Quarterback is the most important position in football. Make no mistake about it. That’s why they’re the highest-paid players in the NFL and why they’re moving the biggest needle on the name, image and likeness licensing front.
But football is the ultimate team sport. Having great quarterback play can elevate a team that may have other deficiencies. That’s what we saw during the [autotag]Baker Mayfield[/autotag], [autotag]Kyler Murray[/autotag] and [autotag]Jalen Hurts[/autotag] era of Sooner football. Those elite quarterbacks were able to put the Sooners into contention despite a defense that wasn’t consistent enough.
That isn’t the case anymore. For what feels like the first time in a long time, the Oklahoma Sooners aren’t solely dependent on their quarterback to be superhuman.
So while all eyes are on [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] and the Oklahoma offense, the Sooners are heading into the SEC in somewhat unfamiliar territory. The strength of the team is on the defensive side of the ball.
Led by a talented and experienced defensive unit, the Sooners look ready to change the narrative that’s persisted for the last decade. Entering Year 1 in the SEC, Oklahoma isn’t going to rely on its quarterback playing Super Saiyan football for an entire season for it to have a chance to win football games.
That’s because they have a defense capable of being one of the best in the conference, which will take the pressure off Arnold and the offense. Gone are the days when the Sooners have to score 40 to have a chance to win. After allowing 30 points per game in the first season under Brent Venables in 2022, the Sooners have improved by nearly a touchdown a game to 23.5 points per game.
They allowed 30 or more in just three games last season and allowed fewer than four yards per carry. This team held the vaunted Texas offense to 23 points in the Red River Showdown, forcing the 2024 Heisman front-runner into two interceptions and stopping the Longhorns short of the end zone four times from the 1-yard line.
They weren’t perfect last year. There’s room to improve, but the Oklahoma Sooners did just that.
Venables convinced [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag], [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag], [autotag]Woodi Washington[/autotag] and [autotag]Da’Jon Terry[/autotag] to return for another season. That gave the Sooners valuable experience and production. In addition to the development of [autotag]Gracen Halton[/autotag], they added one of the more dynamic defensive tackles in the nation, [autotag]Damonic Williams[/autotag], along with true freshmen phenoms [autotag]David Stone[/autotag] and [autotag]Jayden Jackson[/autotag]. Once considered a weakness of the Sooners’ defense, the defensive interior is now a strength. Combine that with the additions of [autotag]Caiden Woullard[/autotag], who had 9 1/2 sacks for Miami (Ohio), [autotag]Danny Okoye[/autotag], [autotag]Nigel Smith[/autotag], and [autotag]Wyatt Gilmore[/autotag] and the further development of [autotag]R Mason Thomas[/autotag] and [autotag]Adepoju Adebawore[/autotag]. The result is a Sooners defensive front that is loaded with experience and promising young players fighting to break into the rotation.
From the front four to the back seven, the Oklahoma defense is ready to take the next step. And that’s great news for Arnold and the Sooners offense.
The Sooners have a more complete team, even with questions on the offensive side of the ball. They have a team more capable of playing complementary football.
As Arnold gets adjusted to life as the starting quarterback and the offensive line comes together, the defense will lead the way for the Sooners in 2024.
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