Ranking OU football's most important players for a Sooners turnaround in 2023?

NORMAN — It’s no secret that quarterbacks is the most important singular position, certainly in football but perhaps all of sports.

So it’s no surprise that Dillon Gabriel tops the list of the 10 most important players for OU this season.

But who else is on the list for a team looking to bounce back from last season’s 6-7 disappointment?

Here’s a look at the 10 most important players to the Sooners’ success this season:

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1. QB Dillon Gabriel

Sooner coaches feel better about their overall quarterback depth than they did a year ago, mainly with the addition of Jackson Arnold to the room. While Arnold is the expected heir to the position, Gabriel — barring injury — will be OU’s starter this season. If he puts up numbers similar to the ones he’s posted in his other seasons as a full-time starter, Gabriel will move into the top 10 in NCAA history in passing yards.

2. DE Rondell Bothroyd

Bothroyd has long been a productive presence on the defensive line at Wake Forest and was perhaps the biggest addition in the Sooners’ offseason defensive-line overhaul. Last season Bothroyd had 30 tackles — eight for loss — with five sacks, five quarterback hurries and three pass breakups for the Demon Deacons. If Bothroyd is a disruptive presence with the Sooners, it would go a long way to making OU’s defense closer to the standard Brent Venables has set as a defensive coordinator both during his first stint in Norman and his time in Clemson.

3. OT Tyler Guyton

Guyton moves from being a part-time starter a year ago into perhaps the biggest piece of Bill Bedenbaugh’s offensive line this season, as he’s expected to be the right tackle — protecting lefty quarterback Dillon Gabriel’s blindside. Guyton’s 6-foot-7, 327-pound frame makes him physically imposing, but he’s still learning to play on the offensive line after coming to football late in high school and mostly playing on the defensive side. Guyton has made steady progress since the end of last season and looks to be the anchor of a group that has the potential to be better than last season’s line, which featured tackles picked in the first and third rounds of the NFL Draft.

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4. LB Dasan McCullough

McCullough’s versatility makes him perfect for the “cheetah” position in Brent Venables’ defense. The position is asked to drop back in coverage, rush the quarterback or play a traditional linebacker role depending on the call. While DaShaun White handled the job admirably there last year, McCullough is much more in the mold of the ideal player at the spot. As a freshman last season at Indiana, he played in 12 games with four starts, and finished with 49 tackles — 32 of them solo — with a team-high tying four sacks.

5. WR Jalil Farooq

While the returns during preseason camp among the Sooners’ other wide receivers have been solid, Farooq still remains the No. 1 receiver. Last season, Farooq had 36 catches for 461 yards and five touchdowns. Without Marvin Mims, though, the Sooners are looking for a new big-play wide receiver. Farooq’s experience and speed make him an ideal candidate to take over Mims’ role.

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6. CB Woodi Washington

Washington has been a steady presence in the Sooners’ secondary over the last three seasons after being thrown into the fire in the 2019 Peach Bowl loss to LSU. Washington has started 23 games, including all 13 last season when he finished with 67 yackles, an interception, six pass breakups and a forced fumble. While the other cornerback spot is up for grabs, Washington has not only been the most consistent cornerback during preseason camp but the most consistent defensive back overall.

7. LB Danny Stutsman

Stutsman led the Big 12 with 125 total tackles last season, with 10.5 coming for loss. He also had two interceptions, five pass breakups and five quarterback hurries. While Stutsman’s numbers were impressive, he admits that he still had a lot of growing to do as a player. If Stutsman is significantly improved, his overall numbers may dip a bit, but his impact could grow substantially.

8. S Peyton Bowen

The only freshman on the list, Bowen’s recruitment represented a major coup for Brent Venables and Co. after Bowen flipped from Oregon after signing day. While what role Bowen will play is a bit up in the air, he’ll no doubt have a significant place in the defense, and possibly special teams as well.

9. TE Austin Stogner

Brent Venables and Jeff Lebby are hoping Stogner can return to the form he showed in 2020, when he finished third on the Sooners with 26 catches for 422 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Last season at South Carolina, Stogner started 10 games but had just 20 catches for 210 yards and one touchdown. With Brayden Willis having made the leap to the NFL and not much returning experience-wise at the position, Stogner figures to be leaned-on heavily.

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10. RB Jovantae Barnes

As a freshman last season, Barnes ran for 519 yards and five touchdowns on 116 carries last season. This season, he’s expected to take over as the Sooners’ top running back after playing behind Eric Gray a year ago. While the speedy Gavin Sawchuk figures to get a good amount of carries, Barnes’ versatility makes him the pick to be the Sooners’ No. 1 option at the position this season.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU football: Ranking Oklahoma Sooners' most important players for 2023