Who are the best players and position groups Oklahoma will face in 2023?
The 2023 Oklahoma Sooners schedule leaves much to be desired. After canceling the game against Georgia Bulldogs, there aren’t many games that move the needle.
Georgia would likely have the most talented players at each position. Losing the back-to-back national champion certainly kills Oklahoma’s strength of schedule.
But the Sooners still face teams with talent, such as the Texas Longhorns and the TCU Horned Frogs. There’s some talent joining the Big 12 this year as well.
So, who are some of the players Oklahoma fans should be looking out for, and what position groups could give the Sooners the most problems heading into the season?
Let’s take a look at the best player or position group the Sooners will face in 2023.
Quarterback: Jalon Daniels, Kansas
I know it was just one solid season and really one solid half of a season, but I believe in Jalon Daniels.
Daniels has made a believer out of the Big 12 media, earning a preseason first-team all-conference selection and preseason offensive Player of the Year honors.
Daniels had an impressive season, leading the Kansas Jayhawks to their first bowl game since 2008. In 2022, he completed 66% of his passes for 18 touchdowns and threw four interceptions.
He ran for 425 yards and seven touchdowns. The Sooners were lucky they didn’t have to face the dark-horse Heisman contender, or they might not have been as fortunate to come away with a win.
Running back: Devin Neal, Kansas
I know people are going to immediately look at two players from Kansas and think I’m crazy, but Neal was really impressive a year ago. Neal had more than 1,000 yards on 6.1 average yards per attempt. He also added nine touchdowns.
In addition to his strong 2022 season, the Big 12 suffered significant turnover at the position. Neal might be the best back in the Big 12 heading into 2023.
Wide receiver: Xavier Worthy, WR
Xavier Worthy is by far the best wide receiver returning in the Big 12 this season. The junior has elite athleticism and speed. He’s a nightmare for defenses. Recall how dynamic he was in the 2021 Red River Rivalry game.
He does a great job creating separation. However, in 2022, Worthy struggled with drops.
If Texas wants to accomplish everything it has been projected to do this year, it needs its star wide receiver to have a bounce-back year. After this season, he’s likely off to the NFL as a top 50 pick.
Tight End: Ja’Tavion Sanders, Texas
Like Worthy, Ja’Tavion Sanders is by far the best returning player at his position in the Big 12. If Georgia’s Brock Bowers didn’t exist, you could argue Sanders is the best in the nation.
Last season he had more than 600 yards and five touchdowns, and he hopes to be an even bigger piece to the Texas offense in 2023.
Offensive line: Texas Longhorns
This one was tough. The UCF Knights had one of the best run-blocking teams in the nation a year ago. BYU might have the best offensive lineman in the nation.
But as an overall unit, it’s the Longhorns. I know they graded out 73rd in the nation a year ago. However, it was an extremely young team that returns all five starters from a year ago.
Kelvin Banks is a top-10 tackle in the nation. Christian Jones was third in the Big 12 in pressure allowed.
The Texas offensive line could be the strongest position group on the roster in 2023.
Defensive line: Cincinnati Bearcats
Cincinnati might be a newcomer to the league, but it is coming in with a pretty good defensive line. It mainly uses a three-man front: Jowon Briggs, Dontay Corleone and Eric Phillips are the projected starters.
Corleone had a standout redshirt freshman season. Pro Football Focus graded the defensive tackle as the best interior defensive lineman in the country last season. Briggs was a first-team All-AAC selection. Phillips had eight tackles for loss in 2022.
It has a strong three-man front that will give the Oklahoma Sooners offensive line a challenge to open Big 12 play.
Linebacker: Texas Longhorns
When you bring in the No. 1 recruit and also return an All-American, the Texas Longhorns earn this selection. Jaylan Ford might be the best linebacker in the country and was the Big 12 preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
Anthony Hill will have big shoes to fill with the loss of DeMarvion Overshown, but he’s a talented player that will help the Longhorns’ defense.
With Barryn Sorrell and linebacker-safety hybrid Jahdae Barron, this could be a top-10 unit nationally.
Secondary: TCU Horned Frogs
Texas defensive backs were in consideration here as well, but we’re going to give a slight edge to TCU.
TCU lost its best player in the secondary. Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson won the Thorpe Award last season, but he’s off to the NFL. It’s a big loss, but he’s the only player the Frogs lost from a secondary that made it to the College Football Playoff national championship game.
They added Florida Gators transfer Avery Helm to a really good group in the secondary.
Josh Newton was a preseason first-team All-Big 12 selection and Bud Clark was the star of the Fiesta Bowl. They also bring back Mark Perry and Millard Bradford, who combined for 138 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, one interception and 10 passes defended.
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