Oklahoma-Temple GameDay Preview: Under the Radar

Sooners who have been under the radar and will break out against Temple: Jake Roberts ... Jacobe Johnson ... Kendel Dolby ... Brenen Thompson ... Jovantae Barnes

Oklahoma wide receiver Brenen Thompson / BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

NORMAN — On GameDay of each week, the Sooners On SI staff makes our pick for players we think have flown under the radar all week (or all season) who will have a breakout game.

OU opens the 2024 season Friday at 6 p.m. against Temple. The game will be carried on ESPN, and the Sooners are a 43.5-point favorite.

Here are our Under the Radar picks for tonight's game against Temple:

Jake Roberts

Tight end Jake Roberts has only worn green. But today, he’ll finally be wearing Crimson and Cream. Roberts transferred to Oklahoma after playing last year at Baylor. Green. His first three years were spent at North Texas. Green. And even in high school — green. It was his high school days and his youth where Roberts developed a love of Oklahoma’s red, however. Roberts grew up in the 405 and played at Norman North, and using the transfer portal to return to play for his hometown Sooners was always in the back of his mind. Now a fifth-year senior, he’s grateful to play his final collegiate season for the Sooners, where his friends and family can come cheer him on. Roberts will have a big crowd at his OU debut, and he’ll have an impact on the scoreboard as Jackson Arnold will need some red zone targets (or is it green zone?) to emerge this season. Roberts will also factor heavily into the Sooners’ run game as an edge blocker.

— John E. Hoover

Jacobe Johnson 

Sophomore defensive back Jacobe Johnson had an excellent camp, and Friday will be his first opportunity to show his growth at corner in front of fans in 2024. He was named a co-starter alongside four (yes, four) other corners, but as the young member of the room he’ll get plenty of run against Temple. The season-opener will provide a nice opportunity for Johnson to make plays and gain confidence before the game fully gets turned over to the backups in the second half as he looks to build on a strong offseason. 

— Ryan Chapman 

Brenen Thompson

After playing sparingly last season, Brenen Thompson appears to have earned a bigger role in the Sooners' offense after an impressive offseason. The junior wideout says he has put on 15 pounds since last year and his teammates say Thompson has improved as a route runner. This expansion of Thompson's game from purely a speedy deep threat to a receiver with a much more complete route tree should be easy to showcase against Temple, especially with Jackson Arnold's impressive arm strength.

— Randall Sweet

Kendel Dolby

Oklahoma started last season with Dasan McCullough manning Brent Venables’ coveted cheetah position. After a few bumps and bruises, Kendel Dolby took over that position during the second half of the season and excelled in a big way. Dolby is a versatile player — a hard hitter that is a phenomenal coverage guy in the secondary. He might be a bit undersized but his physicality makes up for it. Dolby has received praise from the entire defensive staff this offseason and Venables noted he could play this game for a long time. Expect him to kick off his senior campaign with strong, solid play and make a few game-changing plays in the secondary against Temple. His instincts and ball hawking skills will be some of the Sooners’ best and he’ll be out to prove he deserves a shot in the pros this season.

— Ross Lovelace

R Mason Thomas

Defensive end R Mason Thomas has played 19 career games in a Sooners jersey and will make his first career start opposite Ethan Downs on Friday night. The 6-foot-2 junior from Fort Lauderdale, FL, can leave the field a fan-favorite with production in Temple’s backfield. Brent Venables raved about Thomas’s progress, as well as the rest of the defensive line, after the Spring Game in April. Friday will be the college football world’s first chance to see those improvements.

— Bryce McKinnis

Jovantae Barnes

I expect new offensive coordinator Seth Littrell to rely on the ground game, especially early, with Jackson Arnold making only his second start. And by the end of the game, the Sooners will be using that run game to bleed out the clock. Overall, OU's backfield will have a stellar night, but, in case anyone forgot after last year, Jovantae Barnes will remind everyone of his talent. He flashed his potential as a freshman, averaging 4.5 yards a carry and rushing for 519 yards and five TDs. Barnes is healthy again and has been spoken highly of throughout fall camp. This could be the only chance of the season to count Barnes as “Under the Radar.”

— Dekota Gregory