Decision time for many
With the 2022 Oklahoma season officially in the books, now you can start really monitoring what some key decisions are going to be for the Sooners for the 2023 season.
Heading into the Cheez-It Bowl vs. No. 13 Florida State, several OU players declined to comment about what their future could be, saying they were focused on the task at hand.
And OU fared very well in Orlando. Undermanned and playing essentially a road game, OU and FSU had one of the better bowl games of the cycle, with FSU prevailing 35-32 on a field goal in the final minute.
The first couple of days since the event didn’t feature any noteworthy announcements, but that changed Sunday. And changed in a good way for the OU defense.
Defensive tackle Isaiah Coe and cornerback Woodi Washington both announced they would be returning for the 2023 season.
Coe was one of those players who didn’t care to comment when asked two weeks ago.
“I’m human. So it’s crossed my mind. I’m not going to be naive and say it didn’t,” said Coe when asked by SoonerScoop.com two weeks ago. “I’ve just been trying to focus on this game and trying to be there for my teammates with this last game… Whenever 2023 comes around and whatever happens happens and I’ll be prepared.”
Coe had 20 tackles and two sacks this season, including a .5 sack vs. FSU. He played the second half of the season with an injured right thumb.
Speaking of injuries, it was a rough go at it for Washington, who seemingly had an injury timeout in just about every game this season.
Washington never missed any significant time, but you could tell he was never 100 percent from October until the end of the season.
Washington had 67 tackles this season, with a forced fumble and an interception. He had five tackles in the Cheez-It Bowl.
“The program is moving in a great direction,” said Washington after the game. S”o for us to come out with this, even though we lost the game, it's just a learning point for everybody. I can't wait till next year and see what we have in store.”
That’s two crucial announcements for the Sooners, and there are several more to come, both on offense and defense.
OU added some help in the special teams Sunday, too, with the addition of Central Michigan transfer Luke Elzinga.
Elzinga was a two-time All-MAC first team honoree at CMU and entered the transfer portal early last month after finishing second in the MAC in both yards per punt (43.0) and punts inside the 20-yard line (22) in his third season at Central Michigan. He has two seasons of eligibility for OU and will be a preferred walk-on.
The Sooners will be in search for a new punter, with Michael Turk departing after two phenomenal years in Norman.
The pieces are starting to come together for the Sooners, and this week should see a lot more clarity as to what the 2023 squad can look like.
Not every player will make an announcement, but some key ones to potentially be on the watch for include:
*QB Dillon Gabriel
*WR Marvin Mims
*DT Jordan Kelley
*LB David Ugwoegbu
*CBs Jaden Davis/C.J. Coldon
Washington and Coe joined wide receiver Drake Stoops, who announced last week he would return for his COVID option year.
Every player’s situation is its own entity, but you’re getting an idea of what kind of faith the players have in head coach Brent Venables as he enters his second season running the show. The more players announcing their return let you know they’re not worried about the direction of the program.