Earning playing time as a true freshman can be difficult. Veterans on the depth chart with knowledge of the defense and experience against the higher level of competition often get favored because of the security the coaches feel with those players.
In 2022, players like [autotag]Jaren Kanak[/autotag], [autotag]R Mason Thomas[/autotag], and [autotag]Jovantae Barnes[/autotag] made an impact for the Sooners. Guys like Kanak and Thomas flashed throughout the season, even if they didn’t get a full complement of snaps as a backup.
Barnes, on the other hand, was huge for Oklahoma as Eric Gray’s primary backup. Thrust into playing time due to the injuries of Marcus Major, Barnes held onto the job and gave Oklahoma a different element running the football. He’s expected now to be the Sooners’ lead back with [autotag]Eric Gray[/autotag] off to the NFL.
After the turnover that Oklahoma experienced each of the last two offseasons, there’s an opportunity for several 2023 true freshmen to come in and be day-one impact players.
For the purposes of this exercise, we’re going to assume [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] stays healthy for the duration of 2023, which would limit [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] to backup duty. Arnold gives [autotag]Jeff Lebby[/autotag] and the offense a much better option at quarterback if the Sooners were to need someone to fill in for Gabriel in a pinch.
