The Oklahoma Sooners have begun overhauling their football front office as they shift the university’s focus into the new world of revenue sharing.
Over the past month, former Philadelphia Vice President of Football Operations Jake Rosenberg led Oklahoma’s roster management. Rosenberg and former AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson have been the ones pulling the strings on the budget, NIL resources, and OU’s roster.
It’s no surprise that, as the offseason kicks off, some established figures in Oklahoma’s front office have moved. Earlier today, assistant general manager Chuck Lillie left to become the General Manager at West Virginia. Sooner Scoop has reported that General Manager Curtis Lofton will be transitioning into a different role in their administration.
That leaves the Sooners looking for a new GM and Assistant GM in the offseason. SoonerScoop reported former Oklahoma defensive lineman Alonzo Dotson as a potential hire. Dotson is currently a national scout for the Buffalo Bills.
Dotson is a widely-respected scout in the NFL. He’s a two-time BART List nominee, a list that honors the top scouts in the NFL. While with the Bills, he has been a key part of the Bills’ recent string of draft success with players like Dalton Kincaid, Dorian Williams, O’Cyrus Torrence, Cole Bishop, and Keon Coleman since joining their front office in the summer of 2022.
Before working with the Bills, he was a West Coast and Southeast regional scout for the New York Jets and a Midwest scout for the Green Bay Packers. With the Jets, he was likely the first point of contact for the team drafting players like Quinnen Williams, Mekhi Becton, La’Mical Perine, Elijah Moore, Michael Carter, Jamien Sherwood, Brandin Echols, and Jermaine Johnson II.
In Green Bay, he held a variety of roles in his time there from 2013-18. He handled administrative duties in the front office, while also working with the defensive line and linebackers and organizing the offensive scout team.
Dotson was officially hired as a college scout in February 2013 by Thompson, serving in that role for five seasons and primarily handling the Midwest region. With the Packers, he was likely the primary scout for players the team drafted like Micah Hyde and Corey Linsley.
The Sooners would likely have to wait to bring Dotson in, as the Bills are likely set for a deep playoff run. There aren’t any specific rules blocking him from joining the Sooners right away, but if the Bills are pushing for a Super Bowl, he might stick with the team until their season ends.
His diverse background and expertise in scouting the Southeast and Midwest would be a boon for Oklahoma, and his knowledge and acumen as a scout are widely respected among fellow scouts. His familiarity with the program from his playing days would also help restore the standard of the Bob Stoops days.
We’ll see what the future holds, but if this does happen, this could be a prudent and significant move for the future of the Sooners’ program.