There’s a lot to be encouraged about with the Oklahoma Sooners defense as they make their way into the SEC. The returns of [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] and [autotag]Woodi Washington[/autotag] provided the Sooners defense with a huge boost. They have a number of blue-chip prospects ready to take the next step to become significant contributors on the roster.
At cornerback and safety, Oklahoma has a lot of talent. Aside from guys like Bowman, Washington, and [autotag]Gentry Williams[/autotag], who was great when available but struggled with injuries, OU has a number of guys with unrealized potential, but the talent is there. But on a defense that’s expected to be one of the best in the nation, there’s still a lot to prove.
Oklahoma finished the 2023 season 112th in the nation in pass defense, allowing 250 passing yards per game.
Texas threw for 371 yards in Oklahoma’s 34-30 win over the Longhorns in the Red River Showdown.
They allowed 344 passing yards in the shootout win over TCU, but much of that came after Oklahoma got up big on the Horned Frogs. The Sooners allowed 334 to Oklahoma State in what was a tight ball game and one score loss.
Arizona lit the Sooners secondary up for 354 yards threw the air.
Those were arguably the four best passing offenses the Sooners faced in 2023 and they struggled.
Oklahoma made big plays in the passing game, coming away with five interceptions in those four games. But as a team, they went 2-2 in those games.
The Sooners have gotten better against the run, finishing 44th in the nation in rushing yards allowed per game in 2023. In 2022, the Sooners allowed 187 rushing yards per game, ranking No. 106 in the nation.
That’s a huge improvement as a run defense, now they need to carry that over into the SEC and improve against the pass.
It should be improved with better health from Gentry Williams and developed play from the rest of the cornerback group. Safety also has a higher ceiling with the development of Billy Bowman, Robert Spears-Jennings, and Peyton Bowen.
If Oklahoma can improve the pass rush from what they accomplished in 2023, it will go a long way to improving the pass defense. With a number of coin flip games on the schedule, the Sooners will need to improve in every area on defense to help take the pressure off of their offensive line and first-year starter [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag].
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