Branson Hickman named to Outland Trophy Watch List

Oklahoma Sooners center Branson Hickman named to the Outland Trophy watch list.

Oklahoma Sooners offensive lineman [autotag]Branson Hickman[/autotag] has been named to the Outland Trophy watch list. The SMU transfer arrived in Norman in the spring [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] window, but is already gaining some buzz in the hours before fall camp officially begins.

The Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) announced the preseason watch list, recognizing 75 returning standout interior linemen representing all 10 Division I FBS conferences and independents.

Hickman’s arrival bolsters a unit that has some fans and national analysts concerned about the Sooners in 2024. He looks to be a plug-and-play solution at the center position for offensive line coach [autotag]Bill Bedenbaugh[/autotag], as the offensive line coach tries to figure out the combination at the guard and tackle spots.

 

The offensive line will be crucial in OU’s move from the [autotag]Big 12[/autotag] to the [autotag]SEC[/autotag] in Year 3 of the [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] era. The SEC is a trenches conference, and protecting quarterback [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] will be pivotal this season, as will opening up running lanes for [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag] and the rest of the running back room.

Hickman should provide some stability, after having an excellent career with the SMU Mustangs. He will likely be the offensive lineman that Bedenbaugh relies upon the most.

Hickman will look to become the sixth Sooner to win the award, and the first since [autotag]Jammal Brown[/autotag] won in 2004. Greg Roberts, [autotag]Lee Roy Selmon[/autotag], J.D. Roberts, and Jim Weatherall are Oklahoma’s other winners.

The recipient of the 2024 Outland Trophy will be announced on “The Home Depot College Football Awards”, live on ESPN on December 12th, 2024.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X @AaronGelvin.

Oklahoma football all-time roster: Offensive starters and backups

See which legends made the cut in our all-time Oklahoma Sooners football roster, starting with the offensive starters and backups.

When you have as illustrious a history as the Oklahoma Sooners with their seven national championships, the longest winning streak in college football history, seven Heisman Trophy winners, and 50 conference championships, picking an all-time team can be a difficult task.

Oklahoma has some legendary figures in the world of college football. It’s a program that’s had incredible success dating back to Bennie Owen in the program’s early days. For more than 100 years, the Oklahoma Sooners have created a program that’s synonymous with winning.

Here’s our crack at Oklahoma’s All-Time offense.

For more coverage on the Oklahoma Sooners, visit Sooners Wire.

Oklahoma Sooners with the ninth-most players selected in the NFL draft since 2000

Highlighted by a trio of quarterbacks selected first overall, the Oklahoma Sooners rank ninth in the nation in draft picks since 2000.

The Oklahoma Sooners have been arguably the most consistent team in the country since they won their national championship in 2000. Though they haven’t been able to add that eighth national title, their run of success in the Big 12 conference and consecutive seasons with a winning record is unmatched throughout college football.

One of the reasons is the talent they’ve found through recruiting that they’ve developed for the next level.

According to Pro Football Focus, the Oklahoma Sooners rank ninth in draft picks since 2000. The Sooners will have a great chance to climb these rankings with 12 players declared for the 2022 NFL draft. It’s not likely that all of them will be selected in the seven-round draft, but it has a chance to match the 2019 class who had eight players selected.

The Sooners have had 11 players selected in the first round, highlighted by first overall picks Sam Bradford, Baker Mayfield, and Kyler Murray. In addition to the quarterbacks, they’ve had another five players taken inside the top 10 of the draft since 2000.

Their best draft class was the 2010 class that saw Bradford go No. 1, Gerald McCoy was selected third overall, Trent Williams went fourth, and Jermaine Gresham was the 21st overall pick to the Cincinnati Bengals. No other draft class has had more than two first-round picks since 2000.

The 2005 class had the most players selected with 11. That group was highlighted by Jammal Brown and Mark Clayton, who went in the first round.

The NFL combine is right around the corner, with pro day to follow, it’s still up in the air as to who will be the Sooners’ top pick in the 2022 NFL draft. Perrion Winfrey, Nik Bonitto, and Brian Asamoah have been the names considered in the second round in some of the latest mock drafts.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz7cqqgxy50qwt player_id=none image=https://soonerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

[vertical-gallery id=49586]

Oklahoma Sooners on Bleacher Report’s All-Big 12 Team of the 21st century

The Sooners have provided some of the best talent in the history of the Big 12. Which of them make this 21st-century All-Big 12 team?

Since the turn of the century, the Oklahoma Sooners have had some of the best players in college football on both sides of the ball. Quarterbacks Jason White, Sam Bradford, Landry Jones, Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Jalen Hurts have been some of the best at the position in the last 20 years.

The star-studded Sooners have found success between the lines and at awards ceremonies. In the Big 12, no team has come close to their sustained level of excellence over the last 20 years. Though it’s been 21 years since their last national championship, their dominance of the Big 12 can’t be understated.

They’ve been as talented as anyone in the country, even if that hasn’t always translated to national championship success.

It’s no surprise then that when Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller put together the All-Big 12 Team of the 21st century, Sooners of the past were quite prevalent on the team.

Here were the guidelines he put in place to define the 21st century.

The 21st century began on January 1, 2001. That means the 2000 season does not count. Only seasons in which the program was part of the Big 12 counted. That means players from Nebraska and Colorado from 2001-10, Missouri and Texas A&M from 2001-11 and West Virginia and TCU from 2012-Present were eligible for consideration, but not for the years outside of those ranges. – Miller

Let’s take a look at the Sooners that made Bleacher Report’s All-Big 12 team of the 21st century. Unfortunately, not every spot could be filled with a player from Oklahoma. However, several Sooners could make an argument for inclusion on this list.