Tag: Gavin Sawchuk

5 Sooners who will be new starters for Oklahoma in 2023

When you have a below .500 season, there’s going to typically be quite a bit of turnover the following season.

When you have a below .500 season, there’s going to typically be quite a bit of turnover the following season. That’s exactly what people should expect for the 2023 season in Norman, Oklahoma.

There are going to be several positions with new starters, some familiar faces and some unfamiliar faces the fan base should get to know.

The defensive line might be the position that sees the most turnover. The position that could have a star step into a starting role is most likely in the secondary.

It might not be who you think, either. The offense also is bringing in some new starters this season after leading receiver Marvin Mims and starting tight end Brayden Willis were selected in the 2023 NFL draft.

Here are five players I expect to start this season for the Sooners that didn’t a year ago.

One question for each position group ahead of Oklahoma Sooners’ fall camp

With fall camp right around the corner, here’s one question for each position group that the Oklahoma Sooners must answer before the season.

Big 12 media days are in the rearview mirror, which means fall camp is right around the corner ahead of the 2023 college football season.

The Oklahoma Sooners, like every team in college football, head into the season with question marks at a few positions. Even at positions where there are returning starters, there are certainly questions worth asking.

So as we get ready for the start of the 2023 college football season with fall camp coming in a couple of weeks, here is one question for each position group the Oklahoma Sooners must answer if they want to contend for the Big 12 title in 2023.

5 reasons to be confident in the 2023 Oklahoma Sooners

Though there are certainly questions that still need to be answered, here are five reasons to be optimistic about the 2023 Oklahoma Sooners.

Just about two months away from the start of the 2023 college football season, there are few teams without question marks on the roster.  The Oklahoma Sooners are no different.

But instead of focusing on the unsolved mysteries with the Sooners ahead of fall camp, let’s take a look at some of the reasons to feel optimistic about Oklahoma football heading into its final season in the Big 12 in 2023.

Oklahoma Sooners running backs are the team’s strength heading into 2023

This might be an overreaction to the bowl game, but the Sooners’ run game could be even better this year.

While the offense for the Sooners was inconsistent in 2022, the run game was really good. Led by a breakout season from Eric Gray, the Sooners finished 10th in the nation with 219.4 rushing yards per game.

Gray ran for 1,366 yards and finished 18th in the nation in rushing yards, while averaging 6.4 yards per carry on 214 attempts. Gray is no longer with the Sooners. He was taken in the fifth round of the NFL draft by the New York Giants.

This might be an overreaction to the bowl game, but the Sooners’ run game could be even better this year.

The Sooners return Jovantae Barnes, who ran for 519 yards and five touchdowns as a true freshman. They also return Gavin Sawchuk, who had 15 carries for 100 yards in their bowl game against a very good Florida State team.

Those two complement each other well. Barnes is more of a physical runner, whereas Sawchuk brings plenty of speed. They are similar to a Trey Sermon and Rodney Anderson backfield. The key for them is going to be the passing game.

After the flashes we saw from Barnes and the Cheez-It bowl performance from Sawchuk, the running back position could very well could be the strength of the team.

When Jeff Lebby’s offense is rolling, it runs on everyone. While Eric Gray had a great season last year, the running back depth wasn’t great after Marcus Major was injured. Barnes stepped up and performed well when thrust into a significant role in his first season at the collegiate level.

This year you have Major back, but the running back depth is much better: Barnes, Sawchuk, Tawee Walker, Oregon transfer Emeka Megwa and true freshmen Kalib Hicks and Daylan Smothers.

While Eric Gray had a great season that he turned into a job with the Giants, Barnes and Sawchuk have higher ceilings. Gray had a hard time breaking away from the defense. That doesn’t seem to be the case with Oklahoma’s lead runners heading into 2023.

With question marks in the wide receiver room and competition still taking place along the offensive line, this running back room has to be the best part of the team, especially early in the season.

In Year 2 in Jeff Lebby’s system for Barnes and Sawchuk, there’s a chance the Sooners’ running game could be even better.

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Projecting Oklahoma’s offensive depth chart before summer practice

Summer offensive depth chart projection for the 2023 Oklahoma Sooners.

Oklahoma has started summer preparation for the upcoming season. Currently, the players are getting in their strength and conditioning work. There have been no padded practices, and there will not be any for a while, but that will not stop us from trying to figure out what Oklahoma’s starting offense and defense will look like when the Sooners take the field on Sept. 2 against the Arkansas State Red Wolves.

Offensively, the Sooners starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel returned to help quarterback an offense that was 13th nationally in total offense last season. Much was made about Gabriel’s performance but a team finishing in the top 20 in total offense is probably doing many things right. Blaming the quarterback for a 6-7 season seems a bit excessive. In the one game Gabriel didn’t play, Oklahoma scored zero points in its biggest game of the season versus Texas.

Outside of that, Oklahoma underwent departures to the NFL by their starting right and left tackles, Wanya Morris and Anton Harrison, respectively. The latter was selected in the first round by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Marvin Mims went in the second round to the Denver Broncos. Starting running back Eric Gray was drafted in the fourth round by the New York Giants. Starting tight end Brayden Willis is a San Francisco 49er after being drafted in the seventh round.

Oklahoma will have holes to fill. We took our best shot at projecting an offensive depth chart while considering transfer portal acquisitions, recruiting, general roster maturation and turnover from last year’s team.

Oklahoma No. 2 in Athlon Sports preseason Big 12 power rankings

There’s a lot of optimism surrounding the Oklahoma Sooners for 2023 and Athlon Sports has them No. 2 in their Big 12 preseason power rankings.

The 2023 college football season is still three months away. However, with what Brent Venables and this coaching staff have done in the transfer portal, there’s optimism surrounding the Sooners’ prospects this fall.

Count Athlon Sports’ Steve Lassan as a believer in a Sooners rebound. The college football writer put the Sooners in his preseason top 25 and has Oklahoma ranked No. 2 in his Big 12 power rankings for 2023.

[autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag]’ debut didn’t go according to plan with Oklahoma posting its first losing season since 1998. However, with a little better luck (0-5 in one-score games last season), and some improvement on a defense that struggled to stop the run and allowed 6.04 yards per snap in conference play, the Sooners should rebound back into the top 25. Venables hit the portal hard for help on defense and the second year under this staff should help this group show some improvement. Replacing a couple of starters up front and finding new playmakers at receiver with [autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag] departing tops the list of offseason priorities for play-caller [autotag]Jeff Lebby[/autotag]. However, the foundation is strong here with quarterback [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] and running backs [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag] and [autotag]Jovantae Barnes[/autotag] leading the offense. – Lassan, Athlon Sports

In their power rankings over at Athlon Sports, Texas was No. 1 and Oklahoma was followed by Kansas State at No. 3 and TCU at No. 4.

So much of what Oklahoma will be about in 2023 is going to come down to how much improvement they can make on the defensive side of the ball. In four of the five one-score losses for the Sooners in 2022, the defense allowed 30 points or more. In the one loss where the defense held their opponents under 30 points, the Sooners didn’t have an answer for West Virginia’s ground game spearheaded by Garrett Greene.

The offense has areas to improve, particularly in the red zone and on third down. However, if the defense doesn’t make a significant jump, this team will still be trying to outscore teams to win. And that wasn’t a recipe for a lot of success in 2022.

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Oklahoma Sooners No. 7 in ESPN’s future offense rankings

Despite the turnover on offense, ESPN likes where the Sooners are heading, slotting them No. 7 in their future offense power rankings.

The Oklahoma Sooners are working to replace several starters off of an offense that was pretty good in 2022.

Marvin Mims, Eric Gray, Anton Harrison, Wanya Morris, Chris Murray, and Brayden Willis were each selected in the 2023 NFL draft. If you’re keeping track at home, that’s the top two receivers, leading rusher, and three starting offensive linemen.

Though there is a lot of turnover that they’re working through, they still have a group of talented players on offense to fill those holes. That’s why the Sooners were ranked No. 7 by Adam Rittenberg in ESPN’s future offense rankings

Scouting the Sooners: Despite Oklahoma’s first losing season since 1998, the offense produced at a decent clip, finishing 10th nationally in rushing (219.4 yards per game). The SEC transition looms for the Sooners, but the unit projects well with depth at quarterback, wide receiver and other positions. Quarterback play will remain a strength as [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] returns for a second season in coordinator Jeff Lebby’s offense, and incoming freshman [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag], ESPN’s No. 3 overall recruit, should carry the unit through the 2025 season. Oklahoma loses top rusher [autotag]Eric Gray[/autotag], a fifth-round NFL draft pick who gained 1,366 yards last season, and will turn to sophomore [autotag]Jovantae Barnes[/autotag], redshirt freshman [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag] and others. Barnes averaged 4.5 yards per carry as Gray’s backup last fall. The Sooners regain tight end [autotag]Austin Stogner[/autotag], who played his first three seasons at OU before transferring to South Carolina for 2022. He leads a group that includes junior [autotag]Blake Smith[/autotag], second-year [autotag]Kaden Helms[/autotag] and others. – Rittenberg, ESPN

Jovantae Barnes and Gavin Sawchuk are going to be dynamic players. Barnes ran for more than 500 yards last season. In Sawchuk’s first extended run with the Sooners, he ran for 100 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. With as much as Oklahoma offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby wants to run the ball, being able to hand it to a pair of dynamic runners 25-30 times a game will create big plays and set the tone for the Sooners offense.

OU lost top wide receiver [autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag] Jr. to the NFL, and will lean on junior [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag], senior [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag], freshman [autotag]Gavin Freeman[/autotag] and others to fill the production void. The Sooners added Michigan transfer [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag], and signed [autotag]Jaquaize Pettaway[/autotag], ESPN’s No. 45 overall recruit in the 2023 class. Younger receivers [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag] and [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] also will be part of the mix. The offensive line should remain a strength, especially at center with senior [autotag]Andrew Raym[/autotag] and at guard with [autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag]. Junior [autotag]Tyler Guyton[/autotag] started five games at tackle in 2022, and Oklahoma did well in the portal with [autotag]Walter Rouse[/autotag] (Stanford) and [autotag]Caleb Shaffer[/autotag] (Miami Ohio), both multiyear starters. Depth appears solid with sophomores [autotag]Jake Taylor[/autotag] and [autotag]Savion Byrd[/autotag], and others. OU added [autotag]Cayden Green[/autotag], ESPN’s No. 2 guard and No. 55 overall recruit for 2022. – Rittenberg, ESPN

If there are questions, it’s at wide receiver beyond Jalil Farooq and Drake Stoops and along the offensive line where they’re hoping transfer additions can help solidify the unit.

If Walter Rouse and his 38 starts can be the answer at left tackle, the Sooners have options at guard with Caleb Shaffer and Cayden Green. Green got a lot of opportunities during the spring with injury issues plaguing the Sooners offensive line.

Even with questions on offense, the future is bright with an experienced signal caller in Dillon Gabriel and impressive skill talent. If they can find more efficiency on third down and in the red zone, the Oklahoma Sooners will take their offense to another level in 2023.

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Led by a pair of defenders, 11 Sooners named to Athlon Sports preseason All-Big 12 teams

Led by Ethan Downs and Danny Stutsman, 11 Oklahoma Sooners featured in Athlon Sports 2023 preseason All-Big 12 teams.

The Oklahoma Sooners are due for a bounce-back season after their 6-7 campaign in 2022. While there are question marks, the Sooners look like a team with improved talent, particularly on the defensive side of the ball.

Some of that improvement is simply due to progression and more time spent in the system. The other part is Brent Venables and his staff hit the transfer portal to add players that can make a significant impact in 2023.

Still a few months away from the start of the 2023 college football season, Athlon Sports Steve Lassan released his All-Big 12 preseason teams, and 11 Oklahoma Sooners were featured. Six were from the offensive side of the ball, and five were on defense, including two newcomers. One player earned a pair of distinctions. Here’s a look at the Sooners who were named to Athlon’ Sports’ preseason All-Big 12 team.

Jovantae Barnes No. 2 in College Sports Wire’s list of top Big 12 running backs

Jovantae Barnes is ranked 2nd in College Sports Wire’s list of top Big 12 running backs.

It was a strong true freshman campaign for [autotag]Jovantae Barnes[/autotag] in 2022. As the back up to [autotag]Eric Gray[/autotag], the former four-star runner provided the Sooners with a really good second option out of the backfield.

Last season, Barnes carried the ball 116 times for 519 yards and five touchdowns. That performance have many expecting Barnes to be the lead ball carrier and heading toward a breakout season in 2023.

Jovantae Barnes was ranked No. 2 in Patrick Conn’s College Sports Wire’s list of the top Big 12 running backs for the 2023 college football season.

Barnes is looking to be the next Oklahoma running back that causes headaches for the defense. Last year Eric Gray led the team but with his departure, there is ample opportunity for Barnes and Gavin Sawchuk to show they are ready to carry the load for the Sooners. – Conn, College Sports Wire

Barnes should be the lead back for the Sooners this season, but he could also split some time with [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag] in the Oklahoma running backfield. Sawchuk had 15 carries, 100 rushing yards, and one rushing touchdown in his extended appearance against Florida State in the Cheez-It Bowl. Even if it’s a 50-50 split, there will be more than enough work for Barnes and Sawchuk in an offense that gave running backs 420 carries a year ago.

Barnes is eclipsed in these rankings by only Jonathon Brooks for the Texas Longhorns.

Brooks is projected to be the starter ahead of Keilan Robinson, C.J. Baxter, and Jaydon Blue in that Texas running back room. He only had 30 carries last season and also had 197 rushing yards and five touchdowns on the ground. He also had two catches for 37 receiving yards.

If you thought that the Longhorns would have a down year at running back after both Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson were drafted, think again. This room is loaded with talent. Jonathon Brooks, Keilan Robinson, C.J. Baxter, and Jaydon Blue all gearing up for their shot. We project Brooks to be the guy and likely have a huge season for Texas. – Conn, College Sports Wire

The Red River Rivalry is going to be a running back showcase for the ages if these two running backs can perform up to these expectations.

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10 Sooners who stood out in the Oklahoma Red-White Game

There were quite a few strong performances in the Oklahoma Sooners’ annual Red-White game. Here are 10 players who stood out.

The 2022 season didn’t temper the enthusiasm of a fan base that hadn’t seen a losing season since the Clinton administration. 54,509 people showed up to support the Oklahoma Sooners in the spring game. And they were treated to quite the show.

The annual Red-White game provided an opportunity to get a sneak preview into what the Oklahoma Sooners could be in the 2023 season. Though it’s hard to extrapolate performances to the regular season, there were players that stood out.

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Here are ten that flashed on Saturday in the spring game.