The Oklahoma Sooners are getting ready for their SEC debut.
Entering his third season as head coach of the Sooners, Brent Venables led Oklahoma to a (6-7) finish in 2022 after a difficult start in his first season in Norman. However, the squad experienced a huge turnaround the previous season and finished with a (10-3) record in 2023.
After Lincoln Riley unexpectedly resigned as head coach of Oklahoma to accept a position at USC, things seem to be going well for the program. After settling in and putting his culture and coaching philosophy into practice, Venables has helped Oklahoma recruit the ninth-best class of 2024, and the team is moving forward to reclaim the national championship.
After demonstrating significant progress last fall, the defense is on the rise. The Sooners boast one of the best receiving corps in the country in Jackson Arnold, their rising star quarterback. The offensive line that Oklahoma has rebuilt will determine how far up the SEC standings the team can go.
With Seth Littrell taking over as offensive coordinator and only four guys who started as many as six games back returning, the Sooners will be centered around a well-prepared Arnold.
At least Arnold has familiar faces to target as playmakers in the form of Jalil Farooq, Andrel Anthony, and Nic Anderson, the veteran receivers. Deion Burks, a Purdue transfer, gives the team additional experienced productivity.
Even though Gavin Sawchuk finished 2023 with five straight games of 100 yards, the running back position still requires a game-changer, and the line has been completely rebuilt.
The Oklahoma Sooners seem to be in good form defensively.
Eleven of the top 13 tacklers are back, including safety Billy Bowman Jr. and linebacker Danny Stutsman, two first-team All-Big 12 performances.
DB Makari Vickers of the Oklahoma Sooners was arrested on Wednesday.
Oklahoma defensive back Makari Vickers, a sophomore, was taken into custody by the OU Police Department on Wednesday.
Vickers had been taken into custody by the OU Police Department and booked into Cleveland County, the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office verified to Sooners on SI. However, the Sheriff’s Office was unable to provide any further information.
A representative for the athletics department told Sooners on SI, “We are aware of the issue and it is being addressed internally.”
As a true freshman for the Oklahoma Sooners, the former 4-star prospect played in eight games and recorded eight tackles along with one pass breakup. Vickers, a very young player, received valuable playing time for Brent Venables’ defense on pivotal plays in the second half of a closely contested Bedlam game.
