With spring football nearing its end for Oklahoma, Brent Venables and his team have identified areas where the Sooners’ roster requires improvement for the 2024 season.
Due to injuries and a revamped offensive line, along with a veteran defensive lineman retiring due to medical reasons, OU needs to bolster its depth on both sides of the line of scrimmage.
As the spring transfer portal window opens, Oklahoma now has the opportunity to pursue experienced players for the trenches who could immediately contribute next season in Norman, whether as depth options or immediate starters.
Here are six players who have entered the transfer portal that the Sooners could consider targeting to address some of the remaining gaps in the team’s depth chart.
Branson Hickman
Branson Hickman, a seasoned center from SMU, has already been in touch with OU’s coaching staff and is expected to visit campus for the team’s spring game on Saturday.
During his last three seasons with the Mustangs, the McKinney, TX native started 33 games, including one against Oklahoma in Week 2 last year. Standing at 6-foot-3 and 294 pounds, Hickman received a solid 79.8 offensive grade from Pro Football Focus for his performance in 2023.
Having played over 950 snaps in each of the past two seasons, Hickman brings the kind of experience OU needs at the center position. With veteran Andrew Raym declaring for the 2024 NFL Draft, the Sooners now rely on Troy Everett and Josh Bates as they transition into the SEC.
Unfortunately, Everett suffered a leg injury that will keep him out for the rest of Oklahoma’s spring practices, leaving Bates as the only scholarship center available on the roster.
In last week’s practice, redshirt freshman walk-on Ty Kubicek took reps as the second-team center while Bates worked with the first team.
If OU manages to recruit Hickman, he would offer veteran experience and increase competition for the Sooners’ center rotation.
Kolinu’u Faaiu
Former Utah center Kolinu’u Faaiu has also entered the transfer portal, presenting another potential target for Bedenbaugh and the coaching staff.
Standing at 6-foot-3 and 324 pounds, Faaiu offers more size compared to Hickman, which could be advantageous as Oklahoma moves into the SEC. Although the Edmonds, WA native doesn’t have as much starting experience as Hickman, he did start eight games at center for the Utes this season.
In his 526 offensive snaps, the rising-redshirt junior received a 63.4 offensive grade from PFF. While Faaiu lacks the same level of production and experience as Hickman, he would still bring a substantial body and a handful of starts at the Power 5 level to a center group that currently lacks both of these qualities.
According to a report from Pete Thamel, Faaiu is also planning to visit Norman.
Cade McConnell
Cade McConnell, originally from Choctaw, OK, entered the transfer portal on Tuesday morning after spending two years at Minnesota.
Despite not seeing game time during his tenure with the Gophers, the 6-foot-5, 310-pound lineman was a 3-star recruit in the 2022 class, offering decent size and additional depth on the interior for the Sooners.
McConnell comes from a football-oriented family; his father, Aaron McConnell, played high school football at Midwest City (OK) before attending Oklahoma State and later Pittsburg State in Kansas. According to Minnesota’s website, McConnell’s uncle, Donny McConnell, also played football at Oklahoma.
Jay Toia
After completing three seasons at UCLA, experienced interior defensive lineman Jay Toia has entered the transfer portal.
During his time with the Bruins, Toia started in 24 games, accumulating 28 tackles, four tackles for loss, one sack, and one pass deflection in 2023. The native of Inglewood, CA, played 393 defensive snaps and received a 56.4 defensive grade from PFF last season.
Standing at 6-foot-3 and 325 pounds, Toia was a former 4-star recruit, ranked as the No. 176 overall prospect in the 2021 class according to 247Sports.
Toia’s combination of size and experience would be a significant addition for OU along the defensive front, particularly as the team’s only veteran with starting experience in that position is Da’Jon Terry. Jacob Lacey was expected to play a crucial role for Todd Bates’ group in the upcoming season but was forced to medically retire over the offseason.
Jermayne Lole
Jermayne Lole, entering his seventh season of college football in 2024, will also be present for Oklahoma’s spring game on Saturday.
Standing at 6-foot-3 and 310 pounds, the Long Beach, CA native spent the first four years of his career at Arizona State before playing at Louisville for the past two seasons. During his sophomore year with the Sun Devils in 2019, Lole recorded impressive stats with 10 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, and two pass deflections.
After missing the entire 2021 season and most of 2022 due to injury, Lole returned to play 411 defensive snaps in 2023, earning a respectable 69.1 grade from PFF last year.
Similar to Blidi, Lole would bring significant size and extensive experience to a room that currently has only one player listed above 300 pounds. As the Sooners prepare for the SEC, acquiring mature defensive linemen with the size to withstand talented offensive linemen would be crucial for Bates’ group.
Damonic Williams
Another player with experience facing the Sooners, former TCU defensive tackle Damonic Williams, entered the transfer portal on Wednesday.
Starting 27 games in his first two years of college football, Williams will be a junior in 2024 and already boasts considerable experience at the Power 5 level. In his sophomore year in 2023, he accumulated 33 tackles, five tackles for loss, and three sacks, earning All-Big 12 Honorable Mention recognition. This came just a year after starting all 15 games for a team that reached the CFP National Championship game.
During the last season, Williams played 477 snaps and received a 69.4 defensive grade from PFF. Standing at 6-foot-2 and 320 pounds, the Torrance, CA native could likely make an immediate impact on Zac Alley’s defense if Bates and the coaching staff manage to bring him to Norman.
According to a report from Hayes Fawcett of On3, Williams will also be visiting campus for the Sooners’ spring game this weekend.
