Oklahoma
How Oklahoma OL Eddy Pierre-Louis Has Impressed Teammates, Coaches in Training Camp
NORMAN — On Wednesday, Oklahoma held its first traing camp practice ahead of the 2024 season.
A few areas of the Sooners’ roster are still looking to settle position battles heading into OU’s first year competing in the SEC, and players will be looking to perform well in hopes of securing their spot on the depth chart.
One of the position groups with the most uncertainty after a complete overhaul this offseason is Bill Bedenbaugh’s offensive line unit.
After Cayden Green transferred to Missouri, Tyler Guyton, Walter Rouse and Andrew Raym left for the NFL and McKade Mettauer played out the last of his eligibility, Oklahoma’s offensive front will look completely different in 2024.
With multiple spots along the o-line seemingly up for grabs early in training camp, one young trench player has stood out to his teammates so far.
“I think Eddy (Pierre-Louis). Eddy’s caught my eye,” veteran center Branson Hickman said on Thursday. “He’s just a freak athlete. He has all the tools. Just got to get some things going, but obviously he just got here. It’s been two days. Really athletic, he’s a really good kid and he works really hard. So I’m excited for him for sure.”
Hailing from Tampa Catholic (FL), Pierre-Louis was a 4-star prospect coming out of high school, rated the No. 33 overall recruit and and No. 1 interior offensive lineman in the country, according to Rivals.
With great size and remarkable speed for someone of his stature, Pierre-Louis’ athleticism gives him the potential to develop into one of OU’s best offensive lineman under Bedenbaugh.
Pierre-Louis was clocked at 12.97 in the 100-meter dash in high school, and is already listed at 6-foot-3 and 305 pounds despite arriving in Norman this summer.
Oklahoma Freshman OL Eddy Pierre-Louis better have the Highest Speed Rating at the OL position in EA CFB 25…
Was running a 12.97 100M at 315 Pounds in High School 🤯https://t.co/3AuR1jAiDB pic.twitter.com/os3z1wN4UQ
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) July 14, 2024
While it will be difficult for a true freshman to earn a starting spot along an SEC offensive line, the talented interior player could see more time on the field as the season progresses, especially if Pierre-Louis continues to improve and the Sooners’ other options at guard underperform.
In 2023, Green wasn’t a starter in Week 1, but worked his way into the starting group and never relinquished his spot.
Hickman isn’t the only person who has been impressed by Pierre-Louis early in training camp, as head coach Brent Venables shared his praise for the newcomer on Saturday morning.
“Just humble, his work ethic, his pride in being prepared everyday. You can coach him hard, he’s really tough and demanding on himself without crushing his own spirit,” Venables said.
“He’s just ready to learn every day. He loves his teammates. He was a highly-recruited guy, he’s got tremendous respect for the game and the learning process and a great self-awareness of where his weaknesses are and things he needs to do to improve. Has a great sense of self-awareness of where his weaknesses are and where he needs to improve. That helps the progress happen sooner (rather) than later.”
With North Texas transfer Febechi Nwaiwu likely secure in his spot as a starter at one of the guard positions, Pierre-Louis will have to battle Heath Ozaeta, Geirean Hatchett and others to earn time on the field in 2024.
Even if Pierre-Louis doesn’t get many snaps this season, however, it appears that the highly touted freshman has a bright future in Norman.
Oklahoma
Woman hospitalized after house fire in northeast Oklahoma City
OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — Authorities say one woman was taken to the hospital following an early morning house fire in northeast Oklahoma City.
Around 5 a.m. on Wednesday, Oklahoma City firefighters were called to a house fire near N.E. 13th St. and Missouri.
When crews arrived, they found the victim on the front porch of the home.
“When they got off the rig and initiated offensive fire attack, found one victim on the front porch. Appeared she was maybe suffering from smoke inhalation. The fire was relatively small. It was contained to one bedroom in the back. The patient was transported, was treated here, and then transported to OU,” said Batt. Chief Brad Smith, with the Oklahoma City Fire Department.
Officials said the fire originated in the back of the house, in a back bedroom near the closet.
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However, the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Oklahoma
Bode Sparrow commits Friday: why BYU is Oklahoma’s biggest threat for the Davis star
Kaysville (Utah) Davis athlete Bode Sparrow cut his list to four back in May and has now locked in his commitment date.
Sparrow is a tremendous player on both sides of the ball and checks in as the No. 77 player nationally in the Rivals Industry Ranking, an equally weighted average that utilizes all three major recruiting services.
He will make his long awaited college choice this Friday, May 25 from a final four of BYU, Oklahoma, Oregon and Utah.
In handicapping this race, two schools jump out for us. The first is Oklahoma. I put a commit prediction in for the Sooners back in March and there was some buzz that he could commit around that time.
Sparrow decided to hold off making an early decision in order to take his official visits. Oklahoma was the first visit locked in and for awhile, the only visit that was set, giving even more credence to the Sooners being the team to beat.
“They really believe in me and have a vision for me there,” Sparrow told us after his official visit. “They show me so much love and I have such great relationships with the coaches there.
“I also really like the town of Norman and the plan in place for me from a safety/scheme standpoint. They really have everything I’m looking for in a school. Brent Venables is great, a defensive minded head coach and I just love the all around fit.”
Sparrow followed up his visit to OU with trips to Oregon, Utah and BYU. The Ducks made a big impression and should be considered a dark horse. They are easily one of the toughest schools to recruit against and it would surprise no one if Sparrow ends in Eugene.
Saying that, the school that is gaining a lot of momentum and looks to be Oklahoma’s biggest challenger is BYU. For months we talked to some close to Sparrow, college coaches and trainers who all said the same thing, ‘don’t rule out BYU in the end.’
No one has recruited Sparrow longer than the Cougs. He has been on campus more than any other school, he’s strong in his LDS faith and he has a great connection with the BYU staff including head coach Kalani Sitake.
BYU was able to get the final visit over the weekend and there is some quiet confidence in Provo as well as from a few other recruits/commits who were also on the visit. With the church connection, we’ve long said in a head to head battle, BYU is very tough to beat, especially for an in-state player.
Saying that, there are still Sooner commits we’ve talked to convinced Sparrow is still headed to Norman. That’s why this recruitment has become one of the more fascinating ones to follow this cycle, it’s one of those rare instances where days away from a decision, it could still go in multiple directions.
For now, my commit prediction remains on Oklahoma but BYU is closing fast and this one close to a toss up with a decision quickly approaching.
Oklahoma
OHP remembers K-9 for protecting countless lives during career
OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — Officials with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol are remembering a dedicated K-9 officer who passed away earlier this month.
K-9 Dak was born in 2014 and began serving with the OHP in 2015.
Throughout his distinguished career, officials say Dak’s exceptional instincts made a significant impact on public safety across the state.
During his career, Dak was instrumental in the seizure of over 2,000 pounds of marijuana, 46 pounds of cocaine, 151 pounds of methamphetamine, and 99 pounds of fentanyl.
“These remarkable accomplishments represent countless lives protected and communities made safer through Dak’s service,” OHP wrote.
Dak worked his final shift on June 3 before peacefully passing away from natural causes on June 7.
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“More than his statistics and accomplishments, Dak was a loyal partner, trusted teammate, and beloved member of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. His legacy will live on through the work he accomplished, the bond he shared with his handler, and the many lives he touched throughout his career,” OHP said.
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