Oklahoma Makes Wholesale Changes to Bowl Game Depth Chart

With 25 players gone through the transfer portal and others opting out of the Armed Forces Bowl, the Sooners have new faces at just about every position group.

Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver Jacob Jordan (88) / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Oklahoma fans headed to Fort Worth had better buy a game program — maybe bring some binoculars.

The Sooners revealed their depth chart for next week’s Armed Forces Bowl against Navy, and there are wholesale changes — at just about every position group.

With 25 players in the transfer portal and at least two others opting out of the bowl game to train for the NFL Draft, the OU two-deep has undergone a complete makeover.

Oklahoma Depth Chart - Armed Forces Bowl / OU Athletics

Most notably and maybe most expected, true freshman Michael Hawkins has taken over as the starter at quarterback for sophomore Jackson Arnold. Arnold transferred to Auburn, so Hawkins is the starter, with seventh-year senior Casey Thompson listed as the sole backup.

Junior Jovantae Barnes is curiously not listed among the running backs. No injuries have been reported, but on Dec. 12, Barnes tweeted a simple Bible verse — Romans 18:8: “Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later,” indicating he’s had a setback since missing the final three games with an ankle injury following his career-high 203 yards against Maine.  

Redshirt sophomore Gavin Sawchuk is listed as the starter, along with junior Sam Franklin, true freshman Taylor Tatum or true freshman Xavier Robinson. True freshman Andy Bass from OKC Heritage Hall is listed No. 5 on the two-deep after recovering from his knee injury in high school last year.

With Bauer Sharp in the portal on his way to LSU, senior Jake Roberts is the No. 1 tight end, backed up by third-year sophomore Kaden Helms and true freshman Davon Mitchell. Mitchell, a former 5-star prospect who reclassified to the 2024 class, has not played in a game yet this season.

Major changes have occurred at wide receiver, although oft-injured Deion Burks is listed as the co-starter after his season-ending concussion at Missouri. The other co-starting slot receiver is true freshman walk-on Jacob Jordan, backed up by true freshman K.J. Daniels (he hasn’t played yet this season) and senior walk-on Major Melson, who has six snaps in two games this season and 26 career snaps total.

True freshman Ivan Carreon is listed as the starter at one wide receiver, backed up by true freshman Zion Kearney and walk-on Trey Brown. 

The other wide receiver is manned by true freshman Zion Ragins, who’s backed up by Kearney and walk-on Eli Merck.

One position group that reflects almost zero change from the Sooners’ last game, ironically, is the offensive line. OU tried eight different starting combinations there during the first nine regular season games, but settled on a starting five in November and stuck with it for the final four games.

It’ll be redshirt freshman Logan Howland at left tackle, redshirt freshman Heath Ozaeta at left guard, junior Troy Everett at center, junior Febechi Nwaiwu at right guard and seniors Michael Tarquin or Spencer Brown at right tackle. True freshman Isaiah Autry-Dent (LT), true freshman Daniel Akinkunmi (LG), senior Branson Hickman (C), and true freshman Eddy Pierre-Louis are the backups. Of that group, only Akinkunmi is new to the lineup from the Sooners’ season-finale at LSU.

The OU defense has had fewer defections into the transfer portal, so there’s less turnover. But several new faces are lining up in the two-deep.

Senior Ethan Downs is back at one end, backed up by sophomore P.J. Adebawore and  redshirt freshman Taylor Wein, who has not played yet this season. Previously, senior Caiden Woullard backed up Downs, but he suffered a knee injury against Alabama. 

Junior R Mason Thomas is the other d-end as usual, backed up as always by senior Trace Ford and true freshman Danny Okoye. Okoye has played just nine snaps on the defensive line this season, and has appeared in four games overall. (New this year, postseason games do not count toward a player’s total; Okoye can still claim a redshirt for this season.)

At defensive tackle, true freshman Jayden Jackson is back as a co-starter along with junior Gracen Halton. They’re backed up as usual by true freshman David Stone.

At nose tackle, junior Damonic Williams and senior Da’Jon Terry are still listed as co-starters.

Both interior backups, however — Davon Sears and Ashton Sanders — hit the portal and have not been replaced for next week’s two-deep,.

There’s a big hole at middle linebacker, where consensus All-American and senior Danny Stutsman led the Sooners in tackles for the third year in a row but has opted out of the bowl game. 

Redshirt sophomore Kobie McKinzie is the starter, backed up by Jaren Kanak at the Mike.

At weakside linebacker, redshirt sophomore Kip Lewis and sophomore Lewis Carter are listed as co-starters, backed up by redshirt sophomore Owen Heinecke, who wasn't previously on the depth chart.

The cheetah linebacker spot was ably manned by junior Dasan McCullough the last few regular-season games after he finally returned from a foot injury, but McCullough hit the transfer portal.

Sophomore Sammy Omosigho and Carter are listed as the co-starters at cheetah and will no doubt rotate frequently against the Midshipmen. The backup is true freshman Reggie Powers, who has dabbled at cheetah this season but has played mainly deep safety.

One deep safety is missing a familiar face: senior Billy Bowman, like Stutsman, has opted out of the bowl game to prepare for the NFL Draft. One of the Sooners’ most consistent defenders in the secondary over the last four years, Bowman’s leadership and presence will be missed on the field.

But his replacements have plenty of experience. At one safety, sophomore Peyton Bowen is the starter after playing 429 snaps this season and rotating heavily with Bowman and junior Robert Spears-Jennings, who blossomed this season with 654 total snaps. Those two are backed up by true freshman Jaydan Hardy and true freshman Michael Boganowski.

With two co-starters in the portal in Kani Walker and Dez Malone, Eli Bowen returns as the late-season starter at one cornerback spot, backed up by true freshman Davon Jordan, who’s played 112 snaps in 11 games this season, and true freshman Jeremiah Newcombe, who has logged just 21 snaps in three game in 2024.

At the other corner, sophomore Jacobe Johnson, who took on a starting role late in the season, or sixth-year senior and four-year starter Woodi Washington will get all the frontline snaps.

There are virtually no changes on the special teams units, with all the kickers, holders and snappers back. On returns, Bowman is missing, with he and Burks replaced on kickoffs by Sawchuk and Peyton Bowen. On punt returns, Bowman has been replaced Peyton Bowen, and Devon Jordan is now the backup punt returner.

OU and Navy kick off at 11 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 27, at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth.