Oklahoma
Buffalo Bills targeting Oklahoma assistant for defensive coaching job
The Buffalo Bills are targeting Oklahoma defensive backs coach and co-defensive coordinator Jay Valai for their defensive backs coaching job, according to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz.
But Oklahoma coach Brent Venables and the Sooners are making every effort to keep Valai in Norman, according to On3 Sports’ George Stoia III.
Valai played college football at Wisconsin, the same school where new Bills defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard played. Both were defensive backs for the Badgers who were named All-Big Ten selections, though Valai is about five years younger.
The Bills’ pursuit is not the first for Valai this offseason. Notre Dame is also reportedly interested.
Valai has served on coach Venables’ staff with the Sooners for all four of the coach’s seasons, earning more responsibilities each year. OU finished sixth in FBS in total defense, allowing just 275.5 yards per game, and finished seventh in scoring defense, giving up 15.5 points per game.
Valai began his coaching career as a quality control coach at Georgia at 2016 before moving to the NFL with Kansas City Chiefs and taking the same total. After that, Valai worked for Rutgers, Texas and Alabama before joining Venables in Norman.
The Bills have completely overhauled their coaching staff despite making the playoffs for seven straight seasons. Coach Sean McDermott was fired and replaced by offensive coordinator Joe Brady. Brady then hired Leonhard as defensive coordinator and Pete Carmichael Jr. as offensive coordinator.
Gerald McCoy hasn’t played at Oklahoma in nearly two decades, but he’s doing his part in helping the Sooners stay atop the college football world.
McCoy, a two-time All-American defensive lineman at OU who later played 10 seasons in the NFL, posted an encouraging message to Class of 2027 4-star defensive back prospect Gabriel Osborne Jr. on X (formerly Twitter).
“A little birdie told me that the next possible Sooner great is right at home in Oklahoma,” McCoy said in his post. “You want historic and legacy? You want a chance to compete for championships? You want a chance to play at the next level at a high level? You know what to do youngin’.”
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Osborne is graded as a 4-star recruit by all major recruiting services. 247Sports ranks him as the No. 25 overall player and the No. 2 player from Oklahoma in the 2027 class.
During his junior season at Mustang High School, Osborne registered 65 tackles, three tackles for loss, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble.
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Parker Thune of Rivals reported last week that Osborne had narrowed his list of schools down to five: OU, Alabama, Miami, Michigan and Ohio State.
Now, he is being persuaded by one of the most dominant defensive Sooners in recent memory. McCoy was a two-time First Team All-Big 12 pick and later made six Pro Bowl appearances while playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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Time will tell if McCoy’s recruiting pitch leads Osborne to Norman. But a message from a Sooner legend certainly can’t hurt.
Sooners offer another 2028 QB
Oklahoma has now offered several quarterbacks from the Class of 2028, as Trey Wright announced an offer from the Sooners on Saturday.
A native of Frisco, TX, Wright stands 5-11 and weighs 180 pounds. He is a consensus 3-star recruit.
As a sophomore at Lone Star High School, Wright completed 67.4 percent of his passes for 4,042 yards, 38 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also rushed for 1,764 yards and 16 touchdowns on 163 carries during his breakout campaign.
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Wright is the fifth signal caller from the 2028 class to pick up an OU offer, joining Trey Tagliaferri, Graham Simpson, Brady Quinn and Gavin Strang.
Other schools that have offered Wright include Missouri, Oklahoma State, Kansas State, Kansas and Baylor.
OU predicted to land highly touted athlete
Bode Sparrow has long been on the Sooners’ radar, and it seems like OU is gaining momentum in his recruitment.
Rivals’ Adam Gorney logged an expert prediction on Saturday for Sparrow, who plays both safety and wide receiver, to commit to Oklahoma.
Hailing from Kaysville, UT, Sparrow is ranked as a 4-star prospect by all major recruiting networks. He is the No. 69 overall recruit in 247Sports’ composite rankings for the 2027 class.
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Sparrow caught 83 passes for 1,218 yards and 16 touchdowns during his junior year at Davis (UT) High School. He also logged 71 tackles, seven interceptions, 6.5 tackles for loss, three pass breakups and two pick-sixes at safety.
Sparrow has an official visit scheduled to Oklahoma next weekend, and he also has visits to Oregon, Utah and BYU on his calendar.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/oklahoma as Sooner Legend Tries to Sway Blue-Chip In-State Prospect to Oklahoma.
The Oklahoma Sooners’ season came to an end in surprising fashion in their 6-0 loss to the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Oklahoma was shut out for the first time in 399 games and will miss the Women’s College World Series for the first time since 2015.
This was a good Oklahoma team. There were certainly signs throughout the season that this may not be their year. The pitching was up and down, but mostly up as the Sooners won 50 games and the SEC regular season title. Still, on Friday, Oklahoma couldn’t get enough outs to keep Mississippi State from completing an incredible comeback to earn the game one win.
The offense was also one of the best in college softball, averaging more than 10 runs per game. But without the long ball, Oklahoma’s lineup could be stifled. It was on Sunday, to the tune of three hits and three walks against Bulldogs starter Delainey Everett, who made her first start of the season in the decisive game.
Barring an unforeseen departure, the Sooners will bring back a lot of talent for 2027 and will certainly look to add to the roster through the transfer portal.
The 2026 season came to an end on Sunday and here’s how social media reacted to the historic upset.
Unreal Run
Just a rough performance at the plate
Oklahoma didn’t have the same fight
There were signs
Learning opportunity
It was a weird series
An unreal decade
Pitching a problem?
Credit where it’s due
Gonna Bounce Back
Streaks Broken
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X (formerly known as Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.
Softball
May 24, 2026
Mississippi State ends Oklahoma’s 9-year WCWS streak | Full highlights
May 24, 2026
Watch game 3 highlights from Mississippi State vs. Oklahoma in the super regionals. The Bulldogs became the first team to defeat Oklahoma to reach their first-ever Women’s College World Series, ending Oklahoma’s 9-year WCWS streak.
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