Damonic Williams, Sooners defense makes Oklahoma a contender
Everyone is expecting year one in the SEC to be a problem for the Oklahoma Sooners. But what they don’t realize is that Brent Venables is building a problem for the SEC. The addition of Damonic Williams is the latest big-time defensive addition to a defense that’s improved each year since Venables’ arrival.
The Sooners have been making splashes on the recruiting trail and through the transfer portal to build a roster that’s ready to contend now and into the future. That’s not to say the SEC will be easy. Far from it, but Venables and his staff have been building toward their move to the SEC since their arrival after the 2021 season. And those roster building efforts have created a talented team on both sides of the ball.
Here are just a few reasons why Oklahoma is set to content in 2024.
Defensive Tackle Depth is Strong
Even before the Oklahoma Sooners added Damonic Williams in the transfer portal, the defensive talent and depth had taken a big jump. For years the roster was so dependent on the offense to carry the team, but now, there’s a lot more balance. And one could argue that the OU defense is the strength of the team.
Williams adds to a defensive tackle group that has added a ton of talent over the last six months. Todd Bates has brought in Jermayne Lole, David Stone, and Jayden Jackson to a group that includes ascending players like Da’Jon Terry and Gracen Halton.
Halton, who was a true freshman in 2022, is the only one of those six defensive tackles on the roster before last offseason.
In a sport that requires you to be really good in the trenches if you’re going to contend, Brent Venables, Zac Alley, and Todd Bates have put in the work to revitalize their defensive tackle group.
Returning Production on Defense
According to ESPN, the Oklahoma Sooners return 79% of their defensive production from 2023, which ranks eighth in the nation. They didn’t lose a lot from a defense that took big strides last year. And they’ve only added talent to that group.
With NFL-caliber talent like Danny Stutsman and Billy Bowman returning for another season, the Sooners get the benefit of keeping big-time playmakers in the mix and getting more from their 2022, 2023, and 2024 recruiting classes that were chock full of blue-chip talent.
And with the additions of Caiden Woullard, Jermayne Lole, Dez Malone, and Damonic Williams in the portal, the Sooner’s defensive depth chart is absolutely stacked.
Complimentary Football
For the first time in forever, the Oklahoma Sooners offense won’t have to do all the heavy lifting for the Sooners. That creates a perfect backdrop for first-year starter Jackson Arnold to develop. He’s got the talent to be one of the best in college football, but it may not come together early in the conference part of the schedule. And with road trips to tough environments in the SEC, the offense can rely on the defense to help them win games.
In previous years, the offense had to play near-perfect games for the Sooners to contend. That won’t be the case this year. If the offense is slow out of the gate or has shaky moments, they have a defense that can keep it close while Arnold’s crew finds its footing.
But the offense should be elite
Though the offense won’t have to carry the load, they’ll be really good in 2024. Arnold has the tools to be great, the offensive line will come together like it always does, and the Sooners have a group of wide receivers that could be the best in college football this season.
There’s no telling what the ceiling is for the offense, but Arnold has a big arm and the receivers to make big plays. It won’t all be smooth sailing, but the Oklahoma Sooners offense will be really good this season despite the offensive coordinator turnover and new offensive line.
Roster building coming together
Brent Venables and his staff have been recruiting relentlessly to create a roster that’s “SEC ready.” With some success against the SEC and winning national championships, Venables knows what it takes to get the Sooners to the top of the college football mountain.
And with the expanded College Football Playoff making it possible for a couple of teams to play as many as 16 or 17 games to win a national title, having a deep roster has become paramount. And Oklahoma has that talent.
Up and down any projected two-deep, the Sooners have blue-chip players at nearly every position on both sides of the ball.
