‘It was always Oklahoma for him’: Inside Austin Stogner’s decision to transfer back to Sooners | Sports

Austin Stogner’s NFL draft inventory seemed bleak.

Not wanting to threat his soccer profession coming to an finish, the Plano, Texas, native contemplated his love for the sport and finally determined he’d lengthen his keep in faculty and enter the NCAA transfer portal for the second time.

Brad, the daddy of the four-year veteran tight finish, was conscious of his son’s plans to enter the portal after he initially transferred from Oklahoma to South Carolina a bit of over a yr in the past. He hadn’t heard for sure till he answered a name from a coach checking on his availability.

Hours earlier on Dec. 5, Austin had met with Gamecocks coach Shane Beamer, who additionally served as his place coach for two seasons at OU, and delivered the news he’d be exploring different choices after recording 20 receptions for 210 yards and a landing at South Carolina in 2022. Almost instantly, Brad’s cell was flooded with calls from coaches throughout the nation.

However, there was nowhere Stogner needed to finish his profession aside from the place he dedicated as a junior in highschool.

“The only way I can guarantee I keep playing football is to come back to college,” Stogner informed Brad. “And the only place I’d consider coming back to college to play football would be Oklahoma. As long as Oklahoma wants me back, I want to go back to Oklahoma. That’s where I started and that’s where I want to finish and I loved my time in Oklahoma… once you’re a Sooner, I kinda always just felt like an Oklahoma guy.”

After briefly deliberating with household and mates, Stogner announced his transfer back to OU, where he played his first three seasons, on Dec. 8. He’ll play his final season of school soccer in Norman, the place he recorded 798 complete yards and 7 profession touchdowns, and can probably have a chance to play straight away as Oklahoma’s beginning tight finish Brayden Willis is out of eligibility.

Last season, Willis selected to keep in faculty to elevate his NFL draft inventory. Stogner hopes he can mimic Willis’ methodology as he led Oklahoma in receiving touchdowns with seven in 2022. He may additionally present related veteran mentorship on a workforce with a whole lot of new faces.

Stogner phoned just a few of his ex-OU teammates looking for recommendation on his decision to transfer and the opportunity of him returning to the Sooners, together with Willis and present Philadelphia Eagles tight finish Grant Calcaterra.

“I was happy for him,” Calcaterra stated. “He told me honestly probably like a week before. I was a little shocked at first. It’s pretty rare that a guy leaves and then comes back… I think it’s obviously a great spot.

“He feels really comfortable with OU and they value their tight ends, so I feel like it’ll be a good spot for him.”

During his early 2022 early signing interval press convention Wednesday, OU coach Brent Venables emphasised the necessity for mentorship from upperclassmen and the way that’ll be key in his second yr.

Stogner may very well be the reply in a younger tight ends room.

“Initially, the plan was to go to South Carolina and then come out to the NFL this year after his fourth year,” Brad stated. “But he decided, really over the last month he talked about his love for football.

“He knew the only guarantee to continue to play football was to come back to college. In the NFL, it’s a tough world. Maybe you make the team, hopefully you make the team or you’re in a backup role or you’re playing special teams, you’re playing a limited amount of time.”

Venables additionally expressed his pleasure about Stogner’s dedication and spoke in regards to the prospects he sees for him in offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby’s offense.

“I met Austin, maybe my second or third day here,” Venables stated. “And he just wanted to shake my hand and tell me he was gone. So he’d already made that decision and once I realized that it didn’t matter what I had to say, it was just something that he felt he needed and wanted to do.

“I wished him well, and now he’s realized he wants to finish his career here at Oklahoma. He felt like this was home… he really felt like this is where he wanted to be to finish his career and we felt like he could be a tremendous addition. We know the talent, the size, the length and the athlete that Austin is and what a weapon he could be in our offense, so incredibly excited.”

“His role will grow even more”

When Stogner determined to depart Norman, Oklahoma’s program was in disarray.

Lincoln Riley had simply jetted to Southern California, taking a number of coaches and gamers with him, and Stogner noticed a snug alternative to rejoin Beamer and his Sooners teammate Spencer Rattler in Columbia.

“I think the biggest thing for Austin was he graduated from OU and had his degree,” Brad stated. “So at that point, I think (he wanted to) get his master’s at another school while still playing football and give the (Southeastern Conference) a chance. He and coach Beamer had a great relationship in 2020.”

While Beamer had the Gamecocks rolling in 2022 as they completed with an 8-4 document, their greatest since 2017, Stogner didn’t have the yr he envisioned for himself. While he began each sport, his landing receptions dipped from three the earlier yr to one.

“Nothing against South Carolina, he enjoyed his time, he enjoyed the great fan base and great tradition,” Brad stated. “They had a great season. He started and played every game. Things went well. But he had committed to OU early in his career when he was a junior in high school, and that’s really where he wanted to call home. He wanted to be able to have a place to come back to and say ‘this is where I really played football.’”

While making an attempt to make his mark on the NFL-leading 13-1 Eagles, Calcaterra nonetheless retains in contact along with his former teammate and tried to watch as many South Carolina video games as he may.

“I didn’t get to watch a ton of games but at least from talking to him, I know he did a good job,” Calcaterra stated. “Blocking, that’s a big thing, you need to check that box in terms of getting looked at for going to the NFL, and I feel like he’s done a tremendous job in that regard. Obviously, you want to get more catches, but I feel like when he was out there making plays, he was doing a good job… and I feel like his role will grow even more (at OU).”

The OU tight ends room as presently constructed for subsequent season lacks expertise and Stogner will probably be Oklahoma’s No. 1 tight finish with the chance to contribute straight away. He may even reunite with tight ends coach Joe Jon Finley, who coached him in 2021.

With Willis out the door the Sooners have freshmen Kaden Helms and freshman Jason Llewellyn, and potential tight finish Kade McIntyre, a 2023 signee as their different choices on the place.

“It gives him an opportunity to show off his receiving ability, blocking ability. We do it all in this offense,” Willis stated. “It’s going to give him a chance to raise his stock, and sometimes I didn’t feel like I had the college career that I thought I was going to have and that might go for him as well.

“Just for him to have the season that he always foreseen himself having, it’s gonna be big. I’m happy for him and I’ll be there to give him little tips and tidbits along the way.”

“It was always Oklahoma for him”

When he entered the portal, the place he’s the seventh ranked tight finish in accordance to 247Sports, Stogner heard from a number of coaches nationwide who had severe curiosity in him.

Brad’s cellphone was being blown up by coaches as nicely.

“He got calls from a lot of different coaches, a lot of different programs,” Brad stated. “A lot of guys tried to encourage him to come to their program but it was always Oklahoma for him.”

Stogner’s OU expertise for three seasons is completely different from this system he’s returning to simply over a yr later. Venables has emphasised constructing relationships and a tradition that’s prepared for each time the Sooners enter the SEC.

The offense can also be drastically completely different with Lebby on the helm, nonetheless, the give attention to tight ends and H-backs isn’t.

Brad has additionally seen a change in the best way OU is commanded underneath Venables. He highlighted the gamers’ love for their coach and their work ethic as causes for his son’s transfer and constructive indicators for the way forward for this system.

“It’s a lot more disciplined culture,” Brad stated. “Seems like the players really love it there. He’s talked to a lot of players that he played with. They’ve all encouraged him to come back and said, ‘You’ll love it here, it’s a lot different.’ Great culture, a lot of excitement. They work hard and expectations are high. It’s Oklahoma, you’re expected to win and they think that they’re really close to being really good.”

Calcaterra additionally senses a come-up in Norman following a disappointing 6-6 season in 2022. The Sooners closed the 2023 early signing interval with the No. 8-ranked recruiting class as of Thursday afternoon, in accordance to 247Sports. Compared to present and future SEC foes, solely Alabama, Georgia, Texas and LSU ranked increased.

“Obviously, they didn’t perform up to the standard of OU football this year,” Calcaterra stated. “But, I do know that it’s a place where there’s been a ton of success, and Coach Venables has been a part of that success. So I feel like the only place they can go is up, so I’m confident that they’re going to get back on track and start doing what Oklahoma is known for.”

Both Calcaterra and Willis recall Stogner as a younger, hungry, rising star when he arrived on campus as a freshman. Stogner caught two landing passes in six video games in 2019 and three in 2020 in eight video games earlier than struggling a deep thigh bruise that changed into a staph an infection in his quad, requiring surgical procedure.

Oklahoma isn’t any stranger at creating NFL tight ends. Former Sooners and present Baltimore Ravens tight finish Mark Andrews was named to his third Pro Bowl Wednesday and has the second-most receiving yards of any participant at his place within the AFC.

While his stats have regressed since a monster 2020 marketing campaign that noticed him earn a second-team All-Big 12 choice, Calcaterra has seen Stogner’s physicality and psyche enhance over time.

“When he got there as a freshman, he was just so raw,” Calcaterra stated. “He was just a young kid and had such a high ceiling and did a lot of good things really early. And then obviously through the years he’s gotten so much better in terms of the physical part of it, growing into his size and using his body and all those things.

“And then obviously on the mental side, his knowledge of the game and how to get open and how to block guys and how to use his leverage and everything like that. I’m definitely excited to see what he does.”

Willis sees himself as a mentor to Stogner and obtained a name from him just a few weeks in the past relating to the brand new OU teaching workers. The former Sooner needed to hear from a present participant and somebody he trusted to see if returning can be proper for him.

Stogner may very well be a key part to OU’s senior management in 2023 with Willis, senior operating back Eric Gray and sixth-year senior security Justin Broiles departing. In return, OU supplies Stogner a chance to elevate his likelihood of getting to the league like a number of OU tight ends in recent times.

“That’s my guy, man, he’s really good,” Willis stated. “I played with him for a couple of years and got a chance to mentor him as an older guy. I’m extremely happy for him coming back. He’s gonna fit our system really well, and he’s gonna get the opportunity like I did to be the only man in the room and go out there and show what he has.

“So I’m excited for him. It’s a great opportunity. He called me up and asked me what I thought of the coaches, and obviously… I think the world of the coaches, so it was an easy sell and the rest takes care of itself. I can’t wait to see what he does next year. I think it’ll be a good opportunity for him.”