Tag: 2024 Oklahoma Sooners Football

Oklahoma’s defense one of the best in the SEC heading into 2024

The SP+ Rankings like Oklahoma more than the AP Top 25 or US LBM Coaches Poll, but how do they compare to the SEC?

The Oklahoma Sooners are just over two weeks away from beginning the 2024 college football season. The US LBM Coaches Poll has been out for a week, and the AP Top 25 was released on Monday. In both, the Sooners were voted the No. 16 team in the nation and eighth among SEC teams.

While the human voters may had the Sooners eighth, the computers like Oklahoma a bit better. They’re No. 8 in ESPN’s Football Power Index and come in at No. 13 overall and seventh in the SEC in the final ESPN SP+ rankings ahead of the 2024 season.

Here’s a look at how the SEC compares in the final SP+ rankings.

SEC Rank Team Overall Offense Defense Special Teams
1 Georgia 1 3 5 7
2 Alabama 4 7 8 2
3 Texas 5 4 12 17
4 Ole Miss 8 6 16 26
5 LSU 10 2 38 83
6 Missouri 11 8 19 45
7 Oklahoma 13 17 13 95
8 Texas A&M 14 11 24 73
9 Tennessee 15 14 20 52
10 Kentucky 22 28 31 39
11 Florida 23 18 41 9
12 Auburn 25 38 25 27
13 South Carolina 35 59 30 12
14 Arkansas 44 39 53 6
15 Mississippi State 55 67 52 50
16 Vanderbilt 89 68 104 72

By comparison, the Oklahoma Sooners’ defense rates more favorably than the offense. OU’s defense comes in as the fourth-best unit in the SEC, according to the SP+ ratings. Offensively, however, the Sooners are considered the ninth-best offense in the conference.

It’s reasonable to expect more out of the defense. There’s a lot more experience and proven production on that unit led by Danny Stutsman, Billy Bowman, Ethan Downs, Woodi Washington and incoming defensive tackle transfer Damonic Williams.

The offense has talent, but aside from Gavin Sawchuk, Nic Anderson, Jalil Farooq, Andrel Anthony and their offensive line transfers, there’s not a lot of experience or production.

With former five-star quarterback Jackson Arnold taking the reins, there is a great deal of potential for the offense. He has a big arm and fantastic athleticism. He’s got a lot to prove but has the talent to be among the best in college football.

Beyond Arnold, the Sooners have much to prove on special teams. The SP+ ratings consider the Sooners to be the worst team in the SEC on special teams entering the season. The only spot that feels solidified is the punting duties with Luke Elzinga. Elzinga was the best part of Oklahoma’s special teams unit in 2023. OU’s kicking situation is unsettled and they have to get more out of the return game this season if they want to be a contender.

Oklahoma made the move to bring in Doug Deakin, who led some of the best special teams units in the nation during his time at San Diego State. If he can work that same magic in Norman, it’ll go a long way to helping the Sooners become a contender in 2024.

OU will have to be good in all three phases of the game to navigate their schedule and make a run for a College Football Playoff berth this season. Given the strength of the SEC and that OU will play five teams ranked higher than it in SP+ ratings, there’s no room to be average or bad in any phase of the game.

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Danny Stutsman featured on CBS Sports top 50 NFL draft big board

Oklahoma will need to take another step forward on defense in 2024.

The 2024 college football season is right around the corner, but some are already looking ahead to next April. That’s when the 2025 NFL Draft will be held, and if you follow football, you know that some analysts cover the draft year-round.

CBS Sports analyst Ryan Wilson released his annual preseason Top 50 Draft Board on Monday, identifying the best pro prospects in college football before the season gets rolling. He has one OU player inside of his top 32.

Oklahoma Sooners linebacker [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] cracks the first round at No. 28 overall on Wilson’s list. He’s the third-ranked linebacker behind LSU‘s Harold Perkins and Clemson‘s Barrett Carter.

Stutsman’s much anticipated senior season comes after he led the Sooners with 104 tackles in 2023, including 16 for a loss. He had three sacks, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery last year, as well as his pick-six against Tulsa. He also had three pass breakups in coverage.

He only played in a little over eleven games last season and the Sooners were 10-1 in games he started and finished, only losing against Arizona in the Alamo Bowl. His injury early in the the Kansas loss led to him being held out the next week, a loss against Oklahoma State. Those were the only two games OU failed to win during the regular season, and both came right down to the wire.

Stutsman’s presence in the middle of Oklahoma’s defense is huge for head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] and new defensive coordinator/linebackers coach [autotag]Zac Alley[/autotag]. He’s become the heart and soul of the unit and gives OU a chance to make another leap on the defensive side of the ball in 2024.

Heading into the [autotag]SEC[/autotag], the Sooners will need to start putting even more players into the NFL, especially on the defensive side of the ball if they want to keep up in recruiting and the portal. Though the Sooners have produced seven first round picks in the last decade, six of them have come on the offensive side of the ball. Two have come in the last two years, both on the offensive line ([autotag]Anton Harrison[/autotag] in 2023 and [autotag]Tyler Guyton[/autotag] in 2024).

[autotag]Kenneth Murray[/autotag] is the only first-rounder on defense in that time period, all the way back in 2020. The early days of the [autotag]Bob Stoops[/autotag] era, when Venables was the co-defensive coordinator, produced first-rounders on defense on a number of occasions.

Stutsman is trying to be the first to restart that trend, and with another good season this year could find himself selected in the first 32 picks when April rolls around.

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Oklahoma Sooners to face six teams in the preseason AP Top 25

The Oklahoma Sooners will face six teams in the top 15 of the preseason AP Top 25.

The Oklahoma Sooners enter the 2024 season in unfamiliar territory as they enter the SEC. Still one of the top 25 teams in the nation, they aren’t considered one of the favorites to win their conference.

Such is life in the SEC, the home of the Georgia Bulldogs and Alabama Crimson Tide.

With the start of the 2024 season two weeks away, the preseason AP top 25 was released and the Oklahoma Sooners came in at No. 16. That’s also where they landed in the US LBM Coaches Poll. And like the Coaches Poll, the Sooners were the eighth highest-ranked team among SEC schools.

Coming in at No. 1, earning 46 of the possible 62 first-place votes, are the Georgia Bulldogs. Georgia’s hoping to regain its spot atop college football after losing to Alabama in the SEC title game in 2023 and missing the College Football Playoff.

The Ohio State Buckeyes are No. 2, earning 15 first-place votes, followed by the Oregon Ducks, who earned one first place vote. The Texas Longhorns came in at No. 4 followed by the Alabama Crimson Tide.

The Sooners play six teams in the top 15. Along with Texas and Alabama, OU will take on No. 6 Ole Miss, No. 11 Missouri and No. 13 LSU. The Sooners open SEC play by hosting No. 15 Tennessee.

It’s a daunting schedule that will be must-see television throughout the 2024 season. But the Oklahoma Sooners have built a roster that has a chance to contend with the best in the conference this season. Led by a defense that features All-Americans and future NFL draft picks, [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] has a unit that can lead the way in 2024.

A look at the full preseason AP Poll:

Ranking Team Points
1 Georgia Bulldogs 1,532 (46)
2 Ohio State Buckeyes 1,490 (15)
3 Oregon Ducks 1,403 (1)
4 Texas Longhorns 1,386
5 Alabama Crimson Tide 1,260
6 Ole Miss Rebels 1,189
7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 1,122
8 Penn State Nittany Lions 1,060
9 Michigan Wolverines 995
10 Florida State Seminoles 971
11 Missouri Tigers 927
12 Utah Utes 887
13 LSU Tigers 804
14 Clemson Tigers 689
15 Tennessee Volunteers 629
16 Oklahoma Sooners 566
17 Oklahoma State Cowboys 538
18 Kansas State Wildcats 526
19 Miami Hurricanes 492
20 Texas A&M Aggies 292
21 Arizona Wildcats 237
22 Kansas Jayhawks 231
23 USC Trojans 172
24 North Carolina State Wolfpack 171
25 Iowa Hawkeyes 140

Others Receiving Votes

Louisville 111, Virginia Tech 77, Boise St. 47, SMU 33, Iowa St. 33, Liberty 32, Washington 23, West Virginia 17, Memphis 16, Nebraska 16, Wisconsin 15, UTSA 6, Tulane 5, Appalachian St. 4, Kentucky 3, Auburn 2, Colorado 1.

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Danny Stutsman selected to USA TODAY Sports preseason All-American team

Oklahoma’s leader on defense adds another preseason accolade ahead of his senior year.

It was a breakout season for [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] in 2023. He was so good that he could have declared for the NFL draft and would have likely been a top 100 pick in 2024. However, Stutsman opted to forgo the draft and return to Oklahoma for his senior season, providing the Sooners defense with playmaking and leadership as OU heads into the SEC.

As Stutsman prepares for his senior season, he’s considered one of the best defenders in the country. The Sooners linebacker was named to the Walter Camp preseason All-American team and was a first-team All-SEC selection by the media. Stutsman has been named to a number of watch lists ahead of the 2024 season and can now add one more accolade to his preseason resume.

On Monday, Stutsman was named to the first team of USA TODAY Sports All-American team. LSU‘s Harold Perkins and Iowa‘s Jay Higgins were the other linebackers named to the first team.

Stutsman’s hoping to build upon a 2023 season in which he racked up 104 total tackles, 16 tackles for loss, three sacks and an interception. If the Sooners are going to realize their potential on defense in 2024, Danny Stutsman will be leading the way.

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Could the Oklahoma Sooners make the playoff with 3 losses?

The Sooners have a tough schedule, but even a down year could include a berth in the College Football Playoff.

Entering the 2024 season a lot has been made of the Oklahoma Sooners schedule in year one in the [autotag]SEC[/autotag]. The schedule is tough, considering OU will play six teams ranked inside the top 15 of the US LBM Coaches Poll.

Due to the evolving nature of college football, with conference realignment and the expanded [autotag]College Football Playoff[/autotag], contending for a national title is going to look a lot different than it ever has.

In most years, your national champion will have one or fewer losses. However, we’ve reached the era of college football, where the team that wins the title could have multiple losses during the regular season and still go on to win the national championship.

And given the depth of the SEC and the Big Ten, there’s a reality where a three-loss team could make the playoff and (cough, cough) win the whole thing.

247Sports Brad Crawford explored a number of teams that could make the College Football Playoff with three losses. He included teams like Texas, USC, and Florida, among others. But one team he didn’t include in his discussion was Oklahoma. The Sooners have one of the tougher schedules in the nation, and arguably the second most difficult schedule in the SEC.

Nobody within the program or Oklahoma Sooners fan base would ever be satisfied with a three-loss regular season. But in the new era of college football, there’s a path in which the Sooners could go through the regular season with three losses and still make the College Football Playoff.

The Sooners will play Texas, Alabama, Ole Miss, Missouri, LSU, and Tennessee. Those six teams are inside the top 15 of the preseason Coaches Poll. And they’ll all likely be in the top 15 of the poll when the play Oklahoma. They will be marquee games that will have SEC title and playoff implications. Those six games will likely determine the 2024 season for the Sooners. Go 4-2 in those games and the Sooners are a playoff team. Go 3-3 and they’ll be on the fringe.

If Oklahoma’s losses are to teams like Texas, Alabama, and Ole Miss, three teams ranked in the top six of the preseason poll, then there’s a good chance the Sooners could earn one of those final at-large bids with wins over Missouri, LSU, and Tennessee along with a road win over Auburn. If they can include a win over Texas, Bama, or Ole Miss, it’ll give them an even better chance.

Currently, the ESPN Football Power Index gives the Oklahoma Sooners a 36.6% chance to make the playoff in 2024 and just a 5.1% chance to win the SEC. Their chance to make the playoff puts the Sooners 10th in the nation, even with a projected win-loss record of 8.2-3.9.

In the course of college football history, a three-loss team would be out of the running for a national title. But that’s in the past. It’s a new day in college football. Teams with two losses will still have a lot to play for in November. And the Oklahoma Sooners will be one of those teams with a lot to playoff in the final month of the season.

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Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver depth being put to the test

Oklahoma Sooners relying on wide receiver depth as they work to get several players back from injury.

Entering fall camp, no position group on the Oklahoma Sooners roster was as deep as wide receiver. In just a year and a half, [autotag]Emmitt Jones[/autotag] has added and developed incredible competitive depth at one of the game’s most important positions.

Through a couple of weeks of fall camp, that depth is being tested. Jayden Gibson suffered a knee injury, [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] was dinged up last week and [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] and Andrel Anthony have been working their way back to game readiness.

Those four were among the top five wide receivers from 2023 and are expected to play significant roles in 2024. But the Sooners are working through fall camp without them.

As reports from the first scrimmage of fall camp surfaced, it sounds like the offense had a rough day. The defense is going to be really good, but the first team offense missing most of the two-deep at wide receiver (aside from Deion Burks) is going to make things a little more difficult for Jackson Arnold.

That’s why building depth and development is so important. With Anderson, Farooq, Anthony and Gibson out, [autotag]J.J. Hester[/autotag], [autotag]Ivan Carreon[/autotag], [autotag]Brenen Thompson[/autotag], [autotag]Jaquaize Pettaway[/autotag], [autotag]Zion Kearney[/autotag] and Burks had an opportunity to work with the first-team offense.

The Oklahoma Sooners have 17 days before they open the season with Temple on Aug. 29, giving Jones and the training staff plenty of time to get wide receivers ready to go. For the Sooners to have their offense humming early and often in 2024, health is paramount.

Oklahoma has the depth it can rely on, but getting Anderson, Farooq and Anthony back to 100% will make a huge difference for the Sooners passing attack.

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The Oklahoman says this is the Sooners’ most important game in 2024

What is the Sooners most important game of the 2024 season?

On a schedule full of marquee games, none is bigger than the Oklahoma Sooners vs. the Texas Longhorns in the Red River Showdown.

Sure, Tennessee and Alabama are coming to town. Oklahoma goes on the road for potential top-15 matchups with Ole Miss and LSU. Despite the intriguing contests on the docket, it all comes back to the Cotton Bowl.

And isn’t that how it should be?

The most important game of any season is going to be your rivalry game. With Oklahoma handing Texas its lone regular-season loss, the Longhorns will be eager to settle the score. With all of the big games on OU’s schedule, it would be easy to go another direction, but The Oklahoman’s Ryan Aber pointed to OU-Texas as the Sooners most important game.

The take: Could it be anything different? OU-Texas is at the top of the importance list every season but this season it takes on an even greater importance. The Longhorns have the makings of a playoff contender and a top-flight quarterback in Quinn Ewers. The Sooners’ win over Texas last season was the highlight of their season. Best case for OU, it comes into this game undefeated and looking for a win to strengthen its bid for a spot in the College Football Playoff. Worst case, the Sooners might need a win here to stay afloat after a tough start to SEC play. Either way or anything in the middle, the Red River Rivalry is at the top of the list of important matchups for OU this season. – Aber,  The Oklahoman

Aber ranked the games against the Vols and then at LSU to close the season just behind the Red River Showdown.

Oklahoma will play Texas after hosting Tennessee, going to Auburn and experiencing its first bye week of the season. The Sooners’ matchup with Texas could be a top 10 game by the time the two meet in the Cotton Bowl.

If Oklahoma struggles in its first two SEC games, it’ll make the performance against its most-hated rival all the more important.

It’s important every year, but in Year 1 of the SEC, it just means more.

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Oklahoma center Branson Hickman makes Rimington Trophy preseason watch list

Branson Hickman may prove to be one of the best transfer portal additions for Brent Venables and his staff in 2024.

Oklahoma Sooners offensive lineman [autotag]Branson Hickman[/autotag] has made his second preseason award watch list for the 2024 season, all before playing a down for OU.

After Hickman made the Outland Trophy watch list last week, the transfer center was named to the Rimington Trophy watch list on Friday. The Rimington Trophy is given to the best center in college football. The Outland Trophy is awarded to the best interior lineman in the country, regardless of which side of the ball they play on.

Hickman was a big get the the portal’s post-spring window for head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] and offensive line coach [autotag]Bill Bedenbaugh[/autotag]. The pair needed some major help at the center position as they rebuilt the offensive line, replacing all five primary starters from a year ago.

Hickman, formerly of SMU, has been the offensive lineman receiving the most national praise on OU’s roster since coming to Norman, and is likely in the driver’s seat to start at center. The offensive line has been a topic of conversation all offseason long as Oklahoma joins the [autotag]SEC[/autotag], and Hickman will be tasked with helping to protect quarterback [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] and open up running lanes for [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag] and the rest of the running back room.

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Oklahoma Sooners unveil Wilkinson-era inspired throwback uniforms

The Oklahoma Sooners unveiled a Wilkinson-era inspired throwback uniform.

Entering Year 3 of the Brent Venables era, the Oklahoma Sooners are hearkening back to one of the most successful eras in college football history. OU unveiled its latest throwback uniform, “drawing inspiration from the Bud Wilkinson era.”

According to a release from the University of Oklahoma athletic department, the uniform resembles what the Sooners wore from 1946 to 1956. It was a period of absolute dominance for the Sooners. They won three national championships, compiled a record of 103-11-3, established a record 47-game winning streak and went 6-1 in bowl games during the stretch.

The Oklahoma Sooners will wear the Wilkinson era fits when they welcome the Houston Cougars to town on Sept. 7.

The Oklahoma athletic department will retire the “Rough Riders” uniform, which debuted back in 2014 and has been used as an alternate at least once a season since. Oklahoma still plans to use the anthracite “Unity” uniform that debuted in 2022 and has been worn in wins over Kansas and West Virginia.

The Wilkinson era uniform features a white helmet with a red stripe down the middle, white pants with a double stripe down each leg and a crimson jersey with three white stripes on the shoulders.

It’s a fantastic look that will create a classic feel on the field.

Here’s a look at the new Wilkinson throwbacks.

Where does Jackson Arnold rank among SEC quarterbacks?

Jackson Arnold has all the talent in the world to do big things for the Oklahoma Sooners, but where does he rank among SEC quarterbacks entering 2024?

It’s a new era of quarterback play at the University of Oklahoma. A program that has earned the right to be called QBU will unleash its third five-star quarterback prospect since 2021 when Jackson Arnold steps on the field in Week 1 against Temple.

Like the previous five-star quarterbacks, [autotag]Spencer Rattler[/autotag] and [autotag]Caleb Williams[/autotag], Arnold has tremendous talent and upside. But with limited experience entering the season, a great deal of growth has to take place on the fly for the Oklahoma Sooners to contend in the SEC.

Thomas Jones of the Austin American Statesman ranked every SEC quarterback situation heading into the 2024 season, and Arnold and the Oklahoma Sooners landed at No. 9.

Sophomore [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag], a former blue-chip recruit from Denton, steps into the starting role after [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] transferred to Oregon. If Arnold stumbles in his first season as a starter, the Sooners can turn to a familiar face for Texas fans in Casey Thompson, a former Longhorns’ starter and an Oklahoma native who’s completing a six-year career arc. But Oklahoma fans probably would rather not see Thompson even though his father, Charles, served as a legendary wishbone quarterback for the Sooners in the 1980s. The 6-1, 210-pound Arnold has a big arm with good mobility and can make every throw, and he’s flashed the star power that seems to characterize most signal callers for the Sooners. – Jones, Austin American Statesman

Georgia’s Carson Beck and Texas‘ Quinn Ewers take the top two spots, according to Jones. They’re followed by Jalen Milroe of Alabama, Jaxson Dart of Ole Miss and Brady Cook of Missouri.

Arnold comes in behind LSU and Tennessee, which are also breaking in new starting quarterbacks. Jones ranks Arnold behind Florida and either Graham Mertz or D.J. Lagway.

The Alamo Bowl performance has really clouded people’s views of Arnold entering the 2024 season. People forget he was one of the best quarterbacks in the country coming out of high school and was only a true freshman last year.

They forget that from September to that late December game, Arnold didn’t really get unleashed to fully run the offense. Sure, he played against BYU, but Jeff Lebby’s risk aversion kept the reins tightly on the former Elite 11 winner. Yes, Arnold turned the ball over four times. He still threw for 380 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He showed poise to stand in the pocket and deliver strikes down the field.

An offseason spent getting all of the first-team reps will have Arnold better prepared to take on the SEC. He’s as talented a quarterback in the country. He simply has to prove it.

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