Oklahoma, despite how it has been perceived, is sitting in a very good situation for the 2021 season and for the future in terms of roster management.
The Sooners do have some positions where things are a bit thin, but with the way they have been recruiting and the room they have created for the 2022 recruiting class, Oklahoma’s numbers look great. Lincoln Riley now has the flexibility to once again go for the big fish in the 2022 recruiting class in droves and be able to fall back on the transfer portal.
Riley and the Sooners sit as of this post at 89 scholarships for the 2021 season, which is well below where they could be. At least 20 scholarships low on what it could be.
When you look at the roster, Oklahoma has a chance to completely turn it over from 2021 to 2022. The Sooners have more than 10 NFL prospects and more other players who are starting to get buried a bit on the depth chart. It could be a serious overhaul after this season, but for 2021, Oklahoma is loaded.
What this provides is a chance for Riley to be ultra-aggressive on the recruiting trail for 2022. Oklahoma can take a huge class if it wants, and one that is deep with top blue-chip talent. If the Sooners strike out, though, Oklahoma is more than willing to take on the best transfers in the portal.
Here is what the Sooners’ scholarship situation looks like as of this post being written, though Sooners Wire does expect this to change a little in the near future. We are treating the extra year of eligibility in this instance as if players will just keep the same eligibility title from the 2020 season. This will be changed if not:
As you can see: the numbers are thin at quarterback, running back and potentially linebacker for the 2022 season. And, as you can see, Oklahoma has four commitments for the 2022 recruiting class and with massive expected attrition, the Sooners are in a good spot at 84 scholarships so far.
Here is what it looks like in an expanded sense with how many years players have played and how many years players have left.