3 underrated transfer additions who were pivotal in Sooners stunning No. 1 Texas

Unlike Red River rival Texas, the Oklahoma Sooners didn't go out and make any splash additions from the transfer portal. There were no big names like wide receiver Cam Coleman, but methodical moves to bolster where needed on OU's roster without overpaying.

Despite the No. 1 Longhorns spending big to buy their spot on top, the Sooners still pulled off the 27-24 upset on Saturday in Dallas, and that outcome wouldn't have been possible for some quiet transfer addition that no one outside of Oklahoma even realized over this past offseason.

It’s hard now to think of running back Lloyd Avant as an underrated addition since he’s been RB1 since Week 1, but not much was expected from him when he committed out of Colorado State. 

It was really a head-scratching move to add him to an already crowded backfield that seemingly already had a clear pecking order. If anything, maybe his versatility could add a wrinkle to the offense. He’s obviously been a lot more than that, especially on Saturday. 

Avant had done little at the Group of 6 level between stops at Colorado State and Tulsa, but on one of the biggest stages college football has, it’s hard to argue that the Sooners could have beaten Texas without Avant in the backfield. 

It was Avant’s 42-yard run in OU’s first drive of the second half that not only led to a field goal that made it a one-possession game, but also sparked the Sooners’ second-half revival. Then in the fourth quarter, he got into the end zone on a two-yard run that tied the score at 17-17 with 14:48 left. 

Avant finished with 72 rushing yards while averaging 7.2 on 10 carries. He also caught two passes for 16 yards. 

The Sooners don’t beat the No. 1 team in the country without Avant and his Colorado State teammate Rocky Beers — two players from a team that went 2-10 last season. 

Other than those who pay close attention to the transfer portal all offseason, most OU fans probably didn’t even know Dakoda Fields was on the roster until the second quarter of the Red River Rivalry. 

Fields came to be a depth piece at cornerback from Oregon, where he appeared in just three games in two years before planning to transfer midseason. 

There was a chance Fields got more snaps at cornerback on Saturday, with the Sooners thin at the position because of multiple injuries, but it was on special teams where he went down in OU lure. 

Fields was responsible for ending the Sooners’ two-year touchdown drought in the Red River Rivalry when he jumped on a blocked punt by Danny Okoye in the end zone. It tied the game at 7-7 in the second quarter and prompted the first thought that maybe there was some Sooner Magic in the Dallas air. 

It’s never exciting when a transfer commit doesn’t seem to have any chance of immediately making an impact, but you never know who will emerge as a hero at the Cotton Bowl. 

Offensive linemen never get much attention, but it was immediately assumed that E’Marion Harris could crack the starting lineup when he transferred from Arkansas. He did, but he’s been overall underwhelming and might not have even kept his starting job if not for Michael Fasusi’s injury. 

With Fasusi out again, Harris and Ryan Fodje had their toughest challenge yet in blocking future first-round edge rusher Colin Simmons and Texas’ pass rush that ranked fourth in the country in sacks per game. 

Despite the daunting task, quarterback John Mateer was more comfortable in the pocket than we’ve seen him in weeks, especially during the second half. That resulted in Mateer not panicking and turning the ball over, and the Sooners ultimately won because they made fewer mistakes than Texas. 

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