Over the years, the transfer portal has become a weapon for the Oklahoma Sooners.

Under Lincoln Riley, the Sooners landed quarterbacks that turned into top picks in the NFL draft. Though they continue to be the beneficiary of the portal, with Riley’s departure, the Sooners have seen some of their talent walk out the door this offseason.

The Sooners lost double-digit starters to the NFL draft and the transfer portal. While Brent Venables and his staff have rebounded mightily through the portal, some still view it as a net loss. Bleacher Report had this to say about the Sooners in a piece outlining the winners and losers of the transfer Portal:

Lincoln Riley’s departure to USC both hammered the recruiting class and sparked a wave of transfers.

Along with Haselwood’s flight for Arkansas, breakout quarterback Caleb Williams entered the portal. Though it’s still possible he returns to Oklahoma, the most likely outcome is he plays elsewhere in 2022. Even though OU swiped UCF transfer Dillon Gabriel from UCLA, Williams would be a significant loss.

And that’s merely the beginning.

Former starting QB Spencer Rattler and tight end Austin Stogner both left for South Carolina. Longtime safety Patrick Fields went to Stanford, and two promising freshmen — wideout Mario Williams (USC) and cornerback Latrell McCutchin (undecided) — also decided to transfer.

Oklahoma picked up some impact transfers, including Cal guard McKade Mettauer, Hawaii D-lineman Jonah La’ulu and Appalachian State linebacker T.D. Roof. But that’s a long list of key departures. – David Kenyon, Bleacher Report

Losing Rattler, who was bound for the transfer portal the moment Caleb Williams showed what he could do against Texas, is hardly a blow. Not because Rattler isn’t talented but because there was no chance he would stay as long as Williams was here. At the moment, we’re still awaiting news on Williams’ next destination. The odds-on favorite is USC, but LSU is reportedly in the mix as well for the former Sooners starting quarterback. Softening the blow, the Sooners added Dillon Gabriel to the quarterback depth chart immediately after Williams entered his name into the portal and they are still in the mix for Jaxson Dart.

Defensively, the Sooners lost a couple of defensive backs but bring in equally seasoned and productive defensive backs: UNC transfer Trey Morrison, Wyoming’s C.J. Coldon and Louisville’s Kani Walker to replace them. Only time will tell how well they perform for the Oklahoma Sooners. They’ve also brought in defensive linemen Jonah La’ulu and Jeffrey Johnson to help bolster a defensive front that lost Perrion Winfrey, Isaiah Thomas and Nik Bonitto to the NFL draft.

Ultimately, the Sooners will not know how this transfer portal treats them until the impending decisions of Jaxson Dart and Caleb Williams are announced. It’s likely Williams is gone, but Dart combined with Dillon make the losses on the offensive side of the ball much more manageable.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.