Six Potential Targets for Oklahoma in the Spring Transfer Portal Window

With the spring transfer portal window now open, the Sooners will have a chance to add depth to a few different spots on their roster.

With spring football nearly finished for Oklahoma, Brent Venables and company have seen where the Sooners' roster needs improvement heading into the 2024 season.

Due to injuries, a completely reworked offensive line and a veteran defensive lineman being forced to medically retire, OU will need to add immediate depth along both side of the line of scrimmage.

Now that the spring transfer portal window has officially opened, Oklahoma will have the ability to pursue plenty of veteran trench players who could potentially make an impact next season in Norman, either as depth pieces or day one starters.

Here are six players who have entered the transfer portal that the Sooners could target to fill a few of the remaining holes on the team's depth chart.

Branson Hickman

Veteran SMU center Branson Hickman has already been in contact with OU's coaching staff, and is set to be on campus for the team's spring game on Saturday.

Over his final three seasons with the Mustangs, the McKinney, TX, product started 33 games, including one against Oklahoma in Week 2 last year. Listed at 6-foot-3 and 294 pounds, Hickman earned a 79.8 offensive grade from Pro Football Focus for his efforts in 2023.

Playing more than 950 snaps each of the past two seasons, Hickman has the experience OU is lacking at the center position. With veteran Andrew Raym enting his name in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Sooners are now relying on Troy Everett and Josh Bates as the team heads into the SEC.

To make matters worse for Bill Bedenbaugh's group, Everett suffered a leg injury that will sideline him for the remainder of Oklahoma's spring practices, leaving Bates as the lone scholarship center available on the roster.

In practice last week, redshirt freshman walk-on Ty Kubicek took reps as the second-team center while Bates worked with the first team.

If OU is able to add Hickman, he would provide veteran experience and create more competition for the Sooners' center rotation.

Kolinu’u Faaiu

Former Utah center Kolinu’u Faaiu has also entered his name in the transfer portal and is another player that Bedenbaugh and company could pursue.

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 324 pounds, Faaiu offers more size than Hickman, which could be valuable as Oklahoma transitions into the SEC. While the Edmonds, WA, product doesn't have as much starting experience as Hickman, Faaiu did make eight starts at center for the Utes this season.

In his 526 offensive snaps, the rising-redshirt junior earned a 63.4 offensive grade from PFF. Even though Faaiu doesn't have the same track record of production and experience that Hickman has notched during his college career, the former Utah lineman would still add a big body with a handful of starts under his belt at the Power 5 level to a center group that is lacking both of the aforementioned qualities.

According to a report from Pete Thamel, Faaiu is also planning to visit Norman.

Cade McConnell

Hailing from Choctaw, OK, former Minnesota center Cade McConnell entered the transfer portal on Tuesday morning.

While the 6-foot-5, 310-pound lineman didn't appear in a game during his two years with the Gophers, McConnell was a 3-star recruit in the 2022 class who would add decent size and more depth on the interior for the Sooners.

McConnell's father, Aaron McConnell, played his high school football at Midwest City (OK) before starting his college career at Oklahoma State and finishing at Pittsburg State in Kansas. According to Minnesota's website, McConnell's uncle, Donny McConnell, played football at Oklahoma.

Jay Toia

After spending three seasons at UCLA, veteran interior defensive lineman Jay Toia has entered the transfer portal.

In his time with the Bruins, Toia made 24 starts, tallying 28 tackles, four tackles for loss, one sack and one pass deflection in 2023. The Inglewood, CA, product played 393 snaps on defense and earned a 56.4 defensive grade from PFF last season.

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 325 pounds, Toia is a former 4-star recruit, rated the No. 176 overall prospect in the 2021 class, according to 247Sports.

Toia's size and experience would make him a big addition for OU along the defensive front, as the team's only veteran with starting experience in that spot is Da'Jon Terry. Jacob Lacey was set to play a big role for Todd Bates' group in the upcoming season, but was forced to medically retire over the offseason.

Jermayne Lole

Entering his seventh season of college football in 2024, Jermayne Lole will also be in attendance for Oklahoma's spring game on Saturday.

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 310 pounds, the Long Beach, CA, product spent the first four years of his career at Arizona State before playing at Louisville the previous two seasons. As a sophomore with the Sun Devils in 2019, Lole recorded 10 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks and two pass deflections.

After missing all of the 2021 season and almost all of 2022, Lole played 411 defensive snaps in 2023, earning a 69.1 grade from PFF last year.

Like Blidi, Lole would add good size and plenty of experience to a room that only has one player listed above 300 pounds. Heading into the SEC, getting mature d-lineman who have the size to hold up against talented offensive lineman would be huge for Bates group.

Damonic Williams

Another player who has experience playing against the Sooners, former TCU defensive tackle Damonic Williams entered the transfer portal on Wednesday.

Starting 27 games in his first two years playing college football, Williams will be a junior in 2024 and already has plenty of experience at the Power 5 level. Tallying 33 tackles, five tackles for loss and three sacks as a sophomore in 2023, Williams was named All-Big 12 Honorable Mention just one year after starting all 15 games for a team that played in the CFP National Championship game.

Last season, Williams played 477 snaps, earning a 69.4 defensive grade from PFF. Listed at 6-foot-2 and 320 pounds, the Torrance, CA, product would likely be able to make an instant impact on Zac Alley's defense if Bates and company are able to get Williams' to Norman.

According to a report from Hayes Fawcett of On3, Williams will also be on campus for the Sooners' spring game this weekend.