Tag: billy bowman

Oklahoma duo named to Bednarik Award watch list

Pair of Sooners named to the Bednarik Award watch list.

Preseason [autotag]watch list[/autotag] season rolls right along this summer, as we count down the days to the beginning of the 2024 college football season. The Oklahoma Sooners kick things off in less than three weeks. They’ll host the Temple Owls on Friday, August 30.

As OU enters the [autotag]SEC[/autotag], Sooner fans are as excited about the defensive side of the ball as they’ve been in a long, long time. Under third-year head coach and defensive maven [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag], that unit looks to finally be capable of playing up to the Oklahoma standard.

Star power and veteran leadership are certainly part of the reason why. The offseason returns of linebacker [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] and safety [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] meant the Sooners would have no shortage of experience at two key spots. That’s doubly important as OU breaks in new defensive coordinator [autotag]Zac Alley[/autotag].

Stutsman and Bowman had already been named to the Bronco Nagurski Trophy preseason watch list, but the duo wasn’t done.

The pair was named to the Chuck Bednarik Award preseason watch list on Monday. The Bednarik Award is given to the best defensive player in college football. The award is named in honor of Chuck “Concrete Charlie” Bednarik, who was an All-American at the University of Pennsylvania and later an All-Pro linebacker and center in the NFL. He is a member of both the College and Pro Football Hall of Fame. Oklahoma has one previous winner of the award, which was created in 1995. [autotag]Teddy Lehman[/autotag], one of Venables’ finest pupils at linebacker, took home the trophy in 2003.

Stutsman was 15th in the nation in tackles for loss last season, averaging 1.3 per game. He was Oklahoma’s lifeblood and the team’s leader. He was named a second-team Walter Camp All-American and a third-team AP All-American while tallying over 100 tackles for the second straight year.

Bowman was a nightmare in the secondary for opposing offensive coordinators. Three pick-six touchdowns accompanied his six total interceptions last year, making him one of the most dangerous defensive backs in all of college football.

The 2021 classmates have stepped into leadership roles for the Sooners, joining Venables and sophomore starting quarterback [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] at [autotag]SEC media days[/autotag] last month.

If Oklahoma wants to get back to playing dominating, suffocating defense, Stutsman and Bowman will need to continue leading the way. The Sooners have a chance to be special on that side of the ball in 2024, but they won’t be able to get there without their two Bednarik Award watch list stars.

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Takeaways from Joel Klatt’s Oklahoma Sooners 2024 preview

Joel Klatt is cautiously optimistic about the Sooners, but still thinks they’re a bit behind a few other SEC programs.

The Oklahoma Sooners have nearly made it through a long offseason. Just about three weeks remain until football season is back at OU.

Nationally, Oklahoma is thought to be a somewhat middle-of-the-road team in its first season in the [autotag]SEC[/autotag]. The Sooners were picked eighth in the preseason SEC media poll and outside of the top 16 in the US LBM Coaches Poll.

One of Fox Sports’ leading college football experts, Joel Klatt, has the Sooners a bit higher in his preseason rankings. On “The Joel Klatt Show: A College Football Podcast,” he revealed his top 25 teams heading into the season.

Klatt has the Sooners ranked No. 15 (surprisingly, one spot behind USC) and sixth in the SEC. That’s a bit more of a favorable draw than what OU has been getting nationally and in the conference.

But Klatt gave some interesting reasons he has Oklahoma where he does, beginning with the defense.

Defense Ready to shine

“I really love OU, so why are they 15th? Well let’s go through it,” Klatt said. “[autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] now entering Year 3 had nice jump last year with 10 wins. Going to the SEC, the defense has veteran talent. I think that the defense can be better and they need to be better. They gave up far too many big plays a year ago. They’ve got [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] in the back end, they’ve got [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] who comes back, they need to keep improving.”

Oklahoma’s continued defensive improvement will be paramount if the Sooners want to compete in the SEC. There’s no doubt OU is entering a trenches and defensive-minded league and will have to excel in those areas to have sustained and high-level success. However, Klatt had far more to say about OU’s offense.

The Next Great QB

“[autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] is going to take over at quarterback as [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] goes on to Oregon. Now just the same as Kansas State (Klatt’s No. 16 team), what we have to do is start trusting these programs,” Klatt said. “So Avery Johnson at Kansas State and Jackson Arnold at Oklahoma, within those programs they are thought to be better than than the options that they had. Now what you’re going to have is two teams that will be in my top four in Oregon and Ohio State that took those quarterbacks, Will Howard, who was cast off by Kansas State, and Dillon Gabriel by Oklahoma, and those teams are placing hopes on those guys’ shoulders. Now maybe less so Will Howard at Ohio State than Dillon Gabriel at Oregon, but shouldn’t that lead us to believe that there are upgrades behind them at Oklahoma and Kansas State? That’s what I believe in Jackson Arnold and so I think that they could be and and should be much better than what they were even a year ago when they won 10 games.”

The point Klatt is making, as it refers to the Sooners, is it was always the plan in Norman that Arnold would sit and learn behind Gabriel in 2023 before taking the reins and becoming the starter in 2024. Once Gabriel decided to stay in college football, he and OU made the decision together that he would transfer and play elsewhere so Arnold could take his place in the starting lineup.

Everyone expected that Gabriel’s college days were over, but in an interview with The Athletic’s Christopher Kamrani (subscription required), Gabriel and his family revealed he had received a seventh-round/undrafted free agent NFL draft grade. That led to his decision to return for one more year of college football. However, according to the story, it was Arnold who was the motivating factor in Gabriel’s decision to transfer away from Norman, in a very positive sense.

According to Gabriel’s mom via The Athletic, the former OU quarterback was concerned “Jackson might leave, and he didn’t want that for the program.”

So, saying that Gabriel was “cast off” by OU isn’t entirely accurate. All parties involved (Gabriel and OU) felt they needed to do right by Arnold and own up to the promise that had been made and the plan that had been set up months in advance.

In the end, everyone may benefit.

Gabriel gets to join an Oregon roster that many believe is ready to compete for a [autotag]Big Ten[/autotag] title (and maybe more) under head coach Dan Lanning. Oklahoma begins a new era under center in the SEC with Arnold, who fans have been waiting to see for a long time. His upside and talent seem limitless at this point.

To that point, Arnold’s abilities and skills have Klatt excited for how he can unlock a new level in OU’s offense.

Deep Shots Engaged

“Another thing that I would say about Arnold is I do think that Arnold is a better fit schematically in what he brings to the table and then what their wide receivers and their talent can do on the outside,” Klatt said. “I made this point a year ago. They’ve got [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] as a wide receiver, [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag], a transfer from Michigan from last year, [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag], [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag], they’re going to bring in a transfer this year, [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag], and that’s a downfield passing team and a wide receiver core that is best downfield. Dillon Gabriel is a point guard; he wants to throw the ball short, be accurate and get the ball out of his hands. That’s not what they had last year. So I felt like they were not quite optimized with what they had on the field a year ago and now moving forward, I think that they can be optimized.”

Though OU’s wide receiver room is going to be a bit banged up early in the season, Klatt’s point still rings true. Gabriel lacked some of the arm strength and anticipation on deep throws that Arnold already has in his wheelhouse. Simply put, the two are just different types of quarterbacks with what they do well. Oklahoma has deep threats all over the field at wide receiver, and the expectation is that the Sooners will run the ball quite a bit and then take deep shots more frequently in the passing game. Deep passes are one area that the Sooners can improve upon from a year ago.

But Klatt’s main reason for having the Sooners at No. 15 comes back to a major talking point this offseason for Oklahoma: Its schedule.

Brutal Schedule

“Their schedule is brutal. Brutal,” Klatt said. “I’m just going to give you the six toughest games that they have. They’re going to face Tennessee, Texas in that neutral game, at Ole Miss, at Missouri, Alabama, at LSU. That’s just their six toughest games. They have some other ones that are also tough, like they play Auburn. The schedule does them no favor. So think about this now, if you just play it out and you play out the math, they have to take care of business in every other game outside of these six, and split those six and go 3-3. If they can go 3-3 in those six games, I believe that they’re going to be a playoff team, and should be a playoff team, I’ll state it right now in the preseason. If they split those six games, 3-3, they should, and will, go to the [autotag]College Football Playoff[/autotag] … brutal schedule. They win three of them, they’ll go to the playoff.
All six of the teams Klatt mentioned as OU’s toughest games were inside his Top 25. Four teams were ranked above the Sooners (Texas, Ole Miss, Alabama and Missouri) and two were behind Oklahoma (Tennessee and LSU) with only two teams from the SEC not on OU’s schedule in his Top 25 in Georgia and Texas A&M.
While Klatt mentioned the road trip to Auburn, he didn’t mention home contests against Tulane and South Carolina, which aren’t layups either. Only the home games against Temple, Houston and Maine look likely to be easier wins for the Sooners, but college football is nothing if not unpredictable.
Yes, the schedule is brutal. It’s been written about all offseason long, along with the offensive line concerns. But, as Klatt illustrated, there is a path to navigating the treacherous waters.
The Sooners have to take care of business against Temple, Houston, Tulane, Auburn, South Carolina and Maine if they want to to meet expectations this year. Of those games, Auburn will likely be the toughest opponent, but OU should be favored, even on the road.
Splitting games against Tennessee, Texas, Ole Miss, Missouri, Alabama and LSU will be extremely difficult. But, as Klatt said, doing so, and taking care of business elsewhere to get to 9-3 with that schedule in this conference should be enough for a playoff berth, even with the unknown parameters of the new 12-team model.

And what better way for Venables and the Sooners to prove to the country that Oklahoma is fully back to being itself than by getting to the the College Football Playoff in Year 1 in the SEC?

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USA TODAY Sports argues defense leading the way for Oklahoma entering 2024

Though questions may linger about the Oklahoma Sooners offense, Brent Venables has a defense that can take the pressure off.

For much of the last decade-plus, questions about the Oklahoma Sooners focused on the defensive side of the ball. There was, no doubt, talent in the era following [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag]’ departure to Clemson. However, it seldom matched the defensive units from the 2000-2010 seasons.

But that isn’t this Oklahoma Sooners team, which will head into 2024 led by its defense. There’s talent on the offensive side of the ball. A great deal of talent. At the same time, from a production and experience standpoint, the defense is the tip of the spear for the Sooners.

Ranked No. 16 in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll, the Sooners are a squad that will have more believers if they can answer the questions about the offense, namely [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] and the offensive line. The college football writers over at USA TODAY Sports provided an outlook for each of the top 25 teams in the US LBM Coaches Poll released Monday. Here’s what they had to say about Oklahoma.

In an unanticipated twist, there are more questions about the Sooners on offense as they transition to the SEC. QB [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] brings tremendous potential after serving as [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag]’s understudy. He will be working behind an offensive line with uncertainty. On the plus side, Oklahoma has a deep receiving group with Nic Anderson, Jalil Farooq and Purdue transfer Deion Burks among the standouts. Brent Venables has rebuilt the team’s defense ahead of his third year and is blessed with the return of LB [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] and DB [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] after both considered the NFL draft. It’s a deep and aggressive group at all three levels that forces turnovers. – USA TODAY Sports

The Sooners may have upgraded at quarterback, but there’s no replacement for experience. That stuff matters, especially with the slate of teams Oklahoma will play in 2024. But Brent Venables and his coaching staff have been building this team so success isn’t solely dependent on the guy who throws the football.

They have a defense that is capable of carrying the load for this team for stretches if Arnold or the offensive line falters.

The Sooners have blue-chip players capable of making splash plays in both the run and pass game at every level. That will take some of the pressure off the offense to score 40 a game for Oklahoma to win. But, if the offense takes off like it’s capable of, the Sooners could very well have an offense that puts up big numbers while the defense stifles opposing offenses.

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Nic Anderson says Oklahoma Sooners put through ‘toughest summer’

Nic Anderson spoke after practice Thursday about the work Oklahoma put in during the summer.

Coaches and players would argue that every fall camp is the most important. However, the Sooners are heading into a season with a whole new set of challenges. If they’re able to make the College Football Playoff in their first year in the SEC, Oklahoma will need to be physically prepared to handle the added number of games.

After their second fall camp practice, a select group of players met with the media, and Nic Anderson was asked what the offseason was like.

“(Jerry Schmidt) got after us,” Anderson said. “I feel like this was the toughest summer that we’ve had since I’ve been here. And I feel like we all handled it really well. He broke us down and built us right back up. So I feel like this is the best shape the team has been in a while.”

From the gains the team has made on the scales to the reputation that follows Schmidt, the Sooners put in the work this offseason to better prepare for their first venture through the SEC.

While a lot of the leadership responsibilities have fallen to the veterans like [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag], [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag], and [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag], the younger guys are starting to develop as leaders as well. The group accountability is what takes a good team to a great team and Anderson shared that this is a motivated group.

“The standards were raised a little bit higher as they are every year,” Anderson shared. “And we just felt like we need to push each other, not just ourselves. And I feel like we had a lot of leaders step up and push everyone to the next level. So I feel that’s what made this summer a little bit tougher.”

For Anderson, who was limited in spring ball, he’s healthy and ready to roll after Schmitty put him through the paces this summer.

Anderson said, “Trainers got me right and threw me right back out there. Schmitty got me right. So just left it all to him and he got me good for the summer.”

This is a team that has a lot to prove. The media picked the Sooners eighth in the SEC preseason poll. On3’s J.D. PicKell has the Sooners struggling. Soon, it won’t matter. The Sooners will get to prove their worth on the football field. Physically and mentally, they’re ready to roll.

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Oklahoma Sooners safety named to Jim Thorpe Award watch list

One of the best defensive backs in the nation were added to the Jim Thorpe Award watch list.

One of the best defensive backs in college football is taking the stage once again in 2024 as [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] opted to return to the Oklahoma Sooners for his senior season.

In 2023, Bowman erupted for six interceptions, returning three of them for interceptions. He became a highlight reel waiting to happen, making quarterbacks pay for trying him in the passing game.

In addition to his six interceptions, Bowman had three passes defended and three tackles for loss.

Ahead of the 2024 season, Bowman was named to the Jim Thorpe Award Watch List. The Thorpe Award is given to the best defensive back in the nation.

Bowman is expected to take another step in his development after his breakout 2023 season. In addition to his performance on the field, his leadership of the next generation of Sooners safeties is paramount, not only to what the defense can do in 2024 but beyond.

Young safeties like [autotag]Robert Spears-Jennings[/autotag] and [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag] are expected to step in for [autotag]Key Lawrence[/autotag] and [autotag]Reggie Pearson[/autotag], who left the team after 2023.

[autotag]Rickey Dixon[/autotag] won the award in 1987, the second year of the Thorpe. [autotag]Roy Williams[/autotag] took home the trophy after a dominant 2001 campaign. [autotag]Derrick Strait[/autotag] is the last Sooner to take home the Thorpe back in 2004.

Only one other program in college football history has earned three Thorpe Awards, the LSU Tigers.

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Billy Bowman, Danny Stutsman named to Nagurski Trophy Watch List

Billy Bowman and Danny Stutsman named to Bronko Nagurski watch list

With all of the hype surrounding them as they head into their final seasons as Oklahoma Sooners, it should be no surprise that [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] and [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] are receiving national love from preseason watch lists.

Stutsman and Bowman have earned lots of love this offseason as they help Oklahoma prepare for its inaugural SEC season. They were named to the preseason All-SEC 1st team voted on by the media, and the accolades and preseason honors haven’t stopped.

On Tuesday, the duo was named to the 2024 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List, which honors the nation’s best defensive player.

 

Bowman’s ball-hawking skills should serve him well. Three pick-six touchdowns accompanied his six interceptions last year, making him a name to watch as we enter this season. Bowman was quite confident at SEC Media Days that he would have better numbers this season.

Stutsman was 15th in tackles for loss last season, averaging 1.3 per game. He was Oklahoma’s lifeblood and the team’s leader. He was named a second-team Walter Camp All-American and a third-team AP All-American while tallying over 100 tackles for the second straight year. He will look to take steps forward as a leader and become a more complete linebacker as Oklahoma readies for the SEC.

The watch list roster includes last year’s winner, Xavier Watts of Notre Dame, plus five other players returning from last season’s FWAA All-America team. Watts was the first defensive back to win the award since Oklahoma’s Derrick Strait and the first safety since Sooners legend Roy Williams.

Oklahoma’s selections were part of a conference-leading 19 selections to the SEC’s SEC list, surpassing all other conferences. By position, the list includes 22 linebackers, 16 defensive ends, 16 safeties, 12 defensive tackles, and nine cornerbacks. The FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club will announce finalists for the 2024 trophy on Nov. 20, and the winner will be unveiled on Dec. 9 at the Bronko Nagurski Awards Banquet in Charlotte, N.C.

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Oklahoma Sooners boast number of difference-makers at safety

The Oklahoma Sooners boast a deep number of safeties that will be difference makers for the OU defense.

[autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] was one of the best defensive players in the nation in 2023. His six interceptions and three interceptions returned for a touchdown put him on the map in Oklahoma’s final year in the Big 12. In year one in the SEC, Bowman, along with fellow defender Danny Stutsman, earned first-team All-SEC honors from SEC media.

All-American and Thorpe voters may have been unaware of Bowman’s excellence at safety, but he made everyone take notice and will be on every watch list possible when the preseason lists get released starting this week.

But Bowman isn’t the end all be all for Oklahoma at the safety spot. They’ve got as deep and talented group as there is in the nation. The senior certainly leads the way, but Oklahoma has talent up and down the depth chart.

[autotag]Robert Spears-Jennings[/autotag], a former four-star prospect from Broken Arrow has made the most of his opportunities and has been a terror around the line of scrimmage. Despite playing 178 fewer snaps than [autotag]Reggie Pearson[/autotag], Spears-Jennings had eight more total tackles last season. He played 158 fewer snaps than [autotag]Key Lawrence[/autotag] and finished with just six fewer total tackles than the now Ole Miss safety.

Spears-Jennings finished with a higher defensive grade from Pro Football Focus than both Pearson and Lawrence. With Pearson and Lawrence gone, there’s a huge opportunity for Spears-Jennings to take over in a strong safety or box safety role.

[autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag] has a huge opportunity for an increased workload, as well.

In limited opportunities, Bowen flashed his potential for the Sooners, finishing second on the team in passes defended with five. He was fourth among Sooners safeties in snaps behind Bowman, Pearson, and Lawrence. As a true freshman.

Venables, now Alley’s, defense likes to deploy three safety looks, so there’s a good chance we see packages that include Bowman, Spears-Jennings, and Bowen all at the same time. It’s a fast, athletic, and playmaking group in the Sooners secondary.

Oklahoma also has guys like [autotag]Woodi Washington[/autotag] and [autotag]Kendel Dolby[/autotag], who will play a variety of roles on the Sooners defense. Washington will line up at cornerback and Dolby at cheetah, but you could see them rotating in at safety. The depth chart has a number of young players at the position who be impactful for the Sooners in 2024 and beyond. [autotag]Erik McCarty[/autotag], [autotag]Michael Boganowski[/autotag], [autotag]Jaydan Hardy[/autotag], [autotag]Mykel Patterson-McDonald[/autotag], and [autotag]Reggie Powers[/autotag] could have an impact this year as well. It’s a strong, fast, and physical group that will make a lot of plays on ball carriers and on the ball in the air.

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Secondary is deep, but don’t forget about Woodi Washington

Woodi Washington has been around for a long time in Norman. He’d love to go out with a bang in his first season in the SEC.

Oklahoma defensive back [autotag]Woodi Washington[/autotag] has seen just about everything in his time as a member of the Sooner football program. He began his career all the way back in 2019, playing in four games as a true freshman.

To put that in perspective, here’s what Oklahoma football looked like in 2019: The head coach was [autotag]Lincoln Riley[/autotag], not [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag]. In fact, Venables had just helped Clemson win their second national championship in three years, serving as the Tigers’ defensive coordinator. Quarterback [autotag]Kyler Murray[/autotag] was off to the pros after winning OU’s second straight [autotag]Heisman Trophy[/autotag] and its eighth overall. The Sooners had been soundly beaten in the [autotag]College Football Playoff[/autotag] by Alabama in the Orange Bowl semifinal, and Riley was onto his third season as the head coach, after [autotag]Bob Stoops[/autotag] handed over the reins in the summer of 2017.

The 2019 season saw another star quarterback in the form of Heisman runner-up [autotag]Jalen Hurts[/autotag]. It saw another decisive defeat in the [autotag]CFP[/autotag], this time at the hands of LSU in the Peach Bowl semifinal. Riley had just six losses in three seasons as OU’s head coach, but the cracks were beginning to show, we just didn’t know it yet. The Sooners are still seeking that return trip to the playoff, and they only won the [autotag]Big 12[/autotag] one more time (in 2020) since then. Riley’s exit after the 2021 regular season paved the way for Venables to return to OU, this time as the head ball coach.

The [autotag]SEC[/autotag] rumors were non-existent. Realignment itself was quiet in general. It was still illegal to pay players. NIL discussions were still months from blowing up. The Playoff was still at four teams, and folks were okay with it. The [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] was still in its infancy. Nobody knew what COVID-19 was. EA Sports wasn’t making college football video games.

Washington has stayed a Sooner though it all. A head coaching change, multiple coordinators and position coaches and the entire landscape of college football shifting under his feet.

He’s the longest-tenured member of Oklahoma’s roster, taking over that role with [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag]’ OU career finally over. And just like Stoops, he’s hoping his last season as a Sooner is his best one.

The super-senior was the leader in defensive snaps last year at cornerback, but he’ll be moving all over the defensive backfield in his final season as a Sooner. He’s been a fixture on the outside of the defense at cornerback since 2020, but he’ll likely play some safety and even some cheetah in 2024.

Washington has started 36 of his 46 career games, including all 13 each of the last two seasons. He’s registered 202 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss, is OU’s active career leader with 19 pass breakups, and ranks second with five interceptions. He’s the only player on Oklahoma’s roster with CFP experience as a member of the Sooners.

He’s not the headliner of Oklahoma’s defense this year. [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag], [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] and [autotag]Ethan Downs[/autotag] take that crown. Damonic Williams has garnered a ton of attention since his high-profile recruitment. Washington’s exact position on the field is still up in the air, but he brings something to the table that is valuable to the team.

Washington’s experience will be crucial in 2024. The Sooners will have to respond to success, and failure, in the SEC differently than they did in the Big 12. They will no longer have weeks against cupcakes in conference to catch their breath after a loss or a close call. They will no longer have a tune-up for a big-time matchup. Every week in the SEC is a dogfight for sixty minutes.

There will come multiple points in the 2024 season when the Sooners are reeling from a blow as a team. While it’s primarily Venables and the coaching staff’s job to make sure the team stays locked in, Washington’s veteran presence will be important as a leader on the field who’s seen everything in college football. From the College Football Playoff to 6-7 and everything in between, Woodi Washington has spent half a decade as a Sooner.

Maybe Year 6 will be his most memorable patrolling the secondary in Norman.

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On3 expert thinks this unit will be the reason Oklahoma sinks or swims

Does Bill Bedenbaugh’s offensive line have enough to get the job done in the SEC?

You’ve heard about it all offseason if you’re an Oklahoma Sooners football fan. Can the offensive line mesh together well enough to get by in Year 1 in the brutal [autotag]SEC[/autotag]? Will the young players and [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] additions help or hurt OU in their pursuit of making the inaugural 12-team [autotag]College Football Playoff[/autotag]?

Elsewhere on the roster, Oklahoma looks pretty good on paper. [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] takes the reins at quarterback, a moment OU fans have been eagerly anticipating for a long time. Arnold is inexperienced, yes, but his talent and upside are evident to anyone who has watched him play.

The Sooners have an embarrassment of riches at wide receiver, with no less than five players who fans would trust to be on the field in pressure-cooker moments.

Running back is solid, with leading rusher [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag] returning. Health will be key in the backfield, but that position group should have the horses to get the job done.

The secondary is another position that must stay healthy, but there’s plenty of experience at most of the starting spots and plenty of young talent behind the starters. Safety [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag]’s return makes the defensive backfield a strength.

Another strength comes in the form of [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] and the linebacker group. Almost all of the key contributors from a year ago return and they complete a back seven that is seen by some as being among the best in the conference.

The defensive line is a bit more of a concern, but [autotag]Ethan Downs[/autotag] is back to lead the defense in the trenches. Oklahoma lost a lot of experience, talent and depth to graduation, the NFL and the portal, but they’ve worked hard to replace those exits. A major win in the spring portal window was the commitment of TCU transfer [autotag]Damonic Williams[/autotag]. He helps fortify one of the most important positions on the roster under Brent Venables’ vision and identity for the program.

The Sooners have other areas of concern. Tight end still needs to be sorted out. The same goes for the special teams. [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] is entering just his third season as the head coach in Norman and is breaking in brand-new coordinators on both sides of the ball. [autotag]Zac Alley[/autotag] comes over from Jacksonville State to lead the defense, while [autotag]Joe Jon Finley[/autotag] and [autotag]Seth Littrell[/autotag] were internal promotions who are now in charge of the offense.

But the biggest talking point this offseason, aside from OU’s brutal schedule in 2024’s journey to the SEC, has been that offensive line. Oklahoma had to replace the entire unit after last year and it’s one of the most valuable position groups on any football team. The performance of the o-line could literally make or break 2024 for the Sooners.

On his show, “The Hard Count with J.D. PicKell” On3’s college football expert J.D. PicKell gave his thoughts on Venables and the Sooners following [autotag]SEC media days[/autotag]. He laid out just how important one position group can be for the offense, and the entire Oklahoma team:

“I think the number one question we’ve all got to ask right now is can they protect Jackson Arnold because you bring in pretty much a whole new offensive line,” PicKell said. “Now I love (offensive line coach) [autotag]Bill Bedenbaugh[/autotag]. I think he’s going to be able to get the most out of whatever unit they have out there; I trust him. But at the same time if you can’t protect Jackson Arnold, in the [autotag]Big 12[/autotag] that’s one thing, in the SEC that’s a completely other beast.”

PicKell also stated that it’s not all Arnold’s fault if the young quarterback struggles in the season’s early stages, while also laying out a path to early success.

“So if Jackson Arnold struggles early on in the year, make sure we evaluate the context for him,” PicKell said. “Make sure we’re assessing what he’s getting on that offensive line and how much time he has to deliver the football. Because if they can protect Jackson Arnold, if they do give him a chance to read the defense and feel comfortable confident back there in the pocket, they have, I believe, one of the most slept on wide receiver rooms in not just the SEC, in all of America. I’ll say it again. [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag], [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag] … I love [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] I love [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] when he’s healthy, so all of those pieces I think make it very difficult as a defense to give the proper attention to all those weapons.”

PicKell went on to say that the offensive line’s success opening up running lanes will help take the pressure off Arnold and make OU’s offense more multi-faceted. He also highlighted the returning experience on Oklahoma’s defense and hypothesized that the Sooners could be in a few more low-scoring battles that fans are used to in Norman.

Simply put, the offensive line could be the reason that Oklahoma sinks or the reason the Sooners swim in 2024. The season is approaching quickly and Bedenbaugh will have fall camp to get his unit ready to gel together and compete in the SEC. The true mark of OU being an “SEC-ready” program would if the Sooners are able to overcome a weaker part of their roster by over-excelling at, perhaps, wide receiver or the defensive back seven.

The 2024 Oklahoma Sooners begin their season in less than six weeks. They’ll host the Temple Owls on Friday, August 30 at 6:00 p.m. on ESPN.

Oklahoma Sooners defense still has something to prove

Oklahoma has high expectations for their defense in 2024, but they have to show improvement against the pass.

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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