Oklahoma football 2023 preview: Record prediction, breakout candidates, bowl game

2023-08-19 00:22

After the first below-.500 season in over two decades, Oklahoma hopes to sum up its Big 12 tenure with a final conference championship.Brent Venables' first full season in Norman as the head coach was not up to the Sooner standard. And more than one aspect of the team fell short of expectat...

After the first below-.500 season in over two decades, Oklahoma hopes to sum up its Big 12 tenure with a final conference championship.

Brent Venables' first full season in Norman as the head coach was not up to the Sooner standard. And more than one aspect of the team fell short of expectations.

Although Dillon Gabriel put up a solid 2022 season, it was not up to the expectation of the previous five starting quarterbacks to come through. He threw for 3,168 yards and 25 touchdowns with just six interceptions.

The quarterback position was far from the only problem for Oklahoma as they gave up 30 points per game, the second-worst run defense and worst pass defense in the Big 12. On top of finishing 0-5 in one-score games, it equaled a season to forget.

Oklahoma football: Key departures, arrivals for 2023

Oklahoma had plenty of attrition, specifically along the offensive line and at wide receiver. Marvin Mims, Theo Wease and Brayden Willis departed as the primary pass catchers, bringing a ton of catches and yards left up for grabs.

Wide Receiver was one of the few positions the Sooners couldn't address solely through the portal. Oklahoma made the mistake of having a very long leash with starters and most of the production graduating; it leaves vast voids.

Jalil Farooq is the lone starter returning, and although they addressed losses with Michigan Andrel Anthony's addition, he needed help staying on the field in Ann Arbor. Tight end Austin Stogner returns to Norman after a year with South Carolina.

Former Stanford offensive lineman Walter Rouse headlines a new starting group after being a four-year starter at Stanford.

Defensively, the Sooners added at least one transfer at each level, including former Texas Tech safety Reggie Pearson Jr. Former five-star and freshman safety Peyton Bowen is expected to be a prominent piece to a revamped secondary.

It's a long road to get back to being an above-average defense. The Sooners will need to rely on the transfers being an immediate impact alongside some younger players prepared to step into more significant roles.

Oklahoma football: 3 breakout candidates for 2023

RB Jovantae Barnes

The rich history at tailback in Norman looks to continue, and Barnes is set for a breakout 2023 season. While studying behind Eric Gray and getting the start in the Sooners bowl game, Barnes racked up 519 yards, averaging 4.5 per touch.

The former four-star back out of Las Vegas showed a knack for being agile; more impressive; he can do it at over 200 pounds.

Although fellow sophomore Gavin Sawchuk will challenge for reps, Barnes showed he could fill Gray's role last season. A 1,000-yard season is not out of the question if he can stay healthy.

WR Gavin Freeman

Freeman captivated the Sooner fanbase with a 46-yard end-around score in Oklahoma's season opener last year.

Outside of that, however, it was a quiet year. That has yet to detract from the buzz the sophomore garnered over the fall camp.

Brent Venables opened his press session to begin fall camp, praising Freeman's progression and what he could mean for the Sooners in 2023.

With the aforementioned hole-in experience at wide Receiver, he is among the top candidates to fulfill the wide shadow of being a starter at Oklahoma.

LB Jaran Kanak

Jaran Kanak made a big first impression through the first three games of last year, collecting 17 tackles, a forced fumble and a recovery.

The rest of the season, however, could have gone better. He was in and out of rotations the rest of the way, barely scraping meaningful playing time.

DaShaun White's graduation gives Kanak more chances to duplicate the flashes he showed against Nebraska. He provided a team-high 10 tackles to go with the forced fumble and recovery.

Oklahoma football: Win-Loss predictions, final record and bowl game prediction

Oklahoma was meant to host a non-conference game against Georgia but was scrapped due to the move to the SEC. It leaves the Sooners without a Power 5 opponent.

The home slate provides only marquee matchups inside of a season-finale date with CFP National Runner-Up TCU. The meeting with Texas will be among the most anticipated in the rivalry's history, with it being the final year in Big 12 country.

Two road games against the conference's newest members could provide some trouble, with it being Cincinnati's first home game in the league, and Lavell Edwards stadium has proved to be a difficult place to play.

Although it's not a return to form for Oklahoma, it keeps the Sooners competitive. They finished just outside the Big 12 Championship race and in a more comfortable state for the SEC move than last year.