Latest news with #OklahomaSooners'
USA Today
9 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Social media reacts to Bowe Bentley's commitment to the Oklahoma Sooners
The Oklahoma Sooners' 2026 recruiting class has its quarterback after four-star prospect Bowe Bentley committed to OU on Friday evening. Bentley is one of the ten best quarterbacks in the 2026 cycle and has been a rising star over the last six months. After starring in the Navy All-American Bowl in January, Bentley's recruitment took off, and he received offers from Ohio State, Georgia, Missouri, and more over the last few months. The Celina, Texas native attended the Elite 11 finals and had a standout performance on night two, earning praise from a number of recruiting outlets. The commitment is the first big high school quarterback pledge earned by offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle. Arbuckle offered Bentley less than two months after his arrival to Norman and was able to beat an LSU football program that boasts two Heisman Trophy winners since 2019, a Heisman front runner for 2025, and a strong wide receiver recruiting class. It's a huge win for the Sooners and it's given them a big boost ahead of one of the most important recruiting weekends of the year with the ChampU BBQ happening June 20-22 in Norman. Bentley's commitment had social media buzzing on Friday evening, and here are some of the best reactions to the news. Home Run from Arbuckle Oklahoma got their guy He's Home Let's Goooo!!! Ben Arbuckle effect Sooner DNA is Real Director of Player Personnel reacts An impressive talent Oklahoma added one of the best in the class Timing is impeccable Ready to Work Bowe Bentley brings the juice Oklahoma's QB plan comes together Big win for Ben Arbuckle Blue Chip U 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 John on X @john9williams.
USA Today
11-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Oklahoma recruiting strategy more important than ever amid Nico Iamaleava saga
Oklahoma recruiting strategy more important than ever amid Nico Iamaleava saga Brent Venables and the Oklahoma Sooners' approach to recruiting is more relevant than ever in today's college football world. Name, image, and likeness and the transfer portal aren't going anywhere. Revenue sharing and salary caps are on the way. College football has been about the money for a long time. But now, the players are able to benefit from the billions in revenue created by the product on the field. Money is going to be a part of the equation. However, there's a lot to be said for the way a program like Oklahoma wants to operate. The saga surrounding Volunteers starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava in Knoxville, Tennessee, is putting the Tennessee football program to the test this week. On Thursday, Pete Nakos of On3 reported that Nico Iamaleava and his representatives were seeking an increase in his name, image, and likeness deal, which was originally worth $8 million when he signed with the Volunteers out of high school. ESPN's Chris Lowe reported on Friday that not only has Iamaleava and his representatives been seeking a raise this week, but that they've been seeking a raise dating back to December. Lowe also reported that Iamaleava sat out of Tennessee's practice Friday, which surprised the coaching staff. Josh Heupel has some drama on his hands. It's reminiscent of the Matthew Sluka saga at UNLV last fall. But this is Tennessee—a Tennessee team coming off a College Football Playoff berth. And this is potentially the first hold-out of the modern era, something we're used to seeing only at the NFL level. How the relationship between the Volunteers and Iamaleava goes from here could shake the entire college football and name, image, and likeness landscape. That is why Oklahoma's recruiting priorities are so important. When Brent Venables was hired as the Oklahoma Sooners' head coach in 2021, he made it clear that Oklahoma would be active from a name, image, and likeness standpoint. Still, he was looking for players and families who took a more holistic look at their future. "I'm all for players that have the opportunity to have the brand, if you will," Venables said in 2021 via The Oklahoman. "They have the stage. They have those opportunities to create maybe a short-term, better quality of life for both them and/or their families. I don't see anything wrong with that." "I believe you need to use (NIL) to your advantage in every way you possibly can within the rules," Venables said back in 2021. "But that shouldn't be the focus of your program. We want to attract players and families that want all of it — the holistic piece. If (NIL) is where all the focus is, then maybe those values don't align." Oklahoma's been active from a name, image, and likeness perspective. They've used it to both recruit and retain players over the last several years. But Oklahoma has worked to position itself as more than that. They want to be more than a short-term solution for players looking for a home. Through S.O.U.L. Mission, the Sooners have created a holistic approach to player development that speaks to the heart, soul, and mind of the individual in addition to developing the football player. Have they lost players to the portal? Yes. Have some left for name, image, and likeness opportunities elsewhere? Probably. It would be naive to think otherwise. At the same time, the Oklahoma coaching staff has done a great job at player retention over the years. Some of that is due to investments in name, image, and likeness, but it's certainly not all about that. Venables reinforced that idea when he spoke with Josh Pate of the Josh Pate College Football Show last week about setting players up for life beyond football. Venables has been consistent with his core values of recruitment, retention, and development during his time at Oklahoma. Even as the Sooners come off of a 6-7 season, Venables and the Oklahoma Football program haven't deviated from the path. In fact, the addition of general manager Jim Nagy will make it easier for the coaching staff to pour into the players. Will they still be recruiting and evaluating high school and transfer prospects? Absolutely, but the addition of Nagy and his staff will streamline the process and give the assistants more time to forge relationships with their player and prospective players. Although money has become a significant part of the recruitment process, relationships still matter. There's no telling where the Nico Iamaleave saga with Tennessee will end. The spring transfer portal window opens next week, but it will be the top story in college football until there's a resolution. 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 John on X @john9williams.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Can Jaguars' HC Liam Coen get Anton Harrison back on track?
Anton Harrison's rookie season was as promising as it gets for rookie tackles. The former Oklahoma Sooners' product immediately infiltrated the starting lineup, instantly becoming one of the league's better pass-blocking right tackles. Over the course of the season, Harrison allowed just 27 pressures and five sacks on 701 pass-block attempts. His pressure rate allowed of just 3.9% ranked ninth among NFL tackles, according to Pro Football Focus. Advertisement >>> STREAM ACTION SPORTS JAX 24/7 LIVE <<< Unfortunately, as did much of the Jaguars' team, Harrison's numbers regressed in 2024. Last season, Harrison's pressure rate allowed rose to 5.3%, 36th among 75 qualifying NFL tackles, more or less league average. Harrison's season got off to an ugly start, allowing two sacks and four pressures in week one against the Miami Dolphins. The very next week, Harrison allowed three more to the Cleveland Browns. His struggles would continue until week seven. From weeks one to six, Harrison allowed a 7.0% pressure rate, an undoubtedly ugly figure. He found himself near the bottom of the league. Advertisement Harrison did begin to find himself towards the middle of the season. From week seven on, Harrison had a much more respectable 4.4% pressure allowed, not great but certainly an improvement upon his ugly start to the season. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] If he would've kept tha pace the entire season, Harrison would have ranked near 22nd among offensive tackles. His run-blocking also needs work as he's graded near the bottom of the league in that department. There are not many reliable run-blocking metrics yet, however, his run-blocking grade from PFF ranked 58th. His run-blocking did noticeably improve this season, however, so there is hope for continued improvement. Advertisement Liam Coen was able to immediately turn Tampa Bay's offensive line and rushing attack into one of the best in the NFL in just a single season. Harrison has all the talent in the world to become one of the league's premier tackles and has shown excellence in pass-protection already. If Coen can get Harrison back on track, the Jaguars offense will immediately become that much scarier. This is the opportunity for the Jaguars to draft one of the top tackles in the draft and create competition for Walker Little or Harrison as well. With a fresh start to next season and a new offensive system, Harrison has the ability to reconstitute himself as the team's right tackle of the future. He might just have to fend off a top shelf rookie to do so, but the presence of Coen may help Harrison more than any other player on this roster. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action Sports Jax 24/7 live.
