Projecting Who's Staying and Who's Leaving from Oklahoma After Bowl Game
The first season of Brent Venables' tenure at Oklahoma left a sour impression, but Year 2 ended on a better note.
Yes, the Sooners lost to rival Oklahoma State and fell annoyingly shy of a trip to the Big 12 Championship Game. Still, they upended Texas and won 10 regular-season games before losing to Arizona 38-24 in the Alamo Bowl to close the campaign at 10-3.
Oklahoma is now officially invested in a busy offseason that includes a much-anticipated move to the SEC.
Looking ahead, which players will be part of OU's major transition in 2024? Similarly, who will not?
The following sections—who's staying, leaving and on the way—are a mix of projections and reported/confirmed plans.
Who's Staying
The New QB
After playing scattered snaps in the regular season, Jackson Arnold took the reins in the Alamo Bowl. The postseason game offered a preview of what to expect in 2024 when he's presumably the full-time starter. Given that he held a 5-star billing as a high schooler, there won't be a shortage of hype for Arnold entering next season.
Key Defenders
Venables' first season ended with a problematic 30.0 points allowed per game. However, the defense made enormous strides in 2023 with linebacker Danny Stutsman and defensive back Billy Bowman Jr. leading the way. Stutsman paced the team in tackles for the second straight year, while Bowman snatched six interceptions. Both players have announced they will return to OU.
Many Top Offensive Playmakers
Arnold will have a familiar group around him in 2024. Gavin Sawchuk led the Sooners with 610 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground, and fellow freshman Nic Anderson had 31 receptions for 725 yards and nine scores. Three more valuable wideouts—Jalil Farooq, Andrel Anthony and Jayden Gibson—all have eligibility remaining, too.
Who's Leaving
The Old QB
Arnold is an exciting talent, but Dillon Gabriel is absolutely a substantial loss. He's a proven, high-level starter who's amassed 14,865 yards (at a stellar 8.9 per attempt) with 125 touchdowns to 26 interceptions in college, also running for 1,060 yards and 26 more scores. Gabriel is headed to Oregon for his final year of eligibility.
Other Outgoing Transfers
The biggest departure is safety Key Lawrence, although OU's depth on the offensive line has taken a serious hit. Left guard Cayden Green is in the portal, along with top backup Savion Byrd and reserves Aaryn Parks and Nate Anderson. Rotational running backs Tawee Walker and Marcus Major are leaving Norman. Edge-rusher Reggie Grimes lost his starting job in 2023 but is also worth mentioning.
NFL Prospects
I have good news and bad news: Oklahoma is thin on NFL-worthy prospects this cycle. Right tackle Tyler Guyton will likely be selected on Day 2 of the 2024 draft. After him, though, center Andrew Raym and wideout Drake Stoops are basically OU's late-round prospects.