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A Preview of Oklahoma's Fall Training Camp

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A Preview of Oklahoma's Fall Training Camp


The best indicator for the Oklahoma Sooners’ first season in the SEC begins this week at the fall training camp. Head coach Brent Venables, who just received a contract extension this summer, is undoubtedly looking to see some major developments. This preseason, he’s starting with a patchwork offensive line and a defensive backfield rife with position battles. If nobody stands out, it could make creating the depth chart, let alone surviving the season, a real challenge.

A Preview of Oklahoma’s Fall Training Camp

Offense at Training Camp: The Offensive Line

Oklahoma’s Jackson Arnold remarked during the SEC Media Days that “Road games were a little difficult for us last year.” His comments were certainly true from an offensive perspective. The Sooners turned the ball over a total of 20 times in the 2023 season. A less-than-stellar offensive line allowed six of those turnovers in big losses on the road at Oklahoma State and Kansas. While Venables is working on a legendary recruiting class in the offseason, the focus right now is on maximizing the potential of his current talents.

The Sooners’ offensive line is currently undergoing a total overhaul as seniors cycle out and freshmen and transfers cycle in. This creates a major issue because the entire starting lineup has very little time to practice as a full unit. Until younger talent can develop, the obvious plan is to lean on transferring seniors, like Branson Hickman and Michael Tarquin.

Branson Hickman, a fresh transfer from SMU, is coming in as a veteran center. Hickman has been racking up accolades so far, so it’s doubtful that Venables will choose anyone else as his starter. How Hickman meshes with a group he’s only been practicing with for a couple of months, though, is a big question mark heading into the fall training camp.

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Other big transfers such as Geirean Hatchett and Michael Tarquin are sure to factor into this style of play. Hatchett, as a right guard, was only able to really shine at Washington during their undefeated season last year. Tarquin, on the other hand, excelled as an offensive tackle for both the Florida Gators and USC throughout his career. Cayden Green, whose dominating performances last year surprised everyone, is likely to become a starter on the offensive line as well.

Offense at Training Camp: Wide Receivers and Running Backs

Nowhere is this fight for the starting position going to be more intense than in the running and receiving rooms.

Gavin Sawchuk is the front-runner for taking over the top spot, but he still has to compete with Jovantae Barnes and Tawee Walker. Both Barnes and Sawchuk suffered from injuries that hampered their abilities throughout last season. While Walker was able to help out, barring a miracle, he’s unlikely to overcome either for the starting job. A fully recovered Barnes and Sawchuk could become a dual threat as a truly dynamic backfield. The fall training camp will undoubtedly decide who starts for the season. Much further down the depth chart are the freshmen Sam Franklin, Taylor Tatum, and Xavier Robinson, who are also competing for a shot at third-string running back.

Last year, Nic Anderson’s star began to rise. At nearly 800 yards and 10 touchdowns, he has the potential to become one of the best pass catchers in the nation. This fall, however, Anderson is competing with Deion Burks, Jalil Farooq, and Jayden Gibson. If any position battle is going to be the one to watch both at training camp and beyond, it has to be this one.

Defensive Overview: Linemen and Cornerbacks

If anyone is able to make an impact on Coach Venables and Zac Alley’s depth chart plans, it’ll happen at the Sooners’ fall practice camps.

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Damonic Williams’ time at TCU showed him to be an unmatched destructive force on the defensive line. Williams tore through the Colorado Buffaloes, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, and Kansas State in 2022. His dominance continued into the 2023 season with 33 total tackles. Williams’ starting spot on the interior defensive line, barring injury, is in no danger at the fall practice camp. Davon Terry is another safe bet for a starting job on the defensive line.

Jayden Jackson and David Stone are two of the top contenders for starting positions. Stone comes in as a Five-Star commit and the 17th-best player nationally. Currently ranked in the top ten of the nation’s defensive tackles, Jackson was also the IMG Academy’s 2023 Defensive MVP. At the Sooners’ fall training camp, they’re likely to remind everyone of exactly why they deserve those honors. They’ll have to stay healthy, though, because the drop-off behind them on the depth chart will be immense.

Another area open to position battles is unquestionably at cornerback. Gentry Williams earned his top spot during last year’s fall camp, but injuries limited his time on the field. Woodi Washington, on the other hand, was both team captain and a standout talent. However, his time at OU is coming to an end. Young guys like Jayden Row, Dez Malone, and Kendel Dolby have the opportunity to make a big impact in the fall training.

Conclusions:

This year’s fall training camp is one of the biggest make-or-break moments for the Sooners. A developmental year amid a transition to the hardest conference in college football isn’t ideal for anyone. The depth chart is nonexistent in some areas, and the battles to be number one are going to be intense this year. If Venables’ mix of veteran and rookie talents can pull it together, it all starts at the Fall training camp.

Photo courtesy: Brett Patzke-USA TODAY Sports



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NCAA Not Done with Kashie Natt, Oklahoma State After Legal Ruling

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NCAA Not Done with Kashie Natt, Oklahoma State After Legal Ruling


The NCAA is not done with Oklahoma State Guard Kashie Natt and his eligibility case, based on the organization’s statement on Tuesday.

On Monday, Natt received an ex parte ruling that kept the NCAA from enforcing its decision to cancel Natt’s waiver request to play in 2026-27. That ruling, from District Judge John Canavan, allows Natt to practice with the team, participate in all team activities and participate in any athletics-related benefits.

It also bars the NCAA from punishing Natt or Oklahoma State while the case is working its way through the court.

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By its nature, an ex parte ruling is made after only hearing one side of the case. The NCAA posted a statement disagreeing with the ruling, including an explanation for why they canceled the waiver and will continue to pursue the case in court.

The NCAA’s Statement on Kashie Natt

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NCAA logo. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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The NCAA posted the statement to social media and was signed by the organization’s chief legal officer, Scott Bearby.

“The order in the Natt case, issued without the NCAA having any opportunity to respond and by a judge not even assigned to hear the case, is demonstrably flawed and the latest instance of an environment where litigation has become a tool to avoid playing by the rules that everyone has agreed to follow.  The student-athlete at issue already benefited from the ‘Pavia waiver,’ which provided him the opportunity to play for a fifth season, and nobody, including the institution where he seeks to compete next year, has ever expressed any doubt that his collegiate career ended when the Pavia waiver expired. We will pursue all remedies to seek reversal of this decision, which contributes to the instability in college sports that only Congress can solve.”

The Pavia case, which was a suit called Pavia v. NCAA, was brought on behalf of Vanderbilt quarterback Deigo Pavia, who started his career in junior college. He received a preliminary injunction in 2025 after he challenged the NCAA’s system for junior college and NCAA eligibility, saying that his juco years counting toward his NCAA eligibility irreparably harmed his ability to leverage NIL.

The NCAA ultimately conceded and granted a blanket waiver that extended an extra year of eligibility to similar athletes. The NCAA believes that bucket includes Natt. He started his career five schools year ago at Southern University-Shreveport, a junior college. He followed that with three years at NAIA LSU-Alexandria and then one more year at Sam Houston.

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Natt’s attorney, Darren Heitner, contends that Natt’s NCAA clock should have started when he began his career at LSU-Alexandria and therefore has one more year to play.

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The case is still pending. A new court date has not been set yet.  

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Oklahoma City police release drone footage of deadly officer-involved shooting

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Oklahoma City police release drone footage of deadly officer-involved shooting


Authorities are releasing more information about a deadly officer-involved shooting that claimed the life of an Oklahoma City woman.

In the afternoon of May 20, officers with the Oklahoma City Police Department responded to a call about an assault with a deadly weapon at an apartment near S.W. 59th and Douglas Ave.

When officers arrived, they spoke with a man who said that a woman inside one of the apartments had fired shots at him through the front door.

Investigators tried to contact the woman, who was identified as Brenda Deer, but they were unsuccessful.

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Capt. Valerie Littlejohn, with the Oklahoma City Police Department, said officers decided to not escalate the situation. Instead, they planned to pursue charges.

Later that evening, residents called police about shots being fired from the same apartment.

When officers arrived, they tried to speak with Deer but she refused to come out of the apartment.

Authorities evacuated nearby apartments and attempted to negotiate with Deer for several hours.

After Deer continued to fire the weapon, Oklahoma City police used tear gas in an attempt to flush her out of the apartment.

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However, she continued to fire toward officers and was shot.

Deer was pronounced dead at the scene.

The officer who fired the fatal shot has been placed on administrative leave.

Earlier this week, Oklahoma City police released drone footage of the shooting.

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As World Cup inspires young players, Oklahoma City bets big on soccer’s future

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As World Cup inspires young players, Oklahoma City bets big on soccer’s future


As millions of fans tune in to the FIFA World Cup, Oklahoma City leaders and youth soccer supporters hope the excitement has a lasting impact much closer to home.

A major expansion of a north Oklahoma City soccer complex is designed to meet growing demand for the sport while positioning the city to host regional and national tournaments that supporters say could bring millions of dollars in economic activity and new opportunities for young athletes.

The project is the result of a public-private partnership between the City of Oklahoma City and North Oklahoma City Soccer Club (NOKC Soccer). The city funded the first two phases through the 2017 General Obligation Bond and MAPS 4, while the club is paying for the final phase of the expansion.

City of OKC and NOKC Soccer Club join efforts to expand Cameron Park soccer facility. (KOKH)

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Supporters say the project comes at a time when soccer continues to gain popularity, especially during World Cup years.

“Our numbers go up. People want to play soccer. It just inspires everyone to be a part of this amazing game,” said Gabi Noble, president of NOKC Soccer Club.

Once complete, the expanded complex will feature 20 fields. This is an important benchmark for attracting many of the nation’s largest youth soccer tournaments.

“A lot of the major events have field minimum standards, and so we needed to have 20 fields to meet those standards so we could host the events,” Noble said.

According to Noble, hosting those tournaments could have an impact well beyond the soccer community.

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She said similar four-day tournaments in other cities have generated between $7 million and $8 million in local economic activity through hotels, restaurants and other spending.

For Oklahoma families, supporters say the biggest benefit could be keeping elite competition closer to home.

Instead of traveling to places like the Dallas area or Overland Park, Kansas, parents could see college coaches and top competition come to Oklahoma City.

“It saves them money because they don’t have to travel all around the nation to get exposure to college coaches,” Noble said. “We wanted to give them a place to stop right here in the middle of our country and show them Oklahoma City and what all it has to offer.”

Stephen Phillips, executive advisor for Oklahoma Energy Football Club and technical director for NOKC Soccer Club, said the city is already seeing the need for additional fields.

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“We don’t actually have enough fields to field any extra teams,” Phillips said. “We’re maxed out at this moment in time because of the field situation.”

He said Oklahoma City’s central location could eventually make the city a regional soccer hub, similar to how Oklahoma City has become synonymous with the Women’s College World Series.

“I would think it would kind of mirror that,” Phillips said. “People fly in or drive in here to play games. Instead of us having to go east coast or west coast, a central location is what people want to see.”

Supporters also hope the investment changes how the rest of the country views soccer in Oklahoma.

Construction continues at Cameron Park. (Courtesy: NOKC Soccer Club)

Construction continues at Cameron Park. (Courtesy: NOKC Soccer Club)

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“I hope that they see Oklahoma as a serious contender in the national market,” Phillips said, noting several Oklahoma teams are already competing at high-level national tournaments.

Ultimately, both Phillips and Noble say the project’s greatest success won’t be measured by tournaments or tourism, but by the young athletes who grow up playing on the new fields.

When asked whether a future World Cup player could come from Oklahoma, Noble didn’t hesitate.

“Absolutely. They can and they will.”

Phillips shares that vision.

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“I think a lot of our best athletes will play soccer coming out with this project. That’s what my hope and dream is anyway.”

The Director of OKC Parks, Melinda McMillan-Miller, told Fox 25 in a statement:

“Oklahoma City Parks and Recreation is excited for the amazing enhancements and expansion to Cameron Park. The park will provide an elevated soccer experience for our community and will inspire future soccer players to pursue excellence both on and off the field.”



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