission.

mad-max-pLfAFm.gif 

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Posted

I continue to be fascinated by “I have to see it from Arch” statements while at the same time jumping full dick on a guy that went 8-4 with a mountain west schedule and could’ve lost 3 more games. 

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Posted
6 hours ago, A’Dam Psycho said:

I continue to be fascinated by “I have to see it from Arch” statements while at the same time jumping full dick on a guy that went 8-4 with a mountain west schedule and could’ve lost 3 more games. 

I think OU just puts too much stock in the Mateer family name. If his name was John Manning, nobody would be giving him this much hype.

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Posted
8 hours ago, A’Dam Psycho said:

 Another one

Matt Hayes? That guy has been writing about college football for almost 30 years now. He has seen it all. 
 
Just kidding. He’s an idiot. Here is a saved copy of his pre-season 2005 article about who had a better QB, Texas or Texas A&M. He uses his keen insight and analytical abilities to cut through the hype. 
 
 

Quote

The guy can't catch a break. He has been dealing with this -- what's that term athletes use? -- disrespect going on seven years now. Since back to high school, when his tall, skinny rival from the big city always got credit for doing more and showing more even though he really didn't.

All Reggie McNeal needs now is that annoying uncle at the annual family reunion, the one who always says you'll never be as good as . . .

"It's always been Vince," McNeal says. "He's the one I'm always compared to."

Anyone who has followed Texas quarterback Vince Young and Texas A&M quarterback Reggie McNeal knows there is no comparison. McNeal is a complete quarterback; Young is not. McNeal can make all the throws, and he can be dazzling and deflating when he scrambles away from pressure. Young is a tailback trapped in the body of a quarterback, the first guy you pick when choosing sides because God knows you don't want to tackle him.

McNeal has better career numbers -- and has been a more productive player -- than Young, yet Young is everybody's All-American. Young has every able-bodied sportswriter, television bobblehead and amateur analyst gawking over his quick feet and flashy moves. McNeal barely is known outside of College Station.

Young is a Heisman Trophy favorite, but he's not the best quarterback in his conference. Or even in his division.

"Reggie is a once-in-a-lifetime player," says A&M coach Dennis Franchione.

That's what all of the recruiting experts were saying about Young four years ago. The best player in the nation, the best quarterback in the nation, a consensus No. 1 recruit. And McNeal? They didn't even know where to slot him, and some gave him the catchall "athlete" label. Yet it was McNeal who led his small-town Lufkin High team to a Texas Class 5A state championship after Young's big-city Houston team lost in the semifinals -- with an opportunity to play Lufkin on the line.

"Would've been a great game," McNeal says.

It also would've been his only fair shot at competing against Young. The reality: Young is playing with a bazooka behind a talented Texas team. McNeal is playing with a pop gun. Young plays for one of the nation's top five teams, a media darling of a program that gets bigger with every season. McNeal plays for the Longhorns' stepsister, a once-proud program in the middle of a housecleaning under Franchione.

Yet, with all of that, one thing stands clear: Young is style; McNeal is substance.

"No one in this conference scares you more than Reggie McNeal," says Iowa State coach Dan McCarney.

A few weeks ago, Franchione sat at a table during the Big 12 media days and humbly said McNeal ran a legitimate 4.3 40 in summer timing. Not a pencil moved. A day later, when told of a teammate's alleged sub-4.3 40 time, Young defiantly responded, "Ain't nobody on this team faster than me." The assembled throng of media giggled and feverishly scribbled on notepads before launching into a series of Heisman Trophy questions.

Heisman Trophy.

What's that word again? Yeah, disrespect.

 

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Posted
On 7/22/2025 at 5:16 PM, closetojumping said:

Here's the WRs preview. Mateer apparently thinks their WR room is "so deep". Uh huh. Highlights:

-Neither Gibson is cleared medically to be on the field.

-They're expecting "big things" from the McNeese guy who put up middling stats in FCS, Sategna, the meh transfer from Arkansas, and Elijah Thomas, a true freshman. 

-Somehow Deon Burks is still regarded by everyone as a major threat.

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Oklahoma football 2025 fall camp position preview: Wide receivers

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    Fall camp is around the corner, and Oklahoma football's second SEC season is set to kick off in less than six weeks. As the first day of preseason practice approaches, it's time to take a closer look at each position group for the Sooners and where things stand for each unit entering Year 4 under head coach Brent Venables. The 11-part series continues with an examination of OU's overhauled wide receiver corps.

    Departed: Nic Anderson (transfer to LSU), Jalil Farooq (transfer to Maryland), Andrel Anthony (transfer to Duke), Brenen Thompson (transfer to Mississippi State), J.J. Hester (transfer to Kentucky), Jaquaize Pettaway (transfer to East Carolina).

    Returning starters: Deion Burks, redshirt senior (started five games).

    Other returning players: Jayden Gibson, redshirt senior; Zion Kearney, sophomore; Zion Ragins, sophomore; Ivan Carreon, sophomore; Jacob Jordan, sophomore; KJ Daniels, redshirt freshman.

    Offseason additions: Isaiah Sategna, redshirt junior (Arkansas transfer); Keontez Lewis, redshirt senior (Southern Illinois transfer); Javonnie Gibson, redshirt junior (Arkansas-Pine Bluff transfer); Josiah Martin, sophomore (Cal transfer); Jer'Michael Carter, junior (McNeese transfer); Elijah Thomas, four-star freshman; Manny Choice, four-star freshman.

    No position on Oklahoma's roster underwent a more significant overhaul than Emmett Jones' wide receiver room. A position that was projected to be a strength for the Sooners during their inaugural SEC season instead became a liability, as the receiving corps was ravaged by injuries to each of its top five players, causing them to miss either substantial time during the season or — in some cases — the entire season (or close to it).

    That led to an odious passing attack, as Oklahoma ranked 119th in the FBS in passing yards per game (175.8), 128th in yards per pass attempt (6.1) and 101st in pass efficiency offense (125.42). That, as the receiving corps accounted for fewer than 1,500 yards receiving on the year, with no wideout finishing the season with more than 315 yards receiving.

    It led to an extensive retooling of the position this offseason, with six outgoing transfers — including 2023 standouts Nic Anderson, Jalil Farooq and Andrel Anthony — while Oklahoma returned a key piece in Deion Burks (along with a handful of other pass-catchers) and filled out the room with five transfer additions and a pair of well-regarded freshmen. The Sooners are betting on the positional overhaul — along with better luck on the injury front — paying off in a big way for their new-look offense under first-year offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle and transfer quarterback John Mateer.

     

     

    Projected depth chart:

    WIDE RECEIVER

    -- Isaiah Sategna, redshirt junior (2024 stats: 37 receptions, 491 yards, one touchdown)

    -- Zion Kearney, sophomore (2024 stats: eight receptions, 128 yards, one touchdown) OR

    -- Keontez Lewis, redshirt senior (2024 stats: 49 receptions, 813 yards, five touchdowns) OR

    -- Jayden Gibson*, redshirt junior (2024 stats: N/A)

    WIDE RECEIVER

    -- Javonnie Gibson*, redshirt junior (2024 stats: 70 receptions, 1,215 yards, nine touchdowns)

    -- Elijah Thomas, freshman (2024 stats: N/A) OR

    -- Jer'Michael Carter, junior (2024 stats: 37 receptions, 537 yards, three touchdowns)

    SLOT

    -- Deion Burks, redshirt senior (2024 stats: 31 receptions, 245 yards, three touchdowns).

    -- Josiah Martin, sophomore (2024 stats: 12 receptions, 112 yards) OR

    -- Jacob Jordan, sophomore (2024 stats: 27 receptions, 234 yards, one touchdown.

    *Injured in the spring

    Deion Burks

     

    Post-spring departures: N/A

    Outlook: Oklahoma's receiving corps — and passing offense writ large — set a low bar last season, though it was almost entirely due to the unprecedented string of injuries the Sooners experienced at the position. As Brent Venables said, when asked a tongue-in-cheek question at SEC Media Days last week about playing a season without any healthy wide receivers, "it's hard to do; certainly, is hard to get a first down or two."

    But Oklahoma is hoping last year's issues at receiver were an anomaly, especially with a remodeled corps of pass-catchers and the offseason changes with the program's training staff. The Sooners overhauled the personnel in the room, bringing back only a handful of players — Deion Burks (the big portal add from last offseason, Jayden Gibson (who emerged as a big-play option in 2023 before a preseason patellar tendon tear) and a quintet of rising sophomores in Zion Kearney, Ivan Carreon, Jacob Jordan, Zion Ragins and KJ Daniels — while adding five transfers and a pair of blue-chip 2025 signees.

    Of the returning pieces, Burks stands to have the biggest role in Oklahoma's new-look offense. When healthy, Burks is a dynamic playmaker in the slot; he led Purdue in receiving in 2023 before his injury-shortened debut season in Norman last fall. Gibson is a big question mark after he missed all of last season due to his fall camp knee injury and then sustained a setback on the eve of spring practices. He's expected to be cleared early in the season, if not by the opener, but it remains to be seen if he'll be able to seamlessly pick up where he left off pre-injury, when he was widely expected to emerge as a key downfield threat in the passing game.

    Among the rising sophomores, Kearney has generated the most buzz throughout the offseason and will look to carve out a larger role than the one he played last year when he logged 247 snaps but just 15 targets in the passing game). Jordan also impressed, as the walk-on emerged as a viable option in the slot — but will have a more difficult path to significant playing time with a healthy Burks back in the mix.

    Most of the attention on the receiving corps this offseason, though, has come from the new additions. The Sooners added transfers Javonnie Gibson, Isaiah Sategna, Keontez Lewis and Josiah Martin during the winter portal window before landing Jer'Michael Carter in the post-spring window. They also signed a pair of four-star freshmen in Elijah Thomas and Manny Choice.

    Javonnie Gibson was the talk of the spring and emerging as a potential go-to option in the offense before he sustained a broken leg in early April. The Arkansas-Pine Bluff transfer is currently out of his protective boot and working his way back into the fray, and the expectation is that he'll be ready for the opener — though we'll see just how quickly he gets back to 100%, and how Oklahoma deploys him early in the schedule. When healthy, though, he figures to be a significant part of the offense.

    Sategna has been one of our under-the-radar impact players heading into the year, as the former Arkansas transfer brings SEC experience and a level of versatility to his game. He can play in the slot (behind Burks) or split out wide as a downfield playmaker in the Sooners' system, along with serving as a top option in the return game this season. Martin, a transfer from Cal, provides additional depth in the slot, while Lewis is another intriguing outside receiver who was solid at the FCS level last season and brings additional Power 4 experience (at Wisconsin and UCLA) to the table. Carter, meanwhile, was the lone post-spring addition to the room as the Sooners went out and landed the FCS transfer to provide another rangy target on the outside amid the spring injuries to the two Gibsons.

    As for the two freshmen, Oklahoma is high on the long-term potential of both Thomas and Choice. However, the 6-foot, 194-pound Thomas has turned heads since he arrived in the spring and should vie for some immediate opportunities within the Sooners' retooled offensive scheme as a potential big-play weapon.

    Just how the pecking order and rotations at the three receiver spots shake out over the course of fall camp remains on of the most interesting questions for Oklahoma's offense entering the year. Assuming the Sooners can avoid the kinds of injury — both in quantity and severity — that decimated the receiving corps last season, Oklahoma should have an improved crop of pass-catchers at the disposal of offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle and quarterback John Mateer.

    What they said: "I think it's important to note it's so deep. Our (wide receiver) room is so deep, and I trust all those guys. One-on-one matchups are going to be huge and we're going to continue to find out who can win consistently. We've got a lot of guys that can do it." —  QB John Mateer during SEC Media Days.

 


Outside of Burks that receiving room is complete dogshit. I hope Texas plays this offense accordingly and does not allow that running game any room whatsoever. 

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Posted

Spoilered below is the Sooners Illustrated preview for 2025 at Edge/DE. 

Highlights:

-R Mason Thomas had a good year last year and they expect him to be a star this year. Venables took him as one of his three player spokespersons to SEC Media Days. - In general, I am in agreement that Thomas should have a damned good year. He's one of those potentially great college players who projects as tweener in the NFL. 

-Marvin Jones Jr. is a 5 star bust. Georgia was fine seeing him go and FSU people have hinted on their 247 board that he was one of the bigger problems on their team last year. He's a talented, spoiled rich kid who plays when he feels like it. Can Venables get more out of him than that? I'm not seeing Venables as some sort of effective developer of talent thus far, but if there is literally just one example of that being a capability, it's R Mason Thomas. So maybe this guy also turns a corner.

-If Jones doesn't win the spot, it's unlikely to be because fellow 5 star bust, Adepoju Adebawore. He did not impress in the spring and the boards aren't touting him this summer either. 

-Okoye, who Texas coveted when he was a recruit, is someone that they're excited about seeing compete and get a lot of snaps.

-Sooners and their fans say a lot of stupid shit, but the R Mason Thomas quote at the end of this article is on a Spider2YBanana level of word salad stupid. 

Spoiler

Oklahoma football 2025 fall camp position preview: Defensive ends

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(Photo: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images, USA TODAY Sports)

  • Tom Green avatar
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    Fall camp is around the corner, and Oklahoma football's second SEC season is set to kick off in less than six weeks. As the first day of preseason practice approaches, it's time to take a closer look at each position group for the Sooners and where things stand for each unit entering Year 4 under head coach Brent Venables. The 11-part series continues with an examination of OU's defensive ends room.

    Departed: Ethan Downs (graduated), Trace Ford (graduated), Caiden Woullard (graduated).

    Returning starters: R Mason Thomas, senior.

    Other returning players: Adepoju Adebawore, junior; Taylor Wein, redshirt sophomore; Danny Okoye, redshirt freshman; Wyatt Gilmore, redshirt freshman; Bergin Kysar, redshirt freshman.

    Offseason additions: Marvin Jones Jr., senior (Florida State transfer); CJ Nickson, four-star freshman; Alex Shieldnight, three-star freshman.

    Oklahoma took a step forward with its pass rush from its final Big 12 season, when it ranked 82nd nationally with 24 sacks, to its inaugural SEC season, when it was tied for 26th in the FBS with 35 sacks. Sack numbers aside, the Sooners were generally more consistent off the edge — both in applying pressure on opposing quarterbacks and containing the run game, as OU allowed the 12th-fewest yards per rush attempt in the country last season (3.14).

    In other words, Oklahoma's defensive line set the foundation for a defensive unit that continued to progress in Brent Venables' third season at the helm. A major reason why was the emergence of R Mason Thomas, who established himself as one of the premier edge rushers in the SEC in his first fully healthy season. The second-team All-SEC selection led a veteran-heavy room that included Ethan Downs, Trace Ford and Caiden Woullard — all seniors last season — along with former five-star recruit Adepoju Adebawore.

    Thomas is back for his senior season, while Downs, Ford and Woullard have all moved on. Thomas will look to lead the unit and cement his NFL Draft status for 2026, while the Sooners will need to establish the rotation around him with the likes of Adebawore, little-used returning pieces like Danny Okoye and Taylor Wein, as well as a key transfer portal pickup in veteran Marvin Jones Jr.

     

     

    Projected depth chart:

    DEFENSIVE END

    -- R Mason Thomas, senior (2024 stats: 23 tackles, 12.5 for loss, nine sacks, 35 total pressures, two forced fumbles, one defensive touchdown)

    -- Danny Okoye, redshirt freshman (2024 stats: nine snaps played, no stats)

    DEFENSIVE END

    -- Marvin Jones Jr., senior (2024 stats: 25 tackles, six for loss, four sacks, 16 total pressures, one forced fumble)

    -- Adepoju Adebawore, junior (2024 stats: four tackles, 1.5 for loss, one sack, five total pressures) OR

    -- Taylor Wein, redshirt sophomore (2024 stats: two tackles, four total pressures)

    Post-spring departures: N/A.

     
    13190559.jpg?fit=bounds&crop=620:320,offset-y0.50&width=620&height=320

     

    Outlook: R Mason Thomas' decision to return for his senior season was one of the major coups for Oklahoma's staff after the end of last year's regular season. The importance of retaining Thomas can't be overstated, considering the Sooners must replace three of their top four contributors off the edge from a year ago and factoring in the undeniable presence the 6-foot-2, 249-pounder commands along the defensive line.

    Thomas was among the most impactful edge rushers in the SEC last season while leading Oklahoma in tackles for loss, sacks and total pressures. He also finished the year with the 16th-best grade among FBS pass-rushers, according to Pro Football Focus, in what was his first season both as a starter and as a fully healthy contributor along the line for the Sooners.

    Bringing back Thomas, who earned preseason All-SEC second-team honors at SEC Media Days, gives Oklahoma a strong foundation in Miguel Chavis' defensive ends room. For the Sooners now, it's about sorting out the rotation around him following the graduation of Ethan Downs, Trace Ford and Caiden Woullard. Oklahoma went out and brought in Florida State transfer Marvin Jones Jr., a former five-star prospect in the 2022 class who has prior SEC experience after beginning his career at Georgia, during the winter transfer portal. Jones enters fall camp as the likely starter opposite Thomas, while junior Adepoju Adebawore — another former five-star recruit — and redshirt sophomore Taylor Wein will also be battling for reps off the edge.

    Adebawore was the No. 12 player in the 2023 class, per the 247Sports Composite, but has yet to actualize his potential at Oklahoma, largely due to some nagging injury issues, though there have been flashed of what he is capable of as a disruptor off the edge. The 6-fooot-4 junior is up to 261 pounds, according to OU's official roster, and reportedly healthy. If he can turn a corner this season, it would be a huge boon for the Sooners' defensive front. Wein, meanwhile, has played only 38 snaps over his first two college seasons but took a step forward in his development this spring and could be a considerable contributor at defensive end this fall.

    The dark horse of the defensive end group is redshirt freshman Danny Okoye, a 6-foot-3, 251-pounder whom Venables recently said, "pound for pound might be the best athlete" on the Sooners' roster. Okoye logged only a handful of snaps as a true freshman and is likely to back up Thomas, however he should be viewed as a real breakout candidate heading into the season.

    Though the overall experience of the room isn't what it was last year, there are several pieces to be excited about at defensive end for Oklahoma this season, chief among them Thomas, who will try to solidify himself as one of the league's premiere pass-rushers this season. If the rest of the group can come together and play to its potential, the Sooners' defense will be in a great position in the coming months.

    What they said: "We have a lot of experience. We added Marvin Jones Jr. He has experience from Georgia. He has SEC experience and ACC experience with Florida State. We've just got guys that fit into the system for so long. This is my fourth year. PJ's third year. T-Wein's third year. Marvin's first year. He's probably the only guy — him and three other people's first year. Last year we had multiple guys but not as much as we do now. So, experience for us helps a lot to know what to expect, and this is our second year in the SEC, so we know (what) it looks like." — defensive end R Mason Thomas at SEC Media Days.

 

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Posted
7 hours ago, statsman said:

Matt Hayes? That guy has been writing about college football for almost 30 years now. He has seen it all. 
 
Just kidding. He’s an idiot. Here is a saved copy of his pre-season 2005 article about who had a better QB, Texas or Texas A&M. He uses his keen insight and analytical abilities to cut through the hype. 
 
 

 

torbush-wow.gif

Posted

Matt Hayes used to write stories about Urban Meyer "trying" to bring the spread to the SEC. In both The Sporting News and on multiple CFB tv and radio shows, he adamantly sermonized that Meyer was going to fail in the SEC because of his offense. If there's anyone at a national level who is constantly as idiotic and wrong as Bohls and Liucci, it's that assclown. 

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Posted
21 hours ago, Fondren & Main said:

They've convinced themselves that Mateer is the chosen one and they are going to make a playoff run. 

animal-house-kevin-bacon.gif

7 hours ago, statsman said:

Matt Hayes?

Didn't watch.  Don't feel like getting dumber today.

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Posted

Here's the Sooners Illustrated breakdown for the DTs for 2025.

Highlights:

-They're understandably bullish about their DTs, but they're overrating Williams. He is a good DT. He's not what they expected, which was a highly productive one-and-done guy. He got a middling grade from the NFL and chose to return to OU. 

-David Stone, another 5 star, was relegated to garbage time last season and then went into the portal in the spring. After holding OU hostage and they capitulated, he returned to the roster. The boards speak rumors of him being a locker room problem, so I'm interested to see how he develops this year.

-Another R Mason Thomas quote that isn't really English and leads me to believe that he's got early onset CTE. 

Spoiler

Oklahoma football 2025 fall camp position preview: Defensive tackles

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(Photo: John Reed-Imagn Images, USA TODAY Sports)

  • Tom Green avatar
     Tom GreenStaff
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    Fall camp is around the corner, and Oklahoma football's second SEC season is set to kick off in less than six weeks. As the first day of preseason practice approaches, it's time to take a closer look at each position group for the Sooners and where things stand for each unit entering Year 4 under head coach Brent Venables. The 11-part series continues with an examination of OU's defensive tackles room.

    Departed: Da'Jon Terry (graduated), Davon Sears (graduated), Ashton Sanders (transfer to UCLA).

    Returning starters: Damonic Williams, senior; Jayden Jackson, sophomore.

    Other returning players: Gracen Halton, senior; David Stone, sophomore; Markus Strong, redshirt sophomore; Nigel Smith II, redshirt freshman; David Rowaiye, redshirt junior; Ace Hodges, redshirt freshman.

    Offseason additions: Siolaa Lolohea, redshirt sophomore (Utah State transfer); Trent Wilson, four-star freshman; Jacob Henry, redshirt freshman.

    Oklahoma's defensive line set the tone for an improved defense in the program's inaugural SEC season, as the Sooners were one of the nation's best against the run (allowing just 3.14 yards per carry; 12th nationally) and among the tops in the FBS in tackles for loss (96; tied for 14th). While a lot of the credit for the standard set by the defensive line went to the edges, where R Mason Thomas and Ethan Downs bookended the line, Oklahoma had a formidable group of interior linemen who helped make the team's defensive front among the stingiest in the country in 2024.

    Good news for Oklahoma: It returns four of its top five players from that interior rotation — with veterans Damonic Williams and Gracen Halton back for their senior seasons and sophomores Jayden Jackson and David Stone also back in the mix. The lone departure was sixth-year senior Da'Jon Terry, who finally exhausted his eligibility but was a mainstay along the defensive line the last two seasons. With four of the five most utilized tackles back for the Sooners, the defensive front is again expected to be a strength for OU's defense heading into the program's second SEC season.

     

     

    Projected depth chart:

    NOSE TACKLE

    -- Damonic Williams, senior (2024 stats: 35 tackles, 4.5 for loss, one sack, eight total pressures, one forced fumble)

    -- David Stone, sophomore (2024 stats: six tackles, two for loss, one sack, seven total pressures)

    DEFENSIVE TACKLE

    -- Jayden Jackson, sophomore (2024 stats: 30 tackles, three for loss, two sacks, 10 total pressures)

    -- Gracen Halton, senior (2024 stats: 30 tackles, six for loss, five sacks, 29 total pressures, two forced fumbles)

     
    13190927.jpg?fit=bounds&crop=620:320,offset-y0.50&width=620&height=320

     

    Post-spring departures: N/A.

    Outlook: Oklahoma heads into the 2025 season with plenty of buzz surrounding its defensive line, with some experts believing the unit could be the best in the SEC this season (and thus, among the best in college football this fall). When looking up and down the personnel at both defensive end and defensive tackle, it's not hard to understand why.

    While we examined the defensive ends earlier, let's focus on the interior of the line, where the Sooners return four of their top five players from last year's stout unit, each of whom has a distinct versatility to his respective skillset that makes the line that much more intimidating. It begins with seniors Damonic Williams and Gracen Halton, both of whom opted to return for a final collegiate season and help set the tone for the Sooners' defense this fall.

    Williams, in his first season at OU after transferring from TCU, started all but one game for the Sooners (and has started all but one game in his three-year career to this point), while Halton—despite starting just three games — logged the second-most snaps among Oklahoma's defensive tackles last fall. Williams has been a steady presence on the inside throughout his career, but last year for Halton was a breakthrough of sorts, as he posted career highs in tackles, tackles for loss, sacks and pressures while establishing himself as one of the more productive interior pass-rushers in the country, according to Pro Football Focus.

    The big reason Halton didn't start throughout last season, despite his abundance of snaps, was the emergence of 2024 signee Jayden Jackson, who became the first true freshman since Tommie Harris in 2001 to start a season opener for the Sooners along the defensive line. Jackson was a Freshman All-American and Freshman All-SEC performer last season, and he's expected to continue to blossom heading into Year 2 as an anchor on the defensive line.

    Jackson's fellow 2024 signee — and high school teammate — David Stone is set to round out the two-deep on the interior. Stone, a former five-star prospect who logged just 94 snaps as a freshman, is expected to have a larger role this season while earning some of the reps that need to be replaced by the graduation of Terry. Stone is now up to 310 pounds on OU's official roster, and after a strong spring — along with a brief flirtation with the transfer portal in April — expectations are rising for the former top-10 overall player in the 2024 class.

    That core four should account for most of the reps on the interior of Oklahoma's defensive line, but the Sooners have some added depth pieces who have an opportunity to earn some snaps situationally over the course of fall camp. OU brought in Utah State transfer Siolaa Lolohea (who has familiarity with new defensive assistant Nate Dreiling from their shared time with the Aggies) as a developmental piece, while it also returns the likes of Markus Strong and Nigel Smith II, along with freshman additions like Trent Wilson (whom Venables lauded at SEC Media Days last week) and walk-on Jacob Henry, an ex-wrestler and son of WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry.

    All things considered, the Sooners' stable of defensive tackles makes this unit arguably the deepest and most promising on the entire roster heading into a pivotal season for the program.

    What they said: "Our ceiling (along the defensive line) is high, and it all starts with our leadership coming from me, PJ (Adebawore), Dom Williams, Gracen Halton — it all comes from that. Our ceiling can be however high we want, and whatever we tolerate is what goes. Whatever we tolerate, that's what the young guys are going to tolerate. So, however we can nurture and facilitate our defensive line, our ceiling can be whatever it wants to be. And I think it can be really high."— defensive end R Mason Thomas at SEC Media Days.

 

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