Oklahoma’s first season in the SEC provided a measuring stick for the program’s success in the Brent Venables era, and the results are in—the Sooners have a long way to go.
On Sunday, Oklahoma’s roster got a little better, though, as they landed a commitment from Florida State transfer defensive end Marvin Jones Jr.
One of the better players available in the portal, Jones checks in as the No. 11 edge rusher in this cycle and was a consensus five-star prospect in 2021, when he signed with Georgia out of American Heritage High School.
Listed at 6-foot-5, 255 pounds, Jones started nine games and played in 11 total contests for the Seminoles, totaling 25 tackles, six TFLs, and four sacks. Prior to that, Jones appeared in 25 games for Georgia, including drawing a start in the 2022 SEC Championship Game.
On Monday, Jones made his transfer commitment official, signing with the Sooners ahead of the 2025 season.
After going 6-7 for the second time in Venables’ tenure, the crimson contingent in Norman is starting to grow weary. That, combined with an equally difficult schedule in 2025, makes this offseason the most pivotal that OU has seen in quite some time.
The Sooners have had to hit the transfer portal and address their biggest needs before winter conditioning begins, and they appear to have landed a few pieces that will help in a major way.
The transfer portal officially opened on Monday, December 9, 2024, and will remain open until Saturday, December 28, with an exception for players on teams who play bowl games after the window closes. According to NCAA data, 2,273 FBS football players entered the transfer portal in 2023-24 school year, with 1,558 (68.5%) undergraduates and 715 (31.5%) graduate transfers. Of the entrants, 57% reported that they enrolled in another school, 8% withdrew their names from the portal, and 35% are still active, transferred to a non-NCAA school, or left their sport.
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