The Oklahoma Sooners have made substantial additions in the offseason to bounce back from a 6-7 season in 2024. Most of the more significant changes came on the offensive side of the ball, where they brought in offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, quarterback John Mateer, and a number of transfer portal players at every position.
The message is clear. The offense can’t have a season like the one they did in 2024 when they averaged just 24 points per game on the season and only 13 points per game in SEC play when you take away their defensive scores against Auburn, Missouri, Alabama, and LSU.
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Even with all of the offensive changes, there are still questions about how it will come together. But in Saturday Down South’s recent SEC power rankings after spring ball, Adam Spencer appears more concerned about how Oklahoma replaces two key defensive players from the previous year. Spencer had the Sooners at eighth in his latest SEC power rankings.
I love what Oklahoma has done in the transfer portal this offseason. QB John Mateer is the real deal. OC Ben Arbuckle is a great hire by Brent Venables. Jaydn Ott is an elite running back. However, defensively, losing Danny Stutsman and Billy Bowman Jr. will hurt. How much? We’ll find out this fall. – Spencer, Saturday Down South
At the top spot are the Texas Longhorns, who will be breaking in a new starting quarterback, albeit a very talented one in Arch Manning. But they’re also facing a ton of turnover along the offensive line and at wide receiver. They’ve recruited well over the years, so there is talent, but can it all come together to keep the Longhorns in the SEC title picture?
The losses of Danny Stutsman and Billy Bowman are certainly substantial, but the Oklahoma Sooners have a strong depth chart at both linebacker and safety to replace the Sooners only NFL Draft picks. Kobie McKinzie is expected to take over at middle linebacker for Stutsman. The Sooners also expect continued improvement from Kip Lewis and Samuel Omosigho. Oklahoma also added versatile defensive talent Kendall Daniels from Oklahoma State to help as the cheetah and inside linebacker.
At safety, the Sooners have one of the deepest rooms in the country with Robert Spears-Jennings, Peyton Bowen, Michael Boganowski, Jaydan Hardy, and Reggie Powers III. That group is ready to contribute in a big way this season.
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The Oklahoma Sooners defense will be good again this season. They have one of the better defensive lines in college football, and the linebacker and safety rooms are really good too. If they get some health at cornerback as Eli Bowen and Gentry Williams recover from injuries, the Sooners will put another really strong defense on the field. Now, all they need is an offense to play complimentary football with Brent Venables’ defense.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Where Oklahoma ranks in Saturday Down South’s SEC Power Rankings
