All Sooners

Oklahoma Players Land Free Agent Deals

Kennedy Brooks, Jeremiah Hall, Tyrese Robinson and LaRon Stokes didn't get drafted but all reportedly signed rookie free agent contracts.

John E. Hoover

Seven Oklahoma Sooners heard their name called Friday and Saturday during the final six rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Four more got their professional football careers started Saturday night as undrafted free agents.

Running back Kennedy Brooks, fullback Jeremiah Hall, offensive lineman Tyrese Robinson and defensive tackle LaRon Stokes all reportedly signed free agent deals. All four had another year of eligibility remaining when they left OU.

Robinson, a fifth-year senior from McKinney, TX, signed with the Washington Commanders. The 6-foot-3, 324-pound Robinson became a three-year starter for the Sooners up front – two at right guard and 2021 at right tackle.

In Washington, Stevenson will play with former Sooners punter Tress Way.

Stokes, a fifth-year senior from Tulsa who played one year at Northeastern A&M College, signed with the Arizona Cardinals, where he’ll play with former Sooners Kyler Murray and Marquise Brown. 

In 2019, the 6-4, 275-pound Stokes was the Big 12 Conference Defensive Newcomer of the Year and finished his career with 35 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 quarterback sacks.

Brooks, a fourth-year junior from Mansfield, TX, signed with the Philadelphia Eagles, where he’ll be reunited with former Sooners Jalen Hurts (a 2020 draft pick) and Grant Calcaterra (who transferred from OU to Auburn to SMU and was picked Saturday in the sixth round.

At OU, Brooks became just the fourth player in school history (joining De’Mond Parker, Adrian Peterson and Samaje Perine) to rush for 1,000 yards in three different seasons. After redshirting in 2017, Brooks rushed for 1,056 yards and 12 touchdowns while ranking third in the nation at 8.9 yards per carry in 2018. In 2019, Brooks ran for 1,011 yards and six TDs. After opting out of 2020, he returned in 2021 to rush for 1,253 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also caught 29 passes in his career.

Hall, a fifth-year senior from Charlotte, NC, signed with the New York Giants, where he’ll play with former Sooner Sterling Shepard.

Playing both tight end and fullback, the 6-2, 248-pound Hall carried the football just 13 times for 53 yards but caught 68 passes for 757 yards and scored 12 touchdowns. He was voted second-team All-Big 12 in 2019 and made first-team in 2020 and 2021.

Only one Sooner who declared for the draft this year – kicker Gabe Brkic – hadn’t been drafted or signed a free agent deal as of Saturday night. Brkic, a redshirt junior from Chardon, OH, who became a Groza Award finalist in 2021, can still negotiate with teams as an undrafted free agent or land a training camp tryout.

During his three seasons as the starter, Brkic made 57-of-69 (82 percent) of his field goals and 159-of-160 (99 percent) of his extra points.

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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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