It’s been a banner week for the Oklahoma Sooners as they took part in their first media day festivities as official members of the SEC.
SEC media days were held in Dallas, Texas, where the Sooners are quite familiar. They recruit the Dallas-Fort Worth area well but also play their biggest rival in the city.
Brent Venables was accompanied by his two defensive leaders and the former five-star quarterback they recruited specifically to lead them into this new era of football.
While the media days were a fun experience, the Sooners now eagerly looking forward to fall camp, which is less than two weeks away. That’s the final step in their journey toward what promises to be an incredibly entertaining 2024 season.
On Friday, the SEC released its preseason All-SEC teams, and three players represented the Sooners.
Three Sooners named to 2024 Preseason All-SEC teams
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Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma’s fearless leader and starting linebacker, was named to the first team alongside fellow playmaking senior Billy Bowman. Deion Burks, one of the new Sooners, made it onto the third team at wide receiver.
Stutsman is the lifeblood of the team on and off the field. He’s a vocal leader but also one of the best players on the team. The native of Florida passed up the opportunity to get drafted in the NFL draft this past April. He returned and was a first-team selection to the preseason Walter Camp All-American squad. Last year, he recorded 104 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, three sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception return for a touchdown in 2023.
Billy Bowman faced a similar question with the NFL draft but elected to return and is set to anchor the Sooners’ secondary. Last season, Bowman totaled six interceptions, three of which he returned for touchdowns. One of Bowman’s most significant plays of the year was a game-changing 100-yard pick six against BYU that helped OU take down the Cougars for the first time in program history. The Sooners had to play the entire second half without starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel.
Burks transferred from Purdue in the offseason, and from the moment he touched campus, it was evident he is poised to be a big-time player for the Sooners offense. He’ll occupy the slot wide receiver spot, which Drake Stoops has handled for the last few years. Burks is a blur and a much more explosive vertical threat.
Last year for Purdue, he led the Boilermakers with 47 receptions for 629 yards and seven touchdowns. In the April Red/White Spring Game, Burks caught five passes for 174 yards and two long touchdowns, as no one in the Sooners secondary could slow him down.
Oklahoma may not have received a high number of accolades, but the SEC has already taken notice of Sooners on both sides of the ball.
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