College football will look drastically different in 2024. The Oklahoma Sooners are just one of the many reasons for that.
Playing in the SEC for the first time in their illustrious career, the Sooners face the daunting task of competing in the most physical conference in college football. That's a tall ask for a team that has thrived off speed and finesse with a high-flying offense in recent years, but an opportunity to change the perception of the program.
Sooners head coach Brent Venables brings a different type of mentality to Oklahoma, and one that could lead to some big changes for Oklahoma in its first SEC season.
Here are just a few bold predictions for what to expect from the Sooners in 2024.
Jackson Arnold will make All-SEC noise
Sooners fans only saw glimpses of Jackson Arnold last season. However, those flashes might be enough to give him the confidence he needs to be the full-time starter in 2024.
Arnold was a massive recruiting win for Venables and his staff in 2023. A 5-star quarterback and one of the top-10 players nationally, the 6-foot-1 QB came into Norman with plenty of hype.
Fans saw some of those flashes, but also plenty of warts in the team's Alamo Bowl loss to the Arizona Wildcats. Arnold completed 26 of 45 passes for 361 yards and two touchdowns, but also three interceptions while taking three sacks.
The Sooners saw enough to try and load the roster around Arnold for next season via the transfer portal. Oklahoma saw five incoming offensive linemen, two tight ends, and an electric receiver in Deion Burks transfer into the program this offseason.
That's a ton of talent to set a young QB like Arnold up for success. Expect that to pay dividends right away for Oklahoma's offense.
Oklahoma wins the Red River Rivalry
The Texas Longhorns may be getting all of the preseason love. However, it's the Sooners who should come away with a win this year, even if it's projected to be an upset.
Historically speaking, this shouldn't be considered a bold prediction. The Sooners have come out on top in six of the last seven rivalry games over Texas. That includes last year's 34-30 upset win over the Longhorns, when both teams came into town with undefeated records.
It also helps that the Texas offense has lost some of its most notable offensive weapons to the NFL. AD Mitchell, Ja'Tavion Sanders, Xavier Worthy, and Jonathon Brooks are all now playing at the pro level. Sure, the Longhorns got incoming transfers in players like Isaiah Bond and Jake Roberts, but that won't be enough to replenish all of the team's lost talent.
Expect a big step back from Texas this year, and for the Sooners to come out swinging early against their bitter rival.
Oklahoma will lead the SEC in scoring
Even if the Sooners hired a defensive-minded head coach in Brent Venables, that didn't stop the team from putting points up in 2023.
Oklahoma averaged an impressive 41.7 points per game last season. That was the fourth-best mark in the FBS, and behind only the LSU Tigers for any current SEC teams.
The Tigers ended up losing their Heisman Trophy winner in Jayden Daniels this offseason. They also lost their top two receivers in Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr..
Meanwhile, the Sooners have a 5-star quarterback taking over for an offense littered with incoming talent from the transfer portal. Don't sleep on Nic Anderson either. As a redshirt freshman, he racked up 798 yards and 10 touchdowns on only 38 receptions.
With so much talent and a blue-chip quarterback running the show, there's no reason why the Sooners shouldn't be able to lead the conference in scoring this year.
