Oklahoma Shaping Up to be Players in the Next Wave of Transfer Portal Activity

NORMAN — Oklahoma is poised to attack the transfer portal this summer.

As spring football concluded across the country last weekend, players now have until May 1 to enter their names into the transfer portal and be eligible to play this fall.

Though Brent Venables and his coaching staff stepped in to prevent a mass exodus of players last winter, there’s still reason for the Sooners to be players in the spring portal rush.

OU got its guy at starting quarterback in Dillon Gabriel out of the transfer portal, but Jeff Lebby may have to return to shore up the backup spot.

True freshman Nick Evers enrolled early as a highly touted prospect, but throwing him into the fire this fall if Gabriel has to miss time for any reason could be premature.

Outside of Evers, Oklahoma has Ralph Rucker, Micah Bowens and Ben Harris in the quarterback room, though none of those guys have any experience playing college football.

“We’re still developing behind (Gabriel),” Venables said after Saturday’s spring game. “We don't have quote-unquote answers right now. The portal is a definite option for us. So if we go that route, we want someone who's the right fit. The right age. There's just a lot that goes into that, I don't need into all those weeds.

“But that is a definite concern for us, no question about it.”

On top of finding a backup quarterback, the Sooners could also dip into the portal to land a wide receiver.

Behind Marvin Mims, Theo Wease, Drake Stoops and Jalil Farooq, the position already looked thin on experience. Then, redshirt freshman Cody Jackson reportedly opted to enter the transfer portal himself on Monday afternoon.

Oklahoma lost contributors from a year ago in Mike Woods, who entered the NFL Draft, and Jadon Haselwood and Mario Williams, who both entered the transfer portal at the end of last season.

Defensively, Venables also highlighted a lack of depth in the secondary.

Wyoming transfer C.J. Coldon and true freshmen defensive backs in Gentry Williams and Jayden Rowe will also link up with the team this summer.

But if there is any other attrition on the back end from players currently on campus, the Sooners may need to plug another whole with another arrival through the portal.

The arrivals out of the portal won’t be sorted for weeks. Players don’t have to have their destinations determined by the May 1 deadline, they just have to have their paperwork filed to officially have entered the portal by May 1.

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