Oklahoma Sooners Football

HEIGHT: 6'6"

WEIGHT: 313

HAND: 10⅛"

ARM: 35⅛"

WINGSPAN: 83¾"

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40-YARD DASH: 5.25

3-CONE: 7.89

SHUTTLE: 4.83

VERTICAL: 33"

BROAD: 9'2"

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POSITIVES

— Highly experienced with a lunchpail mentality, sturdy build and excellent length.

— Can strike, widen and press high-side rushes around the corner on quick-hitting passes.

— Has solid play strength and leg drive to wash defenders out on angle-drive blocks.

— Solid stopping power to grind down the bull rush in his anchor.

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NEGATIVES

— Struggles mightily to redirect, change directions and mirror when being set up with stutters, hesitations and tempo.

— Stiff lower half with middling agility leaves him overextended and off balance too often.

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2023 STATISTICS

— 13 starts at left tackle

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NOTES

— Born March 9, 2001

— 3-star recruit from the 2019 class, per 247Sports

— Team captain in football and basketball in high school while also competing in track and field with a second-place finish in the state championship in the discus.

— Started for four years at Stanford before transferring to Oklahoma for the 2023 season

— Missed only two games after suffering a torn labrum in Week 4 of the 2022 season

— 52 career starts at left tackle

— Played in the East-West Shrine Bowl

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OVERALL

Walter Rouse is a five-year starter with 52 career starts at left tackle, including 13 starts last season in Oklahoma's 54-46 run-pass split, RPO-heavy, multiple run scheme centered around zone and counter concepts. Rouse has a sturdy, well-rounded build with excellent length, marginal athletic ability and solid play strength.

Rouse wins as a run-blocker on kick-out, down and drive blocks where he can establish first meaningful contact before running his feet and driving his hips through contact to create lateral displacement. He will struggle to adjust to post-snap movement across his face and slippery defenders due to significant lower-half stiffness that leaves him overextending with his feet stuck.

In pass protection, Rouse is a chore to work through with power, and he can strike, press and keep high-side rushes at his fingertips on quick-hitting passes. But his mirror and sustain skills are lacking primarily due to the stiffness that saps his recovery ability.

Overall, Rouse has the size, length, smarts and play strength to work himself into a swing tackle in the NFL. However, he has a hard cap on his ceiling due to his marginal movement and recovery skills.

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GRADE: 5.7 (Backup/Draftable — 6th-7th Rounds)

OVERALL RANK: 213

POSITION RANK: OT15

PRO COMPARISON: Vederian Lowe

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Brandon Thorn

Visit B/R's NFL Scouting Department hub for scouting reports on all of the top prospects.

Quarterback Casey Thompson has committed to Oklahoma after transferring from FAU, per ESPN's Dave Wilson.

The move to Oklahoma will be Thompson's fourth school in seven seasons. He played at Texas, Nebraska and most recently, FAU. He was a graduate student at FAU last year, but his season was cut short as he tore his ACL after playing just three games. Following the injury, Thompson was granted a medical hardship waiver to play one more year.

In his career, Thompson has recorded 5,338 passing yards, 52 touchdowns and 24 interceptions. He's also picked 191 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground. Last year in his few games for the Owls, he notched 509 yards, five touchdowns and five interceptions.

As a transfer prospect, Thompson is considered to be a 3-star and the No. 61 quarterback in the portal by 247Sports composite. He joins an Oklahoma offense that recently lost quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who is heading to Oregon.

Thompson, the son of former Oklahoma quarterback Charles Thompson, will be making a return to his home state next season. He will also become the third player in modern history to be on both sides of the Red River Rivalry between Texas and Oklahoma.

Thompson, who is 26 years old, had his best season in 2022 when he played for Nebraska, recording 2,407 yards, 17 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 10 games. While he has shown flashes in his years, turnovers have been an issue for the veteran.

This year for Oklahoma, he'll be looking to earn a starting spot and end his collegiate career on a positive note.

After quarterback Dillon Gabriel transferred to Oregon, the Oklahoma Sooners needed a new starter for Thursday night's Valero Alamo Bowl.

Good thing they had 5-star true freshman Jackson Arnold waiting in the wings.

Arnold threw for 339 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions in the Sooners' 38-24 loss to the Arizona Wildcats.

The freshman's debut was highlighted by a 63-yard score in the third quarter.

Jackson Arnold with an absolute ROCKET 🚀

63-YD TD

(via @OU_Football)pic.twitter.com/TZqPYQBuSZ

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 29, 2023

But his start was marred by three interceptions, in addition to a turnover that was initially called an interception but eventually ruled a fumble.

Jackson Arnold looks like me playing NCAA 14 on Heisman difficulty.

— SEC Unfiltered (@SECUnfiltered) December 29, 2023

Going to be a looooooong offseason for Jackson Arnold with the fan base that Boo’d Spencer Rattler in Norman. 😬

— 4 Tournament Wins Last 2 Years (@UT4x_champs) December 29, 2023

Jackson Arnold tonight 🔥 💪

- 2 TDs
- 3 INTs
- 1 Fumble
- 1 hospital pass turned scoop & score

— Joseph Manero🇻🇦 (@JosephManero) December 29, 2023

Jackson Arnold holds on to the ball way too long. Seth Littrell needs to run the ball to take the pressure off him next year or the sec will eat them alive. OU dbs struggling.

— James Patrick (@realjamespat) December 29, 2023

Oklahoma got too comfortable with a freshman quarterback that had shaken off a slow start and it led to a meltdown that was completely unnecessary. At least this is the place for Jackson Arnold to learn but this is more an indictment of offensive coaching staff.

— Erick Smith (@ericksmith) December 29, 2023

Really tough first game for Jackson Arnold.

I think it’ll only help him long term. Played against a legit defense in his first real game. Got roughed up. Showed some good moments too.

Definitely a storyline heading into 2024.

— Jack Mac (@JackMacCFB) December 29, 2023

Oklahoma football fans are in shambles right now lmao. Jackson Arnold has been a turn over machine during this bowl game. I imagine he may pull it together he’s shown flashes of brilliance but made a ton of mistakes. Oklahoma might get a rude awakening in the SEC.

— the cameron account. (@cameron19460429) December 29, 2023

Some college football fans watching the bowl game were still impressed by the potential Arnold showed when his passes connected.

It definitely is no fun now and frustrating in the moment - but I would put next to zero stock in this game as far what Oklahoma will be next year, fwiw

Jackson Arnold is still going to be electric, the defense will improve

OU is going to be just fine #Sooners

— Josh Callaway (@JoshMCallaway) December 29, 2023

Jackson arnold showed flashes of brilliance and he showed that he's a freshman. I'm excited about the future.

— Marteaz (@Marteaz3) December 29, 2023

Jackson Arnold being able to get a game like this for experience should be huge going into next season. Playing a solid opponent, wild game with highs and lows. Great learning experience.

Hope he finishes strong. You can see the hype with him.

— Kyle Kelpin (@Kyle_withaK) December 29, 2023

Saw some really good things tonight from Jackson Arnold and some horrendous things. I have to put full faith in Seth to fix this before next season. I am not giving up on Arnold at all.

— 𝙁𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙙𝙎𝙤𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙧 (@SOONERSnFITTEDS) December 29, 2023

Between Arnold's debut and Kansas State winning the Pop-Tarts Bowl over NC State behind another true freshman in Avery Johnson, Thursday night left fans excited for the future of the sport.

Avery Johnson and Jackson Arnold are gonna be so fun next year

— Schu (@tschu_22) December 29, 2023

First it was Avery Johnson K state now it’s Jackson Arnold leading the Sooners offense with a stellar performance.. The freshmen are ready for next yr

— Papa Shango (@squared_circle2) December 29, 2023

Oklahoma will now prepare to begin to Arnold era in earnest with a move to the SEC after the school's exit from the Big 12 becomes official on July 1.

Wide receiver Deion Burks announced on Tuesday that he has committed to Oklahoma after entering the transfer portal.

Took me a SEC but it was gone happen SOONER or later #BOOMER pic.twitter.com/sXaSbU8VWu

— 𝐃𝐞𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐤𝐬 (@deionkburks) December 12, 2023

Burks spent the past three seasons at Purdue. As a redshirt sophomore in 2023, he caught 47 passes for 629 yards and seven touchdowns and earned second-team All-Big Ten honors.

DEION BURKS 💨

84 YARD TD FOR THE BOILERMAKERS 🔥 pic.twitter.com/bcjDD4qPfU

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 2, 2023

The 5'11" wideout was the No. 19 player in 247Sports' portal rankings.

After losing head coach Jeff Brohm to Louisville and starting quarterback Aidan O'Connell to the NFL, Purdue took a step backward this past season. The Boilermakers went 4-8 with Ryan Walters at the helm.

It's not hard to see why Burks thought the grass might be greener elsewhere.

Thanks in part to UCF transfer Dillon Gabriel, Oklahoma hardly missed a beat on offense following Lincoln Riley's move to USC. Gabriel threw for 6,828 yards and 55 touchdowns in his two seasons with the Sooners.

Somebody new will be running the offense in 2024, though, with the southpaw transferring to Oregon to replace Bo Nix. Jackson Arnold, a 5-star recruit who was the 10th-best recruit in the country, is the logical candidate to take over for Gabriel.

Sooners fans will point to Spencer Rattler as a prime example of how recruiting ratings aren't a surefire indicator of a player's skill level, though. As much potential as Arnold may have, he's still largely unproven at the college level.

His supporting cast shouldn't be the issue, though. Burks joins a receiving corps that loses yardage leader Drake Stoops but is in line to return Nic Anderson, Jalil Farooq and Andrel Anthony. Anthony in particular could be headed for a monster campaign after having 27 receptions for 429 yards and a touchdown in six games before suffering a season-ending injury.

The quarterback transfer portal in college football just landed another big name.

Oklahoma's Dillon Gabriel added his name to the portal Monday, joining an ever-growing list of notable names from Power Five programs.

Thank you Oklahoma ❤️ pic.twitter.com/90fT2nBE7A

— Dillon Gabriel (@_dillongabriel_) December 4, 2023

Matt Zenitz of 247Sports first reported the news.

Gabriel, Ohio State's Kyle McCord, UCLA's Dante Moore, Washington State's Cameron Ward, Kansas State's Will Howard, Oregon State's DJ Uiagalelei, Miami's Tyler Van Dyke and Mississippi State's Will Rogers among the major names in the portal. Riley Leonard already transferred from Duke to Notre Dame.

This is the cost of doing business in major college football at the moment. Quarterbacks are able to wield their power to find the best possible situation in terms of role and NIL money, and even some of the most powerful schools in the country are feeling the heat.

"Make no mistake that a good quarterback in the portal costs, you know, a million to $1.5 million to $2 million right now, just so we're all on the same page," Nebraska coach Matt Rhule told reporters when asked about the transfer portal. "Let's make sure we all understand what's happening. There are some teams that have $6 [million] or $7 million players playing for them."

It's nevertheless jarring to see a program like Oklahoma—with one of the richest traditions in college football—losing its star quarterback. Gabriel spent much of the 2023 season as a Heisman candidate, throwing for 3,660 yards and 30 touchdowns against six interceptions while adding 373 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground.

His Sooners career peaked with a heroic performance in October's win over rival Texas, with Gabriel combining for 398 yards of total offense and throwing a game-winning touchdown to Nic Anderson with 15 seconds remaining.

Gabriel and McCord are slated as arguably the top names on the transfer portal this year, with both boasting elite Power Five resumes. Moore, who was the nation's No. 4 recruit in the 2023 class, will also see no shortage of interested schools.

The Oklahoma Sooners will be without quarterback Dillon Gabriel for the remainder of its Week 12 matchup against BYU.

Gabriel left late in the first half after suffering an apparent head injury and was not seen warming up once the Sooners returned to the field for the second half. Five-star freshman quarterback Jackson Arnold entered the game Gabriel's place.

BREAKING: True freshman 5⭐️ QB Jackson Arnold has entered the game for Oklahoma after Dillon Gabriel left due to injury.

This is Arnold's 5th appearance in a game this season, meaning this season will not count as a redshirt.

MORE: https://t.co/Q5G3ZnnhRy pic.twitter.com/bG8fC94Qr8

— 247Sports (@247Sports) November 18, 2023

Arnold's entry marked his fifth appearance of the season, which means the 2023 season will not count toward his redshirt.

Gabriel was 13-of-21 for 191 yards and two touchdowns at the time of his departure. The Sooners entered halftime locked at 17 with the Cougars.

Gabriel has thrown for 3,260 yards and 27 touchdowns with five interceptions thus far in 2023, leading the Sooners to an 8-2 record.

Arnold was 13-of-15 for 169 yards and two touchdowns before entering against the Cougars. The true freshman was the No. 10 overall player in the Class of 2023 and was the No. 4 quarterback and the No. 1 player from Texas, per 247 Sports.

It was a wild afternoon of football as No. 22 Oklahoma State defeated No. 9 Oklahoma by the final score of 27-24 in the last edition of Bedlam for the foreseeable future.

OKLAHOMA ST STUNS NO. 9 OKLAHOMA 🔥

Final Bedlam Series game belongs to the Cowboys pic.twitter.com/WL5leJ2RKt

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 4, 2023

After leading 21-17 entering the fourth quarter, the Sooners were unable to find the end zone in the final 15 minutes as drives repeatedly stalled due to turnovers and the inability to convert on third down.

Starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel finished the afternoon with 344 passing yards, although he recorded to just one touchdown to go along with one interception. Gabriel has thrown a pick in each of the Sooners' past three games.

He did convert a pooch kick that pinned Oklahoma State inside the five, although it wasn't enough to secure a win for Oklahoma.

College football fans weren't happy with his performance.

Come on Dillon Gabriel

— WestGoat🐐 (@yoboykev34) November 4, 2023

Dillon Gabriel gets crushed as he heaves a ball downfield. True freshman Dylan Smith picks it off (his second INT of the year).

Pokes get the ball back.

— Marshall Scott (@MarshallScottOK) November 4, 2023

Dillon Gabriel's fifth pick of the season comes on the third play from scrimmage after the half. He'll watch the tape back on that one and notice he had Drake Stoops open on the right side of the field.

— Eli Lederman (@ByEliLederman) November 4, 2023

Man they really want Dillon Gabriel to be a heisman favorite and his arm is a wet noodle

— vlad the chemtrailer (@punished_vlad) November 4, 2023

Suddenly.. Dillon gabriel isn’t so clutch… down goes OU

— Hurdle Enthusiast (@itzalexstyles) November 4, 2023

Oh no Dillon Gabriel just hit the check down short of the sticks on 4th down to lose the game for Oklahoma

— Big Game Bengal (@BengalYouTube) November 4, 2023

Another boneheaded Dillon Gabriel turnover

— Vann Pugh (@themadlineman) November 4, 2023

Dillon Gabriel is nice but something is missin. Ice in his veins ain’t there and he’s had several game wining chances & blew every single one. Is this foreseeable for his potential #NFL career 🤔 #OUvsOSU

— Personal Assistant to Uncle Clifford (@Princess_Nef) November 4, 2023

Oklahoma State secured the win behind huge performances from quarterback Alan Bowman and running back Ollie Gordon. Bowman recorded 334 yards through the air and added a touchdown on the ground.

After entering Saturday as the nation's second-leading rusher, Gordon had another spectacular outing. He racked up 137 yards on 33 carries, scoring two touchdowns.

The Cowboys moved to 7-2 after the victory, while Oklahoma fell to 7-2 with losses in their past two contests.

Oklahoma Sooners top receiver Jalil Farooq was arrested Thursday night in Norman following a traffic stop, according to KWTV News 9 in Oklahoma City.

Farooq was pulled over at around 9 p.m. Thursday for what police said were an expired paper tag and erratic driving before authorities ultimately found that the star wideout had several outstanding municipal warrants—leading to an arrest without incident.

Officials from the Cleveland County Sheriff's office said that those warrants were for charges such as an improper turn, failure to yield to an emergency vehicle and failure to appear in court for a ticket for driving over a curb.

Farooq was ultimately released on bond.

The junior wideout—who leads the Sooners with 449 receiving yards—is still expected to play Saturday in Oklahoma's final Bedlam matchup against Oklahoma State as members of the Big 12 before the former leaves to the SEC in 2024.