Projecting Oklahoma’s offensive depth chart before summer practice
Oklahoma has started summer preparation for the upcoming season. Currently, the players are getting in their strength and conditioning work. There have been no padded practices, and there will not be any for a while, but that will not stop us from trying to figure out what Oklahoma’s starting offense and defense will look like when the Sooners take the field on Sept. 2 against the Arkansas State Red Wolves.
Offensively, the Sooners starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel returned to help quarterback an offense that was 13th nationally in total offense last season. Much was made about Gabriel’s performance but a team finishing in the top 20 in total offense is probably doing many things right. Blaming the quarterback for a 6-7 season seems a bit excessive. In the one game Gabriel didn’t play, Oklahoma scored zero points in its biggest game of the season versus Texas.
Outside of that, Oklahoma underwent departures to the NFL by their starting right and left tackles, Wanya Morris and Anton Harrison, respectively. The latter was selected in the first round by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Marvin Mims went in the second round to the Denver Broncos. Starting running back Eric Gray was drafted in the fourth round by the New York Giants. Starting tight end Brayden Willis is a San Francisco 49er after being drafted in the seventh round.
Oklahoma will have holes to fill. We took our best shot at projecting an offensive depth chart while considering transfer portal acquisitions, recruiting, general roster maturation and turnover from last year’s team.
Quarterbacks
QB1 Dillon Gabriel, Redshirt Junior
QB2 Jackson Arnold, Freshman
Unsurprisingly, the quarterback position for Oklahoma is perhaps the most stable and straightforward to predict heading into the 2023 season.
Five-star freshman Jackson Arnold looks firmly in control of the backup quarterback role. If anything happens to Dillon Gabriel, it’s Arnold’s show to run.
Speaking of Gabriel, he’s one of the unquestioned leaders on this team. Fresh off his Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year award, Gabriel looks to take a step further in Year 2 as a Sooner.
Running backs
RB Jovantae Barnes, Sophomore
OR
RB Gavin Sawchuk, Sophomore
Oklahoma’s two deep at running back is in great hands with two fun sophomores, Jovantae Barnes and Gavin Sawchuk. Their first appearance together came in the Cheez-It Bowl, where the pair combined for 208 yards and two touchdowns.
They replace former Sooner turned New York Giant Eric Gray, who rushed for 1,366 yards and 11 touchdowns, averaged 6.4 yards per carry and caught a career-high 33 passes for 229 yards. Both offer different running styles and add new layers to the Oklahoma offense, but they share the ability to run hard and fight consistently for extra yards.
Marcus Major and Tawee Walker look to fill in behind them, offering veteran leadership and depth. Oklahoma will also have Daylan Smothers and Kalib Hicks, two four-star freshmen waiting in the wings. One or both could redshirt.
Offensive Line
LT1 Walter Rouse, RS Senior / LT2 Jacob Sexton, Sophomore
LG1 Savion Byrd, RS Sophomore / LG2 Mckade Mettauer, RS Senior
C1 Andrew Raym, Senior / C2 Joshua Bates, Freshman
RG1 Caleb Shaffer, RS Junior / RG2 Jake Taylor, Sophomore
RT1 Tyler Guyton, RS Junior / RT2 Aaryn Parks, RS Junior
The offensive line is a huge question for Oklahoma entering the season. There’s plenty of veteran experience and some youth, but besides Raym and Mettauer, many linemen didn’t play significant regular-season snaps for Bill Becenbaugh last year.
Replacing Anton Harrison and Wanya Morris will be hard, but Walter Rouse has started plenty of games at Stanford. Tyler Guyton has the highest ceiling along the offensive line. If both can play well, the Sooners are in business. Jacob Sexton and Jake Taylor will be invaluable depth pieces this year. Both are candidates to start if injuries happen to the guys likely to be in front of them.
Savion Byrd is a bit of a surprise pick to usurp Mettauer at LG. His athleticism and the mean streak he plays with could provide a different edge to this offensive line.
Wide Receivers
WR-X1 Jalil Farooq, Junior / WR-X2 LV Bunkley-Shelton, RS Junior
WR-Z1 Andrel Anthony, Junior / WR-Z2 Jaquaize Pettaway
WR-Y1 Drake Stoops, RS Senior / WR-Y2 Gavin Freeman, Sophomore
The story starts and ends with Jalil Farooq and Drake Stoops stepping into bigger roles in 2023. The Sooners need them to be reliable options in the passing game every week. Without them, Oklahoma will be lost at receiver.
Andrel Anthony came over from Michigan and should provide some nice size and downfield ability outside. Transfer Brenen Thompson from Texas adds game-breaking speed that could be used in a variety of ways. So it’ll be interesting to see where he slots in. They could use him in the slot or on the outside.
Freshman Jaquaize Pettaway is another burner the Sooners added this summer. He could very well break into the regular rotation with his big-play ability. He’s one to watch throughout camp.
Gavin Freeman showed up and played hard every Saturday last season. He made plays in multiple games and is primed to replace Drake Stoops in the slot in the future.
Tight Ends
TE1 Austin Stogner, Senior
TE2 Kaden Helms, RS Freshman
The tight end position will see an old face return to hold down the starting job. Austin Stogner is back in Norman after time spent in Columbia, South Carolina, as a Gamecock.
He’s healthy and ready to go and will have Kaden Helms, transfer Blake Smith and Jason Llewellyn behind him. The Sooners have the bodies, but the production is where the question marks lie. Freshman Kade McIntyre will likely redshirt.
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