Position U: Where Oklahoma ranks on ESPN’s All-Time Positional Rankings

One of the bigger topics of debate around college football is which school has had the best positional success. LSU, Texas, and Ohio State all claim to be “DBU” or defensive back university. How a team recruits and develops players at that position can have a lasting effect in the recruiting battles. Schools love to point to the players they helped develop into NFL-caliber talents.

That’s why the Oklahoma Sooners will put as many Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Jalen Hurts highlights into a video package because of their recent college success and their current status in the NFL. Schools will highlight team success, but often when it comes to landing four and five-star recruits it can come down to how much success players at their position had in college and at the next level.

Before we get to 2021 in earnest, let’s take a look back at ESPN’s “Position U” rankings.

How did ESPN come to their rankings?

Quarterback: Oklahoma is QBU

Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Some schools have done a great job at developing quarterbacks, but no school in the last 20 years has the litany of good to great passers that the Big 12 boasts. Go back through the history books, and you find a who's who of Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks. It's an incredible group when you go down the list one by one just since Bob Stoops became the head coach in 1999. Josh Heupel, Jason White, Sam Bradford, Landry Jones, Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Jalen Hurts. Spencer Rattler has a chance to join that list, and Paul Thompson is underrated. Go back even further, and the list of great Sooners quarterbacks includes Jamelle Holieway and Jack Mildren.

The Sooners' run of success at the quarterback position has made it possible for them to write their own ticket when it comes to recruiting the game's most important position. Lincoln Riley can boast 2019's top quarterback under center with 2021's backing him, while 2023's number two quarterback is on his way and bringing talented skill players with him. Spencer Rattler, Caleb Williams, and Malachi Nelson have an opportunity to continue the incredible run of quarterback play that the Sooners are on.

Running Back: 5

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At running back, the Sooners come in fifth behind Alabama, Wisconsin, LSU, and Miami. While Alabama and Wisconsin are understandable, it's hard to make an argument that LSU and Miami should be in front of the Oklahoma Sooners. In the last 20 years, Oklahoma had arguably the best running back in the game in Adrian Peterson, and the performances by Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon should be enough to put them higher on this list. DeMarco Murray was one of the most productive running backs in the history of the program. Then there are Heisman Trophy winners Billy Sims, Steve Owens, and Billy Vessels, who were the stars of their respective eras.

Wide Receiver: 3

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As the "air raid" influence took over the Oklahoma Sooners offense, the need for high-quality wide receivers followed. The Sooners have produced an incredible array of offensive weaponry on the outside. Some were great college players that didn't always translate to being great pros. Ryan Broyles set NCAA receiving records. Sterling Shepard played incredibly tough and was a lightning rod for the Sooners passing attack. Dede Westbrook finished fourth in the 2016 Heisman Trophy race. Marquise Brown was electric, and CeeDee Lamb might be the best wide receiver the Oklahoma Sooners have ever had. Oklahoma comes in behind USC and LSU. While USC had some great wide receivers, most of their success is in the distant past with Keyshawn Johnson, Mike Williams, and Dwayne Jarrett. The string of wide receiver play that the University of Oklahoma has received in the last decade could rival any school. They have the production, and they have the NFL draft picks.

Tight End: 7

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Keith Jackson is the Godfather of the tight end position for the Oklahoma Sooners. A legend from the 1980s, Jackson was a two-time All-American recipient, six-time Pro Bowler, and three-time first-team All-Pro selection. In his four seasons with the Sooners, Jackson caught 65 passes for 1,561 yards and 15 touchdowns. He averaged an incredible 24 yards per reception. Those numbers may not seem like much compared to the production of today's pass catchers, but he did it when Oklahoma was still in their wishbone heyday. In Jackson's most productive season of 1985, the Sooners only threw the ball 105 times over the course of the season. Oklahoma Sooners quarterbacks completed just 49% of their passes for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns. Jackson's 22 receptions accounted for 40.7% of those completions, and his 566 yards, which led the team, accounted for 56.4% of the Sooners' yards down the field. That kind of target share is unheard of. Imagine what he could have done in Lincoln Riley's "Air-Raid" offense. Oklahoma came in behind Miami, Iowa, Stanford, Florida, Missouri, and Wisconsin in the "Position U" rankings. In recent years, the Sooners have produced quality tight ends in Jermaine Gresham, James Hanna, and Mark Andrews. Austin Stogner and Brayden Willis have a chance to join this illustrious crew, but it all stems from Keith Jackson. Though his performance for the Sooners was nearly 40 years ago, he's a legend at the position for the University of Oklahoma.

Offensive Line: 4

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Lane Johnson and Trent Williams have been among the NFL's best offensive tackles in the last decade. Despite their ages, they continue to play at a very high level and give edge rushers fits every Sunday in the fall. Then there are players like Wes Sims, Chris Chester Davin Joseph, Phil Loadholt, and Jammal Brown that each made an impact in the NFL. The Oklahoma Sooners come in behind Alabama, Wisconsin, and Ohio State. Oklahoma's done a great job recruiting and developing offensive line talent led by Offensive Line Coach Bill Bedenbaugh. Ben Powers, Cody Ford, Dru' Samia, and Bobby Evans have varying levels of effectiveness at the next level. Creed Humphrey and Orlando Brown in Kansas City have a chance to be the Sooners' latest stars along the offensive line.

Defensive Line: 10

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Neville Gallimore, Ronnie Perkins, and Ogbonnia Okoronkwo have been drafted by the league in recent years. Other than that, we're a long way from the days of Dusty Dvoracek and Tommie Harris. Perrion Winfrey, Jalen Redmond, and La'Ron Stokes have a chance to make an impact for the Sooners both in 2021 and at the NFL level. If they're able to do so, it could help raise the Sooners standing in the Position U rankings down the road. The Sooners came in behind Alabama, Florida State, Ohio State, Penn State, Clemson, Texas, LSU, USC, and Tennessee.

Linebacker: 6

Mandatory Credit: Ronald Martinez /Allsport

Brian Bosworth, Rocky Calmus, and Teddy Lehman are former Butkus Award winners. Curtis Lofton had some success in the NFL, and Kenneth Murray is just getting started. The Sooners are putting more defensive talent to the next level these days. Can they get defensive players drafted high regularly, and can those players have sustained success in the NFL. Can Brian Asamoah, Dashaun White, David Ugwoegbu, or Shane Whitter be the next Sooners great linebacker? How they classify a guy like Nik Bonitto, who doesn't fit in as a traditional off-ball linebacker, but isn't a pure defensive end, will make a difference to how high the Sooners might be able to climb in future years. The Sooners came in behind Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State, USC, and Penn State, according to ESPN.

Defensive Back: Unranked

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One area on the roster that the Oklahoma Sooners have struggled to put talent into the NFL with any level of consistency is in the defensive backfield. Roy Williams and Derrick Strait are the stars of the last 20 years, and they've had players drafted, but nobody who had sustained success at the next level aside from Roy Williams and maybe Tony Jefferson. The top 10 were Ohio State, LSU, Alabama, Florida, Miami, Florida State, Texas, USC, Georgia, and Virginia Tech. Over the next few years, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Sooners break into the top 10 on the position U rankings as D.J. Graham and Woodi Washington emerge at cornerback and Key Lawrence eventually takes over at free safety.

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