Tag: Drake Stoops

Oklahoma Sooners to honor Bob Stoops Saturday night

Oklahoma Football set to honor Bob Stoops during Saturday’s home finale against the Alabama Crimson Tide.

The Oklahoma Sooners will be honoring one of the greatest coaches in program history on Saturday. [autotag]Bob Stoops[/autotag], the winningest coach in OU Football history, will be celebrated on Owen Field as Oklahoma hosts the Alabama Crimson Tide.

He’s the final coach to be honored during home games this season, as [autotag]Bud Wilkinson[/autotag] and [autotag]Barry Switzer[/autotag] were also celebrated earlier this year.

Stoops took the reins of the program at a tumultuous time in Norman. Following Switzer’s resignation a decade earlier, the Oklahoma football program experienced a decade of darkness, looking nothing like the Sooners of old. For ten years from 1989 to 1998, OU cycled through three head coaches and failed to get close to winning at the level that the program was accustomed to.

But that all changed when Stoops was hired. Beginning in 1999, he brought the program back to its former glory, going undefeated and winning the national championship in 2000 in just his second year on the job. For his 18-year career as OU’s head coach, the Sooners were typically in the title hunt, as Stoops coached in three more national title games.

Oklahoma won 10 Big 12 championships, dominating the conference with Stoops at the helm. He produced two Heisman Trophy winners ([autotag]Jason White[/autotag] and [autotag]Sam Bradford[/autotag]) and coached two more who won later in their careers ([autotag]Baker Mayfield[/autotag] and [autotag]Kyler Murray[/autotag]).

From 1999 to 2016, Stoops amassed more wins than any other coach in the history of the program. His time in Norman was marked by a number of big wins and the rebirth of one of college football’s blue blood programs.

The legendary head coach decided to retire in the summer of 2017, passing the baton to [autotag]Lincoln Riley[/autotag], his offensive coordinator for the previous two seasons. He would dabble in tequila sales, college football studio analysis and coaching in the XFL over the next few years.

But when Riley decided to head west for Southern California in 2021, athletic director [autotag]Joe Castiglione[/autotag], who had hired Stoops way back in the winter of 1998, turned to Stoops again as the Sooners suddenly needed an interim head coach for the 2021 Alamo Bowl.

In addition to taking over as the interim head coach and leading OU to a bowl game victory over Oregon, Stoops was a calming force at a time of great uncertainty. Riley’s move was a shot across the college football landscape and Stoops was once again a steadying force for Oklahoma.

He passed the torch to Oklahoma’s current coach, [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag], after the win over Oregon and has returned to coaching in the XFL and UFL over the past couple of seasons with the Arlington Renegades, winning a championship in 2023. He’s stayed very involved with OU over the years since he retired, and his son [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag] enjoyed a long, productive career as a Sooner.

Now, Stoops will be honored for his accomplishments as Oklahoma’s winningest head coach.

It’s been a rocky season for the Sooners, and the best way to honor Coach Stoops would be with an upset win at home on Saturday. After all, he went 3-0 against the Tide, and would love to see OU earn bowl eligibility on national TV on the same night he’ll be celebrated on Owen Field.

What can we expect from Seth Littrell’s offense in 2024?

Seth Littrell’s background could lend a few clues as to what OU’s offense might look like in 2024.

The Oklahoma Sooners begin the 2024 college football season in a matter of days. The Temple Owls will pay them a visit on Friday, August 30 at 6:00 p.m. to kick off the year.

It’s a season of change for OU in Year 3 under head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag]. The Sooners leave the [autotag]Big 12[/autotag] to join the [autotag]SEC[/autotag]. [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag], who started at quarterback for the last two seasons, transferred out of the program, leaving sophomore [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] in line to take over under center. [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag] won’t be on the team for the first time since 2018.

Venables is also breaking in new coordinators.

[autotag]Zac Alley[/autotag] takes over the defensive coordinator and linebacker coach role previously held by [autotag]Ted Roof[/autotag], who mutually parted ways with Oklahoma last winter.

Alley has been called a “clone of Venables” and allows the head coach to be a bit more of a CEO-type, not needing to focus on calling defensive plays nearly as much. Alley has gained Venables’ trust. Venables defensive acumen is the main reason he was hired as OU’s next head coach. Passing the defensive coordinator responsibilities over to Alley is a ringing endorsement of the young defensive mind. Experienced defensive assistant coaches and co-coordinators [autotag]Todd Bates[/autotag] and [autotag]Jay Valai[/autotag] will be able to help the younger Alley out as well.

[autotag]Doug Deakin[/autotag] replaces [autotag]Jay Nunez[/autotag] as the special teams analyst. Deakin will be charged with improving the Sooners in all facets of the special teams portion of the game, as it was a weakness in 2023 for Oklahoma. New NCAA rules removed limits to the number of coaches allowed to be on the field during practice and games. That should help the Sooners have a much better special teams unit. Oklahoma can’t afford to have special teams lose a game for them in the treacherous jungle of the SEC.

Oklahoma saw offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach [autotag]Jeff Lebby[/autotag] leave in late November to become the head coach at Mississippi State. Immediately, the search for his replacement started, and Venables landed on co-offensive coordinators already in the building for the role.

[autotag]Joe Jon Finley[/autotag] had been the tight ends coach at OU for the past three seasons. Finley is very close with Lebby, as the pair also worked together at Baylor (2015) and Ole Miss (2020) before spending the last two seasons together in Norman.

Some were surprised when Finley didn’t follow Lebby to Starkville, but the internal promotion for the former OU tight end (2004-2007) kept him at Oklahoma. Finley is also close with former Sooners quarterback and offensive coordinator [autotag]Josh Heupel[/autotag], as the pair coached together at Missouri for two years (2016-2017).

Finley will continue to coach tight ends while serving as OU’s co-offensive coordinator. However, he won’t be calling the plays.

That duty will fall to [autotag]Seth Littrell[/autotag], who will serve as Oklahoma’s new quarterbacks coach in addition to the co-offensive coordinator role. He’ll be the one talking to Arnold in the helmet communication system that comes new to college football in 2024.

So what will Oklahoma’s offense look like in 2024, as Littrell replaces Lebby with Finley more heavily involved in the offensive game plan than in the past?

Littrell is an experienced playcaller and offensive coordinator, something Lebby wasn’t when he returned to Norman two years ago. Just like Lebby and Finley, Littrell played for Oklahoma during the [autotag]Bob Stoops[/autotag] days. He won a national championship in 2000 as a fullback at OU, serving as a captain on the national title team. It’s the same national title team with Venables as a co-defensive coordinator in Year 2 under Stoops. His father, Jimmy, also played fullback at OU and won two national championships in 1974 and 1975.

The Muskogee, Oklahoma native, began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Kansas under former Oklahoma offensive coordinator Mark Mangino in 2002. After three years in Lawrence, he was hired to coach running backs at Texas Tech under Mike Leach, where he spent four seasons. In those seven years, Littrell learned under two of the best offensive minds in college football. He was tutored in the ways of the power running spread offense at KU under Mangino before learning the methods of the Air Raid under Leach in Lubbock.

Littrell coached in a variety of different roles on offense at Arizona during the final three years of Mike Stoops’ time as the head coach of the Wildcats from 2009 to 2011. In his first season in the desert, he learned under another Air Raid expert, Sonny Dykes, who is now the head coach at TCU.

In 2010, he was co-offensive coordinator with none other than current Oklahoma offensive line coach [autotag]Bill Bedenbaugh[/autotag], and the two have a strong relationship. When Bedenbaugh left to coach the o-line at West Virgnia, Littrell was the solo offensive coordinator for the first time in his career in 2011. However, Stoops was fired midway through the season and Littrell was left looking for a new home after the year.

Littrell landed at Indiana, where he was the offensive coordinator for Kevin Wilson, the current head coach at Tulsa who served as OU’s offensive coordinator from 2002-2010. During his time in Norman, Wilson had combined Air Raid concepts with his own spread run game tactics. Oklahoma’s 2008 offense, under Wilson, is still regarded as one of the best in college football history.

After Littrell spent two years under Wilson, he accepted the offensive coordinator job at North Carolina under Larry Fedora, who ran the spread offense. In two seasons coaching for the Tar Heels, Littrell impressed and began to get head coaching consideration.

In 2016, Littrell was hired as the head coach of the North Texas Mean Green. He gave UNT more success than they had seen in years, making two conference title games and twice winning nine games. He was fired following the 2022 regular season despite posting a 7-6 mark and losing the Conference USA title game. His offenses at UNT were a blend of the concepts he learned under Air Raid coaches such as Leach and Dykes and spread coaches like Mangino, Wilson, and Fedora.

Littrell’s offense helped quarterback Mason Fine throw for 12,000 yards over four seasons. He averaged 3,644 yards and 30 total touchdowns per year over his final three seasons with the Mean Green.

Last season, Littrell served as an offensive analyst for the Sooners under another spread disciple in Lebby, before being promoted, along with Finley, for the Alamo Bowl.

As a play caller, he can use his unique path back to Norman to dial up whatever is needed at the time. His time in Denton also gave him a footprint and connections in a massive recruiting area for the Sooners.

In the interest of continuity, the offense will still look at lot like it has the past two seasons. The Sooners ran a variety of the veer-and-shoot spread offense that focuses on wide splits for receivers and getting playmakers the ball in space.

It looks and functions differently than the [autotag]Lincoln Riley[/autotag] Air Raid offense that Sooner fans saw for seven seasons, but ultimately wants to accomplish a lot of the same things, namely lighting up the scoreboard.

The idea of the spread veer-and-shoot is to make defenses have to cover everything from sideline to sideline, opening up windows for the power running game while making the quarterback’s decision-making as easy as possible.

The primary reason to run the veer-and-shoot offense is that the tempo, aggressiveness, and wide splits help to raise the floor for your offense, regardless of talent level. Lebby learned the offense from pioneers like Wilson, Art Briles, Heupel and Lane Kiffin. Littrell learned under Lebby last season and will now be able to put his own personal spin on it.

Reportedly, more of a focus on the power running game and deep passing attack will be implemented this year, feeding off of this offensive core’s strengths. However, Littrell’s offenses at UNT threw more than they ran, so Arnold will still have plenty on his shoulders. Littrell’s relationship with Bedenbaugh should ensure the offensive line will be a big factor in what the Sooners want to do on offense. Their relationship should create more cohesion in the offensive philosophy.

Running the ball effectively will be critical in the SEC.

Continuity is a big reason why Littrell and Finley were promoted, but the offense won’t be exactly the same.

Littrell will be a different playcaller than Lebby was, just like Arnold is a different quarterback than Gabriel was. The key will be getting the two on the same page. Between the duo of Littrell and Finley (and passing game coordinator/wide receivers coach [autotag]Emmett Jones[/autotag]), the development of their young quarterback will be at the forefront of their minds. Arnold holds the keys to unlocking the offense and helping the Sooners become an elite college football team.

Furthermore, several assistant coaches from the Riley era still remain on offense: Finley, Bedenbaugh, and running backs coach [autotag]DeMarco Murray[/autotag]. Littrell’s background in the Air Raid may shine through a few times this season, but the offense may look similar to what we’ve seen the last couple of seasons schematically.

At the end of the day, Littrell’s experience as a playcaller trumps his inexperience as a quarterbacks coach. At times last season, particularly in losses against Kansas and Oklahoma State, Lebby caught a fair share of the blame for his playcalling in critical moments.

Littrell has been through that already. He’s a versatile, well-traveled coach who won’t be in over his head, regardless of the situation.

Oklahoma has a good enough defense this year to keep them in games, especially early on, but the offense can’t lag too far behind. Littrell needs to find his sweet spot as a play caller in the spread veer-and-shoot before Tennessee (and veer-and-shoot expert Heupel) comes to town in late September.

Regardless of what Oklahoma’s offense looks like, it’ll be imperative that the Sooners are firing on all cylinder when the Volunteers come to town in week four.

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Trio of Sooners among ESPN’s top 100 players for the 2024 season

The Oklahoma Sooners were represented on both sides of the ball in ESPN’s top 100 players for the 2024 season.

The Oklahoma Sooners have a number of talented players on both sides of the ball. If there’s reason for optimism heading into the season it’s that the defense is as talented or possibly more talented than the group on offense.

And that’s a good thing.

The Sooners needed a more well-rounded team during the [autotag]Lincoln Riley[/autotag] era and appear to be trending toward that under [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag]. The defense has talent at every level of the defense, led by [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] and [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag].

Offensively, they’ve got the talent to have one of the best offenses in the nation. If [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] lives up to expectations, the Oklahoma offense will be humming all year long.

The Sooners may not have as much name recognition as some of the other teams across the country, but they have a trio of players that will be household names in 2024. ESPN released its top 100 college football players heading into the season and the Sooners had three players land on the list.

74. Deion Burks, WR

Despite playing for a 4-8 Purdue team last season, Burks was one of the top non-quarterback additions in the winter transfer portal. He gives new Oklahoma QB [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] a No. 1 target who can find the end zone (seven touchdowns in 2023) and stretch defenses. Burks had a reception of 42 yards or longer in four games last fall, including an 84-yard score against Fresno State. – ESPN

Outside of the quarterback, there may be no player more important to Oklahoma’s offensive success than [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag]. He looks like a thicker, stronger version of Marquise “Hollywood” Brown. Taking over in the slot after [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag] had a career year, expectations are high for Burks after he electrified in the Sooners spring game.

73. Billy Bowman, S

Bowman has started 29 of the 35 games he has played in his career and was named a first-team All-Big 12 player for his efforts in 2023. He was second in the country with six interceptions (three of which he took back for touchdowns) and ranked third on the team with 63 total tackles. – ESPN

[autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] took the nation by storm in 2023 with his six interceptions and three interceptions returned for a touchdown. Now in his fourth season and third in Brent Venables defense, the sky is the limit for the athletic safety.

32. Danny Stutsman, LB

The senior linebacker is one of the players who will be key to Oklahoma’s success in 2024. An All-Big 12 first-team selection last season, Stutsman led the Sooners with 104 total tackles, 51 solo tackles and 16 tackles for loss. He also had three sacks, a pick, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. – ESPN

Everything’s prepped and ready for Danny Stutsman to have another fabulous season for the Oklahoma Sooners. With improved defensive line play and linebacker depth, OU will get the most out of their star linebacker this season.

Notables

  • In the Oklahoma Sooners’ first SEC game, the offensive line will have to do battle with ESPN’s No. 1 player, James Pierce, Jr. It will be quite the test for the offensive tackles Jacob Sexton and Jake Taylor.
  • One-time Oklahoma commit turned Missouri Tiger, [autotag]Luther Burden[/autotag] comes in at No. 5.
  • LSU linebacker Harold Perkins, who has been on a bunch of preseason first team All-American squads alongside Danny Stutsman ranked No. 14 in the nation.
  • Former Sooners quarterback [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] came in at No. 16 overall, seven spots ahead of Texas’ [autotag]Quinn Ewers[/autotag].

That’s just a few of the 19 players that the Oklahoma Sooners will face in 2024.

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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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Drake Stoops selected 10th in UFL draft

Stoops squared: Bob and Drake could be together again in the United Football League.

The Stoops name is a legendary one around Oklahoma Sooners athletics. [autotag]Bob Stoops[/autotag] is the all-time winningest coach in OU football history.

His son [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag] had a long career as a wide receiver for the Sooners, spanning from 2018 to 2023. Bob’s younger brother, [autotag]Mike Stoops[/autotag], helped Oklahoma win a national championship in 2000, and was a longtime defensive coordinator in Norman.

Now, there’s a chance father and son could be reunited in professional football. The United Football League ([autotag]UFL[/autotag]) held its 2024 draft on Wednesday, as teams acquired rights to players.

Bob Stoops is the head coach of the Arlington Renegades, who won the XFL championship in 2023, before a tough year in the UFL’s inaugural season. The league looks for another successful year in 2025, after combining the XFL and the USFL.

Drake Stoops wasn’t selected in the [autotag]2024 NFL draft[/autotag], but he signed with the Los Angeles Rams as an undrafted free agent. He was OU’s leading receiver last season, putting his stamp on the 2023 team and ending his time as a Sooner on a high note.

The Renegades selected Drake with the 10th pick in the 2024 UFL draft, reuniting him with his father. The franchise took to social media to announce the move.

Though seeing Bob and Drake on the same sideline would be a cool moment for Sooner fans everywhere, the elder Stoops posted on social media to clarify a couple of things. He said the goal is for the players who were undrafted [autotag]NFL[/autotag] free agents that got selected in the UFL draft to stick with the NFL teams that signed them after the draft. Wednesday’s picks were just to acquire future rights to the players that could wind up in the UFL one day.

So, Drake Stoops absolutely could still catch on with the Rams, but if he doesn’t, he’ll have the chance join his father in Arlington with the Renegades to show what he can do in the UFL.

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Pair of Oklahoma wide receivers could get more snaps to start the season

Oklahoma’s wide receiver room has the pieces to survive some early-season injuries to veteran players.

The Oklahoma Sooners are a month and a half from beginning the 2024 season, their first in the [autotag]SEC[/autotag]. Head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] spoke to reporters at [autotag]SEC media days[/autotag] on Tuesday, as OU took its turn at the podium.

The third-year coach addressed local media before taking the stage, updating On3 and SoonerScoop’s George Stoia about players rehabbing from offseason or spring ailments before the Sooners begin preseason fall camp.

Quarterback [autotag]Casey Thompson[/autotag], offensive lineman [autotag]Geirean Hatchett[/autotag] and cornerback [autotag]Gentry Williams[/autotag] are cleared and ready to go for August. Another member of the offensive line, [autotag]Troy Everett[/autotag], is ahead of schedule from his spring football injury, and Venables expects him back sooner as opposed to later.

However, two members of Oklahoma’s wide receiver room have a little more uncertainty with fall camp around the corner.

Senior [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag], who was injured in spring ball, is still recovering from a foot fracture. Venables said he didn’t have surgery and is taking it easy at this point. His status will be cleaerr when the week of the first game rolls around.

[autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] is still on the mend after getting injured in the [autotag]Red River Rivalry[/autotag] in October. Venables is hopeful the deep ball threat will be practicing before Aug. 30, but Anthony hasn’t been cleared yet.

The uncertainty of Farooq and Anthony is nothing to be downplayed, but it’d be even more of a problem most years in the wide receiver room. This year, however, is the exception. The position group is absolutely loaded in 2024.

Though leading receiver [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag] is off to the pros, the Sooners have suitable replacements in the slot. [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag] was a star in the spring after transferring from Purdue and [autotag]Jaquaize Pettaway[/autotag] was a standout in the 2023 recruiting class.

On the outside, if Farooq and/or Anthony miss significant time, two players are ready to step into an even brighter spotlight.

[autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] was a touchdown machine a year ago for the Sooners, making plenty of huge plays in 2023. He was electric, scoring 10 touchdowns and finishing with 798 yards receiving despite not stepping into the starting lineup until Anthony was hurt. He’d be a good bet to start on the outside, especially with the injuries factoring in.

[autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag] also saw more playing time in 2023 when Anthony went down. He came into his own as the season progressed, catching five touchdowns on just 14 receptions. He finished with 375 yards and could have pushed for a starting spot even if the entire receiver room was healthy. These two players, both from Venables’ first recruiting class in 2022, could see plenty of targets especially early in the season.

Behind them, wide receivers coach [autotag]Emmett Jones[/autotag] has [autotag]J.J. Hester[/autotag] and [autotag]Brenan Thompson[/autotag], who could also see an increase in playing time.

Anderson and Gibson are the pair that would benefit the most from more targets coming their way. Both possess tremendous upside. If one or both of them can develop great chemistry with quarterback [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag], it might be tough to take them off the field, even when the veterans become healthy again.

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Can the Oklahoma Sooners feature a 1,000-yard receiver in 2024?

The Oklahoma Sooners have had just two 1,000-yard receivers since 2019. Will they feature one in 2024?

Since 2019, the Oklahoma Sooners have had just two players eclipse the 1,000-yard receiving mark. [autotag]CeeDee Lamb[/autotag] in 2019 and [autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag] in 2022. [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag] came close in 2023 with 962 yards after his breakout season.

Certainly, the big years from [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag], [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag], [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag], and [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag] kept Stoops from crossing that threshold. It’s likely Anthony would have pushed across the 1,000-yard mark last year.

He had 419 yards in six games and would have remained a heavy feature in the passing game down the stretch.

Could Oklahoma’s depth at receiver in 2024 prevent someone from reaching that milestone?

The Sooners head into 2024 with a number of big-play threats in Anderson, Burks, Gibson, Anthony, [autotag]Brenan Thompson[/autotag], and [autotag]Jaquaize Pettaway[/autotag]. Gibson and Anderson each averaged more than 20 yards per reception in 2023.

The Oklahoma Sooners have a number of playmakers for [autotag]Seth Littrell[/autotag], [autotag]Emmitt Jones[/autotag], and [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] to work with in 2024. It’s an abundance of riches at wide receiver.

Most analysts, including our own two-deep depth chart projection, believe it will be Jalil Farooq, Nic Anderson, and Deion Burks opening the season as the starting trio at wide receiver, with Burks playing primarily in the slot. Jayden Gibson is expected to be the No. 4 wide receiver. The Sooners have a group of guys that can win at every level of the passing game but this group can take the top off of the defense.

Deion Burks seems the most likely candidate to eclipse 1,000 yards in 2024. He had an electric performance in the spring game and showed off the kind of after the catch ability that will create huge plays even on short to intermediate routes.

In the spring game, we saw his ability to quickly take advantage of poor coverage, a missed assignment, or a player who can’t match his speed. With Arnold’s big arm, defenses are going to have to be concerned with Burks every time he’s on the field.

Burks feels like a good bet to get enough targets that he’ll have the best shot to go over the 1,000-yard mark. Even if he doesn’t see the 107 targets that Drake Stoops received in 2023, Burks’ ability to create big plays down the field and after the catch will provide him the opportunity to pick up big yardage on his targets.

If he or another Sooners receiver doesn’t get there this year, it’s likely because the offense spread the ball around, and a bunch of guys put up big numbers.

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Who will represent the Sooners at next week’s SEC Media Days?

Oklahoma announces their attendees for 2024 SEC Media Days.

SEC Media Days are less than a week away, and there is a palpable energy, to say the least. This is the first media days session that will include Oklahoma and Texas.

This media event marks the first time Nick Saban will not attend SEC Media Days since he took the Alabama job in 2007.

Coaches, players, and media luminaries make this multi-day event compelling for all involved with SEC football.

For Oklahoma, they enter this media day with quiet confidence. The Sooners know who they are, and [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] has done an admirable job preparing his program for the SEC on and off the field. We are less than two months away from seeing them put it on the field. As they adapt to their new conference home, the Sooners seem to be in the right state of mind.

Brent Venables has chosen who he will send to SEC Media Days as his student-athlete representatives.

Unsurprisingly, [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag], [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag], and [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] are Venables’ choices. Bowman and Stutsman are both seniors and leaders on this team. Jackson Arnold gets the nod because he is the starting quarterback and has taken on a major leadership role in the offense in his first full year as a starter.

Arnold will have to balance the newfound responsibility as the Oklahoma starting quarterback on and off the field. There is a level of leadership that comes with it. He didn’t have nearly as much responsibility sitting behind [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag]. Now that Arnold is the guy, he’ll be tasked with being much more of a leader and producing like the Sooners believe he’s capable of.

Stutsman and Bowman passed up the NFL a year early to return and play Oklahoma’s inaugural season in the SEC. They are playing for their present and future. They will be pillars on the team trying to make their way back to the College Football Playoff and improve their draft stocks as both are set to be taken in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Last year at Big 12 Media Days, Danny Stutsman was joined by [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag], [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag], and [autotag]Jonah Laulu[/autotag].

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Where does Oklahoma’s offense rank in EA Sports College Football 25?

How did EA Sports rate the Oklahoma Sooners offense for EA Sports “College Football 25?”

EA Sports is releasing “College Football 25” on July 19 and fans are excited for the return of the college football video game series.

On Thursday, EA released its offensive rankings for the 25 best offenses in the game, and the list featured the Oklahoma Sooners.

“College Football 25” has OU as the 23rd best offense in 2024, and the 8th best offense in the [autotag]SEC[/autotag]. This comes following the departure of [autotag]Jeff Lebby[/autotag] as offensive coordinator and the promotion of co-OCs [autotag]Seth Littrell[/autotag] and [autotag]Joe Jon Finley[/autotag].

On the field, the Sooners lost quarterback [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag], who transferred this offseason. He leaves the job to [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag], a more than suitable replacement.

Offensive line is the key for the OU offense, as the unit will see five new starters from a year ago. [autotag]Cayden Green[/autotag]’s exit in the portal was the biggest blow of the offseason. Nationally, offensive line has been the biggest talking point for the Sooners this offseason.

In the passing game, [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag] and [autotag]Austin Stogner[/autotag] are gone, but everyone else returns, including [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag], [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag], [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] and [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag]. Transfer [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag] joined this winter to form a very dangerous unit.

In the run game, OU loses both [autotag]Tawee Walker[/autotag] and [autotag]Marcus Major[/autotag] to the transfer portal. However, [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag] is expected to take full control at running back after leading the Sooners in rushing a year ago. [autotag]Jovantae Barnes[/autotag] will get plenty of carries as well, as a change-of-pace back.

The Sooners will have an 83 overall offense in “College Football 25”, tied with Florida State, Virginia Tech, and USC. But they look like a group, that if the offensive line comes together, could see that rating skyrocket.

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Sooners have a top 10 WR corps in the country according to PFF

Oklahoma is deep and talented at wide receiver this year, and Pro Football Focus ranked the Sooners as one of the ten best WR units in America.

The Oklahoma Sooners have an embarrassment of riches at the wide receiver position heading into the 2024 season. As OU football exits the [autotag]Big 12[/autotag] and moves to the [autotag]SEC[/autotag], they’ll be leaning on their strengths in Year 3 of the [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] era. Wide receiver is one of the deepest and most talented units on the roster, even after losing [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag].

[autotag]Emmett Jones[/autotag] has been excellent since joining the Oklahoma staff from Texas Tech. He’s recruited very well and the unit improved noticeably in his first season as wide receivers coach.

Pro Football Focus agrees that the Sooners are very good at wideout heading into 2024, ranking the Sooners as one of their top 10 receiving corps in the country.

Oklahoma snuck onto the list at No. 10.

Oklahoma brings back five of its six leading receivers from a year ago, losing only Drake Stoops. [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] is the leader of those returners and was second in the Big 12 last year with 10 touchdowns to only Adonai Mitchell. [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] and [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] also came back and combined for 1,109 receiving yards this past season.

The Sooners also found a couple starting pass-catchers in the transfer portal in Purdue wide receiver [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag] and Baylor tight end [autotag]Jake Roberts[/autotag]. Burks was second in the Big Ten with 18 forced missed tackles on receptions in 2023. Despite serving as Baylor’s backup tight end in 2023, Roberts was still ninth in the Big 12 at the position with 143 yards after the catch. – Max Chadwick, Pro Football Focus

Anderson, Farooq, Anthony, and Burks figure to be the four players who receive the most targets, but [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag] came on very strong as the 2023 season progressed.

Younger players like [autotag]J.J. Hester[/autotag], [autotag]Brenan Thompson[/autotag], [autotag]Jaquazie Pettaway[/autotag], [autotag]Zion Kearney[/autotag], [autotag]Zion Ragins[/autotag], [autotag]Ivan Carreon[/autotag] and [autotag]K.J. Daniels[/autotag] are all providing plenty of depth and were all talented recruits.

At tight end, Roberts may not even start, as [autotag]Bauer Sharp[/autotag] got those snaps in the spring game. Four-star true freshman [autotag]Davon Mitchell[/autotag] joins [autotag]Kaden Helms[/autotag] and [autotag]Josh Fanuiel[/autotag] in the tight end room as well. [autotag]Joe Jon Finley[/autotag] will be able to mix and match what he wants from that position, tasked with replacing [autotag]Austin Stogner[/autotag].

With a talented but unproven quarterback and an overhauled offensive line, look for the weapons in the passing game to be something the offense can lean on this season.

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