The Oklahoma Sooners have increased the talent on the roster each year of the Brent Venables era. It’s not that it wasn’t a talented team under Lincoln Riely, it was. But what Venables has done, with a more holistic recruiting approach, has created a roster far more capable of playing complementary football.
As we approach the 2024 college football season, all eyes are on Oklahoma as they make their way into the SEC. A lot of the concern about the Sooners potential in 2024 falls on the offensive side of the ball, which is a far cry from what this team has been over the last decade.
Typically, analysts have wondered if the defense would be good enough for the Sooners to contend. While the questions on offense are warranted, the Sooners have a defense that can help mitigate some of those concerns if they can live up to expectations.
Blake Brockermeyer of CBS Sports released his top 151 players entering the 2024 season. Six Sooners made the list, with four coming from the defensive side of the ball, signaling a shift in what this team is about under Brent Venables.
Here’s a look at the Sooners who made the top 151.
[autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] returning for the 2024 season was a monumental moment of the Oklahoma Sooners offseason. He sets the tone for everything the Sooners want to be about on the field. Confidence, toughness, physicality, and a defensive mindset. He was missed in the Sooners two regular season losses last year. Stutsman feels like there’s unfinished business for the Sooners and hopes to have OU in contention this season.
Up Next: A pair of Veteran Defenders
Front Seven Defenders
The sign that Oklahoma’s defense is on a positive trajectory is the number of players on the defensive side of the ball and two more players found themselves in the CBS Sports top 151.
[autotag]Dasan McCullough[/autotag] is an interesting player. He’s got a ton of talent and provides juice as a pass rusher and edge defender. He was a huge part of Oklahoma’s goalline stand last year. But the problem is staying on the field. He dealt with minor injuries last season and is dealing with a minor injury again during fall camp.
McCullough plays a hybrid linebacker role and wears a ton of hats. He was very effective in his first season at Oklahoma after transferring from Indiana. The former elite recruit is a versatile, explosive and effective in all phases. He’ll have an expanded role this year with a year of Brent Venables’ scheme under his belt and will likely be playing on Sundays in 2025. – Brockermeyer, CBS Sports
[autotag]Ethan Downs[/autotag] deserves some love. He’s been a steady force for the Sooners the last three seasons amid all of the turnover up front. He’s had 4.5 sacks a season each of the last two years and will benefit from improved defensive tackle play.
Downs has been a disruptive force off the edge, starting 25 games the last two seasons. He’s a high-effort player who can turn the edge and harass quarterbacks as well as hold up in the run game. – Brockemeyer, CBS Sports
Up Next: Too low on these guys
Too low on these guys
Toppemeyer and CBS Sports went deep into their bag to put together a top 151 players in college football. It’s a difficult task, no doubt. But he’s way too low on [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] and [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag].
144. Nic Anderson, WR
Wide receiver at the collegiate level is deep, so it’s not entirely disrespectful to have Nic Anderson so low. However, this is a player that is coming off of a huge season where he had nearly 800 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns. There are wide receivers that haven’t even played a down that are ranked higher.
Anderson was an explosive play waiting to happen last year, averaging 21 yards per catch on 38 balls. Anderson is long and smooth and has scored from every area of the field but excels on the intermediate to deep balls. Anderson can beat press coverage and knows where to sit in the zone against two-high zone. Expect quarterback Jackson Arnold to target him a ton this season. – Brockemeyer, CBS Sports
146. Billy Bowman, S
If you thought ESPN was too low on Billy Bowman, putting him at No. 73, then this is crazy. Sure there are things to improve on, but you can’t deny the playmaking ability in the back end of the Sooners defense makes him one of the best safeties in the country.
Can you tell I’m expecting an Oklahoma rebound in 2024? Bowman has ridiculous film — when he’s good, he’s great: six interceptions, including three (!) returned for touchdowns with a school-record 238 return yards. When he’s bad, it’s a bunch of missed tackles and coverage busts. Bowman has a ton of experience starting 29 games and is poised for another big season. If he cleans up a few lapses, he’ll easily be a top-100 player. – Brockemeyer, CBS Sports
The Oklahoma Sooners are well-represented on the list but still have a lot to prove to national observers heading into year one in the SEC. Players like Damonic Williams, Branson Hickman, and Gavin Sawchuk were notably absent from the list, but will be integral parts of the Sooners success in 2024.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Where did Oklahoma Sooners land on CBS Sports top 151 players in college football?
