Some fresh faces here.
Ethan Downs
Recruited by NU?
“I actually went to one of their games. Did visits and stuff. You get to see the balloons after they score a touchdown. Everybody’s, like, throwing up the bones and stuff. It’s a really cool culture up there. Really cool tradition. And I would like to play against it. See how the stadium reacts to ups and downs. Being on the field, it’s going to feel completely different so I’m excited.”
Adversity?
“I talked about it before the game, seeing upsets like after the game and stuff. It's crazy to think there's literally a formula to winning every week. And you might miss by an inch. And that inch may have an effect way down the road like a butterfly effect that shows up on game day. And we've got to stick to that formula and abide by it. And it doesn't matter who you're playing on game day. If you missed that inch back on Monday and Tuesday or Wednesday, it's gonna show up in the game. So, you know, I don't discredit those teams that had upsets. They’re still great teams, still great programs. Just missing by an inch can go a long way.”
Strain?
“I would say when we went through fall camp…fall camp was so hard. Every single day, it’s a grind. An every team can say that. But it was the hardest football's ever been for anybody. And we're out on the rugby field and it's uncomfortable. We're out of our comfort zone and we're in the grind. We’re in the heat. We’re sweating together and bleeding together, even crying together at times, because it gets emotional. And man, we've been through so much worse. I say so much worse…it's been so much harder. And he knows that we strain. He knows that we got that work ethic. He knows that we're their family, we're with a brotherhood. So when we get out there and he's saying I challenge you now to strain like you once did, right? You've done it before, you can do it again. Here's the adversity, let's see who you are when it comes. So instead of just practice strain. It's applying…when you face adversity, applying your character, applying your work ethic and going after it.”
Isaiah Coe
Sacks/TFLs validation?
Just the foundation of earning it every week and never taking anything for granted. Coach V tells us every week that strip it down and start over from scratch. This is a new week so we have to earn everything that we want if we want to win on Saturday. Just having that pride and having that conviction that we have to earn it on the practice field before going out on Saturday. We’re feeling good knowing that we put the work in and that success can come.
Bates?
It’s been fun having us out there, just knowing all the work that they’ve put in through spring, winter, fall camp and just having it all come out for you and for the world to see, it’s been a blessing. Coach Bates, when he first came here, we knew what kind of coach we were getting. They just came the playoff a couple of years ago. He won two national titles and put out multiple first-round d-linemen in 2018 and 2017. We knew what kind of coach we were getting. OK, we can be that next group that had the same success that they had. We were very excited. Now it is coming out on the field and it’s making all of us proud.
First start?
That was a blessing. I told my parents the day before the game. They were excited for me knowing everything that I’ve been through and everything I did to get to this point. I didn’t take it for granted at all and I soaked it all in as much as I can. It’s something I will never forget.
There’s a lot of juco kids that don’t get to experience stuff like this, especially at Oklahoma. I try to have them live through me as much as I can. I try to show them as much as I can that there’s a way to get here. Just because you’re not winning now doesn’t mean that you’re not going to win forever. If you just stay the course, stay patient and when God calls you up and it’s your time, just keep going.
Jaden Davis
Renewed confidence?
I mean Coach Valai really changed it all for me. Just having somebody that really believed in me. You know, Coach Venables — he recruited me out of high school at Clemson. So knowing guys like that and having someone that believed in me and really pure into me, he was just a big difference. Just the coaching styles and different things, it’s just all come together for me at one time. And I’m still improving. I’m not perfect. But I just feel like it’s a whole different feel. I’m having fun playing football. I haven’t had fun in a long time.
Excited to have BV as HC?
I mean I called my dad was the first thing I did. And I had like six people send it to me. It was just crazy because like, everything just came full circle you know? God says everything happens for a reason. So everything happens for a reason. Clemson happened to be the other school I was possibly going to go to. So it’s like I didn’t have to go anywhere. Clemson came to me. So it all just worked out the way it’s supposed to be.
Why was Nebraska so tough last year?
I have no idea honestly. It was just the game. Every game, we’re gonna get everybody’s game seven. It’s a rivalry game. I’m not really from the Oklahoma area, so I ain’t really know about the rivalry until I got over here. And I realize it’s such a big deal. Like Oklahoma-Nebraska, Big 12 days and everything like that. So you’re Oklahoma, you’re going to get everybody’s game seven regardless of who it is. So we just have to go into with that mindset and just respect your opponent. We respect everybody.
Damond Harmon
Biggest difference?
The biggest difference for me is just catching up to the speed of the game. Last year, I didn’t really play a lot. Now that I’m kinda in the rotation, just catching up to the speed, make sure I get all the calls in. Just doing my job right.
Going through everything w/ Kelvin Gilliam?
Oh, Kelvin. I’ve grown up with him, known him since I was like 9 years old. Coming here with him was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Just having somebody I can lean on and talk to whenever I need to. Cry on his shoulder if I need to. Just keep the brother relationship going. It’s been amazing.
Leaning on each other during coaching chaos?
A lot. We didn’t know what we were going to do. Whether we were going to leave or stay, we didn’t know. We just talked to each other. We came to the conclusion to just stick it out and work and go hard because like people always say, the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. We stayed here, fought it out, grinding, still grinding every day and it’s paying off.
Anton Harrison
RT vs. LT?
I will say it's pretty difficult. For me, it was just being confident, as confident I am on the left side on the right side. It’s really just being fluid on the right, just not thinking as much. Just playing.
Difference between first and second half vs. Kent State?
I feel like we were being physical the whole game, but I want to say it was more of a game plan deal. It's like we saw stuff that we didn't really go over during the week. So like, it was just us coming together, standing together as a team, as an offense and just doing what we can do and just going out, playing physical and finishing every play.
What’s Coach Bedenbaugh like in those moments?
He’s great. Coach B, he's a real smart coach. So he tries to see everything. We come on the sideline, he gets us together, he tells us what he sees, asks us what we see on the field. We talk about it, and really he just tries to slow it down for us on the field. And it really helps everybody.
Last year’s Nebraska game give you a sense of this rivalry?
Definitely. With their D-line especially, most of them coming back plus the transfer they got – we played him at TCU last year, so we know pretty much a lot about him – it's really just preparing as much as possible to dominate the
Daniel Parker
First OU game?
It was exciting. The Palace was packed. I got to do it with my brothers and the coaching staff that I love to play with, so it was fun.
Brayden vs. UTEP?
It was amazing. He had two touchdowns. We talked about the great two touchdowns, but he threw some crazy blocks. If you go back and watch the film, he was blocking unreal. I haven't seen a lot of people block like that, not even myself. I give him kudos on that right there.
More B-Will?
For me, I'm brand new here and everything and is new to me. It's like 'Follow Brayden Willis.' Wherever he goes, I go. Like I said prior in the spring, he took me under his wing. Just watching him evolve from even where he was last year and watching what he has done to my game, being able to bring it to a different level has just been big for me.
Joe Jon?
I'd say my perimeter blocking. That's one thing I tend to struggle with is my perimeter blocking. He's helped me to understand plays and what defenders will do based off certain plays that has helped me in my perimeter blocking.
DJ Graham
First two games?
It’s great competition. My past two games I think I’ve done with I could when the opportunity presented itself. Yeah, the competition in the room is great. It pushes everybody. It’s like pins and needles for everybody. There’s no slip-up. If you mess up, just know somebody else will come into the game for you. That’s how it needs to be especially at a place like Oklahoma. You need to have depth just in case somebody gets hurt or anything like that. I’m glad for the competition.
Bama-Texas insights?
I’m gonna keep it real, I told my teammates, I said ‘Y’all, this game is gonna be closer than y’all think it is.’ ‘Nah, man, they’re about to…’ I’m like, ‘Watch. I’m telling you. Bama’s gonna win but this game is gonna be close.’ Nobody believed me. None of the coaches. Like, nobody believed me. They were like, ‘OK, D.J., I gotcha. I’m sorry.’ Apologizing and stuff.
Because, I mean, Texas was excited to play Bama. And they’re going to Austin. They’re trying to call everything in Austin, you know what I mean. I knew it was gonna be close. They sold out the student tickets. They were eager to play Bama.
LED show?
That felt like a party. I was excited to go out on kickoff and see the lights dimming. It felt like a party, like a club or something.
Lincoln a bucket list type of venue?
Absolutely. My friend has been telling me, ever since I was little, about this place. Finally getting to play and the rivalry that’s been going on… I’m excited. I really am. Being an Oklahoma fan pretty much my whole life, I’m excited for it for sure.
Ethan Downs
Recruited by NU?
“I actually went to one of their games. Did visits and stuff. You get to see the balloons after they score a touchdown. Everybody’s, like, throwing up the bones and stuff. It’s a really cool culture up there. Really cool tradition. And I would like to play against it. See how the stadium reacts to ups and downs. Being on the field, it’s going to feel completely different so I’m excited.”
Adversity?
“I talked about it before the game, seeing upsets like after the game and stuff. It's crazy to think there's literally a formula to winning every week. And you might miss by an inch. And that inch may have an effect way down the road like a butterfly effect that shows up on game day. And we've got to stick to that formula and abide by it. And it doesn't matter who you're playing on game day. If you missed that inch back on Monday and Tuesday or Wednesday, it's gonna show up in the game. So, you know, I don't discredit those teams that had upsets. They’re still great teams, still great programs. Just missing by an inch can go a long way.”
Strain?
“I would say when we went through fall camp…fall camp was so hard. Every single day, it’s a grind. An every team can say that. But it was the hardest football's ever been for anybody. And we're out on the rugby field and it's uncomfortable. We're out of our comfort zone and we're in the grind. We’re in the heat. We’re sweating together and bleeding together, even crying together at times, because it gets emotional. And man, we've been through so much worse. I say so much worse…it's been so much harder. And he knows that we strain. He knows that we got that work ethic. He knows that we're their family, we're with a brotherhood. So when we get out there and he's saying I challenge you now to strain like you once did, right? You've done it before, you can do it again. Here's the adversity, let's see who you are when it comes. So instead of just practice strain. It's applying…when you face adversity, applying your character, applying your work ethic and going after it.”
Isaiah Coe
Sacks/TFLs validation?
Just the foundation of earning it every week and never taking anything for granted. Coach V tells us every week that strip it down and start over from scratch. This is a new week so we have to earn everything that we want if we want to win on Saturday. Just having that pride and having that conviction that we have to earn it on the practice field before going out on Saturday. We’re feeling good knowing that we put the work in and that success can come.
Bates?
It’s been fun having us out there, just knowing all the work that they’ve put in through spring, winter, fall camp and just having it all come out for you and for the world to see, it’s been a blessing. Coach Bates, when he first came here, we knew what kind of coach we were getting. They just came the playoff a couple of years ago. He won two national titles and put out multiple first-round d-linemen in 2018 and 2017. We knew what kind of coach we were getting. OK, we can be that next group that had the same success that they had. We were very excited. Now it is coming out on the field and it’s making all of us proud.
First start?
That was a blessing. I told my parents the day before the game. They were excited for me knowing everything that I’ve been through and everything I did to get to this point. I didn’t take it for granted at all and I soaked it all in as much as I can. It’s something I will never forget.
There’s a lot of juco kids that don’t get to experience stuff like this, especially at Oklahoma. I try to have them live through me as much as I can. I try to show them as much as I can that there’s a way to get here. Just because you’re not winning now doesn’t mean that you’re not going to win forever. If you just stay the course, stay patient and when God calls you up and it’s your time, just keep going.
Jaden Davis
Renewed confidence?
I mean Coach Valai really changed it all for me. Just having somebody that really believed in me. You know, Coach Venables — he recruited me out of high school at Clemson. So knowing guys like that and having someone that believed in me and really pure into me, he was just a big difference. Just the coaching styles and different things, it’s just all come together for me at one time. And I’m still improving. I’m not perfect. But I just feel like it’s a whole different feel. I’m having fun playing football. I haven’t had fun in a long time.
Excited to have BV as HC?
I mean I called my dad was the first thing I did. And I had like six people send it to me. It was just crazy because like, everything just came full circle you know? God says everything happens for a reason. So everything happens for a reason. Clemson happened to be the other school I was possibly going to go to. So it’s like I didn’t have to go anywhere. Clemson came to me. So it all just worked out the way it’s supposed to be.
Why was Nebraska so tough last year?
I have no idea honestly. It was just the game. Every game, we’re gonna get everybody’s game seven. It’s a rivalry game. I’m not really from the Oklahoma area, so I ain’t really know about the rivalry until I got over here. And I realize it’s such a big deal. Like Oklahoma-Nebraska, Big 12 days and everything like that. So you’re Oklahoma, you’re going to get everybody’s game seven regardless of who it is. So we just have to go into with that mindset and just respect your opponent. We respect everybody.
Damond Harmon
Biggest difference?
The biggest difference for me is just catching up to the speed of the game. Last year, I didn’t really play a lot. Now that I’m kinda in the rotation, just catching up to the speed, make sure I get all the calls in. Just doing my job right.
Going through everything w/ Kelvin Gilliam?
Oh, Kelvin. I’ve grown up with him, known him since I was like 9 years old. Coming here with him was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Just having somebody I can lean on and talk to whenever I need to. Cry on his shoulder if I need to. Just keep the brother relationship going. It’s been amazing.
Leaning on each other during coaching chaos?
A lot. We didn’t know what we were going to do. Whether we were going to leave or stay, we didn’t know. We just talked to each other. We came to the conclusion to just stick it out and work and go hard because like people always say, the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. We stayed here, fought it out, grinding, still grinding every day and it’s paying off.
Anton Harrison
RT vs. LT?
I will say it's pretty difficult. For me, it was just being confident, as confident I am on the left side on the right side. It’s really just being fluid on the right, just not thinking as much. Just playing.
Difference between first and second half vs. Kent State?
I feel like we were being physical the whole game, but I want to say it was more of a game plan deal. It's like we saw stuff that we didn't really go over during the week. So like, it was just us coming together, standing together as a team, as an offense and just doing what we can do and just going out, playing physical and finishing every play.
What’s Coach Bedenbaugh like in those moments?
He’s great. Coach B, he's a real smart coach. So he tries to see everything. We come on the sideline, he gets us together, he tells us what he sees, asks us what we see on the field. We talk about it, and really he just tries to slow it down for us on the field. And it really helps everybody.
Last year’s Nebraska game give you a sense of this rivalry?
Definitely. With their D-line especially, most of them coming back plus the transfer they got – we played him at TCU last year, so we know pretty much a lot about him – it's really just preparing as much as possible to dominate the
Daniel Parker
First OU game?
It was exciting. The Palace was packed. I got to do it with my brothers and the coaching staff that I love to play with, so it was fun.
Brayden vs. UTEP?
It was amazing. He had two touchdowns. We talked about the great two touchdowns, but he threw some crazy blocks. If you go back and watch the film, he was blocking unreal. I haven't seen a lot of people block like that, not even myself. I give him kudos on that right there.
More B-Will?
For me, I'm brand new here and everything and is new to me. It's like 'Follow Brayden Willis.' Wherever he goes, I go. Like I said prior in the spring, he took me under his wing. Just watching him evolve from even where he was last year and watching what he has done to my game, being able to bring it to a different level has just been big for me.
Joe Jon?
I'd say my perimeter blocking. That's one thing I tend to struggle with is my perimeter blocking. He's helped me to understand plays and what defenders will do based off certain plays that has helped me in my perimeter blocking.
DJ Graham
First two games?
It’s great competition. My past two games I think I’ve done with I could when the opportunity presented itself. Yeah, the competition in the room is great. It pushes everybody. It’s like pins and needles for everybody. There’s no slip-up. If you mess up, just know somebody else will come into the game for you. That’s how it needs to be especially at a place like Oklahoma. You need to have depth just in case somebody gets hurt or anything like that. I’m glad for the competition.
Bama-Texas insights?
I’m gonna keep it real, I told my teammates, I said ‘Y’all, this game is gonna be closer than y’all think it is.’ ‘Nah, man, they’re about to…’ I’m like, ‘Watch. I’m telling you. Bama’s gonna win but this game is gonna be close.’ Nobody believed me. None of the coaches. Like, nobody believed me. They were like, ‘OK, D.J., I gotcha. I’m sorry.’ Apologizing and stuff.
Because, I mean, Texas was excited to play Bama. And they’re going to Austin. They’re trying to call everything in Austin, you know what I mean. I knew it was gonna be close. They sold out the student tickets. They were eager to play Bama.
LED show?
That felt like a party. I was excited to go out on kickoff and see the lights dimming. It felt like a party, like a club or something.
Lincoln a bucket list type of venue?
Absolutely. My friend has been telling me, ever since I was little, about this place. Finally getting to play and the rivalry that’s been going on… I’m excited. I really am. Being an Oklahoma fan pretty much my whole life, I’m excited for it for sure.
