All Sooners

Oklahoma-Arizona Alamo Bowl: Under the Radar

Jayden Gibson ... R Mason Thomas ... Caleb Shaffer ... P.J. Adebawore

John E. Hoover

In this story:

Jayden Gibson

Jayden Gibson, Oklahoma's occasional, sensational sophomore wide receiver, caught just 13 passes this season, or about one per game. Still, he averaged more than 28 yards per catch (373 yards total) and scored five touchdowns. Gibson reached the end zone in each of the Sooners' last three games, including a 55-yard bomb and a 27-yard TD at BYU. But those throws came from Dillon Gabriel. Gibson spent most of the past month trying to build that same rapport with Jackson Arnold. If he can break free once or twice against the Wildcats in San Antonio, he can swing the game's momentum toward the Sooners in a big way.

— John Hoover 

R Mason Thomas

R Mason Thomas’ sophomore season was derailed by injuries, stemming all the way back to an ankle injury in preseason camp. Thomas was on track to win one of the starting defensive end jobs, but struggled to get back into full game shape with the bumps and bruises sustained throughout the year. With nearly a month since OU’s last outing, Thomas had time to look as close to 100 percent as he’s been all year, and Thomas could make a big impact screaming in off the edge to apply pressure to Arizona’s talented redshirt freshman quarterback Noah Fifita.

— Ryan Chapman 

Caleb Shaffer

After transferring from Miami-Ohio to OU over the offseason, redshirt senior offensive lineman Caleb Shaffer has played sparingly for the Sooners. After McKade Mettauer left the Red River Rivalry with an injury, Bill Bedenbaugh turned to Shaffer on the team’s final drive. After helping lead Oklahoma down the field against the Longhorns, however, Shaffer didn’t get much time playing time for the remainder of the season. With Cayden Green now transferring to Missouri, Shaffer is listed on OU’s depth chart as a starter at guard. If Shaffer is able to hold up against Arizona’s defensive line and keep defenders away from Jackson Arnold, Gavin Sawchuk and the rest of the Sooners’ backfield, Oklahoma will have a good chance against Arizona.

— Randall Sweet

P.J. Adebawore

Heading into the SEC, two of Oklahoma’s three star freshmen have lofty expectations — Jackson Arnold on the offensive side and P.J. Adebawore on the defense. The edge rusher showed promise in limited reps throughout the season, but the task at hand will be much bigger next year. If Adebawore can take the next step physically, he has a real chance to become a coveted NFL Draft prospect and be a complete game changer on Oklahoma’s defense. There’s no better time for a jump start than a bowl game, and a big outing from the true freshman would boost his stock tremendously. Arizona’s starting tackle will be preparing for the draft, so Adebawore could get a few favorable matchups on the night, too.

— Ross Lovelace

Published
John E. Hoover
JOHN E. HOOVER

John is an award-winning journalist whose work spans five decades in Oklahoma, with multiple state, regional and national awards as a sportswriter at various newspapers. During his newspaper career, John covered the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Arkansas Razorbacks and much more. In 2016, John changed careers, migrating into radio and launching a YouTube channel, and has built a successful independent media company, DanCam Media. From there, John has written under the banners of Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Fan Nation and a handful of local and national magazines while hosting daily sports talk radio shows in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and statewide. John has also spoken on Capitol Hill in Oklahoma City in a successful effort to put more certified athletic trainers in Oklahoma public high schools. Among the dozens of awards he has won, John most cherishes his national "Beat Writer of the Year" from the Associated Press Sports Editors, Oklahoma's "Best Sports Column" from the Society of Professional Journalists, and Two "Excellence in Sports Medicine Reporting" Awards from the National Athletic Trainers Association. John holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from East Central University in Ada, OK. Born and raised in North Pole, Alaska, John played football and wrote for the school paper at Ada High School in Ada, OK. He enjoys books, movies and travel, and lives in Broken Arrow, OK, with his wife and two kids.

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