Tag: Seth Littrell

No. 16 Oklahoma Sooners vs. Temple Owls: Sooners Wire Staff Predictions

Sooners Wire Staff predicts Oklahoma vs. Temple Owls.

The Oklahoma Sooners kick off the 2024 college football season on Friday night when they welcome the Temple Owls to Norman. The Sooners come into the contest No. 16 in the nation in both the US LBM Coaches Poll and the AP Top 25.

The Sooners are No. 13 in the final SP+ rankings prior to their opener, while Temple ranks No. 132 out of 134 teams in the FBS.

On paper, it’s a mismatch and the Oklahoma Sooners should be able to do whatever they want on the gridiron. This game won’t tell us everything we need to know about Oklahoma, but if they put on a performance similar to their 2023 outing against Arkansas State, then odds are this team will be pretty good in 2024.

Oklahoma is a heavy favorite. Fan Duel has OU as 42.5-point favorites heading into Friday’s opener.

As we will each week of the season, here are the predictions from our staff here at Sooners Wire.

More: SEC week 1 predictions

Sooners Wire Staff Predictions

Oklahoma starts fast in week one, showing off their supreme talent on both sides of the ball against Temple.

[autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag]’s debut as OU’s full-time starter at quarterback goes well as he begins the process of getting more comfortable in Seth Littrell’s offense at game speed.

The starters on defense pitch a shutout before the backups give up a fourth-quarter field goal.

As with any first game, there will be things to clean up, but Brent Venables is happy with his team on Saturday morning.

Sooners 59, Owls 3

Contact/Follow Aaron Gelvin

Up Next: More Sooners Wire Staff Predictions

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3

3 Freshmen to watch in Oklahoma’s matchup with the Temple Owls

Which three freshmen are we looking forward to watching when the Oklahoma Sooners take on the Temple Owls?

The Oklahoma Sooners open the season with the Temple Owls on Friday night, giving us our first glimpse of team 130. The Sooners have improved their depth over the three offseasons that Brent Venables has been in Norman.

Heading into the 2024 season, the Oklahoma Sooners have 18 true freshmen on their initial depth chart. The talented 2024 recruiting class will have an impact on both the present and the future, but we might get our first chance to see several of those impact freshmen this week when the Sooners take on a Temple team that went 3-9 in 2023.

Here are three freshmen to watch this week.

1. Michael Hawkins, QB

[autotag]Michael Hawkins[/autotag] earned the backup quarterback job out of fall camp and will have a chance to get some action against Temple. When he does see the field, Hawkins will be must-see television.

He’s got excellent athleticism and a really good arm. If the Sooners can generate a healthy lead by the second half, look for offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach [autotag]Seth Littrell[/autotag] to get Hawkins some action.

2. Jayden Jackson, DT

In a surprise, [autotag]Jayden Jackson[/autotag] earned the starting defensive tackle spot next to [autotag]Damonic Williams[/autotag]. He’ll have to keep the role, but Jackson has the size, strength, and athleticism to be an impact player for the Sooners in year one.

Oklahoma will use a rotation, but Jackson is going to be a key piece to the Sooners’ success in 2024.

3. Zion Kearney, WR

The Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver depth has taken a hit during fall camp. Oklahoma will be down [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] this week, and although [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] will be available, they’ll make sure he’s safe as he makes his return to the field for the first time since last October.

The Sooners will need some of their younger wide receivers to play some this week, and that opens the door for a guy like [autotag]Zion Kearney[/autotag] to get an opportunity. He’s got really good speed and athleticism to be an impact player in the Sooners offense.

Other freshmen like [autotag]Reggie Powers[/autotag] and [autotag]Michael Boganowski[/autotag] have made noise in fall camp and will certainly get a lot of playing time. A guy like [autotag]Taylor Tatum[/autotag] will get some run. He was listed as the fourth running back on the depth chart to start the season and has been impressive since arriving in the summer.

If everything goes according to plan, the Sooners should get an opportunity to see several freshmen this week.

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 John on X @john9williams.

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.

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.

Pair of Sooners make ESPN’s list of top newcomers

The Sooners will be relying upon their portal class to help them win in 2024.

The Oklahoma Sooners were very active in the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] this offseason. In both the winter and spring windows, head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] made key additions to the team at multiple different position groups.

Two OU players were highlighted by ESPN in their list of the Top 100 newcomers in college football (ESPN+). Staff writers Max Olson and Eli Lederman compiled the 100 best players in the sport who changed teams via the transfer portal or are incoming true freshmen.

Two Sooners made the list. The first was wide receiver and Purdue transfer [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag], the star of the spring. He committed to Venables and wide receivers coach [autotag]Emmett Jones[/autotag] in the winter portal window and will start at slot receiver in Norman. Here’s what Olson and Lederman had to say about Burks, the No. 14 player on their list.

Burks landed in the portal after a breakout sophomore season at Purdue that saw him record 47 catches for 629 yards and seven scores. He arrives at Oklahoma as another new face in the Sooners’ offense as [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] steps in under center and first-year offensive coordinator [autotag]Seth Littrell[/autotag] takes charge. Burks is the complete wide receiver the Sooners were missing last fall after [autotag]Marvin Mims Jr.[/autotag] jumped to the NFL, and he should be a popular downfield choice for Arnold. – ESPN

The second player on the list was defensive tackle and TCU transfer [autotag]Damonic Williams[/autotag]. He committed during the spring portal window, representing a major [autotag]NIL[/autotag] win for Venables and defensive tackles coach [autotag]Todd Bates[/autotag]. He’ll see plenty of time at nose tackle, along with [autotag]DJ Terry[/autotag], and will be counted upon to help the defensive line get to the next level.

A 27-game starter and a 2022 national runner-up at TCU, Williams’ transfer to Oklahoma filled a critical hole up the middle for the Sooners this offseason. Brent Venables’ defense enters the [autotag]SEC[/autotag] down five upperclassmen defensive tackles from last fall, and in the 6-foot-1, 319 pound Williams, Oklahoma gained needed size and experience at the position. He’ll start at nose tackle next to true freshman DT [autotag]Jayden Jackson[/autotag], a three-star signee who has earned high praise from Venables and his staff. Former Tennessee transfer Da’Jon Terry will feature heavily in the rotation, as could five-star freshman [autotag]David Stone[/autotag]. – ESPN

As Venables continues to rebuild the roster through both the portal and high school recruiting, he’ll be counting on players like Burks and Williams this season to help the Sooners try to contend in their new conference.

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.

How Zac Alley can unlock the Oklahoma Sooners defense

The Sooners hired Alley from Jacksonville State.

Oklahoma Sooners third-year head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] is replacing coordinators for every single unit in 2024. It’s a unique place to be, but OU fans are optimistic about the new hires.

On offense, [autotag]Jeff Lebby[/autotag] had been the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach for the past two seasons. When he took the head coaching job at Mississippi State in November, Venables chose to promote from within to replace Lebby, elevating offensive analyst [autotag]Seth Littrell[/autotag] and tight ends coach [autotag]Joe Jon Finley[/autotag] to co-offensive coordinators. Littrell will serve as the quarterbacks coach and primary play caller, while Finley will have more input than before and will continue to coach tight ends. Wide receivers coach/passing game coordinator [autotag]Emmett Jones[/autotag] will also factor into the game planning throughout the week. He’s been nothing but stellar since showing up in Norman.

Former special teams analyst [autotag]Jay Nunez[/autotag] left to take a job at Alabama this offseason, leading to the hiring of [autotag]Doug Deakin[/autotag], formerly at San Diego State. Special teams play was a weak spot a season ago for the Sooners, and it must be better in the unforgiving SEC.

Former defensive coordinator/linebackers coach [autotag]Ted Roof[/autotag] and the Sooners mutually parted ways this winter, and Venables hired [autotag]Zac Alley[/autotag] to replace him. Defensive tackles coach [autotag]Todd Bates[/autotag] and cornerbacks coach [autotag]Jay Valai[/autotag] will serve as co-defensive coordinators under Alley, two veterans who can help the younger coordinator.

While all of these moves have to work out for the Sooners to have success, Alley’s role is an interesting one as he arrives in Norman.

He spent eight years (2011-2018) as a student assistant and graduate assistant at Clemson, spending the final seven years under Venables, who was the defensive coordinator for the Tigers. A month after he was signed to be the nickel backs coach at Charlotte, he instead ended up coaching linebackers at Boise State, where he spent two seasons. Former Louisiana-Monroe head coach Terry Bowden hired Alley as his defensive coordinator, at the recommendation of Venables in 2021. After just one year at ULM, Jacksonville State head coach Rich Rodriguez tabbed Alley for the same role. He spent two seasons at JSU, helping the Gamecocks make the move from FCS to FBS in 2023.

Now, Alley steps into a much larger role; defensive coordinator at Oklahoma. His style is extremely similar to Venables’ himself, having spent seven of his 13 seasons in coaching under his leadership. He’s been called a clone of Venables, as his mannerisms and attitude closely reflect those of OU’s head coach. The team posted a recent video on social media that features Alley, and it’s tough to differentiate his voice from Venables’

Make no mistake about it: the Sooners will be running Brent Venables’ schemes, concepts, and formations on defense for as long as he’s in Norman. Venables was hired in December of 2021, in part because of his defensive acumen, in addition to his previous ties to the program. It’s his defense, but having someone he fully trusts as the defensive coordinator and play caller unlocks what Oklahoma can be as a team.

Alley’s presence and Venables’ comfort level allows the head coach to focus on every aspect of the game instead of having to be so hands-on with the defensive playcalling. It’s an area that improved last year for the Sooners, but still has room to improve.

Venables will likely never be a true “CEO-type” head coach. He’s got too much enthusiasm, energy, and knowledge to sit back and watch the defense. It’s something that he shouldn’t change, as players, recruits, parents, fans, and fellow coaches love that about him. However, there is still room for improvement for Venables when it comes to managing the game within the game. Understandable for someone who has only been a head coach for 26 games in his career.

Oklahoma went 0-5 in one-score games in 2022, improving to 3-2 in that stat in 2023. There will likely be more one-score games as the Sooners make the move to the [autotag]SEC[/autotag]. Though it’s clearly somewhere OU has gotten better, there were two costly losses in that department last year. Losses against Kansas and Oklahoma State came right down to the wire, and mistakes on offense, defense, and special teams cost the Sooners a trip to the [autotag]Big 12[/autotag] Championship game and maybe more.

Though Venables should still have the final say on a crucial defensive moment, having someone who sees the game the same way and has a similar thought process about defense will be very beneficial throughout the season.

In fact, looking at the championship-winning coaches in recent years in college football, they’ve had a similar model to what Oklahoma has now, delegating play-calling duties in their area of expertise to focus on being a head coach.

Former Alabama head coach Nick Saban is one of the best defensive minds the sport has ever seen. Yet, he always had a defensive coordinator calling the plays, and he trusted his assistant coach. One of them, Georgia‘s Kirby Smart, has the same model, leading to two out of the last three national titles landing in Athens.

In fact, the last head coach to call plays in his area of expertise and win the title was Jimbo Fisher, who won it all at Florida State in 2013, a decade ago. Fisher eventually landed at Texas A&M, flaming out late last season. It wasn’t until 2023 that he ceded offensive play-calling duties for the first time, but it wasn’t enough to save his job.

What those coaches have achieved in recent years is what Brent Venables hopes to bring back to Oklahoma. His former boss [autotag]Bob Stoops[/autotag] followed this model as well, and became a legend in Norman, trusting in his defensive coordinator(s). Hiring Zac Alley to be his defensive coordinator and fully trusting him to call the plays so that Venables can oversee everything that’s going on during the game could unlock the Sooners’ defense and maybe the entire program as a whole.

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.

Casey Thompson’s long journey highlighted in Washington Post article

Casey Thompson is battling for Oklahoma’s backup quarterback job.

The quarterback room has changed a lot for the Oklahoma Sooners entering 2024. [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag], [autotag]Casey Thompson[/autotag], [autotag]Michael Hawkins Jr.[/autotag], [autotag]Brendan Zurbrugg[/autotag] and [autotag]Steele Wasel[/autotag] make up the unit this season. They’ll be coached by [autotag]Seth Littrell[/autotag], who will serve as co-offensive coordinator along with [autotag]Joe Jon Finley[/autotag].

As OU enters Year 3 of the [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] era, the head coach has been hyper-focused on building up every part of the roster. He found what could be a key walk-on transfer in a veteran journeyman who has been all over the college football map.

Ideally, a backup quarterback isn’t something that is ever a big part of your season. Arnold is the starting quarterback for the Sooners in 2024 and will stay in that role as long as he is healthy enough to do so. If the worst does happen and Arnold falls with injury, Thompson and Hawkins Jr. would be the first options to replace him, with Zurbrugg and Wasel behind them.

While Thompson’s fellow backup quarterbacks are all youngsters (as is the guy playing in front of him) he’s the outlier. Thompson is entering his seventh year of college football and playing for his fourth different school.

It’s part of the reality of the new world of college football. The transfer portal, COVID-years of eligibility, and injury waivers provide the opportunity for players to play six or seven seasons at this level. The Sooners may benefit from Thompson’s final year of eligibility.

The Washington Post’s Kent Babb featured Thompson in a detailed article that dove deeper into the quarterback’s journey.

His father, Charles, was a star QB for the Sooners from 1986-1988, the final three seasons of the [autotag]Barry Switzer[/autotag] era. His older brother Kendal was a backup QB at OU from 2011-2013, before transferring to Utah for the next two seasons. However, Casey chose a different path out of high school, committing to play for the rival Texas Longhorns and head coach Tom Herman.

He spent three seasons as Sam Ehlinger’s backup before replacing him in the 2020 Alamo Bowl. He played under new head coach Steve Sarkisian in 2021, facing off against the Sooners in the fabled [autotag]Red River Rivalry[/autotag] game that season and diced up Alex Grinch’s defense. He helped the Longhorns jump out to a huge first half lead.

But after battling all season with Hudson Card for the starting gig in a 5-7 year, and with Quinn Ewers on the way to Austin in 2022, Thompson transferred to play for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. He again met rival Oklahoma in a blowout loss in Lincoln, and his time as a Husker didn’t go as planned.

“Once Casey started the 2022 season as the Cornhuskers’ starting quarterback, the offers poured in,” Babb said “He endorsed a protein doughnut brand, an apparel company, a barbershop. He spent $1,800 on a pair of off-white Air Force 1s, and when a group of high school buddies wanted to go to Austin on a weekend trip, the group stayed in a 10-bedroom mansion. Life was good, but Charles kept issuing warnings. Casey and his two brothers had grown up hearing them almost constantly, the echoes of their father’s trauma reverberating through every stage … In the Huskers’ first game of 2022, Coach Scott Frost opted to try a surprise onside kick against Northwestern. It failed, the first domino that ended in a blown double-digit lead. Two weeks later, Frost got fired, and players were left to flail. Casey got sacked 19 times and says now that he was hit 137 times in six weeks, at various points suffering injuries to a shoulder, a calf, his hip, his left wrist, an AC joint, even his jaw. Thumb surgery had weakened his grip on the ball, and yet another collision damaged nerves in his elbow.”

But that wasn’t the end of the rough season, according to Babb.

“In a game against Illinois, a defender crashed into Casey as he threw a pass, leaving him without feeling in his fingers. He had torn his labrum but, after missing two weeks, returned to the lineup and again played through it. Even running a makeshift attack, behind one of the nation’s worst offensive lines, Casey was among the nation’s most effective passers. Then, more dominoes. Nebraska hired Matt Rhule, the former Baylor and Carolina Panthers coach. A fourth playbook in two years and a fifth offensive coordinator. The winter transfer portal opened, and by the time it closed, 6-foot-4 quarterback Jeff Sims had departed Georgia Tech and was signing with the Cornhuskers. With his shoulder still healing, Casey couldn’t practice all spring. He and Rhule agreed that the new system, based more on power rushing than prolific passing, wasn’t a perfect fit. Though the portal had closed to football players, its gray areas include an exception for players with a new head coach. In April 2023, Casey’s future was again draped in uncertainty. Rhule hadn’t named a starter, but after their conversation, Casey knew the score. The only thing he could be sure of was that, 72 hours after the spring game, the portal would close.”

Thompson’s journey continued, ending up at Florida Atlantic for the 2023 season.

“During his third game, Casey fell to the turf while evading a Clemson defender. The pop in his right knee was the shredding of his ACL, his season finished in the blink of an eye,” Babb said.

After things didn’t go as planned at FAU, he had a decision to make about his future.

“When the NCAA approved his request for a medical exemption, granting him a chance to be a seventh-year college senior, he decided to continue only if one program welcomed him,” Babb said. “It’s the same one that recruited, excommunicated, and eventually forgave his dad. Casey had gone on a winding journey only to wind up back where he started. It had taken him traversing the country and multiple injuries for him to realize that, deep down, it was neither profit nor glory he had been chasing. It was stability. He yearned to belong, as his father does, and remember how it feels to be home.”

Thompson transferred and walked on at OU to batlle true freshman Hawkins Jr. for the back up job behind Arnold and has been rehabbing his injury, missing spring football. However, if his number is called upon in 2024, he could be ending his college football career, helping out his fourth-different team in seven seasons.

This time, it would be one close to home.

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.

What an opposing coach thinks about Jackson Arnold?

The Sooners officially hand the reins over to Jackson Arnold on August 30th.

The college football season starts in a matter of days, with Week Zero action on Saturday, August 24th featuring four FBS games. The slate is headlined by Florida State vs. Georgia Tech in an ACC battle taking place in Ireland. Six days later, the Oklahoma Sooners will take on the Temple Owls on Friday, August 30th to kick off their 2024 season.

There is optimism in Norman this year, despite the brutal realities of a very tough [autotag]SEC[/autotag] schedule.

Head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] enters Year 3 with a veteran-led defense that projects as the best Oklahoma has had in a long time.

On offense, sophomore quarterback [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] steps into the driver’s seat, a moment that Sooner Nation has been anticipating for years. He needs to gain experience and reps with live bullets flying, but his upside and talent have the coaching staff excited. He’ll be relying on a deep core of weapons and a rebuilt offensive line to help him put points on the scoreboard.

But just about every team is excited about their quarterback this time of year, whether it’s a new player or a returning starter. To cut through the clutter, ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg “spoke with more than 25 head coaches and defensive assistants (mostly coordinators) during the spring and summer to gather intel on the top returning quarterbacks and what to expect (ESPN+) — both good and bad — this fall.”

Arnold was one of many quarterbacks profiled and a familiar name for Sooner fans went on record to give a very positive evaluation of the former five-star prospect. Here’s what Rittenberg heard on Arnold.

“The Sooners had a peaceful transition of QB power from [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] to Arnold, ESPN’s No. 3 overall recruit in the 2023 class,” Rittenberg said. “Like Gabriel, Arnold is a shorter quarterback (6-1) with dual-threat ability and a track record of prolific passing (more than 7,000 yards in high school). Arnold started the Alamo Bowl against Arizona and had 361 pass yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions. His first season as OU’s full-time starter coincides with the team’s move to the SEC, which brings a schedule featuring Alabama, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Missouri and LSU in addition to the [autotag]Red River Rivalry[/autotag] game against Texas.”

The coach that Rittenberg spoke to about OU’s new man under center was former offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach [autotag]Jeff Lebby[/autotag], who recruited Arnold to come to Norman, coached him last season as a freshman and is now the head coach at Mississippi State. Predictably, Lebby is still very high on his prized recruit.

“He’s going to have a chance to have a really good year,” said Lebby. “They’ve got some really good pieces around him. They’re going to be better at tight end, better at running back, and they’ve got some great, great pieces in the receiver room. He’s set up really, really well.”

The pieces around Arnold are solid, as running back [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag] and wide receivers [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag], [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag], [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] and [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] are all really good weapons. If the tight end position improves as Lebby believes it will and the new offensive line gels, Arnold could be leading a very productive offense into battle each Saturday.

Arnold is now in the hands of co-offensive coordinators [autotag]Seth Littrell[/autotag] and [autotag]Joe Jon Finley[/autotag]. The latter will continue to coach tight ends while the former will replace Lebby as the play caller and quarterbacks coach, meaning he’ll be speaking to Arnold throughout the game in college football’s new helmet communication system. Littrell and Arnold had a good relationship while Littrell was an offensive analyst in 2023. The development of the young QB is squarely on the shoulders of the former North Texas head coach.

Oklahoma’s success won’t depend entirely on Arnold going nuclear every week in 2024. However, the Sooners will need him to be a star if they want to navigate the difficult SEC slate successfully and take another step forward in Venables’ third season.

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.

Pro Football Focus comes in lower than polls in preseason power rankings

Oklahoma was ranked lower by Pro Football Focus than the US LBM Coaches Poll and the AP Top 25.

The Oklahoma Sooners were ranked No. 16 in the country in the initial Top 25 polls by both the Associated Press and the US LBM Coaches Poll to begin the 2024 season. Both polls had OU ranked eighth in the [autotag]SEC[/autotag], as did the SEC media poll. However, one site has Oklahoma ranked even lower nationally than the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll.

Pro Football Focus revealed their preseason Top 25 rankings earlier this week. The Sooners checked in at No. 18, two spots lower than the two official polls. PFF did still have OU at eighth in the SEC, keeping consistent with most other lists. Here’s what PFF writers Max Chadwick and Dalton Wasserman had to say about [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag]’ team in 2024.

Oklahoma might take some time to fully acclimate as it debuts in the SEC and with all of the new moving parts on its roster, but the Sooners can still compete for a playoff spot if they jell quickly. – Pro Football Focus

The Sooners will look to the defense to lead the way this season, a change from years past.

A talented, productive, and veteran defense breaks in new coordinator [autotag]Zac Alley[/autotag], but has all of the pieces to dominate opposing offenses in 2024. Inside linebacker [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag], safety [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag], defensive end [autotag]Ethan Downs[/autotag], cornerback [autotag]Woodi Washington[/autotag] and new TCU transfer defensive tackle [autotag]Damonic Williams[/autotag] lead the way for a unit with high expectations.

Offensively, the Sooners are younger and have a few more concerns. They’re also breaking in new coordinators in [autotag]Seth Littrell[/autotag] and [autotag]Joe Jon Finley[/autotag]. A much-discussed offensive line had to replace all five primary starters from last year’s team and is tasked with protecting new starting quarterback, sophomore [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag].

The former five-star prospect has plenty of weapons on offense, led by running back [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag] and wide receivers like Purdue transfer [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag] and returning players [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag], [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] and [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag]. If the new offensive line can gel and the tight end position can give the Sooners better production than last year, OU could once again have a high-scoring offense.

Special teams analyst [autotag]Doug Deakin[/autotag] is also new this year, and he takes over a unit that must be better in 2024. [autotag]Luke Elzinga[/autotag] is entrenched as the starting punter, but all of the other major positions within special teams seem to be up for grabs. Most notably, the kicker spot is still yet to be decided.

Brent Venables enters Year 3 as the head coach at Oklahoma and has been diligent in the process of turning over the roster. Only nine players remain on the 2024 fall camp roster that were on the roster at the end of the 2021 regular season. Slowly but surely, the Sooners have been rebuilt to defend the standard that has been set in place in Norman.

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.

Who steps up at wide receiver with Jayden Gibson out?

With Jayden Gibson set to miss the 2024 season, which wide receivers could step up for the Oklahoma Sooners?

Anytime you lose a player, it’s going to put the depth chart to the test. With Jayden Gibson set to miss the 2024 season, the Sooners will need to rely on their depth at wide receiver more than they anticipated.

Gibson was one of those players expected to have a huge breakout season. As part of the rotation in 2023, Gibson caught 14 passes for 375 yards and five touchdowns. As Andrel Anthony (knee) and Jalil Farooq (toe) were working their way back from injuries, Gibson was getting a great deal of run with the first team and was taking advantage of it.

Now that he’s out, who will step up in his place?

“You hate that for anybody when a season comes to an end prematurely,” Brent Venables said. “But that’s a group that we feel really good about.”

If everyone’s healthy, it’s likely Nic Anderson, Deion Burks, Farooq and Anthony are your top four wide receivers. Farooq is back and Anthony is expected to be ready for the season. In the event they’re not, the Sooners will need to go deeper into the wide receiver well.

One of the more unheralded figures on the wide receiver depth chart is former Missouri transfer and Tulsa native J.J. Hester. Hester arrived in Norman during the 2022 offseason, but dealt with injuries for much of his time with the Sooners. Those injuries limited his development. However, with a healthy offseason, Hester looks primed for a breakout season of his own.

He has great size and speed to be a difference-maker at every level of the offense. He can win in the intermediate part of the field with his size to box out defensive backs. Hester can also stretch the defense deep with legitimate 4.4 40-yard dash speed.

In addition to Hester, two other speedsters, though smaller in stature, have a chance to earn a significant role out of fall camp. Another transfer addition, Brenen Thompson, made an impact in a limited role, but he hasn’t seen many snaps with the Sooners. [autotag]Jaquaize Pettaway[/autotag], a four-star wide receiver in the 2023 recruiting class has the ability to work at several spots. He has the speed to threaten teams deep and the quickness to be a threat out of the slot.

Beyond the veterans on the roster, the Sooners have a nice group of prospects from the [autotag]2024 recruiting class[/autotag]. [autotag]Ivan Carreon[/autotag], [autotag]Zion Kearney[/autotag], [autotag]Zion Ragins[/autotag], and [autotag]K.J. Daniels[/autotag] provide a diverse range of abilities.

Though there may not be an answer right now as to who fills Jayden Gibson’s role in the offense, the Oklahoma Sooners have a number of options for [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag], [autotag]Emmitt Jones[/autotag], [autotag]Seth Littrell[/autotag] and [autotag]Joe Jon Finley[/autotag] to choose from.

Projected Wide Receiver Depth Chart

X WR Nic Anderson Andrel Anthony Zion Kearney
Slot WR Deion Burks Jaquaize Pettaway Brenen Thompson
Y WR Jalil Farooq J.J. Hester Ivan Carreon

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 John on X @john9williams.

Where does Brent Venables land in USA TODAY Sports’ SEC head coach rankings?

Oklahoma’s 23rd head coach enters his third season at OU with something to prove.

Oklahoma Sooners head football coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] is entering his third season leading the program. After a disappointing 6-7 finish in 2022, OU bounced back in 2023 with a 10-3 mark. With the Sooners moving from the [autotag]Big 12[/autotag] to the [autotag]SEC[/autotag], Venables’ already daunting challenge of rebuilding the program gets tougher.

Venables has been preparing for the SEC move since arriving two-and-a-half years ago. His primary focus has been getting Oklahoma ready to compete in college football’s most difficult conference.

While OU’s roster looks to have improved again this offseason and could be ready to take another step forward, the SEC schedule will be extremely difficult to navigate.

Part of the reason for this is the number of excellent coaches, teams and players in the conference, as USA TODAY Sports noted when they ranked all 16 SEC head coaches heading into the 2024 season.

With Alabama‘s Nick Saban retiring this winter, the choice at the top was obvious. Georgia head coach Kirby Smart is the best in the business and is one of three active head coaches to have won a national championship. Only Smart, Clemson‘s Dabo Swinney and North Carolina‘s Mack Brown can say that. The Bulldogs have won two out of the last three national titles, losing just two total games in three seasons, both to Saban and the Crimson Tide.

Behind Smart in the SEC, there are a number of excellent coaches who still have things to prove, but where does Brent Venables rank among them?

Out of the 16 head coaches in the conference, USA Today Sports’ Blake Toppmeyer has Venables at No. 11.

The jury remains in deliberations as to whether Venables will be a hit at OU. He misfired in Year 1 before rebounding last season, but the Sooners limped to the finish. His expertise comes on defense, a unit that remains under construction but is improving. His star quarterback ([autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag]) and offensive coordinator ([autotag]Jeff Lebby[/autotag]) departed in the offseason. The fork in the road of his tenure arrives this year. – Toppmeyer, USA TODAY Sports

Venables landing at 11th has him trailing Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian (No. 3) by eight spots. Sarkisian, who has had one good season in Austin, is ranked above every SEC head coach except Smart and Brian Kelly at LSU.

Venables signed a contract extension this offseason, proving Oklahoma believes it has the guy both for the present and for the future. At least among the decision-makers in Norman, there is no deliberating “whether Venables will be a hit at OU.”

While Toppmeyer praises Venables’ defense and the improvements they’re making, he fails to mention what the Sooners gained on offense when Gabriel and Lebby went elsewhere this offseason. [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] steps into the spotlight as the starting quarterback, with [autotag]Seth Littrell[/autotag] calling the plays. One could argue the Sooners are in a better spot in 2024 with a more physically gifted QB and a more experienced playcaller running the show.

For Venables, who isn’t interested in the outside noise, it’s a huge opportunity on a bigger stage in the SEC in 2024. Either he proves the doubters right and OU regresses, or the Sooners take another step forward this season, and there will be a healthy dose of respect for Venables and Oklahoma on these lists next year.

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.