Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
USA TODAY Sports Media Group
Oklahoma’s defense one of the best in the SEC heading into 2024
By John Williams,
6 hours ago
The Oklahoma Sooners are just over two weeks away from beginning the 2024 college football season. The US LBM Coaches Poll is out and the AP Top 25 was released on Monday. In both, the Sooners were voted the No. 16 team in the nation and eighth among SEC teams.
By comparison, the Oklahoma Sooners’ defense rates more favorably than the offense. OU’s defense comes in as the fourth-best unit in the SEC, according to the SP+ ratings. Offensively, however, the Sooners are considered the ninth-best offense in the conference.
It’s reasonable to expect more out of the defense. There’s a lot more experience and proven production on that unit led by Danny Stutsman, Billy Bowman, Ethan Downs, Woodi Washington, and incoming defensive tackle transfer Damonic Williams.
The offense has talent, but aside from guys like Gavin Sawchuk, Nic Anderson, Jalil Farooq, Andrel Anthony, and their offensive line transfers, there’s not a lot of experience or production. Much of that production came last season.
With former five-star quarterback Jackson Arnold taking the reigns there’s a lot of potential for the offense. He’s got a big arm and fantastic athleticism. He’s got a lot to prove but has the talent to be among the best in college football.
Beyond Arnold, the Sooners have a lot to prove on special teams. The SP+ ratings consider the Sooners to be the worst team in the SEC on special teams entering the season. The only spot that feels solidified is the punting duties with Luke Elzinga. Elzinga was the best part of Oklahoma’s special teams unit in 2023. OU’s kicking situation is unsettled and they have to get more out of the return game this season if they want to be a contender.
Oklahoma made the move to bring in Doug Deakin, who led some of the best special teams units in the nation during his time at San Diego State. If he can work that same magic in Norman, it’ll go a long way to helping the Sooners become a contender in 2024.
OU will have to be good in all three phases of the game to navigate their schedule and make a run for a College Football Playoff berth this season. Given the strength of the SEC and that OU will play five teams ranked higher than them in SP+ ratings, there’s no room to be average or bad in any phase of the game.
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 .
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.
Comments / 0