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USA Today
6 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
ESPN thinks this Oklahoma player could be a sleeper this year
The Oklahoma Sooners are in desperate need of a bounce-back campaign in 2025. A dismal offensive showing in OU's first season in the SEC led to a 6-7 overall record and a 2-6 mark in conference play. One of the many reasons that Oklahoma had so much trouble moving the ball on offense was the wide receiver play. OU's top five projected receivers missed all or most of the 2024 season due to injury. That forced backups and true freshmen to step into roles they weren't ready for, and the Oklahoma passing game crumbled. Wide receiver certainly wasn't the only problem on an offense full of them, but it's an area that has to improve along with the rest of the offense in 2025. ESPN believes there's a player at this position on the Sooners roster who isa bit under the radar that can help OU right the ship. A handful of ESPN's college football writers identified sleeper players for each of their preseason top 25 teams. For Oklahoma, who came in at No. 25 in the rankings, they chose sophomore wide receiver Zion Kearney. The Sooners were besieged with injuries at the receiver position last season, and some of their more talented pass catchers hit the transfer portal, including Nic Anderson. With new offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle and his Air Raid offense coming to Norman, that means Oklahoma will utilize even more receivers. Kearney, a true sophomore, has a chance to make a big jump after playing as a backup in 11 games as a freshman. He has the size (6-1, 207 pounds) and speed (4.28 40-yard dash in high school) to be a staple in the Sooners' passing game, especially with John Mateer stepping in at quarterback. - Chris Low, ESPN. Kearney wasn't ready to play the kind of snaps he did in 2024, but all of that experience is a good learning opportunity for him. The Sooners and wide receivers coach Emmett Jones remade the position group in the transfer portal this offseason, and Kearney was one of a handful of players who decided to stick around in Norman. Kearney also had a nice performance in OU's Armed Forces Bowl loss against Navy. He posted his most receiving yards of the season and his only career touchdown on a scramble drill play from Michael Hawkins Jr. He also managed four catches against Texas back in October. With a lot of question marks and some lingering injury concerns for OU's wide receiver group heading into fall camp, Kearney could be a surprise player to watch in his second season as a Sooner. Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X @Aaron_Gelvin.
USA Today
30-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Where did Phil Steele pick Oklahoma to finish in the SEC?
Phil Steele, the magazine publisher long considered one of the definitive voices in college football prognostication, released his predicted SEC standings over the weekend. Oklahoma looks to be in good shape. The Sooners were tabbed to finish in a tie for fourth in the Southeastern Conference, Steele projected, alongside LSU and Texas A&M. OU finished the 2024 in a tie for 13th with a 2-6 league record and a 6-7 record overall after losing to Navy in the Armed Forces Bowl. One of the biggest reasons for Oklahoma's predicted resurgence is a new-look offense. Head coach Brent Venables brought in offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle from Washington State. Arbuckle was a major factor in the Sooners landing quarterback John Mateer from the Cougars, as well. Mateer is considered one of the five best quarterbacks in the country. OU also picked up former first-team All-Pac 12 selection Jadyn Ott from California-Berkeley to serve as the team's primary running back. Oklahoma's schedule is less than daunting than most in the SEC, too. The Sooners get their toughest teams on the road in Tennessee and Alabama, plus have just one other true road game in league play: at South Carolina on October 18. Steele picked Alabama second, Tennessee in a tie for seventh and South Carolina in a tie for 10th. OU's only other SEC game away from Norman comes October 11 against Texas, picked second by Steele, in the Red River Rivalry in Dallas. The Sooners host Auburn, LSU, Ole Miss, and Missouri in Norman. Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions.
USA Today
30-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Oklahoma Sooners 2025 preview: Wide receivers poised for a big season
After the Oklahoma Sooners were projected to have one of the best wide receiver units in the SEC last year, injuries completely derailed all of OU's best-laid plans. The top five WRs who were projected to get the most snaps and have the biggest impact last year all missed most or all of the 2024 season. Of those five players, Nic Anderson, Andrel Anthony and Jalil Farooq all transferred elsewhere this offseason, while Deion Burks and Jayden Gibson stayed put in Norman. The players that were forced to step up couldn't fill those big shoes, and plenty of them have moved on as well. Backups like Brenen Thompson, J.J. Hester, and Jaquaize Pettaway hit the portal to go elsewhere. Needless to say, wide receivers coach Emmett Jones' room needed a clean bill of health and a rebuild. The Sooners brought in plenty of new faces at WR in the portal, but how will they fit in along with the returners on the depth chart come late-August? That's what we'll attempt to unpack today. In new offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle's Air Raid offense, great wide receiver play will be paramount. Sooner fans are familiar with the Air Raid, and with seeing four, or even five wideouts on the field at the same time. However, there will also be the presence of the tight end position when the Sooners take the field this fall, so we'll only include three WRs on the depth chart to begin the season. Quarterback Running Back Offensive Line Tight End X-Wide Receiver Starter: Javonnie Gibson Javonnie Gibson is one of Jones' newcomers via the portal in 2025. Of the portal additions, he was the one who popped the most in spring football, before he broke his leg late in the spring. If he's healthy when the season begins, he probably did enough in his abbreviated spring to earn the starting X-WR spot. Backups: JerMichael Carter, Zion Kearney JerMichael Carter was a late offseason portal add for the coaching staff after Gibson broke his leg. He also provides size in the passing game. Zion Kearney returns for his sophomore season after getting extended playing time in 2024. With Gibson's status still up in the air, there are a lot of directions Jones could go at X-WR. Sophomore Ivan Carreon is another name to watch after a nice Armed Forces Bowl performance against Navy, as is true freshman Manny Choice. Z-Wide Receiver Starter: Jayden Gibson Jayden Gibson didn't play at all last year due to injury. If he's healthy this season, he could have a significant impact for the Sooners. He got plenty of run in this spot in 2023 after Andrel Anthony got hurt, and he played well down the stretch of OU's 10-win season. Here's hoping both Gibsons are ready to go for Week 1 Backups: Elijah Thomas, Keontez Lewis Elijah Thomas is a true freshman from the 2025 recruiting class who has turned heads since arriving on campus. The Sooners got burned when relying on first-year players a season ago, so they hope Thomas is different. Keontez Lewis is another portal addition that will push for playing time, especially if there are injuries to other wide receivers. Once again, it's hard to tell what direction Jones goes here, considering the injury status of Gibson. Keep your eye on Josiah Martin and Zion Ragins, who both bring plenty of speed to the field. Slot Wide Receiver Starter: Deion Burks Deion Burks is the closest thing OU has to a lock at wide receiver. If he's healthy, he'll be one of the featured targets for Arbuckle's system. He was Oklahoma's best wide receiver last season. Unfortunately, he didn't play much due to injury. He came back for one more shot to impress NFL scouts, but to do that, you have to be on the field, not on the sidelines. Backups: Isaiah Sategna, Jacob Jordan Isaiah Sategna is another portal addition that Jones brought in this offseason. He'll help out in the return game and offers another speedy option when Burks is off the field. Jacob Jordan was one of the few players the Sooners had on the field last year who could get open with any consistency. Guys like that typically find their way into the action. Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X @Aaron_Gelvin.
USA Today
28-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Brent Venables among coaches that can improve their stock
Brent Venables among coaches that can improve their stock Every season, plenty of head coaches come into the fall with something to prove. In the case of Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables, he's looking to prove that he does, in fact, belong as a head coach at the highest level of this sport. After a 6-7 season in 2022, Venables got on track with a 10-3 season in 2023. But regressing back to a 6-7 record in 2024 has fans and analysts alike wondering if Venables has what it takes to lead the Sooners. He's made some massive changes to the program this offseason to try and set himself up as best as he possibly can for Year 4 overall and Year 2 in the SEC. Will Backus, who covers college football for CBS Sports, believes that Venables is on a shortlist of Power Four head coaches who have a chance to improve their stock the most this year. Backus cites the new offensive battery of Ben Arbuckle and John Mateer as the primary reasons why. Venables' Sooners did not take the SEC transition well. Sure, they pulled off a gigantic upset against Alabama, but they were outscored by an average of 15 points in their other four games against ranked conference opponents and then capped the whole campaign with a loss against Navy in the Armed Forces Bowl. So, in an effort to ensure Oklahoma doesn't fall too far behind, Venables made sweeping changes in the offseason. He'll handle defensive play-calling duties while handing the offensive coordinator role to Ben Arbuckle, who engineered some of the nation's most effective passing offenses at Western Kentucky and Washington State. Arbuckle's Wazzu QB, John Mateer, followed him to Norman. Oklahoma also signed five wide receiver transfers to bolster a position decimated by injuries and portal departures. As long as the offensive line takes a big leap, the rest of Oklahoma's offense should follow, and that would mean improvement for the Sooners. - Backus, CBS Sports The offensive coordinator-quarterback relationship is becoming increasingly important in the transfer portal-NIL era of college football. The Sooners look like they'll have one of the nation's best in 2025 after having one of the nation's worst in 2024. Venables and Sooner Nation hope that an improved offensive output can lead to more victories this fall in Norman. Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X @Aaron_Gelvin.
USA Today
11-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Oklahoma Sooners attending NFL Rookie Minicamps
Oklahoma Sooners attending NFL Rookie Minicamps The Oklahoma Sooners had just two players chosen in April's 2025 NFL Draft, breaking a streak of 22 straight seasons with at least three players selected. But, plenty of former OU standouts will be getting their first taste of the NFL this week, as rookie minicamps are happening all over the league. NFL rookie minicamps are three days long, and consist of draft picks, undrafted free agents, and non-roster invitees. All 32 teams hold one during one of the first two weekends in May. Oklahoma's two draftees were the two best players on the team in 2024. Linebacker Danny Stutsman was picked 112th overall in the fourth round by the New Orleans Saints. Defensive back Billy Bowman Jr. was selected 118th overall in the fourth round by the Atlanta Falcons. The two were the veteran leaders of the team in Year 1 in the SEC, and both spent four seasons in Norman. The Sooners also had plenty of players sign with teams as undrafted free agents; earning contracts despite their UDFA status. Offensive lineman Michael Tarquin signed with the Carolina Panthers. Defensive lineman Da'Jon Terry signed with the Los Angeles Rams. Defensive lineman Ethan Downs signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Defensive lineman Trace Ford signed with the New York Giants. But OU also had a slew of players who get to continue their dreams of pro football with a minicamp invite. They'll be longshots to make the roster, but they've still got a chance to impress the teams that extended an invite to them. Punter Luke Elzinga will attend minicamp with the Tennessee Titans. He was excellent in his season-and-a-half as a starter, and was a force for the Sooners last year. Tight end Jake Roberts has accepted minicamp invites from both the Kansas City Chiefs and the Las Vegas Raiders. He spent just one season in his hometown of Norman, being mostly used as a blocking tight end. He caught the final touchdown of the season in the Armed Forces Bowl loss against Navy. Defensive lineman Caiden Woullard will attend minicamp with the Indianapolis Colts. He also spent just one year in Norman, and played well at defensive end for Miguel Chavis. His collegiate career began at Miami (Ohio). Offensive lineman Spencer Brown also spent one season as a Sooner. He'll attend minicamp with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and arrived in Norman via Michigan State for the 2024 season. Defensive back Woodi Washington accepted a minicamp invite from the Baltimore Ravens. Like Stutsman, Bowman and Downs, he was a veteran leader on the defense a season ago. Washington was the longest-tenured Sooner in 2024. Of the 19 draft-eligible Sooners from last year's roster, 17 entered the draft. Of those 17 players, 11 will get to show what they've got in rookie minicamps and try to begin finding their place in the National Football League. Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X @Aaron_Gelvin.
