How Oklahoma Can Improve Through the Transfer Portal this Offseason

Despite a solid season for the Sooners, Brent Venables and company still need to make a few more roster upgrades before heading to the SEC in 2024.

On Dec. 4, the transfer portal window will officially open, allowing hundreds of college football players the opportunity to find a new home. 

With Oklahoma heading into the SEC next year, the Sooners are sure to be on the hunt for plenty of talented players in the transfer portal. Despite going 10-2 in the regular season in 2023, Brent Venables' team will need to replace a few key players and will need to replenish OU's roster depth.

With "transfer portal season" looming, here are a few positions where the Sooners' could look to improve their roster this offseason.

Offensive line

Oklahoma got solid offensive line play from its front five this season, but will be losing a handful of starters and depth pieces to the NFL Draft and graduation. 

McKade Mettauer, Walter Rouse and Caleb Shaffer are on their final year of eligibility while Tyler Guyton and Andrew Raym will likely head to the NFL Draft with both players taking part in Senior Day festivities last Friday against TCU.

With Cayden Green and Jacob Sexton possibly being the only two starter's from Bill Bedenbaugh's group to return to Norman next season, the Sooners will need to make a few additions in the transfer portal.

North Dakota transfer Easton Kilty, Yale transfer Jonathan Mendoza, Southern Mississippi transfer Gerquan Scott, Michigan State transfer Spencer Brown and Memphis transfer Davion Carter are a few players that the OU coaching staff will likely target in the portal.

Tight end

With Austin Stogner's collegiate career coming to an end after the Sooners' bowl game and an extremely unproven tight end group behind the redshirt senior, Oklahoma will need to pick up a reliable option to help its offense run smoothly while incoming freshman Davon Mitchell gets acclimated to life in the SEC.

Aside from Stogner, Blake Smith and Kade McIntyre were the only other Sooners' tight ends to catch a pass this season. The two combined for three catches, 56 yards and one touchdown in 2023.

North Carolina transfer Kamari Morales, Florida transfer Jonathan Odom, Iowa State transfer DeShawn Hanika and Harvard transfer Tyler Neville are tight ends that OU will likely target in the portal.

Wide receiver

While the Sooners had a handful of young wideouts showcase their potential this season, the group's production took a huge hit when Andrel Anthony went down against Texas. 

With Drake Stoops and LV Bunkley-Shelton graduating and DJ Graham already in the transfer portal, Oklahoma could use some added depth to its reciever room. On Monday, 2024 wide receiver commit Dozie Ezukanma back off of his pledge to OU, making room for Emmett Jones and company to add another pass catcher in the portal.

A few names to watch are; Texas A&M transfer Raymond Cottrell, Boise State transfer Eric McAlister, Indiana transfer Donaven McCulley, Texas Tech transfer Myles Price and Purdue transfer Deion Burks.

Defensive line

In 2023, Oklahoma's defensive line was vastly improved from Venables' first year as the Sooners' head coach, in large part due to the haul of transfer portal talent OU's staff brought in last offseason. 

With Rondell Bothroyd, Jonah Laulu, Reggie Grimes, Marcus Stripling and Phillip Paea, Da'Jon Terry, Jacob Lacey, Isaiah Coe and Trace Ford likely finishing their collegiate careers this season, Oklahoma will need to replace the production and depth it lost along the defensive front.

With a few exciting young pieces already on the roster and in the Sooners' 2024 recruiting class, OU could use a few veteran d-lineman to round out what has the potential to be a solid group heading into the SEC.

Oklahoma will likely target Harvard transfer Thor Griffith, Notre Dame transfer NaNa Osafo-Mensah, Purdue transfer JP Deeter, and Pennsylvania transfer Joey Slackman in the portal.

Defensive backs

With Woodi Washington, Reggie Pearson and Key Lawrence all wrapping up their collegiate careers as well as Billy Bowman possibly declaring for the NFL Draft, the Sooners will need to add a few players to what was already a shaky defensive back group in 2023. 

In addition to the aforementioned departures, Gentry Williams struggled to stay healthy in his first season as a full-time starter.

To fill the holes left behind from this season's starters, Oklahoma will likely go after Kentucky transfer Jalen Geiger, East Carolina transfer Teagan Wilk and Utah transfer Jocelyn Malaska. 

Malaksa is originally from Bethany, OK, and is the older brother of 2026 Sooners' target Evenson Malaska.

Kicker

After a rough year for Oklahoma placekicker Zach Schmit, Sooners' fans have been clamoring for the team to find a new kicker in the transfer portal. In his OU career, Schmit is 27-of-39 on field goals and 121-of-121 on extra points.

Despite his decent numbers, Schmit's misses always seem to come in the most crucial moments. 

Purdue transfer Julio Macias, Butler transfer Luka Zurak, Midwestern State transfer Ritse Vaes, Vanderbilt transfer Jacob Lurie, East Carolina transfer Carson Smith, Western Kentucky transfer Nolan McCord, Bryant transfer Ethan Gettman and Indiana transfer Chris Freeman are all kickers who the Sooners could make a run at in the portal.

---

• Follow AllSooners on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest OU news!
• Want even more Sooners news? Check out the SI.com OU team page here!
• Listen and subscribe to the AllSooners Podcast!
• Listen and subscribe to the AllSooners Podcast!
• Watch more Sooners videos and subscribe on YouTube!
• Sign up for your premium membership to AllSooners.com today, and get access to the entire Fan Nation premium network!