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Ted Roof ‘Very, Very, Very Pleased’ with Oklahoma True Freshman R Mason Thomas

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Ted Roof ‘Very, Very, Very Pleased’ with Oklahoma True Freshman R Mason Thomas


NORMAN — Oklahoma defensive lineman R Mason Thomas was the primary true freshman to see any recreation motion throughout Saturday’s win over UTEP.

Perhaps everybody ought to have seen it coming.

After rave offseason critiques, Thomas made essentially the most of his first discipline time in motion in opposition to the Miners. Whereas rotating out and in, he accounted for 2 whole tackles and teamed up with Reggie Grimes for an enormous quarterback sack.

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Thomas is simply 18 years outdated, however his work ethic and drive stretch far past age. The coaches seen his development this summer time and rewarded him with alternatives. If he continues to develop with the identical mindset, his profession in Norman may find yourself being a particular one.

“We’re very, very, very happy,” defensive coordinator Ted Roof mentioned about his younger edge rusher. “He simply turned 18 years outdated when the season began, reported right here as a 17-year-old freshman. His maturity, and he is obtained like an outdated soul. You understand, he is put a number of work and he is approached it in a really mature method.”

Not solely has the Fort Lauderdale, FL, product impressed the teaching workers, however he’s additionally made fairly the impression on his teammates, too. Even the veteran leaders have taken discover of Thomas’ expertise and potential, and perceive he may even present instant assist.

“I really like Mase to dying,” Grimes mentioned. “He at all times involves work with a lunch pail mentality. He’s a blue-collar sort of child and once more, I really like him. He’s a hell of a ball participant, hell of a cross rusher. He’s actually fast, actually twitchy. And I can’t wait to see not solely what this 12 months holds however what his future holds.”

One other teammate, linebacker Danny Stutsman, praised Thomas whereas additionally giving him a tough time about his identify and his youth.

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“That boy Randall can actually play, man,” Stutsman mentioned Saturday evening. “He’s an exceptional participant. He’s younger. He’s like 14 or 15. However he’s going to do nice issues right here. I’m excited, that’s our Florida boy. I’m excited to see what he does.”

Thomas’ place on the depth chart was one thing that originally stood out. However teammate Ethan Downs gave the media a tip heading into recreation week.

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“I’m telling you, R Mason is somebody you’ve obtained to maintain in your radar,” Downs mentioned. “He’s the quickest dude within the room proper now. He got here in, he was 17 years outdated only a week in the past, and he’s sooner than the entire D-ends. He picked up the playbook like that. He’s simply agile, he’s one of many lightest dudes within the room and he’s one of many hardest dudes within the room, simply having the ability to use leverage, method. He was throwing round guys which might be practically 100 kilos heavier than him.”

Once more, if Thomas is prepared and capable of contribute instantly as an 18-year-old, his ceiling has no restrict.

“What’s he going to be when he’s obtained some weight on him, some expertise, some confidence?” Downs requested. “R Mason’s going to be a dude. I’m going to be stunned if he’s not out of right here (for the NFL) in three years.”

Thomas was a late recruiting add for Venables and a gem to search out so late within the course of. In keeping with 247Sports, Thomas was a 3-star prospect and the No. 22 edge recruit within the nation. As soon as recruits step on campus, although, stars imply nothing, and Thomas is proving that.

Oklahoma followers would possibly get used to seeing Thomas within the opposing workforce’s backfield. In highschool, he amassed 36 tackles for loss and 19 sacks over his two state championship campaigns. The attention-popping numbers ought to’ve been a transparent signal that Thomas was underrated.

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Now in Norman, the teaching workers is thrilled to have the 6-foot-2, 222-pound pressure coming off the sting. It’s clear that Thomas can have a task on the sector for the Sooners this season, however his true potential down the road could possibly be exponentially larger than simply receiving taking part in time. He has an opportunity to be dominant.

“I believe he noticed the outcomes that he will be an excellent soccer participant if continues to strategy the sport like he does proper now,” Roof mentioned with a smile. “However he is obtained an exquisite perspective, an exquisite perspective, an amazing work ethic and I’m actually happy.”



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Oklahoma

Oklahoma transfer LB Dasan McCullough commits to Nebraska

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Oklahoma transfer LB Dasan McCullough commits to Nebraska


Oklahoma transfer LB Dasan McCullough commits to Nebraska

Oklahoma transfer linebacker Dasan McCullough has committed to Nebraska, he confirmed on Instagram Sunday afternoon.

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The 6-foot-5, 235-pound McCullough spent the past two seasons in Norman with the Sooners. He began his college football career in 2022 at Indiana, where he earned Freshman All-American status.

McCullough will come to Nebraska with one season of eligibility remaining.

McCullough, who played Oklahoma’s versatile hybrid linebacker/safety position called the Cheetah, suffered an injury before the start of Oklahoma’s fall camp this season and missed the first five games. He returned to the field in October and played in the final seven games, the last five of which he started. He recorded 17 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss in 2024.

In 2023 at Oklahoma, McCullough played in 10 games and started seven while making 30 tackles with 3.5 TFLs and three pass deflections.

McCullough, who was a star recruit and ranked No. 61 nationally in the 2022 class, comes from a football family. His dad, Deland McCullough, played running back in the NFL and is currently Notre Dame’s associate head coach and running backs coach.

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While Deland spent three seasons as the Kansas City Chiefs’ running backs coach from 2018-20, Dasan played his high school ball at Blue Valley North High School in Overland Park, Kansas. Deland became Indiana’s associate head coach and running backs coach in 2021, and Dasan, then an Ohio State verbal commit, flipped to Indiana not long after.

Dasan followed his father to Bloomington and made an impact right away. He played in all 12 games with four starts and racked up 51 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, four sacks and four pass deflections. He gained Freshman All-American honors and a Big Ten honorable mention selection.

— Steve Marik, Inside Nebraska staff writer,

Analysis

McCullough is a versatile backend defender that can play a variety of roles in Nebraska’s defense.

A rare blend of size and athleticism at 6-5, McCullough shows good speed and change-of-direction ability for his size. Has high-end instincts and IQ, which shows up in zone coverage and reacting against the run. Has had some intriguing flashes as a pass-rusher, but largely relies on athleticism to get into the backfield, still developing consistent pass rush moves.

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Technically sound tackler, though lean he’s got wiry body strength. Consistent aggression could improve as could hip fluidity. Athletic enough to hold his own in man coverage, technique can continue to improve, better in zone at this point in his career.

In Nebraska’s scheme, McCullough can play all three linebacker positions, rover or even safety if needed. He’s likely best at inside linebacker with a few pass-rush opportunities.

This addition provides Nebraska defensive coordinator John Butler something of a chess piece to move around his defense.

— Tim Verghese, Inside Nebraska recruiting analyst

Additional analysis

McCullough is a versatile and sizable defender who played both a traditional linebacker position and Oklahoma’s “cheetah” spot, which is roughly equivalent to the nickel. He also saw some periodic snaps as an edge rusher for the Sooners during his two years in Norman.

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McCullough at his best against the run, as he takes good pursuit angles, fills gaps responsibly and is a reliable tackler. That said, he’s intelligent and instinctive in zone coverage and can generally be trusted to hold his own in man-to-man matchups against tight ends and running backs.

McCullough ought to be quite the chess piece in John Butler’s defense, and could truly thrive in Lincoln depending on the Huskers’ specific vision for his diverse skill set.

— OUInsider writer Parker Thune

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Fears leads No. 14 Oklahoma against Central Arkansas

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Fears leads No. 14 Oklahoma against Central Arkansas


Associated Press

Central Arkansas Bears (3-8) at Oklahoma Sooners (11-0)

Norman, Oklahoma; Sunday, 1 p.m. EST

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BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Sooners -28.5; over/under is 145.5

BOTTOM LINE: No. 14 Oklahoma hosts Central Arkansas after Jeremiah Fears scored 30 points in Oklahoma’s 87-86 victory over the Michigan Wolverines.

The Sooners have gone 6-0 at home. Oklahoma has a 2-0 record in games decided by less than 4 points.

The Bears are 0-6 on the road. Central Arkansas ranks fourth in the ASUN with 23.8 defensive rebounds per game led by Brayden Fagbemi averaging 4.6.

Oklahoma averages 82.0 points, 5.2 more per game than the 76.8 Central Arkansas allows. Central Arkansas averages 9.0 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.5 more made shots on average than the 6.5 per game Oklahoma allows.

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TOP PERFORMERS: Fears is scoring 17.9 points per game with 3.5 rebounds and 4.6 assists for the Sooners.

Layne Taylor is scoring 17.0 points per game and averaging 4.4 rebounds for the Bears.

LAST 10 GAMES: Sooners: 10-0, averaging 80.9 points, 29.3 rebounds, 14.1 assists, 10.1 steals and 1.9 blocks per game while shooting 47.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 68.5 points per game.

Bears: 3-7, averaging 73.0 points, 34.3 rebounds, 14.3 assists, 8.8 steals and 1.8 blocks per game while shooting 38.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 75.7 points.

___

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.




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Firefighters respond to commercial fire in Oklahoma City

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Firefighters respond to commercial fire in Oklahoma City


OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – The Oklahoma City Fire Department responded to a commercial fire near the area of NW 10th and N Western Avenue.

OKCFD were at the scene of a commercial fire around 7 p.m. Saturday night, when they arrived there was heavy smoke visible from multiple floors of a boarded up building.

One adult female was found in the building and taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation.

At this time no cause has been reported.

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Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City.



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