Editor's Note: This is the latest installment in a series examining every Oklahoma position group heading into 2023. The previous installments covered wide receiver, running back, linebacker, defensive end, safety, tight end, cornerbacks and interior defensive line.

Special teams can be an ignored aspect of football, but it’s been a significant priority for Oklahoma under head coach Brent Venables.

The third phase of the game played a significant role last season for the Sooners. It was Michael Turk’s passing touchdown to Zach Schmit on a fake field goal that played a big role in the Sooners’ 27-13 win over Iowa State. However, crucial missed field goals helped bury OU in a couple different games.

Heading into fall camp, the Sooners have plenty of questions on special teams. Turk, OU's starting punter the last two seasons, is gone. Wide receiver Marvin Mims, who served as OU’s primary punt returner the past two seasons, is gone, too. Schmit’s inconsistent play last season also puts a question mark at kicker.

Here’s a look at the biggest questions facing the Sooners’ special teams units in 2023:

1. Does Schmit retain the starting job at kicker?

2022 was an up-and-down season for the Oklahoma City native.

Schmit played a helping role in several games. In addition to his touchdown against Iowa State, he also made all three of his field goals, contributing 16 of the team’s 27 points. He also made all 53 of his extra point attempts in 2022.

But he made just 12 of his 18 field goal attempts, ranking eighth in the Big 12 in field goal percentage. There were some critical misses in there, too. He went just 1-of-3 against West Virginia, and his 34-yard miss in overtime against Texas Tech proved particularly costly.

Schmit returns in 2023 for his redshirt junior season. He attempted all three PATs in the spring game and the only field goal, making one from 31 yards out. But it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Sooners give Gavin Marshall or Redi Mustafaraj an opportunity during fall camp.

2. Who replaces Mims as punt returner?

Mims didn’t return a lot of punts but was effective when he did. He returned 20 punts the past two seasons, totaling 269 yards.

But with Mims gone, the Sooners have to replace him.

A lot of players saw reps during spring practices. That includes OU wide receivers LV Bunkley-Shelton, Andrel Anthony and Gavin Freeman, along with safeties Peyton Bowen and Billy Bowman and running back Chapman McKown. Wide receivers Jaquazie Pettaway and Brenen Thompson could also see some opportunities.

Bunkley-Shelton has been a punt returner since last season and returned one punt for eight yards. Bowen saw plenty of reps at Guyer High School and made several highlight plays as a punt returner.

3. How do the Sooners replace Turk?

Turk was, genuinely, the Sooners’ most consistent player at times. He was sensational for much of last season, ranking third nationally in yards per punt (46.8). He also had 22 punts that went for 50 yards or more.

But the most important statistic was his usage. He punted 63 times, which tied for the most attempts in the Big 12. Obviously, the Sooners will be hoping to punt less in 2023, but they’ll still need a punter who can flip the field like Turk did.

Two players saw punting opportunities in the Sooners’ spring game back in April. Luke Elzinga, a transfer from Central Michigan, averaged 46 yards per punt on two attempts. Josh Plaster averaged 46.3 yards on three attempts.

Elzinga brings the most experience. He averaged 42.3 yards per punt on 145 attempts in three seasons with Central Michigan, and he was named to the All-Mid-American Conference Third Team after the 2022 season.

But regardless, the Sooners have big shoes to fill with Turk’s departure.

— Jalil Farooq and Bowman were the primary kick returners in 2022, and that will likely remain the case. But players like Marcus Major and Thompson could also compete for those spots in fall camp.

— There’s an argument to be made that the Sooners should be more aggressive returning punts. The Sooners averaged 14.1 yards per return — which led the Big 12 — but only attempted 12, which tied the second lowest mark in the conference.

— Along the lines, the Sooners averaged 19.8 yards per kick return on 24 attempts, the fourth fewest in the Big 12.