The Oklahoma Sooners and the LSU Tigers will meet in the final game of the regular season on Saturday night. OU is coming off a 24-3 upset win over the Alabama Crimson Tide last week, and they’re looking to get back-to-back high-level wins.
As [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] and the Sooners hit the road to Baton Rouge, they’ll once again be turning to plenty of true freshmen to step up. Because of all of the injuries Oklahoma has faced this year, there have been plenty of members of the [autotag]2024 recruiting class[/autotag] who have played a ton of meaningful snaps. It’ll be no different against the Bayou Bengals, and here are three names to keep your eye on in Death Valley in Week 14.
1. Xavier Robinson, RB
In a matter of weeks, running back [autotag]Xavier Robinson[/autotag] has gone from buried on the depth chart and an afterthought to an integral piece of the present and future of the OU offense.
Robinson carried a big load against Alabama last week, and he’s in line to do so again against LSU this week. His bruising run style means he’s always falling forward, and it’s hard for the first tackler to bring him down.
The Carl Albert High School product didn’t look like a freshman against the mighty Crimson Tide, and OU will need that to be true against the Tigers this week as well.
2. Eddy Pierre-Louis, OL
Offensive lineman [autotag]Eddy Pierre-Louis[/autotag] didn’t play against Missouri, but he got some very good reps against Alabama, in a game where OU’s offensive line was able to control the action up front. He’s another player who figures to factor into this team’s future plans on the O-line.
Pierre-Louis plays a lot of right guard, a key spot with OU’s inside runs or gap scheme outside runs with pulling linemen. He played well against a very talented defensive front and will need to do so again if his number is called versus LSU this week.
3. Eli Bowen, DB
Cornerback [autotag]Eli Bowen[/autotag] did an excellent job against Alabama’s Ryan Williams a week ago. Now, he’s got another tough challenge matching up against LSU’s Kyren Lacy. Bowen has become inarguably the best corner on this football team, and his future in Norman is so bright.
Oklahoma’s secondary has been hit or miss for most of the 2024 season, but they were on last week, with Bowen playing a big role. The Tigers boast a dynamic passing attack that will test the Sooners vertically, meaning that the secondary will have to play very well again this week.