Oklahoma Loses Starting CB to Transfer Portal

Jaden Davis has opened each of the last three seasons as the Sooners' starter at cornerback, but announced Monday he intends to leave.

Oklahoma is losing a projected starter to the transfer portal.

Cornerback Jaden Davis, who has started the last three season openers for the Sooners, announced on Twitter Monday that he’s entering the NCAA Transfer Portal.

🫶🏾 pic.twitter.com/Xp2JVZYFqQ

— Jaden Davis (@Jayd4_) April 17, 2023

“Thank you Sooner Nation for everything,” Davis wrote. “I’ll be entering the transfer portal as a graduate transfer with one year of eligibility remaining.”

The 5-foot-10, 180-pound Davis is a fifth-year senior from Fort Lauderdale, FL. A consensus 4-star prospect and an Under Armour All-American, Davis made one start and played in 14 games as a true freshman, then took over the starting job to open the 2019 season.

After losing the job in 2020, he won it back to open 2021, but then lost it again. Still, he regained the starting gig to begin the 2022 season and started the first nine games of the season before an injury knocked him out of the starting lineup. 

In 47 career games, Davis totaled 104 tackles during his OU career, including a career-high 35 last season. He had 11 career passes defensed, including one interception during the 2019 season.

In Year Two under Brent Venables, the Oklahoma secondary has enjoyed a bit of a logjam at several positions. At corner, senior and three-year starter Woodi Washington (5-11, 193) seems to have one spot, and Davis was widely projected to have the other.

Coaches and players say junior college transfer Kendel Dolby (5-11, 186) has had a good spring at the position and have also applauded the efforts of early enrollee freshmen Makari Vickers (6-1, 195) and Jasiah Wagoner (5-11, 171).

“Pit bull,” corners coach Jay Valai said of Wagoner. “He's a pit bull in everything he does every aspect of his life. And he doesn't flinch. Electric feet. He's not the biggest guy in the world but he's getting bigger. He's already put on eight pounds as it is. He's really quick. Really efficient.”

Also, sophomore Gentry Williams (6-0, 178), who missed time this spring following an “exerterional collapse” in pre-spring workouts, is a candidate to start.

“He's not gonna flinch,” Valai said of Williams. “He played well at Oklahoma State. He was ready for West Virginia. He's going to be ready in the fall and once again Gentry started off, came in at 164 (pounds), and he's 185. I mean, the kid's doing 250 pushups every single night. He has a high level of want-to and elite speed and focus.“

Also, 2022 Louisville transfer Kani Walker (6-2, 196) could be a solution, as could redshirt freshman Jayden Rowe (6-3, 212).

“He’s a freak athlete,” Valai said of Rowe. “And he knows, ‘Once I get down the details, I'm 6-3, 230 and I ran a 10.38 — that's pretty good.’ And once he understands the details and understands when to be fast, when to control my speed, when to get my foot placement … just understanding the details of the craft, Jayden's gonna be a great player.”

Seniors Key Lawrence (6-1, 213) and Justin Harrington (6-3, 215) have played cornerback at OU, although Lawrence is slotted to play safety and Harrington is now listed as a cheetah linebacker.

“We don't recruit corners,” Valai said. “I don't recruit safeties. I don't recruit cheetahs. I recruit football players who can play, right?”

Davis’ decision comes two days after the spring portal period opened and five days before OU’s annual Red/White Game.