Rondell Bothroyd sets goals for first season at Oklahoma

The Oklahoma Sooners brought in a slew of defensive linemen through the transfer portal this offseason in an attempt to bolster up their front ahead of their second season under head coach Brent Venables. One of those players was Wake Forest transfer EDGE Rondell Bothroyd who joined the team in January, and following the Sooners’ Tuesday fall camp practice, he spoke about his goals for the 2023 season.

“I think goals, win the conference championship maybe even go to the national championship, that’d be cool,” Bothroyd said. “But I think just win as a team, have a better season than last year, help them win more games than they did last year.”

The Sooners finished 6-7 last season in their first year under Venables, losing five of their seven games by a touchdown or less and their last four losses by three points each.

Championship aspirations and overall team improvement is the name of the game for Bothroyd, but individually he kept his goals simple.

“And me personally, just get to the quarterback as much as I can and help my teammates around me get better,” Bothroyd said.

Bothroyd definitely got after the quarterback with the Demon Deacons, recording 16.5 sacks in his five seasons with the team. And the Sooners could definitely use him and others providing more quarterback pressure in the 2023 season.

Oklahoma ranked fourth in the Big 12 in sacks last season, ending the year with 26. But 13 of those sacks were recorded in the Sooners’ first three games of the season all against non-conference competition. Oklahoma’s average margin of victory in those three games 32.3, dominating their first three opponents of the 2022 season. But they definitely struggled getting to the passer in Big 12 Conference play.

Da’Jon Terry (Tennessee), Jacob Lacey (Notre Dame), Davon Sears (Texas State), Trace Ford (Oklahoma State), and Dasan McCullough (Indiana) join Bothroyd in the Sooners’ transfer portal overhaul of the offseason. And in the Sooners’ aforementioned close losses from last season, their two blowout losses were suffered in games when quarterback Dillon Gabriel missed time with injury.

It’s safe to say that a fully healthy season from Gabriel and an increase in pass-rush production could be the difference in the Sooners having an improved season in 2023, and it will definitely be interesting to see if Venables’ defensive prowess can mesh cohesively with his new look defensive line this upcoming season.