As Oklahoma embarks on a new challenge with its move to the SEC, the Sooners are expected to have their share of standouts who help them succeed in their new conference this fall.
The 2024 season is still more than two months away, with SEC Media Days about a month out, but the parade of preseason accolades and watchlists is in full swing. That includes Phil Steele's annual season preview magazine, which features a preseason All-SEC team from the publication — and Oklahoma is fairly well-represented on this year's edition.
Nine Sooners landed on the Phil Steele preseason All-SEC teams, which include four full teams — offense, defense and special teams — as the magazine recognized 116 total players from the newly expanded 16-team conference (12 each on offense and defense, plus five special teams selections for each All-SEC team).
Oklahoma's list of honorees is highlighted by two first-team selections: returning All-America linebacker Danny Stutsman and former All-Big 12 safety Billy Bowman Jr.
**CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO SOONERS ILLUSTRATED AND GET YOUR ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION FOR 30% OFF***
Stutsman is coming off a junior campaign in which he led Oklahoma in tackles, with 104, including 16 for a loss despite being sidelined for a game and a half due to injury. Stutsman, who also picked up preseason All-America honors from Phil Steele, added three sacks, three pass breakups, a pair of forced fumbles and a pick-six to his stat line last season. He considered declaring for the NFL Draft after his junior season but ultimately opted to return to Oklahoma for his senior year and a chance to lead the Sooners' defense as it competes in the SEC for the first time.
Bowman was neck-and-neck with Stutsman as the most impactful defensive player on last year's 10-win team. The veteran safety was third on the team with 63 total tackles, including three behind the line of scrimmage, and finished with six interceptions (second most among all FBS players) while leading all of college football with three pick-sixes. Bowman, who like Stutsman weighed turning pro early only to return to OU, also had four pass breakups as a junior.
No Sooners landed on the All-SEC second team, but four were selected to the third team, while three landed on the preseason All-SEC fourth team. Running back Gavin Sawchuk, wide receiver Deion Burks, right guard Febechi Nwaiwu and defensive back Kendel Dolby were all elected to the All-SEC third team by Phil Steele, while wide receiver Nic Anderson, kick returner Jalil Farooq and long snapper Ben Anderson landed on the preseason All-SEC fourth team.
Sawchuk finished last season as Oklahoma's leading rusher, running for 744 yards and nine touchdowns while averaging 6.2 yards per carry as a redshirt freshman. Sawchuk was limited by a hamstring injury early in the season before fully recovering and emerging as Oklahoma's top option out of the backfield during the second half of the season. He finished the year rushing for 100-plus yards in each of the Sooners' last five games, and he has eclipsed the 100-yard mark in all six career games in which he has received more than 10 carries.
Burks, a transfer from Purdue, has widely been projected as a breakout candidate for Oklahoma this season after putting together an impressive spring on the field. Rated as the No. 10 wide receiver in the transfer portal this cycle and the No. 48 overall player in the portal, Burks led Purdue with 47 receptions for 629 yards and seven touchdowns last season. He's expected to take over as Oklahoma's starting slot receiver following the graduation of last year's leading OU receiver, Drake Stoops.
Nwaiwu also joined Oklahoma via the transfer portal this offseason after spending his first three collegiate seasons at North Texas. The 6-foot-4, 326-pounder was a two-year starter at UNT, where he redshirted in 2021 before earning Freshman All-America honors in 2022 while playing for then-UNT head coach Seth Littrell, who's now Oklahoma's offensive coordinator. Nwaiwu is expected to start at right guard for the Sooners' rebuilt offensive line this fall.
Dolby started three games at Cheetah and appeared in all 13 games for Oklahoma during his first season with the program. He totaled 49 tackles, including five for a loss, and had four pass breakups and a pair of interceptions while playing both cornerback and Cheetah for OU's much-improved defense while earning All-Big 12 honorable mention.
Anderson is coming off a breakout redshirt freshman campaign in which he earned Freshman All-America honors and finished the year as Oklahoma's second-leading receiver. He caught 38 passes for 798 yards and tied Stoops for the team lead with 10 touchdown receptions.
Farooq, who caught 45 passes for 694 yards and a pair of touchdowns as a junior, was also Oklahoma's primary kick returner last season. He averaged 22.1 yards on 19 kick returns last fall and was in the mix on special teams this spring prior to sustaining a fractured foot late in the spring. Anderson appeared in all 13 games for Oklahoma and handled all of the team's long-snapping duties on punts and place-kicks — a role he's expected to continue this season as the Sooners eye improvement in that phase of the game.
