2023 College Football Catalog: Previewing the Oklahoma Sooners
Josh Frey
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Just like the NFL season is right around the corner, college campuses are preparing to welcome back their football squads for the fall season.
As the summer progresses we will be taking a look into how many of the FBS college football programs fared in 2022, what they did during the offseason, and how they can find success during the 2023 season. Today, we move onto the Oklahoma Sooners to discuss their chances in the Big 12 conference this upcoming season.
Other Big 12 previews:
Big 10 previews:
- Michigan
- Ohio State
- Penn State
- Maryland
- Michigan State
- Indiana
- Rutgers
- Purdue
- Minnesota
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Wisconsin
- Nebraska
- Northwestern
Overview
2022 Results
- W vs. UTEP, 45-13
- W vs. Kent State, 33-3
- W @ Nebraska, 49-14
- L vs. Kansas State, 34-41
- L @ TCU, 24-55
- L vs. Texas, 0-49
- W vs. (19) Kansas, 52-42
- W @ Iowa State, 27-13
- L vs. Baylor, 35-38
- L @ West Virginia, 20-23
- W vs. (24) Oklahoma State, 28-13
- L @ Texas Tech, 48-51
- L vs. (13) Florida State, 32-35
Overall Record: 6-7 (3-6)
2022 All-Big 12 Members
- RB Eric Gray (Second-Team)
- WR Marvin Mims (First-Team)
- OL Anton Harrison (First-Team)
- DL Ethan Downs (Second-Team)
- P Michael Turk (First-Team)
Recent Vikings Draft Picks
- LB Brian Asamoah (2022 Draft; R3, P66)
Every Kwesi Adofo-Mensah Draft Pick
2023 Draft Selections
- R1, P27: OT Anton Harrison (Jacksonville Jaguars)
- R2, P63: WR Marvin Mims (Denver Broncos)
- R3, P92: OL Wanya Morris (Kansas City Chiefs)
- R5, P172: RB Eric Gray (New York Giants)
- R7, P247: TE Brayden Willis (San Francisco 49ers)
2023 Schedule
- 9/2 vs. Arkansas State
- 9/9 vs. SMU
- 9/16 @ Tulsa
- 9/23 @ Cincinnati
- 9/30 vs. Iowa State
- 10/7 @ Texas
- 10/21 vs. UCF
- 10/28 @ Kansas
- 11/4 @ Oklahoma State
- 11/11 vs. West Virginia
- 11/18 @ BYU
- 11/24 vs. TCU
Notable Additions
- QB Jackson Arnold (five-star recruit)
- WR Brenen Thompson (transfer portal, Texas)
- WR Andrel Anthony (transfer portal, Michigan)
- TE Blake Smith (transfer portal, Texas A&M)
- TE Austin Stogner (transfer portal, South Carolina)
- OT Walter Rouse (transfer portal, Stanford)
- IOL Cayden Green (four-star recruit)
- IOL Joshua Bates (four-star recruit)
- EDGE Adepoju Adebawore (five-star recruit)
- DL Derrick LeBlanc (four-star recruit)
- DL Davon Sears (transfer portal, Texas State)
- DL Rondell Bothroyd (transfer portal, Wake Forest)
- DL Jacob Lacey (transfer portal, Notre Dame)
- DL Trace Ford (transfer portal, Oklahoma State)
- LB Dasan McCullough (transfer portal, Indiana)
- CB Makari Vickers (four-star recruit)
- CB Jasiah Wagoner (four-star recruit)
- S Peyton Bowen (four-star recruit)
- S Reggie Pearson (transfer portal, Texas Tech)
Recruit/transfer information can be found at 24/7 Sports.
Notable Losses
- RB Eric Gray (NFL Draft, New York Giants)
- WR Marvin Mims (NFL Draft, Denver Broncos)
- TE Brayden Willis (NFL Draft, San Francisco 49ers)
- OT Anton Harrison (NFL Draft, Jacksonville Jaguars)
- OL Wanya Morris (NFL Draft, Kansas City Chiefs)
- OT Cullen Montgomery (transfer portal, Memphis)
- DL Josh Ellison (transfer portal, Memphis)
- EDGE Clayton Smith (transfer portal, Arizona State)
- LB David Ugwoegbu (transfer portal, Houston)
- CB Jaden Davis (transfer portal, Miami)
- S Damond Harmon (transfer portal, North Carolina A&T)
Transfer information can be found at 24/7 Sports
Keys to 2023
Who Will Be Oklahoma’s Playmakers on Offense?
With Eric Gray and Marvin Mims departing the program for the NFL, Oklahoma needs new players to step up at the RB and WR positions. The hope is that Michigan transfer Andrel Anthony can provide a spark for the offense this season, and Jalil Farooq can take on a bigger role in his third season after recording 466 receiving yards and 5 TDs last year.
Dillon Gabriel’s Second Season Offers a Chance for Growth
During his first season at Oklahoma, Dillon Gabriel turned heads with his production at the quarterback position. The UCF transfer put together 3168 passing yards and 25 TDs compared to just 6 INTs. Now, heading into his second season, Gabriel has a chance to progress even further before entering the 2024 NFL Draft in what looks to be a stacked class at the QB position.
Fixing a Disaster of a Defense
What held Oklahoma back in 2022 was their defense. They allowed 30 points per game and were one of the worst FBS programs in terms of total defense. Opponents scored 40-plus points against the Sooners on five separate occasions, including a 49-0 shellacking handed to them by Texas.
Oklahoma returns many of the pieces from a year ago, but Indiana transfer Dasan McCullough was a freshman All-American in 2022, so he should be an impactful player towards improving the group.
Prediction
- W vs. Arkansas State
- W vs. SMU
- W @ Tulsa
- W @ Cincinnati
- W vs. Iowa State
- L @ Texas
- L vs. UCF
- W @ Kansas
- L @ Oklahoma State
- W vs. West Virginia
- W @ BYU
- L vs. TCU
Overall Record: 8-4 (5-4)
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.