Oklahoma-Auburn GameDay Preview: Under the Radar

Sooners who could fly under the radar at Auburn: Kani Walker ... Eli Bowen ... Jaquaize Pettaway ... Trace Ford ... Gavin Sawchuk ... Luke Elzinga

Oklahoma defensive back Kani Walker / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Kani Walker

Oklahoma’s defense has been good, no doubts there. But the Sooners last week showed susceptibility to the deep ball. With Gentry Williams still out, it’ll be incumbent on Woodi Washington to read and react appropriately (he looked a step slow in giving up two big completions last week). But more than anything, Auburn saw how Kani Walker played big Tennessee wideout Dont’e Thornton, who took an intermediate slant 66 yards to the house in front of Walker. The Tigers are going to try to do the same thing with big wideout KeAndre Lambert-Smith, who ranks second in the nation at 27.2 yards per catch. Thanks to so many injuries, Oklahoma is playing this game with one hand tied behind its back. The Sooners can’t allow Auburn’s best players to make critical plays or this game could get away from them.

— John E. Hoover

Eli Bowen

Jacobe Johnson’s move to wide receiver may not pay immediate dividends, but it was made possible by Eli Bowen’s emergence at cornerback. Despite being undersized, Bowen plays with great mechanics and has an excellent feel for the game — something that was on display against both Tennessee and Tulane. The Volunteers immediately went after the true freshman corner last week but found no success, prompting Brent Venables to declare he probably should have seen playing time earlier in OU’s SEC opener. Auburn can score (so long as its not coughing up the football), so expect Oklahoma’s entire cornerback rotation to get tested as the Sooners look to stay fresh to produce stop after stop this Saturday. 

— Ryan Chapman 

Jaquaize Pettaway

In Oklahoma's loss to Tennessee, sophomore wide receiver Jaquaize Pettaway showed a good connection with Michael Hawkins, the Sooners' new starting quarterback. Following Pettaway's career-high 79-yard performance against the Volunteers, Seth Littrell and company could use another big game from the former 4-star recruit. With Nic Anderson and  Deion Burks both listed as out, OU needs Pettaway to step up this week against Auburn.

— Randall Sweet

Trace Ford

Trace Ford hasn't done much since he was a sophomore at Oklahoma State. But finally healthy after a transfer and position change, Ford had his best game as a Sooner against Tennessee. Being used at defensive end and cheetah now, OU is taking advantage of Ford's versatility to get to the quarterback. Brent Venables, who has coached some impressive talent, told Ford he was good enough to play in the NFL for a long time. After a breakout game, Ford will start proving his coach's talk and make some big-time plays against Auburn.  

— Dekota Gregory

Gavin Sawchuk

With Taylor Tatum out, this is obviously the Jovantae Barnes show. But if there was one weekend for Gavin Sawchuk to break onto the scene and find a way back into the rotation, this is that week. With Oklahoma thin at running back, last year’s star has a chance to get back on track. The Sooners’ offensive line appears to be the healthiest it has been all season, too. A year ago, it took Sawchuk the first half of the season to settle in, so slow starts are no stranger. He finished the 2023 campaign with five straight 100-yard games, though, and looked like Oklahoma’s bell cow coming into the season. After averaging 6.2 yards per carry last year, Sawchuk has stumbled out of the gate at just 1.8 yards per carry for the current year. Oklahoma’s first road test, while banged up, provides the perfect chance for Sawchuk to reintroduce himself to OU’s offense. A strong running game would certainly be a boost for Oklahoma’s freshman quarterback, too.

— Ross Lovelace

Luke Elzinga

Picking the punter isn’t the sexy answer, but Luke Elzinga’s 45.5 yards per punt ranks near the top of the league (especially when you filter out players who have punted 10 or fewer times this year). He consistently sets up the defense and gives the Sooners offense hockey assists. In the Sooners’ first road test, Elzinga being excellent won’t be insignificant to their success.

— Bryce McKinnis