DALLAS — OU football, along with fellow new conference member Texas, will attend its first SEC Media Days on Tuesday at the Omni Hotel.
Starting quarterback Jackson Arnold and veteran returners — defensive back Billy Bowman Jr. and linebacker Danny Stutsman — will be in attendance. Each school brought three players in addition to the team’s head coach to speak at the event.
Head coach Brent Venables will answer questions from the media for the first time this offseason. As the season inches closer, Venables is sure to discuss the offseason, roster building, his expectations for the season, as well as preview the Sooners’ new SEC opponents.
Venables will likely get asked about his team’s injury situation and wide receiver Andrel Anthony’s status. Anthony spent the spring recovering from a knee injury that left him sidelined for the second half of last season.
Arnold is entering his first season as OU’s starter and will surely field questions about his offseason thus far. Fresh off attending the Manning Passing Academy at the end of June, Arnold is prepping to play for new offensive coordinator Seth Littrell and new quarterbacks coach Kevin Johns with a loaded receiving core and a rebuilt offensive line.
Bowman and Stutsman, who decided to return for their final seasons instead of turning pro, are obvious contenders to make the All-SEC preseason team, which will be released at the end of the event.
Georgia will also attend SEC Media Days Tuesday alongside upcoming OU opponents Missouri and Tennessee. Former Sooners quarterback and offensive coordinator Josh Heupel, the Volunteers’ head coach, is slated to speak.
SEC Media Days will air live on SEC Network.
Here’s a look at the Sooners’ experienced defensive leaders and a few other topics to watch during OU’s turn at media days:
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Billy Bowman, Danny Stutsman prepare to lead stacked defense in 2024
The Sooners will enter their first season in the SEC with a defense expected to be one of their strongest in several years.
Stutsman finished with a team-high 104 tackles and three sacks, while Bowman picked off six passes in 2023. The duo’s decisions to return for a third season under Venables signified the buy-in felt throughout the locker room.
OU has improved on defense every season under Venables and Stutsman is confident that trend will continue in the deepest league in the country.
“Our standard is the standard man,” Stutsman said following the spring game. “We compete every single day, we practice hard so I’ve no doubt in my mind we’ll be ready.”
Venables hired defensive coordinator Zac Alley to help run the defense, allowing OU’s head coach to focus on all aspects of the team. The Sooners also added significant transfers on defense, including TCU defensive lineman Damonic Williams.
“Just felt like this was the right time for us and continuing to grow as a defense and as a program,” Venables said during spring camp. “Get a guy with some fresh ideas and again a new voice, a new face as we move into the SEC. I thought this was the right time to do that.”
If OU is going to boast one of the best defensive units in the SEC and contend for a spot in the 12-team playoff, Bowman and Stutsman’s successes will be critical.
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New QB1 for Sooners
Despite a disappointing first start in the Alamo Bowl to end last season, Jackson Arnold made strides in the spring.
He shined in the Sooners’ spring game. Looking more comfortable in Littrell’s offense, Arnold calmly navigated through his progressions and delivered accurate passes.
Arnold completed 10 of his 20 pass attempts for 233 yards and two touchdowns and finished the spring game with zero turnovers. Replacing Dillon Gabriel, who transferred to Oregon, won’t be easy, Venables and his staff have confidence they’ve found the right person to lead them in the SEC.
“At the end of the day, your real judgment is on the type of teammate and leader and worker he’s been,” Venables said during the spring. “He’s been fantastic in those areas since he’s been here. He’s a bright guy, great instincts. He’s very skilled and becoming a great college quarterback is what’s in front of him right now.
“If he’s going to be successful, it’s going to be because of everybody around him.”
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: What to watch for OU football at Sooners’ first SEC Media Days
The Oklahoman
