Why OU tight end Brayden Willis has 'football karma' on his side this season
NORMAN — The OU football team has a term its players and staff like to use.
"Football karma."
It's a belief that a player's gameday success is predetermined by the work he puts in beforehand, and Brayden Willis had football karma on his side Saturday.
Willis finished with three receptions for 40 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The breakout performance is football karma for a player who has spent his entire career at OU and prioritized being a leader over a stat-sheet stuffer.
"It's real," OU offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby said of the karma phrase. "(Willis) is the same dude every single day. He's been an unbelievable leader. He's got toughness. He's got physicality. He's got high want-to, high character and he's earned it."
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After hauling in two touchdowns last season, the fifth-year tight end matched that total during OU's season opener against UTEP.
Willis scored two of the Sooners' first four touchdowns against the Miners.
His first trip to the end zone came with 9:18 left in the first quarter when Dillon Gabriel threw a lob pass over the outstretched arms of UTEP defender and into the hands of Willis for a 6-yard touchdown.
That gave OU a 14-0 lead, and Gabriel went back to Willis on the final drive before halftime.
Willis hauled in a pass up the middle and got past a diving UTEP defender before cruising into the end zone for a 28-yard touchdown that extended OU's lead to 28-10.
"I have to give credit to my offensive line ... my quarterback, receivers, Coach Lebby and everything that goes into it," Willis said. "It was nice, nice to get those two touchdowns."
Willis should have every opportunity to contribute for OU following the departure of two veteran tight ends this past offseason.
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Jeremiah Hall tested his luck in the NFL after making 32 receptions for 334 yards and four touchdowns last season. Austin Stogner transferred to South Carolina after recording 14 catches for 166 yards and three touchdowns in 2021.
That has cleared a path for Willis to contribute and possibly boost his NFL Draft stock. Still, he isn't chasing stats this season.
"I see myself playing whatever role they want me to do," Willis said. "I take pride in blocking, and I want to do that. If they call me to do anything else, I’ll do whatever I can for the team."
Willis' selfless mindset only makes him more deserving of some good football karma in the eyes of Lebby.
"Coach (Venables) talks nonstop about our program being a program that's going to understand how to earn it," Lebby said. "(Willis) has done it. I'm so fired up for him. He's gonna have a great year and keep rolling.”
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Sooner stock riser
R Mason Thomas was still 17 years old when OU began its fall camp in August.
The 6-2, 222-pound defensive lineman had missed the Sooners' winter and spring practices, but it didn't take long for him to prove he belonged in Norman.
Thomas quickly emerged as one of OU's fastest and strongest players on the defensive line. And, after turning 18 years old just a few days before the Sooners' season opener against UTEP, he translated those skillsets to the field.
Thomas was the first true freshman to take a snap on either side of the ball for the Sooners on Saturday. He finished with two tackles and 0.5 sacks.
Thomas' shining moment came in the closing seconds of the first quarter when he won his battle at the line of scrimmage and helped Reggie Grimes bring down UTEP quarterback Gavin Hardison for a sack.
"I’m very, very, very pleased with R Mason," OU defensive coordinator Ted Roof said. "His maturity — he's got like an old soul. He's put a lot of work in. He's approached it in a very mature manner, and I think you saw the results of that."
OU listed Thomas at defensive end behind Grimes, Ethan Downs, Marcus Stripling and Jonah Laulu for its Week 1 depth chart.
It'll be difficult for Thomas to draw meaningful snaps at one of OU's more competitive positions, but the young Sooner has shown that he can make up ground.
"He’s going to be a very good football player if he continues to approach the game like he does right now," Roof said. "He's got a wonderful attitude, a wonderful perspective and a great work ethic. I'm really, really pleased with him."
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Kent State practicing at Tulsa Union ahead of OU football game
Kent State is already in the Sooner State as it prepares for a Week 2 road game against OU at 6 p.m. Saturday.
Following a 45-20 road loss at Washington this past weekend, Kent State head coach Sean Lewis opted to limit his team's travel time.
Rather than returning to their campus in Kent, Ohio, the Golden Flashes have set up shop in Tulsa. Players also won't miss as much class time since their university isn't holding classes Monday, which is Labor Day.
Kent State will practice at Union High School in Tulsa this week before traveling to Oklahoma City on Friday. It'll then make the trip to Norman on Saturday for the evening matchup.
"We want to put our guys in the best position to be successful," Lewis said. "We prepare and we plan and felt this would be the best opportunity for us to have a successful week."
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU Sooners tight end Brayden Willis has 'football karma' on his side
