Oklahoma's 'Competitive Depth' Will Receive the Ultimate Test in the SEC

Brent Venables will need his entire roster to successfully navigate Oklahoma's daunting schedule in 2024.

8-5 Brent Venables 2.jpg /

NORMAN — Oklahoma’s first season in the Southeastern Conference kicks off in under a month and Brent Venables knows it’s going to take a village to stay afloat in new surroundings. 

The OU head coach declared last month at SEC Media Days the Sooners are “running toward” the challenge , which is true, but Venables knows just how tough the 2024 campaign will be. 

Oklahoma was voted eighth in the SEC in the media’s preseason poll. Simply put, the program will not accept playing eighth fiddle in any league. 

When the preseason Coaches Poll dropped earlier this week, the Sooners stood at No. 16. Starting in the teens isn’t the end of the world — especially as college football introduces a 12-team playoff this year — but six teams on OU’s 2024 schedule (Texas, Alabama, Ole Miss, Missouri, LSU and Tennessee) are all slotted ahead of Oklahoma. 

Since 2000, OU has only landed outside the top eight of the preseason poll five times. Sitting eighth in its own conference is nearly unheard of for the Sooners. 

And that’s why Venables is focused on rapid development across the board in fall camp. 

“I think a year ago we bragged about competitive depth,” Venables said Saturday. “I do think there was a slight drop-off between that first and second group a year ago.”

Venables said the drop-off wasn’t drastic, and there was clear improvement from what the Sooners rolled out in 2022, but there is still necessary growth to contend in the SEC. 

Oklahoma got a number of experienced players back in 2024, which will go a long way to building that depth. 

The returns of Danny Stutsman, Billy Bowman, Woodi Washington and Da’Jon Terry on the defense alone bought OU another year for Jaren Kanak, Kobie McKinzie and Lewis Carter to come further along at linebacker, Peyton Bowen and Robert Spears-Jennings to develop at safety and will allow time for true freshmen David Stone and Jayden Jackson to contribute at defensive tackle. 

Adding Dez Malone alongside Washington at cornerback gives the Sooners four experienced bodies to rotate on the perimeter factoring in Gentry Williams and Kani Walker, and cornerbacks coach Jay Valai has young pieces waiting in the wings. 

On the other side of the ball, OU’s wide receiver depth faces an early test. 

Jayden Gibson, who was primed to take a big step forward in his third year in Norman, went down during practice this week, opening up snaps behind him. 

That competition every day on the practice field is what Venables is striving to create at Oklahoma, and 2024 may be the closest he’s gotten to making every player earn their spot every time they earn a rep during the week. 

“I like guys wanting to compete,” Venables said. "I don’t want guys satisfied with being behind another guy. That’s the wrong mindset, the wrong attitude. Exact opposite of what we want from our guys. I want ambitious, driven. ‘I wanna run out there first.’ That should mean something to these guys, and it does. 

“But at the same time, man, they’ve got great respect and love and appreciation for one another, and for me, that’s where the real growth happens.”

Excellent play from Jackson Arnold alone in his first season as OU’s starting quarterback won’t guarantee success for the team this fall. 

Jackson Arnold (11) warms up during an Oklahoma football practice in Norman, Okla., on Monday, Aug. 5, 2024. / NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

He’ll need big contributions from the unit around him, from the offensive line to the skill positions, to keep the Sooners in games.