Oklahoma Sooners up 3 spots in latest ESPN power rankings
Coming out of spring ball, the vibes are all positive for the Oklahoma Sooners. A tremendous crowd at the spring game, followed by several solid recruiting weekends has the Sooners heading into the summer with quite a bit of momentum. Still months away from the start of the 2022 season, Oklahoma’s positioned once again to contend for the Big 12 title.
The Sooners’ spring left a strong impression on local and national media alike and in ESPN’s latest power rankings, the Sooners saw a three-spot bump to No. 14. Here’s what ESPN’s Mark Schlabach had to say.
The Sooners’ roster was decimated by players leaving for the NFL draft and transferring after (Lincoln) Riley left for USC. But first-time head coach Brent Venables has done a nice job of reloading through the transfer portal. (Dillon) Gabriel threw for more than 8,000 yards with 70 touchdowns in three seasons at UCF. (C.J.) Coldon, a transfer from Wyoming, and (Trey) Morrison, from North Carolina, were nice additions to the secondary. (Jonah) Laulu had eight tackles for loss and four sacks at Hawai’i last season. Venables will get things fixed on defense, and the offense will be good enough to outscore most teams in the Big 12. The Sooners will play Kansas State, Baylor and Oklahoma State at home. – Schlabach, ESPN
The Sooners lost a lot in the transfer portal, but they also gained quite a bit. Adding Dillon Gabriel, Jeffery Johnson, Trey Morrison, and Jonah Laulu provided a nice early boost in the portal while LV Bunkley-Shelton and Javian Hester added some competition at wide receiver.
Oklahoma may not have the same level of star power heading into the 2022 season as they had last year. However, the hope is the change in leadership from the coaching staff will help bridge the gap as new stars are born for the Oklahoma Sooners.
Marcus Stripling and Ethan Downs are expected to have breakout seasons, replacing Nik Bonitto and Isaiah Thomas on the edge. Gabriel’s experience in college football and within Jeff Lebby’s offense will help get everyone on the same page in a new offense.
ESPN’s buying the hype surrounding the USC Trojans who sit at No. 4 in Schalbach’s power rankings. Oklahoma State was the highest-ranked Big 12 team at No. 11.
No surprise at who sits No. 1 and 2 in the power rankings. Alabama and Ohio State who have arguably the two best quarterbacks in college football, and the two players favored to win the Heisman, head into 2022 as the two best teams in college football.
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