Photo credit to Bryan Terry, USA Today
The wait is almost over. We are 16 days away from kickoff in Norman. The bell soon will toll. And Sooner Nation couldn't be more excited.
Oklahoma is coming off an eventful offseason through recruiting and the transfer portal. After signing the highest-graded recruiting class in OU recruiting history (since the start of recruit grading), the Sooners are looking to bounce back after a disappointing 2022 season.
After the Sooners finished with a 6-7 record and a 35-32 loss to Florida State in the Cheez-it Bowl, they got to work. 5-star QB Jackson Arnold, 5-star safety Peyton Bowen, and 5-star edge rusher Adepoju "PJ" Adebawore enrolled early to help the Sooners start the spring off strong, and they all shined in the spring game. Arnold threw a beautiful touchdown to Gavin Sawchuck in the spring game showing his arm strength and accuracy. Adebawore bullied the offensive line and constantly pressured the QBs throughout the game. And Peyton Bowen showed his 5-star abilities by snagging a diving interception against Dillon Gabriel. Pile that on top of the other players we brought in through the 2023 class who all got production in the spring game, and we have the potential to break out this season and return to the true ways of the crimson and cream. Below is a list of some high-level recruits looking to make an impact during their true freshman season:
5-star edge rusher PJ Adebawore
5-star QB Jackson Arnold
5-star safety Peyton Bowen
4-star WR Jaquaize Pettaway
4-star LB Samuel Omosigho
4-star IOL Cayden Green
4-star CB Makari "Seatbelt" Vickers
4-star CB Jacobe Johnson
4-star LB Lewis Carter
All of the players listed above were in the 247Sports top 150 players.
While they had a big offseason in high school recruiting, Oklahoma also pulled in a significant group of transfers.
Tennessee DL Da'Jon Terry transferred to OU for his final season. He brings great experience and leadership to a Sooners defense that left the 2022 season desperately needing help on the defensive line.
Oklahoma State DL Trace Ford transferred to OU for his final season. He racked up a lot of sacks and tackles in his career at Oklahoma State and switched to the better Oklahoma school to finish his career.
Wake Forest DL Rondell Bothroyd transferred to OU for his final season. He is expected to start this season. He is a monster of a human being and is a force opposing offensive linemen don't want to face.
Indiana LB Dasan McCullough transferred to OU after a season at Indiana. He is expected to play the Cheetah position for Oklahoma's defense this year. He saw a lot of time on the defensive line for Indiana last year and found success blowing up plays in the backfield.
Michigan WR Andrel Anthony transferred to OU, hoping to get a couple of years of play in the crimson and cream. He didn't get much time at Michigan due to injuries but made the most of his time there. His touchdowns against Michigan State and Georgia in 2021 were the most notable of his time there. According to a recent article on On3, he has had great success in fall camp and is very likely to start this year.
Texas WR Brennan Thompson transferred to OU after his true freshman season at Texas in 2022. Having spent one year on the worse side of the Red River, the speedy receiver looks to fill in the gaps after the Sooners lost star WR Marvin Mims. Thompson recorded only one catch in 2022 but made the most of it with yards after the catch, showing off his speed.
So what does all of this mean for Oklahoma? It means they are trying to build a championship team.
Brent Venables is a very traditional coach. He believes the success of a football team is determined in the trenches. His first step towards building a championship team is establishing the trenches. He has made it a point this off-season to strengthen our offensive line. Venables is trying to develop an offensive line that doesn't just win blocks but bullies opposing defensive lines into submission and sets the tone for the offense. He is doing the same thing with the defensive line. Every defensive line transfer he brought in weighs nearly 300 lbs. Considering some of the offensive lines in the Big 12; there is a good chance OU's defensive line is bigger than some of the opposing offensive lines. Talk about difficulty running the ball.
The next step towards building the championship team? Loading up the offense. After some of the losses the offense took after Lincoln Riley left for USC in November 2021, Venables is doing his best to restore OU's offense to the standard it had the five years prior. Dillon Gabriel came back for one more year with 5-star Jackson Arnold is set in the backup position, poised to take over for Gabriel. We have reloaded the RB room with Javonte Barnes and Gavin Sawchuck (who dominated in the Cheez-It Bowl) leading the way and a group of talented freshmen behind them. The WR room is quickly being rebuilt as well. Jalil Farooq and Drake Stoops are leading the charge but have talented players like Gavin Freeman, Brennan Thompson, and Andrel Anthony expected to get reps. They combine with talented but inexperienced players like redshirt freshman Jayden Gibson and true freshman Jaquaize Pettaway ready to get playtime. Finally, The return of Austin Stogner gives us a tried and true player to replace Brayden Willis.
What's next? The secondary. LB Danny Stutsman, who led the Big 12 in tackles last season, has returned for his junior year, and Brent Venables has done nothing but sing his praises. Considering how well Stutsman played in 2022, hearing how much he has improved is music to the ears of Sooner Nation. Sophomore LB Jaran Kanak has bulked up and is expected to start this season. He had limited playtime in 2022 but showed strokes of brilliance on every play. He has had a year to learn the system and is prepared to improve the LB play we got from David Ugwoegbu last year.
Then when you look at the defense as a whole, we have something we haven't had in years: competitive depth. The corners, safeties, linebackers, and defensive line all have multiple people who could start any game. Instead of only having 11 players ready to go, OU is in a place where we could completely swap out the defense every play without missing a beat.
This offseason has been promising for the Sooners, and the fans have noticed. Will it play out well in the season? Are we on the verge of a conference championship in our final year in the Big 12? Are we going to make our first playoff appearance under Brent Venables? Are we going to fall flat like we did last year? No one knows. That being said, we know there's nothing but promise and potential for this team, and I can't wait to see how it plays out.
Boomer Sooner!
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