NORMAN — Since the regular season ended, it’s been a roller coaster of roster turnover for OU football.
Cayden Green announced he was entering the portal during a bowl practice, Dillon Gabriel transferred to Oregon and the Sooners rebuilt their offensive line from scratch. Head coach Brent Venables also made the defensive line a significant priority entering the SEC and landed former TCU standout Damonic Williams over LSU and Texas.
OU landed a commitment from Louisville defensive lineman Jermanye Lole before he flipped to the Longhorns.
The Sooners added 15 transfers and lost 25.
Here’s a ranking of OU’s 10 best portal acquisitions:
More: How did Bill Bedenbaugh, OU football rebuild offensive line? Start with transfer portal
1. Damonic Williams, defensive lineman
Williams (6-foot-2, 320 pounds) is a game changer. One of the top players in the portal, his recruitment process was very thorough as he visited LSU, Missouri and Texas, and took his time to make the right decision for himself. A two-year starter with TCU, Williams was named a true freshman All-American in 2022 when the Horned Frogs lost to Georgia in the national championship game. In two seasons in Fort Worth, Williams totaled 60 tackles, 9 ½ tackles for loss and 4 ½ sacks. He provides significant power on the line. But Williams’ commitment signified the Sooners can recruit the portal with any program and they aren’t shying away in the NIL game.
2. Deion Burks, wide receiver
While Williams’ commitment sent ripples throughout the nation, Purdue transfer wide receiver Deion Burks has a chance to be OU’s most productive transfer. It was only a spring game but Burks caught five passes for 174 yards and two touchdowns in the first half before sitting out the second half. Burks finished last season with 629 receiving yards, 47 catches and seven touchdowns catches. The speedy receiver appears to have created a bond with new quarterback Jackson Arnold and if the two can perfect their crafts during the summer, Burks could be scary.
3. Branson Hickman, center
With the spring injury to Troy Everett, the Sooners needed to add some experience at center in the late portal window and they did it by adding Hickman from SMU. He has started 33 games for the Mustangs over the last three seasons and was a second-team All-AAC performer last season. He didn’t allow any sacks in 517 pass-blocking snaps last season according to Pro Football Focus.
4. Dez Malone, cornerback
Malone started all 12 games at cornerback last season at San Diego State, with 47 tackles, two for loss, seven pass breakups and an interception. He started 23 games for the Aztecs over the last two seasons. While Woodi Washington and Gentry Williams are likely to be the Sooners’ top two cornerbacks, Malone figures to be a key depth piece at the position this season.
5. Michael Tarquin, offensive tackle
The former Florida and USC offensive lineman primarily played right tackle for the Trojans last season after switching between left guard and tackle for the Gators the two years prior. He was used as a left tackle in the Sooners’ spring game but his versatility could make him an especially valuable piece in an offensive line that’s in transition in 2024.
6. Jake Roberts, tight end
The tight end spot took a step back last season for the Sooners, with Austin Stogner’s 18 catches for 196 yards and a touchdown leading the way for the group. So it was no surprise the position was an area of focus over the offseason, with the Sooners adding two that figure to contribute, plus signing Davon Mitchell. In his one season at Baylor after transferring from North Texas, Roberts (6-4, 251) had 23 catches for 231 yards and a touchdown in 12 games (three starts).
7. Bauer Sharp, tight end
It’s hard not to group the pair together. But with Roberts limited in the spring, Sharp was one of the most pleasant surprises in the group. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound Sharp is a converted quarterback who is still coming into his own at the tight end position but had 23 catches for 231 yards and a score at Southeastern Louisiana last season. Against Mississippi State in last season’s opener, he had 20 yards on two catches and had a 13-yard run.
8. Geirean Hatchett, guard
Yet another offensive line addition, Hatchett figures to slide in at guard for the Sooners after playing eight games and starting four for Washington, the national runners-up, last season. He missed a stretch of games due to injury but returned to appear in the Pac-12 title game and both of the Huskies’ College Football Playoff games.
9. Febechi Nwaiwu, guard
Nwaiwu (6-4, 326) has two years of eligibility remaining after transferring from North Texas, where he played both guard and tackle. In 2022, he was a second-team Freshman All-American by The Athletic and third team by College Football News, helping the Mean Green average nearly 200 rushing yards per game for Seth Littrell’s offense.
10. Casey Thompson, quarterback
Thompson (6-0, 197) might not play much this season. That would be the Sooners’ hope, but if something were to happen to Jackson Arnold, Thompson offers an intriguing “break-glass-in-case-of-emergency” option. He has plenty of experience — starting college way back in 2018 — and with Davis Beville and General Booty joining Dillon Gabriel in departing via the portal, adding Thompson was a critical piece for the Sooners’ offensive portal movement.