The SEC formally introduced Oklahoma and Texas as its newest members on Monday. Expectations are high for the Longhorns, which rank second in Action Network’s odds to win the conference, but the Sooners (ranked ninth) are somewhat flying under the radar.
Here’s the case for and against Oklahoma being an SEC contender in 2024.
The case for
Oklahoma’s improvement in Year 2 under Brent Venables: Following a disappointing first season at Oklahoma, Venables turned the Sooners around in 2023.
Oklahoma finished 10-3 and 15th in the Associated Press Top 25 poll a year after going 6-7, its first losing season since 1998 and one of 12 in program history. It only makes sense that his team will continue making positive progress.
Venables has built a strong foundation, bringing in the eighth-ranked recruiting classes of 2022 and 2024 and the fifth-ranked of 2023, according to 247Sports.
During the offseason, Venables bolstered his offensive line to withstand the grueling defensive fronts in the SEC. Branson Hickman, a former SMU center, is coming off the best season of his career. Per Pro Football Focus, he didn’t allow a sack in 487 total pressure opportunities.
The Sooners also added guards Geirean Hatchett, who started four games on the Joe Moore Award-winning offensive line at Washington last season, and Febechi Nwaiwu, a former two-year starter at North Texas.
Oklahoma has a veteran defense with most of its top 2023 contributors returning. The unit improved significantly from Venables’ first year, and the defensive-minded coach could have an even stronger group in 2024. The Sooners ranked 99th in scoring defense (30 points per game) in 2022, but jumped 50 spots to 49th (23.5 points) last year.
Quarterback Jackson Arnold: A five-star recruit in the Class of 2023, Arnold has the tools to be the next great Oklahoma quarterback. He has a cannon for an arm, which he showed in last year’s Alamo Bowl against Arizona on a beautiful 63-yard touchdown.
Recently, Arnold attended the 2024 Manning Passing Academy, and On3 praised him as one of the standout attendees in a stacked group that also included Georgia quarterback Carson Beck, Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart and Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers, among others.
