The Oklahoma Sooners first year in the SEC was as close to a disaster as we've seen in recent memory for the program. The team limped to a bowl game at 6-6 and ended up losing the game to Navy 21-20, leaving them 6-7 to finish the season. 

A resurgent, elite defense was wasted by a complete disaster of an offense. Quarterback Jackson Arnold failed to live up to the five-star billing, turning the ball over frequently and setting the Sooners' back with multiple taken sacks. The offensive game plans were ineffective (and sometimes downright stupid). When combined with a slew of injuries at wide receiver and on the offensive line, the offense was the worst product Oklahoma has put on the field in some time. 

However, 2025 brings a new season, and with it, new expectations. The Sooners overhauled the roster with a vast transfer haul and brought in new coaches (though didn't get rid of one important one) to turn the offense around. 

With a new roster in town, what positions will the Sooners be better at in 2025? 

Positions Oklahoma Sooners will improve at in their 2025 season

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Quarterback

It would be hard to be worse than the combination of Jackson Arnold and Michael Hawkins in 2024. Neither of the two proved they could process what a defense threw at them and often put the offense behind the sticks with turnovers, poor accuracy, and questionable decision-making. 

Fortunately, the Sooners nabbed a much better option from the transfer portal in John Mateer, who followed Ben Arbuckle from Washington State to Oklahoma. Mateer already knows the offense and was significantly better in all facets than what the Sooners sent out last season. With another season under Arbuckle under his belt and a slew of better playmakers, I'd expect Mateer to be a significant upgrade in 2025. 

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Wide Receiver

The Sooners had plenty of players depart from this room in the transfer portal, but it's hard to be broken up about most of them. The room battled injuries and poor play throughout 2024, and, unsurprisingly, Oklahoma didn't bat too hard to keep most of them. 

If Deion Burks is back to 100% and the team doesn't go through the same freak injury bug they had in 2024, it would be hard to not out-perform what the Sooners' receivers did last season. 

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Offensive Line

Oklahoma's 2024 offensive line got hit with multiple blows. They replaced all five starters on the offensive line, a rarity in college football, right as the last dregs of Lincoln Riley's "recruiting" of the position hit, leaving the team with little proven talent. Oklahoma had to hit the transfer portal hard, which is an ineffective way of building an offensive line, to make up for this. Then, the team battled injuries, forcing them to start nearly a dozen different rotations as the season went on. 

Fortunately, the Sooners finally have some continuity and depth on the offensive line now, thanks to Bill Bedenbaugh being enabled to recruit again and his development. Oklahoma will return five starters from 2024 (Logan Howland-Heath Ozaeta-Troy Everett-Febechi Nwaiwu-Jacob Taylor) and have competitive depth behind each with players like Eddy Pierre-Louis, Jacob Sexton, Daniel Akinkunmi, and Josh Aisosa. Additionally, the Sooners also added two talented transfer portal linemen in Derek Simmons and Luke Baklenko. Simmons will likely push for the starting right tackle job, while Baklenko gives the Sooners an experienced swing player. 

Oklahoma also added arguably the best tackle duo in the 2025 recruiting class, bringing in five-star Michael Fasusi and high four-star Ryan Fodje. With the Sooners returning plenty of talent for the first time in years as well as adding plenty more to the room (and might not be done there), I think the trajectory of this unit is pointing firmly upward heading into 2025. 

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Defensive Line

The Sooners lost a crucial leader on the defensive line in Ethan Downs and an effective subpackage rusher in Trace Ford, but the rest of this defensive line is too talented to have any drop off. They were one of the best in college football last season, but I believe they'll be even better this season. Damonic Williams, Jayden Jackson, David Stone, and Gracen Halton all return to helm the defensive tackle room. 

Perhaps the biggest win on defense was them retaining R Mason Thomas, who will return for his senior season. Joining him is former five-star Marvin Jones Jr., a talented transfer from Florida State, as well as potential young stars in PJ Adebawore, Taylor Wein, and Danny Okoye. The Sooners could still pursue additional pass rush talent in the spring transfer portal as well. 

With elite players returning for another season of development with the Sooners, it's hard to not be excited about this room for 2025. 

Previewing Oklahoma Sooners 2025 offense depth chart: How does Ben Arbuckle change the room?

The 2024 offseason brought plenty of changes to the Oklahoma Sooners' depth chart heading into next season. Over 30 players departed in the transfer portal, some starters, others not, and the Sooners brought in a decent haul of replacements to fill in the gaps and upgrade at a few spots.  What does the team look […]