Wide receiver Brenen Thompson emerged as the first entry out of Norman, per 247Sports transfer portal reporter Chris Hummer at 12:39 p.m. PT. Quarterback Brendan Zurbrugg followed next in under three minutes, with 247Sports’ Matt Zenitz reporting the move at 12:41 p.m. PT.
But they weren’t the last portal entries. Linebacker Phil Picciotti dipped into the portal 40 minutes after Zurbrugg’s decision, via Hayes Fawcett of on3.com. Picciotti represented the lone defensive portal addition.
Still, OU became one of the few teams to lose three different players to the portal in less than an hour’s time. All three are making their decision following the Sooners’ 6-6 campaign under Venables.
What type of players are Oklahoma football losing to the portal?
Thompson will be looking for his third different college. He even started his career with a primary rival of the Sooners.
The 5-foot-9, 165-pounder first caught passes for Texas. He arrived to Austin as a four-star signing from Spearman. Oklahoma eventually accepted his transfer in April 2023.
Thompson leaves Norman catching 26 receptions for 471 yards and four touchdowns. He played in 10 total games, including the Red River Rivalry against the Longhorns which was a 34-3 loss. Thompson never surpassed 60 receiving yards in a game. The junior now joins Jalil Farooq and J.J. Hester as Sooner WRs in the portal. The aforementioned duo decided their intentions to transfer on Tuesday.
Zurbrugg signed on as a three-star addition to Venables and Oklahoma’s 2024 class. He became a rare state of Ohio find for OU out of Alliance High. Syracuse and Northwestern became Zurbrugg’s only other power conference offers before choosing Oklahoma.
He first enrolled on campus for the Jan. 2024 semester. However, he leaves following his freshman season. Zurbrugg places his name into the portal following fellow QB Jackson Arnold and his own departure from