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The Oklahoma Sooners are still almost three months from beginning their first season in the SEC. Year 3 under head coach Brent Venables will be a crucial one, as OU tries to build upon a 10-3 record in 2023.
With the dog days of summer and the college football calendar upon us, Athlon Sports is doing season previews for multiple teams, including the Sooners.
According to their Oklahoma Sooners preview, Athlon notes that the Sooners haven’t won a conference title since 2020, after previously owning the Big 12. They also note that OU hasn’t produced a first-team All-American since 2019.
But it wasn’t all criticism of the program, as the re-emergence of defense in Norman and the talented wide receiver unit were cited as reasons for optimism. Jackson Arnold’s obvious talent is a big plus as well.
In fact, according to the article, “Oklahoma’s big-picture transition — leaving the relative comfort of the Big 12 for the snake pit of the SEC — revolves around a more micro transition: Jackson Arnold’s growth at quarterback.”
Arnold holds the present and future of the program squarely on his shoulders. If he grows and becomes the star that OU fans believe he could be, the Sooners could be in for a lot of success. If he isn’t developed properly, it could set Oklahoma back for years.
Athlon Sports also highlighted the retooled offensive line, falling in line with just about everyone else predicting 2024 for Oklahoma. With the pieces at the skill positions on offense, led by the talented wide receiver corps and running back Gavin Sawchuk, the offensive line will be a hinge point for the offense and the team overall.
While Athlon Sports had some concerns about the offense, they were very complimentary of the defense. According to the article, “Eleven of the top 13 tacklers return, led by two first-team All-Big…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/takeaways-athlon-sports-season-preview-100032330.html
Author : Sooners Wire
Publish date : 2024-06-10 10:00:32
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