Crimson countdown: No. 34 P.J. Adebawore
The Crimson Countdown is officially on for the 2023 Oklahoma football season. It’s the second season under head coach Brent Venables and expectations are high once again. The Sooners are looking to rebound from the uncharacteristic 6-7 season in 2022.
Every day as we get closer to kickoff, SoonerScoop.com will count down the days with you. Starting with No. 99 and working our way to No. 0, we’ll be there every step of the way.
Crimson Countdown: No. 34 P.J. Adebawore
2022 stats: N/A.
2023 outlook:
This is a huge one for OU fans to watch. Everybody is going to want to see Adebawore right from the jump, but it will be about how quickly he can be trusted.
Early signs in the spring showed someone who was still learning. But still learning at a very high rate. Who he was on the first day of spring wasn’t even close to practice No. 7 and the spring game and so on. That’s a very encouraging initial report.
Adebawore turned heads because of his length. OU simply hasn’t had somebody like him in the defensive end room in a long time. It’s clear a big point of emphasis during the spring was to help him put on weight and muscle. We’ll see how that looks in August.
The defensive end room is loaded. It’s full of experience and upperclassmen. If Adebawore earns significant playing time, he could be well on his way toward living up to that five-star label.
2023 defensive end outlook
The Sooners made several additions to the defensive end room following the 2022 season. In the transfer portal, Oklahoma landed Wake Forest’s Rondell Bothroyd and Oklahoma State’s Trace Ford. Both figure to be key contributors. OU also welcomes true freshman Adepoju Adebawore, who was one of the most sought-after recruits in the country in the 2023 class. Senior Reggie Grimes, junior Ethan Downs and sophomore R Mason Thomas all return as well, giving OU plenty of depth on the edge.
