Official: Oklahoma Sooners sign elite defensive tackle via transfer portal
In more ways than one, the Oklahoma football program scored a huge defensive discovery on Thursday thanks to the transfer portal.
One of the best players available in the spring transfer portal, defensive tackle Damonic Wiiliams, was acquired by the Sooners after defeating Texas, LSU, and Missouri. Together with defensive lineman Jermayne Lole from Louisville and center Branson Hickman from SMU, the TCU transfer is the third recruit to commit to Oklahoma during the spring portal window.
Williams took to social media on Thursday night to declare his commitment. “Sooner Nation, I want you to know at the end of the day I chose you because of relationships with Coach V & Coach Bates & the staff,” he posted on X, which used to be Twitter. “They were genuine & I believe in their ability to develop me as a man & a player & prepare me for the next level.”
Williams is the kind of large, strong, and athletic guy at the point of attack that head coach Brent Venables loves to see in the interior of the defensive line. Venables constructed his championship-caliber defenses at Clemson and previously at Oklahoma around players just like Williams.
Williams, when OU makes its SEC debut this coming season, will be a plug-and-play addition to the 2025 Sooner defense. Most likely, he will begin at nose tackle. With two years of eligibility left, the 6-foot, 2-inch, 320-pound D-lineman is likely to declare his intention to advance to the next level.
Williams is a product of Mission Hills, California. During the previous two seasons, he started every game for TCU. Williams also participated in the Horned Frogs’ run to the College Football Playoff national title game in January 2023. Throughout his collegiate career, he has accumulated 60 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks.
According to recruiting analyst John Wiiliams of Sooners Wire, an Oklahoma-focused website connected to the USA Today network, Williams is the “prototypical nose tackle.” “He’s got great size, strength and quickness to be a force in the middle of a defensive line.”
Williams’ arrival will undoubtedly improve Oklahoma’s defensive front for the upcoming year. The trio of Jayden Jackson, a freshman, Da’Jon Terry, and Williams offers OU depth, strength, and experience at the crucial nose tackle position.
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Oklahoma football wins big on the transfer portal after committing to defense as a weapon.
The Sooners’ d-line had some excellent support.
This is an important offseason for the Sooners because of the transfer, and the Oklahoma football team will have their hands full in the SEC next season. Oklahoma had a good season the previous year, but they will have a much tougher schedule in 2024. To prepare for the season, they have a lot to do, but one thing they can do is use the transfer site to recruit more talent. Damonic Williams is the most recent of 16 transfers that the Sooners have added.
Damonic Williams, who recently concluded his sophomore campaign with the Horned Frogs, is transferring from TCU football to the Oklahoma Sooners. Williams, a defensive lineman, is expected to contribute to the Sooners’ 2024 offensive line improvement.
According to a 247 Sports report, “a major addition has been secured for the Oklahoma Sooners out of the transfer portal.” “Damonic Williams, a former defensive tackle for TCU, has declared his intention to commit to Oklahoma and join the team prior to the program’s transition to the Southeastern Conference.”
It’s a significant pickup for Oklahoma. The line of scrimmage will be one of the most crucial parts of the game in the much tougher conference the Sooners will play in next season. Williams should be an important member of the d-line having had two strong seasons in college.
In 2022, Williams arrived at TCU for his freshman year and had an instant impact. He has 1.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and 27 total tackles. For a freshman, those are noteworthy results, and in 2023, he had an even better year.
Damonic Williams finished the previous season with three sacks and 33 total tackles. The Oklahoma football team is hopeful that Williams will be able to improve even more before the 2024 season by using this extra summer to his advantage.
Other noteworthy transfers for Oklahoma football
Given that half of their pick-ups will play on the o- or d-line, the Oklahoma football team has been targeting those areas in the transfer portal because they understand how crucial play at the line of scrimmage is. The players in those positions have been well-added by head coach Brent Venables; all he needs to do now is prepare them throughout the offseason.
Quarterback Casey Thompson, though, is arguably the biggest signing made through the transfer site. Thompson attended Nebraska for his undergraduate studies before moving to FAU and joining the Sooners. Dillon Gabriel, the starting quarterback from the previous season, transferred to Oregon through the transfer portal, therefore Thompson will compete with sophomore Jackson Arnold for the starting position.
This Oklahoma football team is going to have an interesting year next year. The Sooners’ 2024 campaign seems like it might go in a lot of different directions, and it’s difficult to predict what this squad will do in the competitive SEC. It will not only set the tone for the future but will also be interesting to see.
