Whether it was the transfer portal or some of the true freshmen arrived as mid-year enrollees, there were a lot of new names for Oklahoma fans to learn and watch.
Taking out the obvious one in quarterback Dillon Gabriel, there were still a bunch of newcomers who made their mark for the Sooners during spring practice and should factor into the 2022 plans in a big way.
RB Jovantae Barnes
The story: For a couple of these guys, injuries played a role, and then it’s what they did after that. Marcus Major suffered an injury pretty early in spring, allowing Barnes to really get his feet wet with the offense. He took full advantage of it, and you knew OU wasn’t going to run Eric Gray much during the spring game. Barnes went for 60 yards on 17 carries with two touchdowns, and it feels safe to say he’s going to get some meaningful touches this season.
They said it: He's a great athlete. He's strong, he's powerful, but you know, you think about a young kid, you always wonder how mature he is and the mindset and can he handle playing as a freshman. He's put himself in a great situation since January to have that opportunity if he continues to work hard, continue to grasp the offense and just stay physical.” – running backs coach DeMarco Murray
WR Jayden Gibson
The story: There isn’t a lot of depth for OU at the wide receiver position. It thinned out even more with Cody Jackson hitting the transfer portal Monday afternoon. Here comes Gibson, who has the frame and size that OU has rarely ever seen at the position. He admitted he was nervous for the spring game, and he uncharacteristically dropped one. He responded, though, with the 95-yard touchdown reception, and you can see how fired up he is.
They said it: “Dude’s really grown up a lot. With him, he’s so young. He still has that young mindset. We’re going to keep on him. Keep on him and get it out of him. He’s going to be a great player.” – receiver Marvin Mims
DE Jonah Laulu/TE Daniel Parker
The story: A little combo action here with a couple of transfers as Laulu at defensive end and Parker at tight end will have a role for 2022. They bring a lot of experience to their respective room, but the question is can they bring the production in their new surroundings? Laulu feels like he’s been ahead of the curve in learning the playbook, and we all know about the physicality of Parker as a blocker. You can find a home with guys like that.
They said it: “I’m definitely not used to having this many plays. It’s definitely been a very crazy process. Every other day we’re establishing five more plays, five more plays, five more plays, your brain just going crazy. But I feel like being an experienced player, because I’ve been playing since 2018, I feel like I kind of get the plays down easier. I’m really glad to be a part of this defense because we’re going to do some really great things.” – Laulu
They said it: “I felt like I was a pretty decent blocker. But there’s a lot of things I lacked. Like perimeter blocking and maybe my first steps. I kind of just had the physical pieces of it. Once I latch on, I’m a pretty good blocker. But things like first steps and perimeter blocking I felt like coach Finley is really good at teaching those things.” – Parker
OG McKade Mettauer
The story: Every practice viewing the media had for spring, it was very easy to point out Mettauer and how effective he was being. As spring wore on, it became increasingly apparent that Mettauer wasn’t fighting for a starting job, but that he was well on his way toward winning one. His experience at Cal definitely helped him, but the way he has attacked his spot since arriving at OU gives every indication he’ll be among that quintet at offensive line.
They said it: “You never really know how that’s going to unfold and how that’s going to play out. That’s one of the things I’ve seen… He’s done a really, really good job. He’s probably, again, better than what I anticipated. I always thought he was going to be pretty good. You got three years of film to study. So you can see that and then playing against good competition. I always thought he had a chance to be pretty good. And it probably has exceeded my expectations up to this point.” – offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh
CB Kani Walker
The story: Like Barnes did with Major’s injury, it felt like Walker did the same with whatever has hampered D.J. Graham the last few weeks. Walker didn’t do much at all during his true freshman season at Louisville, and the fresh start is doing him wonders. Like Gibson with his size at receiver, the same can be said for the 6-2 size of Walker at cornerback. If he can really put it all together that quickly, he can be some sort of special.
They said it: “I'm hungry. I'm hungry. I feel like this is the time to actually really make a name for myself. It will be on me if I didn't live up to this opportunity, because it's not like they're not giving me a chance. Nobody's a starter right now. There's no depth chart, no none of that. Coach Valai, Coach Venables, Coach Roof, they're all giving me a fair shot to actually do what I can do, so I'm hungry.” – Walker
