🔴 Sooners 2021 thread

[Valhalla]

 

[Valhalla]

[MrBuddyGarrity]

Okie Lite made a move today I see. Was it expected?? (Flip)

[Valhalla]

40 minutes ago, MrBuddyGarrity said:

Okie Lite made a move today I see. Was it expected?? (Flip)

Offered a not as talented little brother to get the flip. 

[Coach Rab]

Look at his logo…

https://spencerrattlershop.com/
 

merch doesn’t look bad at all

[Valhalla]

6 hours ago, MavGrad99 said:

https://spencerrattlershop.com/
 

merch doesn’t look bad at all

The logo is fine I guess. 
 

I’m not spending money on a Spencer Rattler shirt. I’m buying an Oklahoma shirt.

[Valhalla]

 

[Coach Rab]

16 hours ago, Valhalla said:

The logo is fine I guess. 
 

I’m not spending money on a Spencer Rattler shirt. I’m buying an Oklahoma shirt.

Either way, if he lights it up, there will be plenty of 8-16 year olds wanting a Spencer Rattler shirt.  I like the cleanliness of all of it… good marketing by this kid selling Gildan tees

[Valhalla]

Will play DB at Oklahoma.

[MrBuddyGarrity]

6 hours ago, Valhalla said:

 

Will play DB at Oklahoma.

Dang it. 

[Red90fly]

Mentions he was involved with McGowan and Bridges from not to long ago.

[Valhalla]

Can someone besides an RB get in trouble please.

[ETXfan16]

On 7/3/2021 at 4:11 PM, Valhalla said:

The logo is fine I guess. 
 

I’m not spending money on a Spencer Rattler shirt. I’m buying an Oklahoma shirt.

This. I'm seeing so many players come out with their merch and I'm thinking "I don't even know who the hell you are."

[Valhalla]

 

[Baron]

On 7/6/2021 at 8:47 PM, Valhalla said:

Can someone besides an RB get in trouble please.

Be careful what you wish for. I'm speaking from experience.

[Mr. P]

https://tulsaworld.com/sports/college/ou/watch-now-lincoln-riley-on-ous-new-look-defense-you-dont-want-to-roll-out/article_d20786a0-e4d2-11eb-9010-2f594ae58822.html

Quote

 

ARLINGTON, Texas — How much has Oklahoma's defense changed under Alex Grinch?

"There was a several-year stretch there where we were pretty small across the board," OU coach Lincoln Riley said on Wednesday. "Not that you can't have a small guy here and there, but you don't want to roll out with four 5-8 guys in the secondary. 

"So we certainly look a lot different there."

Grinch’s three-year progression (2015-17) as Washington State’s defensive coordinator put the Pac-12 program in a new place.

How the pattern for the defensive coordinator at Oklahoma been similar or has it exceeded Riley’s expectations?

“The progression has been great,” Riley said. “We were much improved in year one. We took a big step in year two. Our plan is to take another big step here.

“A lot of things go into that. The players have been in that system for a couple of years and we have some really strong leaders. Our success as a team and, especially our success defensively the last few years, we’ve been able to recruit at a higher and higher level, especially on the defensive side of the ball."

Oklahoma finished No. 29 in total defense in 2020. In Grinch's first season, the Sooners were No. 38. In the 2018 campaign, the last under Mike Stoops and interim defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill, OU was No. 114. 

“We look different even just walking into a team meeting room on that side of the ball than we did a few years ago. It just looks different, in a positive way," Riley said.

"There’s still a lot of work to be done. I have extremely high expectations for our defense this season, but I think we have the right people in the room to get it done.”

 

"Oklahoma finished No. 29 in total defense in 2020. In Grinch's first season, the Sooners were No. 38. In the 2018 campaign, the last under Mike Stoops and interim defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill, OU was No. 114."

No excuses anymore. Natty or bust. 

[Valhalla]

The next five star QB. Arguably the top QB in the 2023 class.

[MrBuddyGarrity]

Oh I see he's already in Sooner form. 

[Mr. P]

On 7/18/2021 at 7:41 PM, Valhalla said:

The next five star QB. Arguably the top QB in the 2023 class.

Cool...  hope he sticks with it. 

[Valhalla]

2 hours ago, LOL said:

Cool...  hope he sticks with it. 

The top QBs typically do not do a lot of flipping, but you never know with kids.

[Mr. P]

1 hour ago, Valhalla said:

The top QBs typically do not do a lot of flipping, but you never know with kids.

True, and unless you're leaning toward the big three (Bama/Clemson/Ohio State) there's really no better place to be a Quarterback than under Lincoln Riley. His resume speaks for itself. 

[Mr. P]

19 hours ago, LOL said:

True, and unless you're leaning toward the big three (Bama/Clemson/Ohio State) there's really no better place to be a Quarterback than under Lincoln Riley. His resume speaks for itself. 

Relevant: https://www.oklahoman.com/story/sports/2021/07/20/ou-football-malachi-nelson-brings-big-arm-sooner-quarterback-room/8025360002/

Quote

NORMAN — Malachi Nelson finished off a powerhouse recruiting weekend by OU with his Sunday night announcement that he’d chosen the Sooners over USC and Alabama.

The five-star 2023 quarterback from Los Alamitos, California, kept up Lincoln Riley’s string of landing one of the top quarterbacks in the class every other recruiting cycle since landing Spencer Rattler in 2019.

While there’s plenty of development yet to come for Nelson before he ever arrives in Norman — which doesn’t figure to happen until January 2023 at the earliest — there’s also plenty of evidence showing what type of quarterback he is and will be.

In an abbreviated spring season in 2020-21, Nelson threw for 1,513 yards and 23 touchdowns with just four interceptions.

He showed off a refined throwing motion that looks effortless at times, but with plenty of arm strength behind it when needed. He also showed the ability to to put touch onto his throws, with the accuracy to fit them into tight windows from a variety of angles. 

Nelson also has shown strong decision-making capabilities at a young age, an element that figures to continue to be refined during his junior and senior seasons.

 

While Nelson (6-foot-3, 175 pounds) has plenty of athleticism, he's a pro-style quarterback, without the explosive running ability of Kyler Murray or Jalen Hurts.

Since Austin Kendall became Lincoln Riley’s first quarterback commit in April 2015, OU’s recruiting at the position went on a steady rise to where it is today.

Kendall, as part of the 2016 class, was the first Rivals 100 quarterback the Sooners had signed since Rhett Bomar in 2004.

Including Kendall, OU has signed four top 100 quarterbacks since, most recently Caleb Williams in the 2021 class.

The rest of the Big 12 has just one — TCU’s Justin Rogers, who played in just one game with the Horned Frogs in two seasons before transferring to UNLV.

Texas does have a top-100 quarterback committed in the 2022 class in Maalik Murphy, who is ranked No. 54 according to Rivals.

For much of Riley’s tenure, he’s had a reputation as a quarterback whisperer, developing Baker Mayfield, Murray and Hurts into superstars. Mayfield and Murray won the Heisman Trophy as Sooners while Hurts finished second in his lone season on campus.

 

But all three of those were transfers from other programs.

It wasn’t until Rattler’s arrival as the starter last season that a quarterback Riley brought to Norman straight out of high school became the regular starter.

Rattler’s development last season — early flashes of brilliance mixed in with some youthful mistakes though showing a steady growth path — showed Riley could do the same with young quarterbacks and not rely on players at the position having plenty of collegiate experience before landing in Riley’s quarterback room.

But Riley didn’t stray from the course.

He brought in transfers like Murray and Hurts when he deemed it beneficial but hasn’t chased transfer experience just to have it.

Riley also hasn’t made it a necessity to sign a quarterback in every class.

In the 2020 class, immediately after Rattler’s, the Sooners didn’t add a quarterback until signing three-star Chandler Morris late in the cycle.

“For me, for that room — for any room — it’s about do you feel like you have what you need? Do you feel like you need to add somebody? Whether it’s signing a player, whether it’s taking a transfer, whatever it is,” Riley said in 2019. “We know we’ve got to be really good at that position. We know what the standards are here.”

In the 2022 class, between Williams’ and Nelson’s, the Sooners haven’t made an offer for a quarterback and aren’t likely to, with a small class expected and with Rattler, Williams and Penn State transfer Micah Bowens already on campus — though Rattler is widely expected to enter the NFL Draft following this season barring injury or other unforeseen circumstances.

Also, Nelson is the only 2023 quarterback the Sooners offered, waiting six months after that initial offer for Nelson’s commitment.

An early commitment doesn’t always mean a sure thing.

In the 2021 class, Brock Vandagriff committed to the Sooners at about the same point in the process but reopened his recruitment about six months later. Eventually, OU added Williams in the class and Williams ultimately passed Vandagriff, who eventually signed with Georgia, in Rivals’ team rankings, with Williams finishing No. 5 and Vandagriff No. 7. The pair were the top two quarterbacks on the list.

Williams is currently one spot ahead of Arch Manning, the nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning and grandson of Archie Manning, in the Rivals ranking while the other high-profile quarterback in the class, Dante Moore, is ranked No. 30.

[Valhalla]

I think the “transfers from other programs” is my biggest pet peeve in college football right now. 
 

Kyler Murray was at Oklahoma for 3 years. I don’t think what he learned from half a season at Texas A&M was any help to him. Heck, it probably hurt more than help. 
 

The same thing with Baker. He played one season at Tech and was at Oklahoma for four seasons. I don’t think starting half a season at Tech was a game changer for him. 

 

[Mr. P]

8 minutes ago, Valhalla said:

I think the “transfers from other programs” is my biggest pet peeve in college football right now. 

Kyler Murray was at Oklahoma for 3 years. I don’t think what he learned from half a season at Texas A&M was any help to him. Heck, it probably hurt more than help. 

The same thing with Baker. He played one season at Tech and was at Oklahoma for four seasons. I don’t think starting half a season at Tech was a game changer for him. 

Yeah, I think Hurts is the lone outlier. Obviously he was more of a 'Bammer than a Sooner, but his game certainly improved in his one season with Riley. 

But yeah, for all the snarky "hurr-durr OU gonna get another transfer QB, hurr-durr" other than a few high-profile players (like those you mention) I think the Transfer Portal is hurting more players than it's helping. 

[Valhalla]