The Oklahoma Sooners return home this week, looking to bounce back after a humbling loss against Texas. OU will host the South Carolina Gamecocks in a game that is suddenly much bigger than previously anticipated.
[autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] and his coaching staff will once again be relying on plenty of members of the [autotag]2024 recruiting class[/autotag] to play big roles in this game. These true freshmen may not be ready yet, but they’re being asked to step up and help the team get victories in the mighty [autotag]SEC[/autotag].
Here are three freshmen to keep your eye on as the Sooners try to take down the Gamecocks.
1. Eli Bowen, DB
One of the few bright spots in the loss against the Longhorns last week was the play of [autotag]Eli Bowen[/autotag]. The undersized cornerback showed plenty of heart and technique on the outside. If it weren’t for him, Texas may have scored even more points than they did.
Bowen will be asked to play extremely well once again, as there’s essentially no margin for error for this OU defense right now. One busted coverage or lost jump ball could spell doom for Oklahoma with the way the offense looks right now.
2. Michael Boganowski, DB
Another young member of OU’s secondary, [autotag]Michael Boganowski[/autotag] gets the nod here because of the physicality he brings to the table. No, he won’t start in this game behind the excellent trio of safeties the Sooners have, but if Venables wants his team to be more physical, few on this team lay the hammer like Boganowski.
As Oklahoma tries to win games without the aid of their offense, there’s no substitute for stopping the run and being physical. That’ll be paramount against a Gamecock offense that is also struggling, and depth will certainly play a role, as the Sooners will have to play plenty of snaps on defense.
3. Michael Hawkins Jr., QB
The last spot could go to defensive tackle Jayden Jackson or running back Taylor Tatum, but we’ll include quarterback [autotag]Michael Hawkins Jr.[/autotag] here.
Hawkins will make his third career start in this game, Venables confirmed on Monday night. He did enough to get the win over Auburn before the bye week, but struggled against Texas last week. He certainly isn’t getting any help from anyone calling the offense or the injury situation at wide receiver, but there is definitely room to improve.
The true freshman needs to take care of the ball yes, but he should also be encouraged to sling it and trust what he sees. He’s likely still in the game because of his poise and athletic ability, and because Venables believes he’s the best man for the job. He needs to prove his head coach right by taking a step forward on Saturday against the Gamecocks and by taking a firm hold of the starting gig under center.
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