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Sooners on SI Podcast 347: What Did We Learn During Spring Ball? Plus Oklahoma's Pursuit of History Continues on the Diamond · The Sooners On SI Podcast

0:17
[SPEAKER_01]: What's up everybody?
0:17
[SPEAKER_01]: Welcome on in.
0:18
[SPEAKER_01]: It is that time of week series on SI podcast, taken out here on this Wednesday as we close down Springball, the sooner we're just waiting in their final practice as Brett Vettable Stoltis and Posts game for the Spring game, get all the situational stuff, Tuesday, Wednesday and get this thing going.
0:36
[SPEAKER_01]: So we are up into the land of
0:39
[SPEAKER_01]: Some of workouts, all that fun stuff, although I know I will be doing zero, some of workouts, so you can be rest assured on that.
0:45
[SPEAKER_01]: God, the usual crew back with us got John Hoover up in the 918.
0:49
[SPEAKER_01]: John, that you were not with us in Norman.
0:52
[SPEAKER_01]: You were doing much more important things.
0:54
[SPEAKER_01]: Marion off parts of the Hoover fan.
0:56
[SPEAKER_01]: Hope it went well.
0:57
[SPEAKER_01]: Hope I hope Mrs. H got all the rain that she wanted and seek denied so that you guys could set the scene perfectly for the big Hoover fiesta.
1:07
[SPEAKER_03]: Man, it was so big time told everybody that I've seen so far.
1:10
[SPEAKER_03]: 10 out of 10 rating for this wedding, just perfect night, perfect night for her.
1:16
[SPEAKER_03]: And that's the main thing, she smiled throughout.
1:18
[SPEAKER_03]: Never seen a kid smile for like seven straight hours, so it was amazing.
1:24
[SPEAKER_01]: That's a huge, that's big time, big congratulations to the whole squad.
1:30
[SPEAKER_01]: Carson have you recovered.
1:31
[SPEAKER_01]: We got our man Carson Field.
1:33
[SPEAKER_01]: We were in the trenches, doing all the stuff all day long.
1:37
[SPEAKER_01]: It felt like a football weekend when I woke up on Sunday.
1:40
[SPEAKER_01]: I was like, oh, I am tired, my friend.
1:43
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, first of all, congrats to the Hoover family, but I'm with you.
1:46
[SPEAKER_00]: I was exhausted on Sunday, uh, felt like a fall game day,
1:51
[SPEAKER_00]: As multiple feelings obviously the fatigue with that but part of me is like this is the best time of the year I love being out there every week, so it was nice to fuel that again and can't wait until September
2:02
[SPEAKER_01]: should be good.
2:03
[SPEAKER_01]: Our man Ryan Aber was not sleeping away in our press box, but it didn't mean he was doing not do it a bunch of work.
2:10
[SPEAKER_01]: You had the women's gym, national title.
2:13
[SPEAKER_01]: You had a trip down to love's field.
2:15
[SPEAKER_01]: We've had a bunch of happenings.
2:17
[SPEAKER_01]: Midweek happening yesterday at love's field.
2:19
[SPEAKER_01]: So it's kind of crazy to think Ryan, we've got one more weekend of the regular season
2:27
[SPEAKER_01]: coming to the business into the softball season, which is insane, but also makes sense as we're closing the book on Springball.
2:34
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, it just, it seems like the season just started and, you know, here we are right there at the end and that's just how these things go.
2:42
[SPEAKER_02]: It seems like every year, every time I get older, they go a little bit quicker, but it's been a fun season and it'll be a really interesting last couple of weekends in the regular season and looking forward to the postseason.
2:55
[SPEAKER_01]: We'll dive into that full preview, got Facebook, catch up with the basketball programs on all of that.
3:00
[SPEAKER_01]: But let's start right at the top.
3:03
[SPEAKER_01]: We were down in Norman America on Saturday.
3:06
[SPEAKER_01]: If you missed any of our instant reaction, course in Brady, Tranthab and I.
3:11
[SPEAKER_01]: all on the field talking through it for a good 30 minutes.
3:14
[SPEAKER_01]: I think what is deserving of the spring game coverage.
3:17
[SPEAKER_01]: It was nice to have a spring game back in the mix.
3:20
[SPEAKER_01]: But if there's that weren't able to see it, if you want our takeaways, course and parade you're both on the field got great look.
3:25
[SPEAKER_01]: So all that stuff.
3:26
[SPEAKER_01]: But I want to take
3:28
[SPEAKER_01]: the half step back.
3:29
[SPEAKER_01]: We weren't able to grind like the the broadcast view or anything like that of the spring game and look back and all that and find second and third and fourth wave revelations.
3:39
[SPEAKER_01]: But I think that we got a pretty good idea of some of the goals that have been set for Oklahoma throughout this spring and what they were trying to accomplish.
3:47
[SPEAKER_01]: So let me do this.
3:48
[SPEAKER_01]: Let's take the big pullback 10,000 foot view.
3:51
[SPEAKER_01]: We'll go around the horn here.
3:52
[SPEAKER_01]: We could start with
3:53
[SPEAKER_01]: based on kind of what you're able to see from talking to us and everything you were able to to gather from the coverage of the spring game plus just spring at large.
4:03
[SPEAKER_01]: What do you feel like we've learned here for this spring, 2026 going into this season for Oklahoma still, we'll get to the big questions still remain about what do you think you've kind of got your arms around with print venibles and in this squad?
4:17
[SPEAKER_03]: We've learned that the fan base wants to see the spring game on TV.
4:21
[SPEAKER_03]: Boy, I cannot even, you know, I mean, I get there's reasons, but come on.
4:25
[SPEAKER_03]: Get it done.
4:25
[SPEAKER_03]: Get it done.
4:26
[SPEAKER_03]: This is Oklahoma football.
4:28
[SPEAKER_03]: Get that thing televised.
4:29
[SPEAKER_03]: It's crazy.
4:31
[SPEAKER_03]: Okay, so some takeaways.
4:33
[SPEAKER_03]: What we've learned.
4:34
[SPEAKER_03]: I think material, you know, he looked, he's fine, 12 and 19.
4:37
[SPEAKER_03]: His thumbs not bothering it.
4:38
[SPEAKER_03]: bothering him anymore.
4:39
[SPEAKER_03]: He's not going to have to run 20 times in a game.
4:42
[SPEAKER_03]: You hope.
4:43
[SPEAKER_03]: So he's fine.
4:45
[SPEAKER_03]: Where your concern is with the quarterback situation is who is the backup.
4:48
[SPEAKER_03]: I mean, we know who the backup is.
4:50
[SPEAKER_03]: It's with new power.
4:51
[SPEAKER_03]: Bob Bentley does not look ready.
4:54
[SPEAKER_03]: And he looks like he's he made enough mistakes that he's got a lot of learning ahead of him.
4:57
[SPEAKER_03]: So that's kind of encouraging that he can learn from those mistakes.
5:01
[SPEAKER_03]: but is wit new power, good enough for any sustained amount of time, two games, three games, four games, to be the starting quarterback at the University of Oklahoma.
5:10
[SPEAKER_03]: That's some heavy stuff when you're the starting quarterback at Oklahoma for any amount of time.
5:14
[SPEAKER_03]: And if you're good enough to do it, it shows, and if you're not good enough to do it, guys, we've seen recent history, it also shows.
5:22
[SPEAKER_03]: So they have to develop
5:24
[SPEAKER_03]: quickly behind geometry or running back I think is okay, you know the run back position is going to be better you get everybody healthy Xavier Robinson and those guys you get them all healthy hadn't looks okay as a freshman no doubt about it.
5:37
[SPEAKER_03]: That's Walker looks okay very okay as a freshman 80 I told you guys a couple of weeks ago his build five ten I think two ten
5:46
[SPEAKER_03]: Give him an advantage physically.
5:49
[SPEAKER_03]: He's explosive eight carries for anyone yards in the spring game a nice touchdown run.
5:53
[SPEAKER_03]: That was nice Don't look for too much for Lloyd from Lloyd event.
5:57
[SPEAKER_03]: He might I think he's one of those spring game studs that ends up getting a lot of carries because Either no one else is a healthy or other guys are just you know, you don't want to overload him in the spring game.
6:10
[SPEAKER_03]: So 14 carries for him Kind of shows that the the running game is
6:16
[SPEAKER_03]: It's capable.
6:17
[SPEAKER_03]: It's going to be capable.
6:18
[SPEAKER_03]: I think this year.
6:19
[SPEAKER_03]: Coolest part of the running game was to see Andy Bass out there running around playing football.
6:24
[SPEAKER_03]: That's, you know, two, what, two years, three years.
6:26
[SPEAKER_03]: We've been waiting to see this kid.
6:27
[SPEAKER_03]: So hopefully he stays healthy, gets healthy.
6:41
[SPEAKER_03]: You're talking about highlights that I've seen various highlights, our highlights, other people's highlights, and then reading the stats and reading the reports.
6:48
[SPEAKER_03]: I think just sheer Rogers, five catches for 70 yards, I think that position's going to be okay as well.
6:53
[SPEAKER_03]: And then the tie-dance guys, offensively speaking, the tie-dance, wow, what a step up.
7:00
[SPEAKER_03]: But they did a good job of not overusing them, not giving them like eight catches for 120 yards and raising red flags all over the schedule and all around the SEC that Oklahoma's tight ends are are so big time they're going to have to come up with coverage plans, right?
7:13
[SPEAKER_03]: They use them just enough to kind of titulate the fans, but not maybe raise red flags in the scouting report.
7:19
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I'm with you.
7:20
[SPEAKER_00]: I thought running backs were interesting for sure.
7:23
[SPEAKER_00]: I think that position, I think that was encouraging from what we saw in the Spring game.
7:28
[SPEAKER_00]: Seeing that, there was no Tory play lock, save your Robinson.
7:31
[SPEAKER_00]: The two guys that were the key rusher's last year, they weren't good to go in the running game, still looked good, seeing those freshmen hat and then walker like you said.
7:39
[SPEAKER_00]: Both of them work the part obviously some rawness being true freshmen, but both of them look like the physical quick running backs that you have to be.
7:47
[SPEAKER_00]: It's a compete and run well in the SEC and I thought, boy, to vaunt, maybe he's not used as much as some of those other guys.
7:55
[SPEAKER_00]: Your Robinson's Blay Locks.
7:56
[SPEAKER_00]: I think he can be versatile enough, whether that's some kickoff or turd, catching checkdowns from material.
8:02
[SPEAKER_00]: I think he's gonna have a role in this offense, even if it's not starting against say South Carolina Ole Miss, name your SEC opponent.
8:10
[SPEAKER_00]: So I think running back just,
8:12
[SPEAKER_00]: Personnel-wise, that group looks to be in a better position than it was last year because I know there was that stretch late in the season where Blaylock Robinson both dealing with some injuries.
8:22
[SPEAKER_00]: We all collectively kind of agreed, okay, if Javansay Barnes, Jadenat, Taylor Tate, if they have to get carries late in the year, that's probably not going to go too well with
8:31
[SPEAKER_00]: Any of these guys, at least from a one-scrimmage sample size that we got to see.
8:35
[SPEAKER_00]: They look comfortable, they look like they would be able to if those two top guys do go down and I think we're going to see quite a bit of them in the early season games against New Mexico, Utah.
8:46
[SPEAKER_00]: So I mean, offensively the running back was the biggest thing that I wanted to see.
8:50
[SPEAKER_00]: And I think that exceeded my expectations defensively.
8:53
[SPEAKER_00]: For me, the biggest thing was just seeing how strong Trit Wilson, Mitchell Smith looked behind guys like David Stone and Jayden Jackson, who both didn't play.
9:03
[SPEAKER_00]: Both of them look huge, they look disruptive.
9:06
[SPEAKER_00]: They look like they're ready to take the next step and fill a bigger role than they did last year, obviously, no market strong this year, no grace and a halt and no Dominic Williams, but those two guys just looked really good in the spring game should be really, really good.
9:20
[SPEAKER_00]: Just for backing up those two guys, Stone, Jackson, obviously, assuming they get healthy will be the guys, but having a second line like that, I mean, that's better than some teams frontline.
9:31
[SPEAKER_00]: So if you're the sooner or so you have to feel good about that.
9:34
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I won't necessarily talk about the spring game one.
9:38
[SPEAKER_02]: I wouldn't there, but I'm always not sure how much stock to put in those things, although there are things that you can tell, I think for me this spring, well, one, what I was doing last week at the Owen Heinecki hearing,
9:53
[SPEAKER_02]: and getting him back in that full just makes the world of difference and I'm sure we'll talk about that, but makes the world of difference with the line-backer group, it gives some flexibility there with Cole Sullivan.
10:06
[SPEAKER_02]: Jim Naggi and Brent Venables both testified under oath, they raised their hand and said that Cole Sullivan had positional flexibility to be able to play Cheetah to be able to play really all three line-backer spots, but you're primarily looking at the middle line-backer spot and the Cheetah.
10:25
[SPEAKER_02]: I think that's going to be fascinating to see how that plays out.
10:29
[SPEAKER_02]: Do they find ways to get Sullivan and Heineke on the field at the same time?
10:33
[SPEAKER_02]: You know, what does that mean for, you know, Reggie powers and his position, that's going to be fascinating.
10:40
[SPEAKER_02]: And then upfront defensively, Carson, you talked about the interior guys.
10:46
[SPEAKER_02]: And I think you're, you're right that Nigel Smith and Trent Wilson were,
10:51
[SPEAKER_02]: We're big time just to be able to see their development and hear coaches and teammates talk about that development and how much growth they've seen there.
11:00
[SPEAKER_02]: But I'm also going to go on the outside there.
11:03
[SPEAKER_02]: Danny Aquay, it'll be fascinating to see if he's able to keep up this momentum.
11:09
[SPEAKER_02]: Brent Venables was really happy with what he saw out of Danny Aquay to this point in the spring.
11:21
[SPEAKER_02]: Opposite Taylor wine, then that defensive line is going to be a much, much better shape than they otherwise would have been.
11:28
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I think a Koi A, and it might not have entered into spring.
11:32
[SPEAKER_01]: I think like will there be a next Taylor wine was a question, but maybe not like this is the number one thing facing Oklahoma's defense, but it certainly sounds like they're very, very excited about Daddy of Koi A.
11:44
[SPEAKER_01]: You use listen to what Brett Minnable said after the spring game just talking about, there's a focus and maybe an understanding and it really feels like the lightmobiles come on.
11:53
[SPEAKER_01]: Not just the on the field stuff, that will come,
11:56
[SPEAKER_01]: What does it take off the field in preparation to make it happen in the way you want to on the field?
12:03
[SPEAKER_01]: I think you can go back to like a David Stone story art from last off season.
12:06
[SPEAKER_01]: That was very, very similar stuff about David Stone in Todd Bates' office, 247, 365, not just, hey, what film am I watching on the practice?
12:16
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, how do I do this drill?
12:18
[SPEAKER_01]: How does this drill translate to
12:21
[SPEAKER_01]: this aspect of the game which translates to be able to make this play that play.
12:25
[SPEAKER_01]: I think that's gonna be massive because then from there as PJ comes back in off of his foot, it becomes like, hey, if he's even if he's just the same guy that's a nice guy that can play the run, be in that rotation, can he owes a wall who come in and didn't get to see him in the spring game, but if he's a guy that the flashes can be really high, well, you've got the steady presence of a, you would hope, a Taylor wine and a Danny Acoy, that way.
12:46
[SPEAKER_01]: That the highs give me really high and the lows can maybe be covered up by guys elsewhere.
12:50
[SPEAKER_01]: I think that's really, really important as they, I think that they're very, very good at corner between Portland, Gillery and Eli Bowen and having the the steady hands of Jacobi Johnson prints to coat of fields as kind of those rotational guys.
13:04
[SPEAKER_01]: I feel good.
13:06
[SPEAKER_01]: I think that Michael Boge and Allison can be able to step in and be an impact guy on the back end.
13:10
[SPEAKER_01]: I like the
13:15
[SPEAKER_01]: kind of paper all that over having a great pass rush.
13:18
[SPEAKER_01]: There's always where, uh, hey, maybe it's making things a little bit more simple for Robinson or for, uh, Michael Bugaski early because they're just not a lot of pressure although, uh, I do think that they would have pursued the on a high-tech situation regardless of how they felt about their own line-backer depth.
13:34
[SPEAKER_01]: I still think that any line-backer depth behind Hyniki and Kip Lewis and Cole Sullivan's going to be a big question mark and it
13:45
[SPEAKER_01]: Of course, let me start with you because you got to see everybody up front.
13:48
[SPEAKER_01]: Offensive line, I feel like that's a spot where all those guys returning, like Jake Mikeley, if you're head to the website, Oklahoma suitors on a side dot com, Carson's got a story about Jake Michael and the monster offseason that he had, and an important reminder that he didn't even get to do not just owe you Springball last year, but because he was in the portal because of a coaching change, he did no real Springball.
14:11
[SPEAKER_01]: He was working out on his own, trying to go through stuff on his own.
14:14
[SPEAKER_01]: I think that's going to be huge.
14:15
[SPEAKER_01]: As soon as he looks great, it apparently heat those out of all those guys look great.
14:18
[SPEAKER_01]: Carson, I think you feel pretty good about the first five or six that leads us kind of into one of the big questions for the rest of the Aussies, and those is how close can they come to developing guy number seven, eight, nine?
14:30
[SPEAKER_01]: Can they get up to nine or 10 guys?
14:32
[SPEAKER_01]: They feel confident they can toss to Vanessa's E.K.
14:35
[SPEAKER_00]: yeah i think that is huge and i think it's a good problem to have considering what we didn't know about the offensive line last year obviously the injury carousel that it was in 2024 so i mean the fact that there is a group of five or six that you could try out there and feel pretty good about i mean that's a step um that's huge and that's gonna be big for establishing a run game that oh you really didn't have last year
14:57
[SPEAKER_00]: But you're right.
14:58
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, guys like Caleb Needa, Peyton Joseph, some of the younger guys you're Owen Hollandbacks, Ace Hodges, whoever it may be.
15:06
[SPEAKER_00]: If they could just get get a couple more guys game ready, then you'd feel really good.
15:11
[SPEAKER_00]: Obviously, if
15:12
[SPEAKER_00]: It's the sport they play, it's the SEC injuries are going to happen for every team.
15:16
[SPEAKER_00]: All of six teams in this league are going to face them, whether they're minor, major and just having some sort of safety net to feel good about, oh, this player goes down with injury as to miss a couple games, this guy we feel pretty good about slotting him in.
15:30
[SPEAKER_00]: I think that's the next step, but like I said,
15:33
[SPEAKER_00]: having a foundation, having that is big, just getting that it's a good luxury to have, just where you feel like you need depth rather than starting efficiency.
15:43
[SPEAKER_00]: So that's all things considered pretty good you would think.
15:46
[SPEAKER_01]: John, at the bare minimum, and we'll have to see, we'll have to get through some of workouts and fall camp.
15:53
[SPEAKER_01]: But each of the last two years, it feels like Oklahoma has gone into the season, already incredibly banged up, longing offensive line, and you're instantly having to say two years ago, it was the Hethosida Logan Hallen, hey, baptism by fire as far as that goes.
16:10
[SPEAKER_01]: This past season, it was, you wanted Fassucida win that job,
16:16
[SPEAKER_01]: to fall once you start to have some injuries.
16:19
[SPEAKER_01]: It's like, okay, I ended up working out okay and persisting himself dealt with injuries.
16:23
[SPEAKER_01]: Boj, throw it into there, just kind of a little bit of necessity, a little bit of injury.
16:27
[SPEAKER_01]: It feels like if they can keep the guys that are returning healthy, it again, not going to all the wood.
16:32
[SPEAKER_01]: You at least have a depth of SEC starts where no one's jumping into this league for the first time.
16:39
[SPEAKER_01]: You've got plenty of experience at Wright, Tak with Baron Harris.
16:41
[SPEAKER_01]: You've got heathoside at Eddie Pierloey, Ryan Foget between the three of those whoever wins the two guard spots.
16:47
[SPEAKER_01]: You have experience and then the next guy and also has experience as well, which is a huge upgrade from just the experience spot they've been in who've over these last really two years under Billboard.
16:59
[SPEAKER_01]: Those they've been constantly hurt.
17:00
[SPEAKER_03]: So here's my take on the offensive line.
17:02
[SPEAKER_03]: Again, not having not seen them on Saturday or in any of the viewing this this spring period.
17:11
[SPEAKER_03]: You got your starting five back, basically, with in Mary and Harris the transfer from Arkansas multi your transfer multi your starter as a transfer from Arkansas.
17:20
[SPEAKER_03]: I think you're fine on the offensive line and better probably than you've been in the last three or four years at least maybe even longer because you got your four starters back.
17:30
[SPEAKER_03]: Excuse me, you got your four starters back plus the kid from Arkansas, Harris.
17:34
[SPEAKER_03]: Then you've got guys like Ozeita who has started at Oklahoma and done pretty well.
17:40
[SPEAKER_03]: He has started at big games on the road in tough situations and performed well.
17:45
[SPEAKER_03]: Then you've got some other transfers like Fred Hinton, Peyton Joseph, Caleb Nita.
17:49
[SPEAKER_03]: I mean, those guys are former starters at their previous schools.
17:52
[SPEAKER_03]: That's way more experienced than Bill Beaton Bow is had going into a season.
17:58
[SPEAKER_03]: And like I said, at least the last three years, maybe four or five.
18:01
[SPEAKER_03]: So I think things, and that's one of the reasons why the running game to me has got to be markedly better.
18:08
[SPEAKER_03]: Yes, you have some nice running backs back, but those guys are going to have bigger holes, longer sustained holes to run through, then previous year's running backs at Oklahoma.
18:18
[SPEAKER_03]: That's going to improve the run game.
18:19
[SPEAKER_03]: That's going to improve the passing game.
18:22
[SPEAKER_03]: because you can run the football not when you only when you have to but when you want to.
18:25
[SPEAKER_03]: That's that's what every offensive coordinator's trying to get to is that balance of of we want to throw so we're throwing.
18:32
[SPEAKER_03]: We want to pass because and so we're passing.
18:36
[SPEAKER_03]: If you're doing it only when you have to, then the defense has got you like a Marionette on a string man.
18:43
[SPEAKER_03]: They're they're pulling the strings when that's happening.
18:45
[SPEAKER_03]: So they're in better shape.
18:47
[SPEAKER_03]: in the run game, pass game, receivers of better tight ends are certainly better, and all that feeds into the offensive line being more talented and deeper.
18:55
[SPEAKER_01]: And neighbor, I think that the big thing is going to be the last two years
19:01
[SPEAKER_01]: We've not even really been concerned with how does Oklahoma's offensive line stack up against other offensive lines in the SEC because for them, it's just been about can they get to Saturday with five guys?
19:14
[SPEAKER_01]: Can they have five guys that play in those positions and not where I'm gonna move for bet you we would have to center and then you have to reorganize the whole right side?
19:22
[SPEAKER_01]: I think that if anything, and this is like an insane thing to say, but it's been,
19:26
[SPEAKER_01]: The offshoot of some development misses numbers that haven't been taken losing depth to the portal injury all of it.
19:36
[SPEAKER_01]: Can we just get back to like it's Oklahoma's offensive line in the top half of the yes it like that kind of stuff I think is unfortunately from where they've come from would be a huge step in the right direction if we're talking about that come like October 20.
19:49
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, absolutely.
19:50
[SPEAKER_02]: And they've certainly got the talent to do it.
19:53
[SPEAKER_02]: I thought one of the more interesting things that I heard about in the post game was, Kimmer was Brent Venables or probably, I think it was Ben Arbuckle talking about Michael Fassusi and the leadership and sort of getting on the running backs a little bit when they missed a hole and be like, hey, you got that, we're blocking this, you got to do it.
20:14
[SPEAKER_02]: And for so long, that offensive line set the tone for Oklahoma's team, really, but especially the offense.
20:23
[SPEAKER_02]: And that hadn't been the case the last few years, you know, under even the end of the Jeff Levy era, and now on to to Ben Arbuckle, if they're able to stay healthy, though, that I've got the talent right now at the top end, to do it, and they've got some
20:39
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, you're not going to go, you know, nine and 10 deep and say, hey, we can count on all these guys, like maybe some of the really good offensive lines during the bill beating Boera, you've still at least got some options.
20:52
[SPEAKER_02]: I think, you know, Heath Osida, and I think his, opportunity in the spring was massive for him to take another jump, even if it doesn't mean
21:08
[SPEAKER_02]: It's some position, the way that he's been able to sort of bounce around and the way that injuries have happened, they're going to need him, I think for the first time in a while they've got a second center that you feel at least okay with.
21:26
[SPEAKER_02]: in Caleb night so it it's going to be a lot of it's going to hinge on health and things like that but this feels a lot closer to some of those bill bean bill offensive lines than what we've seen over the last couple years.
21:44
[SPEAKER_01]: And what did the name thing I just think that so much of the material material is comfortable.
21:48
[SPEAKER_01]: He was fine.
21:49
[SPEAKER_01]: He was never under pressure because that second string offensive line was not or a defense like excuse me that their value was not the actual second string when you have just on the interior David Stone, Jane Jackson Bishop Thomas out, then you have the actual guys started.
22:05
[SPEAKER_01]: You're getting down to like deep deep in it, but like let's just say,
22:14
[SPEAKER_01]: Simply having a running game, having a few more receivers that you feel comfortable with, having a running back rotation that the coach knows, what he's doing, going into, like, all of that stuff would take stuff off of John Matthier's play.
22:26
[SPEAKER_01]: It'd been our buckle, is a little bit more efficient in some of the things that he's calling the spot.
22:31
[SPEAKER_01]: He's calling it, like, all of that taking stuff off Matthier's play, I think in itself, even if he improves not at all, will help Oklahoma's offense, and that's just
22:42
[SPEAKER_01]: on top of if he's able to get that thing going so it made us to see their who before we move on to the draft get anything else here.
22:49
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, just a quick follow-up to what Abram was talking about.
22:52
[SPEAKER_03]: The great offensive lines from 2017, 2018, those guys, I think all five of them at one point were playing in the NFL, all five, which is ridiculous.
23:02
[SPEAKER_03]: I look across the starting offensive line right now, and I see three easy ones, Fassu, CEPL, and probably Foget.
23:09
[SPEAKER_03]: I don't know how bad a team needs a good center, and I don't know if Michael is in that mold, he may be.
23:15
[SPEAKER_03]: And then, Emery and Harris, we'll see.
23:16
[SPEAKER_03]: how things go with him, how he translates, but something guys that an old offensive coordinator told me years and years and years ago, way back in 2004, long time for me.
23:30
[SPEAKER_03]: You don't call any plays that your quarterback can't execute, and you don't call any plays that your offensive line can't block.
23:39
[SPEAKER_03]: Kevin Wilson told me that back in 2004, 2005.
23:42
[SPEAKER_03]: I think it was 05.
23:43
[SPEAKER_03]: uh... so holy cow i mean that you know here we are twenty one years later and nothing's more true than that if you call if you're as an offensive coordinator if you're out there saying and i share like this play i think we can run it and your quarterback's not capable or your offensive line can't block it you're a fool so uh... that's something that uh... Kevin Wilson having him on staff as a as another year for uh... been our buckle smart move
24:07
[SPEAKER_01]: we will see how it all blends together and we'll kind of be on the back board.
24:12
[SPEAKER_01]: We still have all the football coverage for you.
24:14
[SPEAKER_01]: Obviously, Oakwood suitors on SI.com.
24:16
[SPEAKER_01]: We cover Oklahoma.
24:17
[SPEAKER_01]: We do the football.
24:18
[SPEAKER_01]: You know that just because it's the off season.
24:19
[SPEAKER_01]: Does it mean that there's not football, but let's move to the next big event on the football calendar.
24:24
[SPEAKER_01]: Get the NFL draft kicking off on Thursday out in Pittsburgh and
24:28
[SPEAKER_01]: I want to classify it this way, Carson.
24:31
[SPEAKER_01]: The two guys most likely come off the board first are Mason Thomas and Grayson Holtman probably choose your fighter in the mock draft community.
24:38
[SPEAKER_01]: If whatever you look at, it's the wrong one.
24:41
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm sorry that I look at it like whatever but.
24:43
[SPEAKER_01]: Those guys pretty much around the place top 100 style guys.
24:48
[SPEAKER_01]: So you're looking at probably night two on Friday for the second and third round.
24:52
[SPEAKER_01]: Maybe an R-Mason if someone just really falls and love with them and can truly see the Nick Benito style.
24:58
[SPEAKER_01]: He's coming into the league as a tweener but can ramp that thing up.
25:01
[SPEAKER_01]: But if nothing else, even if those guys go second or third round, that's still a great production there.
25:06
[SPEAKER_01]: The two guys I'm most interested in in this draft
25:12
[SPEAKER_01]: and Robert Spears Jennings.
25:13
[SPEAKER_01]: Deon Berks is a guy that is also one that's kind of put in like the top 100 around places.
25:19
[SPEAKER_01]: I never know how the run on receivers that inevitably happens to the first round, feels just out of the second or third round.
25:24
[SPEAKER_01]: His two biggest games came in two of Oklahoma's biggest moments, the cost of a playoff and against Michigan.
25:29
[SPEAKER_01]: He's banged up, how are scouts going to evaluate the fact that no one not named Isaiah Sotini really thrived in that middle portion of the year when material was hurt.
25:37
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't know what to do there.
25:41
[SPEAKER_01]: Tuna tape runs the 40, probably not maybe a right off the rip, maybe not even a second day guy, but someone that they're going to see a ton of SEC experience in a complicated brim-binable's defense, leadership, speed, all that stuff, and somebody is going to be taking a shot and saying, I want R.S.J.
25:59
[SPEAKER_01]: can't.
26:01
[SPEAKER_00]: yeah no totally you look at both of those guys and maybe they both left a little bit on the field could have been more productive during their time at Oklahoma especially rsj in 2025 deon birx injuries a bunch of things kept him forever being this just bullet the cough candidate top tier receiver no you uh but you look at both of those guys apoletticism potential they will be selected probably like you said day two for deon birx um the upside there is just so high that
26:29
[SPEAKER_00]: It's maybe it is kind of low floor high ceiling for a guy like Deon Berks, but you really does win healthy, change the game with his speed, his strength, he can be really good.
26:40
[SPEAKER_00]: So it's going to be interesting to see how scouts view that though, never had the flashyest numbers except for like you said in those big games against Michigan, Bama in the playoffs.
26:49
[SPEAKER_00]: So I mean, when
26:50
[SPEAKER_00]: He fired on all cylinders was really good, but never consistently put that out week by week interest to see what happens there.
26:58
[SPEAKER_00]: Spear shinnings, it felt like he was really gonna have just the star season as a senior in 2025.
27:03
[SPEAKER_00]: That didn't really happen.
27:05
[SPEAKER_00]: He was definitely more productive as a junior.
27:07
[SPEAKER_00]: A lot of missed tackles.
27:09
[SPEAKER_00]: You can look back at the Texas game.
27:10
[SPEAKER_00]: That was a really rough one for him.
27:12
[SPEAKER_00]: But like you said, the athleticism is just top notch for him.
27:17
[SPEAKER_00]: It's hard not to want that kind of speed on your team, so even if he doesn't really have the acclades, the stats to show for it in his most recent season, I think GMs are gonna fall in love with that and he's going to be a day three selection.
27:30
[SPEAKER_01]: Hey, there's a big grab bag of guys, then after that, you talk about your Fibetri Weews, Dominic Williams, Kindle Daniels, Marvin Joes Jr. Kannick is in that group of like, you could talk to me about any possibility of, hey, it's the old Kelly Greg is of our guy, Kelly Greg, he's like, it only takes one team to love ya and boom, you've got a spot.
27:50
[SPEAKER_01]: Fibetri Weewu probably has a great opportunity, considering what he did at Center,
27:55
[SPEAKER_01]: on film.
27:56
[SPEAKER_01]: Like it's not a hypothetical.
27:57
[SPEAKER_01]: We saw him play center.
27:58
[SPEAKER_01]: You tell us you saw him play against Alabama.
28:01
[SPEAKER_01]: Kind of Daniels had a really unfortunate like draft process where
28:05
[SPEAKER_01]: banged up both at the combine and at pro day did not really like do some of the big testing stuff and someone that's like with with the versatility required of like that a nickel just what you don't know safety slot guy whatever on there would be interesting but I just don't know what to do with any of those other guys because I think it's kind of all over the map as far as the possibilities from anywhere of day three undrafted free agent to whatever.
28:31
[SPEAKER_02]: yeah i i think of the the group that's remaining i i would be surprised if we will and danials weren't drafted somewhere uh... danials is probably the biggest example of what you're talking about the kelly greggism there uh... because i i think that
28:49
[SPEAKER_02]: the way that this process played out for him could actually wind up being better because it's going to have to be a team that really narrows in on hey this guy does what we want him to do in our defense and bring him into maybe a better situation than just going out there you know maybe getting the measurables and then team start trying to project you into other roles other slots things like that we'll see how it plays out
29:16
[SPEAKER_02]: but Kendall Daniels to me is gonna be just fascinating because of all those possibilities and because of the different kind of draft process he's had.
29:28
[SPEAKER_02]: And then for we will, I think you're absolutely right.
29:31
[SPEAKER_02]: getting that positional flexibility on film and what he was able to do in those last two games at center was massive for him even if he winds up playing guard at the NFL to have that positional flexibility is something that we've seen much bigger in college the last few years and as we've seen
29:55
[SPEAKER_02]: In football, a lot of times stuff trickles up into the professional ranks, and I think we're starting to see that happen a little bit more.
30:03
[SPEAKER_02]: So we'll see where Fibetchi we will go.
30:07
[SPEAKER_02]: But I would imagine both those guys are going to be day three picks.
30:10
[SPEAKER_01]: We're going to throw that John, I think the biggest two winners from this weekend, and that's with that even a draft pick come out the border going to be Miguel Chavis in Todd Bates, Oklahoma is already shredding in the Toyota 7 class.
30:24
[SPEAKER_01]: They're already off and running, making great in rows in the Toyota 8 class, all that stuff.
30:29
[SPEAKER_01]: But Todd Bates, his
30:31
[SPEAKER_01]: his CV, his resume was unimpeachable coming over from Clemson up into that point.
30:37
[SPEAKER_01]: He had an an all-conference guy every single season and that was when he was tightly responsible for the entirety of the defensive line.
30:45
[SPEAKER_01]: I think everyone understood it was just going to take Todd Bates a couple years to get oh used defensive tackles to where they need to be with where it was coming from.
30:53
[SPEAKER_01]: Miguel Sheva said, wasn't like
30:54
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm thinking it was going, oh my gosh, this is a bad hire is just hey, we know that he had helped Todd Bates when you haven't seen him be an on field position coach where he is directly responsible.
31:03
[SPEAKER_01]: It's just kind of like an incomplete.
31:05
[SPEAKER_01]: You trust preventables will see what that looks like here in two or three years, well, you look at what he did with Ethan Downs turn in him into.
31:11
[SPEAKER_01]: just Mr.
31:12
[SPEAKER_01]: Consistency.
31:13
[SPEAKER_01]: I know it was a draft pick name called, but he worked his way into the field for the chiefs this past season and was able to hang around and make that.
31:20
[SPEAKER_01]: You now look at Armace and Thomas, one of the great development stories there.
31:24
[SPEAKER_01]: And then for both of those guys, like you're going to get Armace and Grayson,
31:28
[SPEAKER_01]: drafted.
31:28
[SPEAKER_01]: If you can get Dominic Williams or in the Harvard Jones Jr., then you're talking about, hey, we've gotten transfer guys in one or two years turn around drafted.
31:36
[SPEAKER_01]: You look into the draft eligible guys next year, your Taylor wines, your David stones, your J. and Jackson, your J. Nequois, where they go next year or stay a couple more years.
31:45
[SPEAKER_01]: It feels like it took a couple years, but the pipeline is now churning for Oklahoma along the defensive line, which is as everyone knows what you need in recruiting, what you need to continue to sustain, and what you need to get to where Oklahoma wants to be at the top of the SEC.
32:01
[SPEAKER_03]: I agree with just about all that.
32:03
[SPEAKER_03]: These guys that have been here for a while, especially are all pretty much success stories.
32:08
[SPEAKER_03]: Grayson Halton is the poster child for how to come in under the radar and develop into a high-round draft pick.
32:14
[SPEAKER_03]: He was, I kept looking back at his spring, the spring game performance, each each fall, you know, you write your summer previews, or your fall previews during the summer, and so all you have to look at is the previous spring.
32:26
[SPEAKER_03]: That dude was stud.
32:29
[SPEAKER_03]: just MacDaddy and every spring game like two sacks and you think is a two sacks or was it just was he standing next to the quarterback when you ran by him.
32:37
[SPEAKER_03]: No you go back and look it's two sacks in each of his first two spring games and you're thinking okay so is that going to translate?
32:43
[SPEAKER_03]: Heck yeah translated he's got better and better and better and yeah those coaches are coaching him up.
32:48
[SPEAKER_03]: You love to see young development like that.
32:50
[SPEAKER_03]: The guy coming in is one of the, you know, maybe the 23rd best prospect in the recruiting class.
32:55
[SPEAKER_03]: And he's leaving, as maybe the first or second or third best prospect in the class.
33:00
[SPEAKER_03]: So that's a tremendous recruiting story.
33:03
[SPEAKER_03]: Dominic Williams kind of the other way.
33:05
[SPEAKER_03]: He came in at two time all big 12 guy and he leaves as kind of a rotational guy with all these great players that Dokele homeless had on the interior.
33:15
[SPEAKER_03]: So I guess it kind of goes both ways, the armace and Thomas thing, remember two years ago before he became a starter, I guess that would have been three years ago.
33:26
[SPEAKER_03]: He was the projected starter in spring practice and kept injuring his ankle.
33:31
[SPEAKER_03]: And the coaches were like you should see this guy when he's healthy.
33:34
[SPEAKER_03]: He's really good.
33:35
[SPEAKER_03]: And we're like, oh, yeah, sure.
33:36
[SPEAKER_03]: They're all really good.
33:37
[SPEAKER_03]: They were right, of course.
33:39
[SPEAKER_03]: The way he gets a low in it with his pads, the way he explodes under guys, the way he can Bull Rush when he needs to.
33:45
[SPEAKER_03]: The array of moves that he showed this year were early on in his career probably needed to be developed.
33:51
[SPEAKER_03]: And guess what?
33:52
[SPEAKER_03]: These coaches did a great job developing those statistics, those moves, those skills.
33:58
[SPEAKER_03]: So in all, just Ryan, when I saw your story, I think it was, yeah, you wrote that story on the coaches, right?
34:05
[SPEAKER_03]: The D-line coaches.
34:07
[SPEAKER_03]: The first thing I thought was 100% right, because these guys have been slowly developing, slowly developing, Taylor wine, another great example.
34:15
[SPEAKER_03]: Bring them in, not a whole lot of hoop lock, good player, but not a, you know, you know, landing five stars and things like that necessarily at that position.
34:24
[SPEAKER_03]: And then, so my like Taylor wine comes up and just climbs up the depth chart like our base of Thomas did.
34:29
[SPEAKER_03]: Another transfer, more of Jones.
34:31
[SPEAKER_03]: I think he's going to be drafted because his dad was so amazing and I think there's going to be somebody out there who says, yeah, but did you see his dad?
34:38
[SPEAKER_03]: Look at the, look at the tree that this nut fell from.
34:41
[SPEAKER_03]: You know, they're going to love getting him in camp now.
34:44
[SPEAKER_03]: Can he take that next step?
34:45
[SPEAKER_03]: Can he do what he continued to do in college over his entire career, which is make incremental moves, a little bit better, a little bit better if he does.
34:55
[SPEAKER_03]: Then yeah, I think he's definitely going to be drafted and I think he could have a good career in the NFL because of that.
35:01
[SPEAKER_01]: We get all of that fun kicked off on Thursday, out in Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, America, this go around which I've kind of enjoyed the draft traveling around.
35:10
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't know.
35:11
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't really have a thought about it initially when it was like, hey, we're moving at Radio City and it's like, okay, what else?
35:17
[SPEAKER_01]: But it's been like the, we don't get like a college game day style field in the NFL a lot.
35:21
[SPEAKER_01]: Like we always, you're always looking live at Lambo or stuff like that.
35:25
[SPEAKER_01]: But,
35:25
[SPEAKER_01]: Just to like chill and Pittsburgh for a weekend, it's been obviously we had the great Nashville stories of the Bachelor at Weeknds gone a ride by NFL drafted thing.
35:34
[SPEAKER_01]: But I've kind of enjoyed when it's traveled around.
35:36
[SPEAKER_01]: So we will continue to see that here this weekend.
35:40
[SPEAKER_01]: All right, let's move on to other things because there's been a ton going on on the World of Value that's, oh, go ahead.
35:46
[SPEAKER_03]: Ryan, I'm sorry.
35:47
[SPEAKER_03]: I thought you were going to talk about Jake and not getting drafted because he noticed something.
35:50
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, we all forgot about that.
35:52
[SPEAKER_03]: Nobody wants to draft him.
35:53
[SPEAKER_03]: The guy didn't play.
35:54
[SPEAKER_03]: Oh, I'm sorry.
35:54
[SPEAKER_03]: We're gonna move on.
35:55
[SPEAKER_03]: We're gonna move on.
35:55
[SPEAKER_03]: We're gonna move on.
35:56
[SPEAKER_01]: We're gonna move on.
35:56
[SPEAKER_03]: We didn't come to her today.
35:57
[SPEAKER_03]: It's a Barry J. Yeah, I didn't make it.
36:00
[SPEAKER_01]: Fresh out the list.
36:00
[SPEAKER_01]: Darned.
36:01
[SPEAKER_01]: Okay.
36:02
[SPEAKER_01]: Drap.
36:03
[SPEAKER_01]: On the other things, Abraham, you were on it as Oklahoma women's gym.
36:08
[SPEAKER_01]: Is there gonna be a new fresh rivalry inside the walls when Roger did he gets together all of his coaches meetings.
36:21
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I think there's just a mutual admiration between those two, I've heard KJ talk a lot about Patty and vice versa.
36:29
[SPEAKER_02]: And it's just incredible, this team this year
36:36
[SPEAKER_02]: You wondered if they were going to be able to get back to that level and I'm not talking about winning a national championship.
36:43
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm talking about even being there on night two of the nationals just because of how young they were relying on a lot of new faces and these aren't.
36:53
[SPEAKER_02]: You know, several of the other top tier teams in the sport right now have Olympians and that isn't, you know, the kind of gymnast that KJ Kinler brought in, but these freshmen.
37:09
[SPEAKER_02]: have just been phenomenal, and really rose to the occasion, and then to get Faitora's back in the all-around for the second day of, or that really, that both days, I guess, of the National Championships was massive.
37:28
[SPEAKER_02]: She was fantastic.
37:29
[SPEAKER_02]: It was great to see her,
37:30
[SPEAKER_02]: be able to sort of, you know, put the exclamation point on things and seal it completely with her performance on the floor, but just a fantastic story with the Sooners and KJ Kinler and that bunch coming away with yet another national championship.
37:47
[SPEAKER_01]: Winning championships, setting records, a phenomenal freshman class,
37:53
[SPEAKER_01]: where we're talking women's gym or you stop, oh, it's a done matter.
37:56
[SPEAKER_01]: It's the same.
37:57
[SPEAKER_01]: Yes, Arkansas Pine Bluff on Tuesday for the softball side of things.
38:03
[SPEAKER_01]: No solo record for Kind of Wells when it comes to the Sooner's program record.
38:08
[SPEAKER_01]: She got what?
38:09
[SPEAKER_01]: Two opportunities.
38:10
[SPEAKER_01]: She got to,
38:11
[SPEAKER_01]: or she got to experience fast-pitch softball and slow-pitch softball in the same game.
38:16
[SPEAKER_01]: She was one of the few that got the slow-pitch pitcher.
38:18
[SPEAKER_01]: She also just drew a walk in that second A.B.
38:20
[SPEAKER_01]: So, not the for Kindle, but Oklahoma did tie its own program record in C.A.
38:27
[SPEAKER_01]: record for Homer's in a season A.B.
38:28
[SPEAKER_01]: where I have the feeling
38:30
[SPEAKER_01]: that as you and our out there covering the sooners and Georgia is they get after it this weekend uh there'll be a couple of hey here's the story from the game and then here's the team record here's the kind of wells record here's the kind of wells in CAHA so I think all that is still to come.
38:49
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, there's no doubt about it.
38:50
[SPEAKER_02]: I mean, barring for Kindle Wells barring injury, you know, she's going to break that record now with both the records.
39:00
[SPEAKER_02]: UCLA is very close behind.
39:02
[SPEAKER_02]: It's not a given that even if.
39:04
[SPEAKER_02]: OU and Kindle Wells are the first ones to break that record that they're going to hold it at the end of the season because UCLA has just been mashing All year, but especially recently as they've kept things up, both teams just have six games remaining There heading into this weekend in the regular season, but Last night was really interesting because Patigasa went with a
39:30
[SPEAKER_02]: different look in the lineup.
39:31
[SPEAKER_02]: We didn't see Cassidy Pickering.
39:33
[SPEAKER_02]: We didn't see Gabi Garcia.
39:36
[SPEAKER_02]: You know, she threw in Elizabeth Parker defensively.
39:40
[SPEAKER_02]: I actually got a couple of spots for her.
39:44
[SPEAKER_02]: We saw Lisa McDaniel in the lineup.
39:46
[SPEAKER_02]: Parker and McDaniel go back to back in the second inning.
39:49
[SPEAKER_02]: And then Isabel Emmerling just keeps rolling right along because with Kendall Wells not behind the plate.
39:56
[SPEAKER_02]: you got to put him running back there and she homework for the fourth consecutive game after homework in each game of the Arkansas series just really locked in right now but really has been that way for the majority of the season and the
40:12
[SPEAKER_02]: transformation that her offensive game has gone through has just been unreal and we talked about this run in the Monday podcast but her recognition of who Kendall Wells was and how good she was and to go to Patigasso and say hey
40:34
[SPEAKER_02]: I need to find another place on the field.
40:36
[SPEAKER_02]: You know, I want to be here.
40:38
[SPEAKER_02]: This is, you know, what I want to be a part of this team, but I know I'm not going to be the everyday catcher.
40:43
[SPEAKER_02]: What do I need to do?
40:44
[SPEAKER_02]: Patty Gassos said, pick up your first basements mitt and get over there and get used to it.
40:49
[SPEAKER_02]: And she's been a plus defender.
40:51
[SPEAKER_02]: which has been a pleasant surprise for them.
40:54
[SPEAKER_02]: And even more important, after the Nellie McEnroe Marineous injury that shuffled some things around, we thought we'd see Sidney Barker a lot at first and said Sidney Barker is the regular third basement.
41:09
[SPEAKER_02]: And then to go on the defensive side of things, yes, it's Arkansas Pine Bluff.
41:15
[SPEAKER_02]: you know, we knew it was going to be a blowout.
41:18
[SPEAKER_02]: We knew it was probably going to be a five ending game.
41:20
[SPEAKER_02]: Everything like that.
41:22
[SPEAKER_02]: So it wasn't that they know hit Arkansas Pine Bluff, but the way that my lady with Chanio pitched in particular and the way that Berkeley's a K really controlled things in the seventh are in the fifth, excuse me, when she came out there to finish it off, I think those were very encouraging signs and Patty Gesso continues to talk, talk up Berkeley's a K and say that, hey, at some point, she's going to be
41:46
[SPEAKER_02]: one of those pictures that we put out there in high-level situations, and it might be sooner than you think.
41:53
[SPEAKER_02]: So it's going to be really interesting to see if maybe her arc mirrors a little bit of what we saw from Kirsten Deal as a freshman when we saw that big time bedlam appearance for her, really springboard her into, you know, what, especially the next two.
42:14
[SPEAKER_01]: really feels like they got everything they wanted out of that midweek as far as continue to build confidence and like keep Isabella and like hot if you want to go deep on the weekend that was the Arkansas series all that fun stuff avert i were back on the softball show on monday in this here podcast feed for the YouTube crowd just
42:31
[SPEAKER_01]: Head up, who's YouTube page, if you found this video, you can find that one too, as far as that goes.
42:37
[SPEAKER_01]: And again, worth mentioning, oh, you Alabama, Tyve and the SEC standings.
42:41
[SPEAKER_01]: Oklahoma has Georgia in this weekend, which is virtually a super regional matchup.
42:45
[SPEAKER_01]: Bamet is at Tennessee.
42:48
[SPEAKER_01]: Bamet closes with South Carolina, so it feels like if there's moving and shaking, this might be separation weekend between the Seniors.
42:54
[SPEAKER_01]: and the crimson tied on the baseball front skips crew.
42:58
[SPEAKER_01]: It was absolutely mission accomplished last week.
43:01
[SPEAKER_01]: It didn't matter if it was pretty ugly, whatever.
43:04
[SPEAKER_01]: You just need to scratch across three wins against Missouri.
43:07
[SPEAKER_01]: Survive the midweek, which we know has been treacherous across all of college baseball cars.
43:12
[SPEAKER_01]: And no one has been exempt from the midweek madness.
43:14
[SPEAKER_01]: And Oklahoma got their three against Missouri.
43:17
[SPEAKER_01]: Got their midweek win and can really start to focus on turning it up here for this final month of the regular season.
43:22
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, no doubt about it.
43:23
[SPEAKER_00]: You had to win those three games against Missouri.
43:26
[SPEAKER_00]: So realistically be in the hosting conversation for regionals.
43:30
[SPEAKER_00]: They did take care of business.
43:31
[SPEAKER_00]: All the games.
43:32
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, I think the closest margin was three runs.
43:35
[SPEAKER_00]: So that's taking care of business.
43:36
[SPEAKER_00]: It really wasn't a doubt.
43:38
[SPEAKER_00]: any of the three games.
43:40
[SPEAKER_00]: That's what you're supposed to do against a lesser competition.
43:43
[SPEAKER_00]: So that's a very successful weekend.
43:45
[SPEAKER_00]: And then the midweek, I actually thought that was a very gritty win yesterday.
43:49
[SPEAKER_00]: Oral Roberts, a solid team, probably going to be an NCAA tournament team.
43:54
[SPEAKER_00]: Pitching obviously there are so many wonky fact.
43:57
[SPEAKER_00]: Factors about midweek games, but the fact that they're offensive solid seven runs you take that most night's most nice that will get you a win.
44:05
[SPEAKER_00]: Jackson will at staying hot with the grand slam.
44:08
[SPEAKER_00]: That's a good win that's a gritty win sweeping or you a pretty good team in midweeks this year.
44:13
[SPEAKER_00]: You've got to like that.
44:15
[SPEAKER_00]: But the games really do start to matter now, 18 games done, 10 and 8 in SEC play.
44:20
[SPEAKER_00]: I forget what I think that puts them at 8th or 9th in a long time, a bunch of teams in the SEC standings.
44:29
[SPEAKER_00]: This conference is going to have probably 8, 9 regional hosts.
44:32
[SPEAKER_00]: So if OU can keep doing what they're doing, finding ways to win doesn't have to be pretty
44:37
[SPEAKER_00]: This team doesn't really have the firepower to win pretty most nights against good teams, but they find a way a lot of the times when that's the bullpen getting hot.
44:46
[SPEAKER_00]: Some timely hits rate.
44:47
[SPEAKER_00]: We've seen more of that than we did earlier in conference play.
44:50
[SPEAKER_00]: That's helped them beat Vanderbilt last week, sweet Missouri.
44:54
[SPEAKER_00]: So this team, I mean, even though we've talked about this is not always been pretty, this team maybe doesn't have the MLB prospects that some of the other teams in this league have.
45:03
[SPEAKER_00]: They're still in a good position for a tough series ahead in SEC play.
45:08
[SPEAKER_00]: But as of right now, they're in a good spot heading into the final stretch of SEC play.
45:13
[SPEAKER_01]: five team log jam technically tied for fourth at ten and eight local home of their in Auburn this weekend correct if I can read a schedule.
45:21
[SPEAKER_00]: Yes.
45:21
[SPEAKER_00]: Yes.
45:22
[SPEAKER_01]: Another one of those teams that are at ten and eight in that big log jam itself.
45:26
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
45:26
[SPEAKER_01]: So like you said, if you play good baseball here down the stretch, everything's in front of you, including the regional host, which
45:32
[SPEAKER_01]: is the all important thing that can really really help you, especially as you get into the wonky and wild world that is the college baseball postseason, which we all know is a trip throughout the entire day elsewhere.
45:45
[SPEAKER_01]: Oklahoma basketball looks like they're really honing in on at least the foundation of their roster.
45:52
[SPEAKER_01]: yesterday on Tuesday kind of completed the retention questions as both there and reading for site announced that they're returning back, which means no like last minute portal high jinx, they will join chyrodgers and Xavier Brown who were back got a couple of additions in the portal already Carson, but who what you got?
46:11
[SPEAKER_03]: Is that a reflection on Roger Denny and an improved NIL package?
46:16
[SPEAKER_01]: No, we're just going to shut that down now.
46:19
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't think so at all.
46:21
[SPEAKER_01]: Look at who's in the portal.
46:22
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, they did.
46:22
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
46:24
[SPEAKER_01]: bringing in roots from Louisville.
46:27
[SPEAKER_01]: You've got the kid from Utah Valley that was at UCF.
46:31
[SPEAKER_01]: And the portal has kind of, Carson, it's been a really weird portal.
46:34
[SPEAKER_01]: There's a lot of names in the portal.
46:36
[SPEAKER_01]: No one, whatever the top two or three, you know, echelons of names, or I'm like, anyone expected Oklahoma to be in the mix for those?
46:42
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, that's the true sharks.
46:46
[SPEAKER_01]: This has been kind of a weak portal cycle.
46:48
[SPEAKER_01]: And I don't think that it says anything about anything, just because you're comfortable to stay.
46:54
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, no, I tend to agree with that.
46:56
[SPEAKER_00]: You have to look at this core that I'll use built though.
46:59
[SPEAKER_00]: That's this might be Porter Mosa's first team or first team in a while that's well built up already getting a guy like Xavier Brown.
47:06
[SPEAKER_00]: We talked about that last week, Daryon Reed, that's a massive addition to another starter in all of the 37 games this year.
47:13
[SPEAKER_00]: And then getting deaf pieces like Kai Rogers, Dayton Forsyth.
47:17
[SPEAKER_00]: This team, I mean,
47:18
[SPEAKER_00]: All four of those, we know that we've seen what they can do when performing their best, getting a high floor, back up, light date, and four sites big, Rodgers kind of flashed his potential late.
47:28
[SPEAKER_00]: So I think those are huge retention pieces.
47:32
[SPEAKER_00]: Now what really is about filling the other seven spots though, because yes, they got Tyler Hendrix from Utah Valley, Caniah Ruth, Connie Ruth, not sure if that's a Caniah Walker situation or if it's a different pronunciation.
47:43
[SPEAKER_00]: But they got him, both of them should be solid addition than they have one freshman coming in.
47:49
[SPEAKER_00]: Still seven spots, they've got a Philbo.
47:52
[SPEAKER_00]: So there's definitely a need for another center or two.
47:56
[SPEAKER_00]: No Moaguy, you know, Korea, Yuletonsav.
48:00
[SPEAKER_00]: Nigel packs gone obviously, that's the big one, losing your sharpshooter.
48:03
[SPEAKER_00]: And Tyler Hendrix definitely feels that to a degree, proven player, was good this year at Utah Valley, but you need a little bit more.
48:11
[SPEAKER_00]: to pair with a guy like Xavier Brown.
48:14
[SPEAKER_00]: If you could get that one high in center, one high in guard, I think you could look at this team and realistically say this is a team that should be good.
48:22
[SPEAKER_00]: Obviously we haven't seen is this going to be good.
48:25
[SPEAKER_00]: We said that heading into this here that this team should be good.
48:28
[SPEAKER_00]: Most of the time they were not, but they are very close as far as just getting one more strong guard, one more strong center from having a team that I think a lot of
48:40
[SPEAKER_01]: They missed out on both ends of the Mingo brothers and the Tulsa guard looks like he's going to Cincinnati.
48:48
[SPEAKER_01]: Those were the big targets Carson and correct way if you heard, love it up, you see this differently.
48:55
[SPEAKER_01]: But yeah, they got the retention.
48:58
[SPEAKER_01]: You picked up a bargain guard.
49:00
[SPEAKER_01]: Looks like you can shoot and come in and be maybe your J.J. Jones or Nigel Pack shooting replacement.
49:05
[SPEAKER_01]: You got a guy at Louisville that
49:07
[SPEAKER_01]: maybe undervalued, big body, but I mean, they have added nothing proven at any high level, and they've whiffed on their big value targets.
49:17
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I mean, largely you could say that they need more.
49:21
[SPEAKER_00]: This is, this can't be the finished product.
49:23
[SPEAKER_00]: It can't just be a bunch of other role players that they add.
49:25
[SPEAKER_00]: I like Hendrix, I think his upside is good.
49:28
[SPEAKER_00]: Getting a 45% shooter, I mean, that's huge.
49:31
[SPEAKER_00]: He doesn't probably have to have the same role that Nigel Pack had, but I love that pickup.
49:36
[SPEAKER_00]: And he's good, Ruth's another one of those guys that,
49:39
[SPEAKER_00]: It reminds me of Innocence Daryon Reed coming from Alabama, not an apples to apples comparison, but from another big school, wasn't incredibly productive.
49:50
[SPEAKER_00]: Brings a lot of size should bring a lot of athleticism.
49:53
[SPEAKER_00]: So I mean, the ceiling's high there too, but I think the floor is also pretty low.
49:58
[SPEAKER_00]: But to your point, I do agree.
49:59
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, these can't be the quote splashes.
50:02
[SPEAKER_00]: There has to be more starting experience.
50:04
[SPEAKER_00]: There has to be more proven production.
50:06
[SPEAKER_00]: 15 points per game, strong shooting percentage.
50:10
[SPEAKER_00]: It can't just be other high or mid major players.
50:12
[SPEAKER_00]: It can't be high major backups.
50:14
[SPEAKER_00]: They've got to get at least one or two more proven big-time starters.
50:18
[SPEAKER_00]: And then I think you can feel pretty good about this team.
50:21
[SPEAKER_01]: been pretty quiet on the women's side of the portal since the spies are in QE Park's editions, though, an outgoing name did land.
50:30
[SPEAKER_01]: Abraham, what was your surprise factor?
50:32
[SPEAKER_01]: Not when you saw that Ziavan was visiting Texas, but just the fact that she went through a multi-layered, multi-faceted Oklahoma legacy, whether it be her sister, herself, her dad, to a
50:47
[SPEAKER_01]: It's the weird thing of like, if you put it in a vacuum, XIV, and it seems like she fits perfectly with what Vic Shaper and Texas does, but it always gets complicated when you're in that going from Norman to still water, still water in a Norman or Norman to Austin and Austin Norman as well.
51:04
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I mean, it's just indicative of the modern landscape of college sports, and where before you would say, hey, the legacy is just going to stay at OU, regardless of what the situation is.
51:18
[SPEAKER_02]: And obviously, she showed it at times last year that Zyvan could be a number one type of guard, and she wasn't going to be that at Oklahoma.
51:27
[SPEAKER_02]: But now, those kind of players are going to leave.
51:32
[SPEAKER_02]: Because they're going to get a higher profile elsewhere.
51:35
[SPEAKER_02]: They're going to get paid more elsewhere.
51:37
[SPEAKER_02]: And they're not going to be tied to those old rivalries, things like that, which are much more, I mean, it's the professionalization of the college sports model that
51:51
[SPEAKER_02]: You know, we see players on the cubs fan, we see, you know, Wilson Contreras go from the the Cardinals to the Cubs and, you know, Jim Edmonds go in the other way things like that and that it's just become more and more common.
52:05
[SPEAKER_02]: I mean, heck, we see it in the football side with Parker Livingstone and what he did in the portal.
52:11
[SPEAKER_02]: So it's not going away.
52:15
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm right there with you.
52:16
[SPEAKER_02]: I think Xivant fits really good into what Vic Shafer does, and I think he's as good a coach as there is in the country at getting the most out of his players and sticking with what works best for him.
52:29
[SPEAKER_02]: And it's going to be fascinating to see next year how Xivant fits into that system and also fascinating when the Seniors and Longhorns hook up even more so than it usually is.
52:43
[SPEAKER_01]: The amazing thing across the board, you've got the Zyvan headed to Texas, you have Audi Crooks who commits to Oklahoma State, so I think personally, that's a free-the-side relief as far as Oklahoma committing resources to someone who just doesn't play defense and I don't think was going to fit in Ginny's system.
52:58
[SPEAKER_01]: I know that I was state playing a much faster pace than what Oregon State did, I also think Reagan Bears is like,
53:04
[SPEAKER_01]: twice the athlete that out of crux is.
53:06
[SPEAKER_01]: She might not have the as polished bully ball down low, but it'll be issued to see as far as that goes.
53:11
[SPEAKER_01]: But that means that I still think much like on the men's side of things.
53:15
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't know if it's frontline pieces, but one or two more pieces to around this thing out because there was a moment.
53:21
[SPEAKER_01]: I know that Jenny Brown check talked about liking the smaller group of players.
53:24
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't know if it's going to be ever again where you see
53:28
[SPEAKER_01]: a roster is truly filled up with 15 that we would consider like scholarship players, maybe in the old ways of looking at it, but like had Beatrice Colton been out for any longer, you were like one ankle roll away from either Brooklyn Stewart or Reagan Bears from being like, you have to play a small ball, which I wonder if that's something the Oklahoma looks at as they fill that thing out, but we shall see gentlemen, but before we get
53:52
[SPEAKER_01]: out of here, though, we're on to an NFL draft weekend.
53:55
[SPEAKER_01]: We're on into, uh, you got playoffs, which means as NBA playoffs start, that means softball postseason and baseball postseason are right around the court, but anything else here today before we dismiss for the weekend.
54:08
[SPEAKER_03]: do our softball experts know, does Oklahoma have a magic number yet?
54:11
[SPEAKER_03]: There's still six games to go, right?
54:13
[SPEAKER_01]: There's not really a magic number because the Oelian Albaima don't play and so the and their record against common opponents is the exact same.
54:22
[SPEAKER_01]: And so it's gonna shift and change and more because if they finish tied, it will go down to combine conference record to everybody else.
54:31
[SPEAKER_01]: Oklahoma should have the edge there, Alabama played everyone in the bottom of the SEC, only played two of the bottom three, but moral of the story.
54:38
[SPEAKER_02]: I mean, the magic number.
54:43
[SPEAKER_02]: Sorry.
54:43
[SPEAKER_02]: I was just going to say the magic number seven, I guess.
54:48
[SPEAKER_02]: You know, OU could win all six games and if Alabama wins, loses one on top of that, they get it.
54:56
[SPEAKER_02]: uh but uh yeah it's a tricky situation right now.
55:01
[SPEAKER_02]: I think everybody in Norman that's a sooner spans need to be rooting hard for Tennessee this weekend and in Carlin Piggins and that group to you know be what they were early in the season against Alabama this weekend.
55:17
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, it's one of the things just honestly not worth crunching the numbers until you see because the other part of it is that Oklahoma has two of its toughest series still left remaining we've seen the suitors in these back to back weekends can go in and play well for two of those three games drop a third one when the series but.
55:32
[SPEAKER_01]: This is one of the things that best to just see how Oklahoma Georgia shakes out, see how Tennessee and Bamish shakes out, and then we can crunch all the numbers and do all the iterations as you head into the final week of regular season action on the softball front.
55:46
[SPEAKER_01]: Other than that, keep an eye on the website, Oaklandsters, onside.com, all your draft coverage, everything, baseball, and softball going down this weekend, everything.
55:53
[SPEAKER_01]: Still in the basketball portal is that winds it down, but until then big thank you to Mr. Abert of Carson and of who for hanging out here on a Wednesday.
56:04
[SPEAKER_01]: We'll be back here in this feed on Monday for the softball show and on Wednesday for next week's draft recap here on the Sooner's on SI Paddle, but if it has a great weekend, we'll see you guys.