OU Running back situation is better. Sooners miss out on Ogumoro! Braden Davis brilliant vs. TCU

the Oklahoma Sooners running back room was pretty good in 2023 but I think it's a lot better in 2024 you are locked on Sooners your daily podcast on the Oklahoma Sooners part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day what's up sooner Nation welcome to lockon Sooners and thank you for making lockon Sooners your first listen every single day today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel make every moment more right now new customers get $150 in bonus Bets with any winning $5 bet that's 150 bucks within a winning $5 bet visit fanduel.com lockon to get started my name is John Williams you can follow me on Twitter at John N Williams my buddy here is Josh on you can follow him Josh Onre you can also hear Monday through Friday from 9: to noon on the KF Sports app Josh the running back room was pretty disjointed last year we could say especially through the first half of the season with injuries with inconsistent play with inconsistencies within the offensive line going into the year we thought it was going to be pretty good with Gavin Sawchuk javante Barnes showing flashes in the cheit bowl both having 100 yard games in 20 at the end of 2022 uh Toby Walker had become a fan favorite everybody was expecting kind of big things out of him as well but it just took a while for it to really settle in and and find its stride well here we sit getting ready for 2024 still feeling pretty optimistic about it but I feel like depth chart wise it looks like it's in a much better situation than it was last year obviously Health was a big reason why the running back room was so disjointed and it never found a whole lot of uh consistency or chemistry early on in the season but just talent-wise from top to bottom I think it's trending in a much better Direction it it took a long time to get things going and it did not play out according to plan a season ago for OU we sat here and probably could have had a debate back and forth and most sooner shows could have had a debate back and and forth about is it Gavin Sauk is it Javon Barnes that's the leading rushia for Oklahoma oh well you know I think it's satuk I think it's Barnes but it's those two guys right it's those two guys and that what a combination for OU then gavon Barnes was dinged up and they kept trying to get him back and he was never really fully right or back for Oklahoma Gavin satuk he had the Fantastic finish to last season where he rushed over the century mark in the final five games of the year and what had six touchdowns in those final five games uh rushing but it took into those final five games for Gavin Sauk to be Gavin Sawchuk so yeah no it did not go according to what many of us thought would be the scripted plan for Oklahoma last season tomby Walker at times looked like maybe he was Oklahoma's best running back and uh probably at times didn't get enough of a look as Oklahoma's top running back so I do think Oklahoma enters this season in a pretty good spot if we get the Gavin Sauk that ended last season that's a great starting point if in fact javante Barnes is indeed healthy then that's a nice addition I liked what we saw from Sam Franklin in the spring game Tatum still hasn't arrived and you got a factor him into the room Hicks is a player for Oklahoma there too so I I like the way the the room looks and I don't think that this season starts the way last season did for Gavin Sauk where you had that excitement in the bowl game and then there wasn't the carryover I do expect to see carryover this year for Gavin Sauk and let's throw in an Xavier Robinson as well another big- time potential you know addition not not potential Edition a big time Edition that could potentially earn some workload you know up to 218 pounds per his Instagram giving you a guy that could be a short yardage back aandre Stevenson from back in the day I say back in the day just you know like five years ago or something like that this running back room has a lot more depth and it has a lot more explosiveness and athleticism than it did last year and that's not a slight to Toby Walker who's off to win Wisconsin now and expects to factor in there a guy that played really really hard and again did look like Oklahoma's best running back at different times just for some reason never was able to get that consistently going game to game uh much like much of the running back room was early in the season as the offensive line got better the running backs got better as well and then Gavin saic just kind of took off and ran away with the job but from top to bottom I mean from one to five one to six at running back I feel like you feel much much better because you have Sauk you have Franklin you have Barnes Taylor Tatum Xavier Robinson all part of the rotation I mean we got megga as well the Oregon Transfer that we haven't even really seen so it's a group that I think you have the potential to be able to rotate the running back position early in the season especially so you can keep fresh legs for later in the year but say javante Barnes just isn't ready to carry that rb2 workload yet you still have time and you have the ability to be patient with that because Sam Franklin showed what he showed in the spring game because you've got a home run hitter in Taylor Tatum that can take five to 10 carries even as a true freshman even just arriving with for summer workouts you've got a guy like Xavier Robinson who was a Workhorse by every definition of the world word at car at Carl Albert High carrying that team to a 2022 State title this is a group that has the potential to help take the work or take the the pressure off of Jackson Arnold and that's what you need you need a running back group that is going to make things easy for your quarterback who's making his first run through a season as a starter what did you make of towi Walker's remarks as we think about the running back room obviously towi Walker exited it looked like uh he was ing the portal and then he actually stuck around for a little bit longer and then of course does wind up at Wisconsin he sort of broke down uh part of why he left what did you think about what towi Walker had to say I mean in essence it's kind of what everybody felt there wasn't a whole lot of Direction it seemed like with the running back group last year and just when it felt like maybe Toby Walker was about to take off then he took it back seat uh you know and he admits that you know the relationship between him and DeMarco Murray wasn't always smooth sailing they had some Conflict at times stuff that was reported you know at different points last season but it never kept him from being on the team doing his job or being welcomed back to the Sooners Brent Venable said as much you know when uh it was discussed that Walker was around for practices Brent venal said he's welcome to come back if he doesn't find what he's looking for out in the portal and I think that that's a testament to the player and the person that to Walker is that okay you can have conflict with an assistant and yet you're still more than welcomed back into the running back rotation so you know he found a better opportunity for him out in the portal with Wisconsin he's going to be able to be a factor with them and so I think his comments aren't necessarily like a shot across the bow at Oklahoma or DeMarco Murray or Brent venol or Jeff Levy necessarily I think or maybe it is but it doesn't necessarily say anything different than what we saw in that there was no real Direction at running back until Gavin Sauk came back and looked like the Gavin Sauk we expected here's the uh quote by the way this was posted to Toby Walker's personal YouTube page the quote I really felt like I was not trapped but condensed just not seeing my full potential I feel like they used me as a third down back or a guy that's just like hey nothing nobody else is doing anything I know tawe is going to do something let me put tawe in I just felt I should have been established the guy or we should have had a one and two the whole year uh he goes on to say the running backs room was just hectic we didn't know who was starting what game nothing bad about about DeMarco I love DeMarco he's a great coach a great mentor me and him had a couple of issues last year but it made us nothing but stronger in quote so I think a lot of f F would agree with some of what towe Walker said and felt as much last season obviously towe Walker's moved on I think you and I we would gladly welcome Toby Walker back into the equation for Oklahoma but probably he does have a more leading role at Wisconsin and so I guess from that standpoint I don't know that that that was I mean that wasn't guaranteed to be the case at OU and I don't know that it winds up the case at OU uh it certainly wasn't the case a year ago so all parties better off in this it seems like you know it seems like a better opportunity for towe Walker and it seems like you know it just creates an opportunity for javante Barnes to come back and get back into the mix uh for Gavin Sawchuk to be the lead guy for potentially a Taylor Tatum to come in and earn some running back rotation snaps early in his career so I mean we'll see time will tell if it uh works out well for for all parties or works out for the better for all parties but uh in the in the moment right now it's seems like it's going to be a good thing but I I would have loved to see more of Toby Walker last year I know a lot of our you know listeners and and followers here on on locked on Sooners were're clamoring for more Toby Walker I remember our live shows constantly talking about Toby Walker so you know I and I agree with them I think there there was a time where you could have you should have probably rode Walker a little bit harder than they did um at the same time when Gavin SAA got going it it was hard to not put the ball in his hands because he was really electric the Oklahoma Sooner his offensive line recruiting has been a huge storyline for the 2025 recruiting class they didn't land the guy that they were in heavily pursuit of but we'll see where it takes them coming up next here on lockon Sooners let's get straight to the point you want to grow your portfolio to deal with the rising costs of inflation to pay off your debt or your mortgage pretty much anything standing in the way of you and Financial Freedom right with Yahoo finance you can get access to the news data and tools that you need in order to help reach that Financial Freedom I know for my family I mean we're we're investing we're trying to make the right decisions but it's hard to know it's hard to know exactly where your money should be going to put you in a situation where Hey by the time I reach 65 66 67 I want to be in good shape and I want to be able to retire and have comfortable have a comfortable life beyond that well that's why we go to Yahoo finance it helps gives us give us the answers and give us the insight 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those kids that is new to the position just played one year at offensive line and has all the skills the tools the footwork the physicality the aggression that you want to see out of an offensive lineman uh but given that he's new to the position there might be some other guys that Oklahoma liked maybe a little bit more that they are still in Hot Pursuit of uh but you can't you can't miss out on all of them missing out on a guy like AO I think who has star potential and the potential to be a really really impactful player in college football I I think it's a Miss now you sit here and you tell me okay they're still going after Tai Haywood and Michael fusi and LaMont Rogers and Andrew babala I get that I get they've got some guys that they are are prior prioritizing heavily but for a guy like AO an instate kid who you seem to have their early momentum for to not be able to land that is a bit of a disappointment for me one because I just really like the kids's game and I like what he brings to the table um and again he's an instate kids so I would have liked to continue to lock down the state of Oklahoma uh from all Invaders he moves so well you you flip on the tape and uh he he's very fluid with that weight and you think about okay he's got a chance to get stronger and can still you know move like that a pulling guard the different things that maybe he could do for for Oklahoma that unfortunately at least at this juncture going forward he'll be uh he'll be doing for Tennessee it's uh you know look you you'd like to have Aura in the class you know obviously you'd like have him in the class with FJ and with Holland Beck you would have liked to have knocked that third offensive line Domino off for Oklahoma in 2025 but I'll be Wai and see on it let let's see what happens happens with some of these other targeted names on the board and if Oklahoma closes there then probably when we turn back around later we say look would have been a nice bonus but not the end of the world but he he's got the chance when you watch the tape of developing into a very very nice player so I'm not going to sit here and say that it's uh no big deal you would have liked to have had him in the class uh just a cool note that his dad shared with me at one point and I don't think he'll mind me sharing this but uh um he's the first athlete to represent our home island of sapon uh from Micronesia so that that's just cool that's just a cool thing you know like you you think about the pride um that you know Polynesians and Hawaiians and and the micronesians have for just their Island and their people and their tribe and you know we we saw it with Dylan Gabriel we we've seen it with Marcos Mariota uh and the list goes on and on and on but just a cool feeling it has to be for for Anthony to be able to say hey I'm I'm representing Sian and I'm going you know to play you know power four football in the SEC whether it was going to be for Oklahoma or for Tennessee just a just a cool feeling for him you know only again only been on you know the the power four radar recruiting radar for just the last few months uh kind of under recruited at this point but the offer sheet is pretty legit and uh you know going to Knoxville it's going to be a big time program a big time opportunity for him so it's it's just kind of a cool moment for him and for his family and for his extended family and for for Sian as well no that's awesome you you love stories like that that's great wish him uh well in his future at uh Tennessee and hopefully uh he could make everybody very very proud just not too often against Oklahoma if he could just Spar us that that's right that's right that's right just you know save it for every other week on the schedule I guess but uh so where does Oklahoma turn to now so now it's you've got big time official visits coming up in June where you you know for uh you know the the champ you barbecue it's hosting Tai Haywood and Andrew babala and Michael fusi and LaMont Rogers and and making sure that you get at least one of those cats to go with Ryan foj you like if you are able to combine the two to go along with Owen Holland Beck then the offensive line recruiting class is looking really really good you get a little bit of greedy and you land two of those four then you're feeling really Stout about what this offensive line class looks like for 2025 because this is supposed to be what the defensive line recruiting class was for you in 2024 if you can land two of those four that I just mentioned babala Haywood fusi or Rogers then you're cooking with gas and Bill Bebo is getting the recruiting wins that everybody's looking to him to get at this point but I mean the 2025 recruiting classes looking really really strong right now you get some of those big-time five-star Lamont Rogers a four-star right now but the other three Haywood fusi and babala are legit five-star prospects you get one or two of those guys and you feel great about where this class is headed sure and if you're Bill Bebo you don't want to feel like the missing link right on the uh the staff here in terms of recruiting and Landing you know high four and five star type Talent though you know for Oklahoma if you land one of those guys U's made a habit of finding and developing some big-time players out of the transfer portal too so coach Bebo has shown a propensity to not have to do it all out of the high school ranks but again I think uh We've sat here on enough occasions and said you want the lifeblood of the program to be still out of the high school rank so I get that Coach B uh has not needed to do that in every instance but I think even coach Bebo would say yeah let's let's go ahead lock up a couple of those names and then we can still do uh you know once or twice what sort of we've done out of the transfer portal right and and I think he'd be the first to tell you that he wants to have those really high high ceiling prospects to work with and develop as well uh It's just sometimes you got to supplement through the transfer portal and that's okay bill beatbo has earned the benefit of the doubt on the recruiting Trail on the developmental front because he's just putting guys into the NFL left and right another dude who is having himself a spring that is Braden Davis just absolutely dominant against TCU and Oklahoma's 4 nothing win over the horn frogs we're going to discuss that next coming up here on lock on Sooners it is winner take all time in the NBA and in the NHL fanduel's giving you a shot to bring home a big win of your own that's right right now new customers get $150 in bonus Bets with any winning $5 bet that's 150 bucks to bet on spreads money lines player props and more so visit fanduel.com lockon and make every playoff shot count the uh numbers that we can share college football side with you again Oklahoma getting nine and a half points versus Texas those win totals for the Sooners it's been for a long time sitting there at over or under seven and a half wins I still like the uh the over for Oklahoma at seven and a half wins and oh by the way that's plus 100 so plus money on the over seven and a half if you like well Oklahoma to be Oklahoma in h 2024 that's with a FanDuel America's number one sports book visit uh fanduel.com FanDuel lockon make every playoff shot count one of the things I love about baseball Josh is the big- time pitching matchups that you get I I think back to you know when I was a kid and watching you know Greg Maddox and Pedro Martinez go at it or uh you know or yeah the Kurt Schillings and Pedro Martinez like those big time uh matchups with the Yankees and all that well we got a big time pitching matchup on uh Wednesday between Oklahoma and TCU where pton tole took on Braden Davis two dudes that just could throw and could throw some heat and it was Braden Davis that got the better of tole who was the big 12 pitcher of the year Davis was just phenomenal nine strikeouts nine shutout Innings only allows four hits three of those four hits were doubles and he found a way to work around them every step of the way in the first inning got a great defensive play out of Kendall Pettis to potentially you know limit Big Time damage I mean there's a runner on second and Kendall Pettis makes one of the best defensive plays you'll ever see uh to keep the runner at second and not allow a run to score and TCU to get extra bases but man Bradon Davis was just on fire all day just spotting his fast ball really really well mixing in that change up and throwing that change up just devastatingly uh catching TCU just way ahead on those pitches and just looked really really good only twice in his nine innings did he reach a three ball count that's how effective he was on the day yeah he was he was dynamite and that Kindle Pettis play really set the tone for what was going to happen there was another play that spikerman made in center field ranging over into the alley in left Center that was pretty spectacular that actually KP had uh misread that ball and and spikerman went over and found it so it uh he got some great defense behind him which is not unique this season The Outfield in particular has been fabulous those guys can really cover a lot of ground the Pettis play was incredible it saved the run it was it was about to be uh one to nothing TCU if that ball finds Globe live field it did not because KP well uh he is a walking web Jim but Braden Davis was tremendous he he was awesome today as he's been for the most part all season long look there's not a lot of times that guys toss complete Game shutouts in the Big 12 tournament Braden Davis did that today uh and is in John Gray type air I mean so when we're mixing that name in next to yours then yeah you've probably done something pretty special and he uh he certainly did that nine strikeouts over the nine innings and when you're in an event like this John if you can not tax the bullpen early then that can go a long way toward you you know being able to put it together on the back end of going to to win a big 12 tournament Championship so Bradon Davis got him a great start in this big 12 tournament now they'll face Kansas and I like their chances to to advance to the semi-finals Yeah you mentioned John Gray also throwing that complete game shut out only seven times in Big 12 tournament history as that happened that's almost 30 years of Big 12 tournaments and lots of baseball games but only seven times has somebody thrown a complete game shut out again a four hitter and no walks that that's the other really impressive aspect of that no walks uh only reached the three ball count twice and through something like 85 strikes of his 120 pitches so just phenomenal Jackson Nicholas was great you mentioned the defensive play had a double had a home run two RB's and then Anthony McKenzie went back to- back with him and that that was the difference Kendall Pettis you know we talked about the defensive play had the clutch two out hit to to score Oklahoma second run so just a good team effort uh defensively at the plate took care of business against a TCU team that you know again this is one of the teams that has the most Big 12 tournament titles in big 12 history uh so has has a lot of history of success was going to be well coached team coming into it even though they've had a bit of a Down year and Oklahoma was able to take care of business they were and and that was a big a from Pettis because I think Oklahoma had a debate that uh maybe they were safe at uh home plate that you know they went to review and the the call was upheld that it was out the plate but Pettis comes right back and boom shoots one up the middle and get you that run right back mentally that that was big and then the two home runs and you did it against pton tole who's the the Big 12 pitcher of the year so massive to get over that hurdle Naga face Kansas this offense I think can can really get things going in h its second day of Big 12 tournament play and put itself in a great position to if you win in the Big 12 tournament semifinal and just get to the Big 12 uh tournament Championship have they locked up a national Siege on or do they need to to win three more and go win this big 12 tournament yeah I think it's going to be close I referenced Toby rolands kind of breakdown and his kind of opinion on the matter where he said you know you get to that big 12 championship series and you're going to be a bubble team you miss out on it and you're probably not going to be a top eight seed you win the whole thing and you probably earn yourself a top eight seed so I think it's going to be close you still have a lot to play for if you're Oklahoma which I think is great I mean everything matters every game every pitch every matters between now and and the end of the tournament it's going to help keep you on a a positive trajectory and you know have that momentum going you know through the rest of the Big 12 tournament and then into regionals and hopefully Beyond well I will say that uh a couple of points recently they look like a national seed to me and uh you know what Braden Davis did out dueling tole today the way that he did Oklahoma's offense being being able to just just go Dent the Big 12 pitcher of the year in one one inning then oh by the way boom backto back on the home runs I mean that's what national seed teams do number one seed uh teams Big 12 regular season Champions outright Champions they go to Cincinnati after they've got it locked up and they sweep the double header and then well yeah they coughed up that final game looked like it was going to be a seventh Big 12 sweet but they look like a national seed right now the way the offense is cooking the madon did not play in this game so that's an impressive thing for Oklahoma that they able to rest him up and still go find a way to win that ball game so do they need to go win three more I think at this point now they might just need to win two John because I just think the way that they've closed this regular season into now the postseason they just look like a national seed and the numbers can be whatever the numbers are the RPI is not too far away from making a strong argument of being in that top 10 top eight by itself but just the look The appearance the fact that you were an outright Big 12 champion and we'll see what these next couple of days bring they look like an naal seed I know that's obvious but to me that's got to count for something yeah one more one more point on this keik Reno um big Oklahoma you know media guy been kind of doing a lot of different things had a great Point U I guess from the broadcast they mentioned I was watching on mute because I got had the kids all around screaming and stuff like that so I couldn't hear the broadcast 100% of the time anyway but uh that back in 2022 they had three pitchers with sub five eras this year they have seven so they look like a team that is more complete and could potentially make a I mean another trip to the the College World Series and maybe to that championship series again we'll find out can't wait to that's going to do it for today's episode of Locked on Sooners thanks so much for tuning in being a part of the show subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcast we free and available on all platforms and on YouTube hit that notification Bell on that like button to let you know when when new episodes drop follow Josh on Twitter Josh Onre here Monday through Friday from 9:00 to noon on the KF Sports app follow me on Twitter john9 Williams and read my work cover the Sooners over at Sooners wire.com but until next time he's Josh I'm John Boomer Sooner