NORMAN — It’s football time in Oklahoma.
The Sooners open their preseason camp Wednesday, marking their first official practice of the 2024 season and as members of the Southeastern Conference.
After a 10-3 season and an offseason which saw starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel, offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby and defensive coordinator Ted Roof depart, there are a lot of questions entering the season. Quarterback Jackson Arnold will attempt to emulate the success Gabriel had last season, while new coordinators Seth Littrell and Zac Alley put their stamps on their respective sides of the ball.
Here are five question marks surrounding the program this preseason:
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How will OU’s rebuilt offensive line look?
The biggest question mark surrounding the program throughout the offseason was the offensive line rebuild.
With four veterans headed for the NFL — Tyler Guyton, McKade Mettauer, Andrew Raym and Walter Rouse — the Sooners were always going to be young at the position after 2023, but the shocking transfer of talented freshman Cayden Green to Missouri shook up some plans.
Enter Michigan State’s Spencer Brown, Washington’s Geirean Hatchett, SMU’s Branson Hickman, North Texas’ Febechi Nwaiwu and USC’s Michael Tarquin. Spring practices were filled with injury and inexperience so we should get a more telling look at this group during preseason practices.
Hickman, likely OU’s starting center, has stood out among the pack so far, receiving a vote of confidence from Jackson Arnold during SEC Media Days and earning a preseason Outland Trophy watch list nod. Nwaiwu is familiar with Littrell dating back to their days with the Mean Green.
Along with the transfers, it’ll be interesting to see if this is the year incumbent players like Joshua Bates and Jake Taylor make significant contributions.
SEC games are won and lost in the trenches. Is the Sooners’ rebuilt offensive line ready to go toe to toe with some of the strongest defensive lines in the conference?
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How much progress has Jackson Arnold made since the spring?
OU’s sophomore starting quarterback has been settling into the role for nearly eight months now.
Arnold’s Alamo Bowl performance was full of promise, but also full of youthful mistakes.
He was solid in the spring game, going 10 of 20 for 233 yards, and drew strong reviews for his leadership during the offseason. But with the season bearing down, Arnold’s progress will be more apparent during preseason camp.
Arnold’s arm strength isn’t in question, but his leadership, poise and decision-making all needed refinement.
If Arnold shows significant improvement in those areas over the next few weeks, the Sooners’ path to a successful inaugural run through the SEC appears much more viable.
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What will OU’s secondary look like?
For much of the last decade, questions about the Sooners’ secondary centered around if they had enough defensive backs ready to contribute.
Now, the question is how will OU use the experienced and capable DBs they have.
Billy Bowman’s place at one safety spot is secured but while it’s easy to see the rest of the group slotted out, there’s also plenty of flexibility.
Will Woodi Washington play corner or safety or cheetah or a bit of each? How much time will Kendel Dolby get at cheetah after coming on strong there late last season? How big of a step forward do Gentry Williams and Robert Spears-Jennings take this season? How big of a role will San Diego State transfer Dez Malone — another DB who can play multiple spots — take with the Sooners? How will Peyton Bowen be used?
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Which Sooners freshmen could break out in camp?
This is always one of the most interesting questions entering any preseason camp and there always seems to be a freshman who stands out and earns playing time.
Last season four-star Peyton Bowen shined during camp and played in all 13 games.
OU has a talented group of freshmen and signed the No. 8-ranked 2024 recruiting class, per 247Sports’ team rankings. Five-star David Stone, the No. 4-ranked defensive lineman in the class, is an obvious contender.
Four-star early enrollee Jayden Jackson started at defensive tackle in the spring game, — seemingly in place of veteran Da’Jon Terry who was inactive — signaling the confidence the coaches have in his abilities.
Don’t be surprised if by the end of the season Taylor Tatum, the consensus No. 1 running back in the 2024 class, was sharing carries with Gavin Sawchuk as the No. 2 back.
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What does the Sooners’ wide receiver rotation look like beyond Jalil Farooq and Deion Burks?
OU is replacing its top receiver from last season, Drake Stoops.
It figures that Jalil Farooq and Purdue transfer Deion Burks will at least be two of the central pieces in the wide receiver corps.
But beyond that?
Nic Anderson had 10 touchdown catches last season, including…
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