Top 5 transfers Oklahoma Sooners will face in 2023
The transfer portal giveth and the transfer portal taketh. This statement has been true for everyone across the country even the University of Oklahoma.
The Sooners added Rondell Bothriyd and Dasan McCullough, but just a year ago lost Caleb Williams and Mario Williams. The portal has been good to Oklahoma, but it has been good to Oklahoma’s opponents as well.
The transfer portal has provided programs the opportunity to retool on the fly in the face of losses from the previous season.
SoonerScoop (subscription required) released an article on Saturday discussing the best transfer addition for OU opponents for the 2023 season.
This got me thinking, who are the five best transfer additions the Sooners will face this season.
This is one where I agree with Scoop. I watched now Texas safety Jalen Catalon play quite a bit for the Arkansas Razorbacks, and, man, was he impressive.
Now he’s dealt with injuries, only playing in seven games the past two seasons. He was one of the best transfer defenders in the portal, ranking as the fourth-best safety, and was a guy I thought would be a good fit at OU.
Back in 2020, Catalon had 99 total tackles, two tackles for loss and three interceptions for the Razorbacks. That was the last time he played a full season. The Texas Longhorns obtained a playmaking safety if he can stay healthy.
This one is a little bit of a wild card because he doesn’t have much production.
However, Texas wide receiver Adonai Michell, who transferred from Georgia, has vast untapped potential.
You look at his numbers, and they don’t blow you away. In two seasons, he caught 38 passes for 560 yards and seven touchdowns. But he was ranked as the top transfer wide receiver and one of the top three players in the portal.
We’ll see if Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns can get him to reach his potential to be that perfect complimentary piece to Xavier Worthy.
Another one I agree with is TCU running back Trey Sanders.
Sanders was a high-level recruit coming out of high school in 2020 as a five-star recruit who chose Alabama. He found some success in his sophomore season, rushing for 314 yards on 72 carries, but he didn’t see much action last year.
He has found a home at TCU, which is coming off a great year running the football with Kendre Miller. We’ll see if Sanders can reach his full potential in his new locale.
I know what you are thinking, “Jaron, do you really have someone from Kansas on your list?” My answer is, “Absolutely.”
Dylan McDuffie transferred from the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets but previously played for the Buffalo Bulls. He reunites with Lance Leipold in Lawrence.
Last year didn’t go as planned for McDuffie. He appeared in eight games and only ran for 45 yards. In his last season in Buffalo, he ran for over 1,000 yards and had 14 touchdowns.
He’s coming into a solid running back room, so he’ll have to fight for carries, but he definitely has the talent to do so.
My final one is someone I really wanted the Sooners to get. That is a wide receiver for the SMU Mustangs, who recently transferred from TCU.
He spent one year in Fort Worth, Texas, before deciding to transfer and didn’t have a ton of production either.
247Sports national scouting analyst Gabe Brooks broke down Hudson’s ability when he was coming out of high school by saying:
Lean, athletic build with space for more mass. Looks to have above-average height and length, though size has not been verified. Gets good extension to maximize catch radius. Monster production as a sophomore against Texas 6A competition in DFW Metroplex. Shows spatial awareness and is cognizant of where he relates to defenders and the sideline. Good run-after-catch player with impressive short-area suddenness. Strings together moves in the open field. Effective chain-mover in the short-to-intermediate passing game. Encouraging ability to leverage DBs into breaks on shorter routes. Tough cover on drags, slants, etc. Competitive on contested throws and shows above-average red-zone efficacy. Shows good concentration and ball-tracking ability on deeper throws. Can improve get-off quickness and consistency. Often not physically challenged at release. Needs to add mass and strength. Athleticism lacks verifiable context in testing and/or track environment. Plays fast enough but can get faster at top end. Among top receivers in Texas for his class. Potential to become multi-year impact starter at the high-major level with possibility to play beyond college. – Gabe Brooks, 247Sports
That’s why he could be special, and someone that gives OU fits come week two.
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