The marquee media event that signals the start of football season is here.

Oklahoma heads to Dallas for SEC Media Days next week, marking the Sooners' first appearance after 25 years in the Big 12. SEC Media Days (July 15-18) begins on Monday and runs through Thursday, with the Sooners appearing on Tuesday.

In addition to head coach Brent Venables, the Sooners have Danny Stutsman, Billy Bowman and Jackson Arnold as players representatives.

The Sooners and Texas are sure to be the main talking point in Dallas. Here's a look at some of OU's compelling storylines:

Monday: LSU, South Carolina, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt

Tuesday: OU, Georgia, Tennessee, Missouri

Wednesday: Alabama, Mississippi State, Florida, Texas

Thursday: Arkansas, Texas A&M, Auburn, Kentucky

Events will be broadcast on the SEC Network.

1. Can the Sooners contend in the SEC right away?

The million dollar question.

The official SEC preseason poll won't come out until next Friday, after media days is over. But based on preseason betting odds, the chances of the Sooners finishing outside the top five are high. In fact, OU's win-loss over-under is set at 7.5.

The Sooners' schedule doesn't do them any favors. Per ESPN's RPI rankings, the Sooners have the seventh-toughest schedule in the country heading into the fall. With notable games like Texas, at Ole Miss, Tennessee, Alabama, at Missouri and at LSU, there will be plenty of opportunities for OU to stumble. That's what they did last season at Oklahoma State and at Kansas.

But of course, the Sooners are going to have higher internal expectations. And there will certainly be pressure for OU to immediately be competitive.

There are reasons to be optimistic. The Sooners return several key contributors and veterans on both sides of the ball — two of them will be in Dallas for media days — and they bring in the No. 7-ranked recruiting class in the country with true freshman who could compete for playing time right away (Jayden Jackson, David Stone as two of many examples). That's not to mention the several returning players from last year's No. 6-ranked class that could be ready for bigger roles.

But there are questions marks, too. One of them will be addressed in the next storyline. Expect all of the Sooners to be asked in Dallas about they're confidence heading into the season.

2. Is Jackson Arnold ready to lead?

The true sophomore certainly isn't walking into the smoothest situation. He has only one career start, and it came in last year's Alamo Bowl with mixed results. He'll be playing against some of the toughest defenses in the country. The offensive line is essentially brand new. He'll also be working with a new offensive coordinator in Seth Littrell.

But if the Sooners want to be successful, it's going to have to start with Arnold. There's no reason to think he's not up for the challenge.

The former five-star recruit showed flashes in his limited playing time last season, completing 63.8% of his passes (44 of 69) for 563 yards and four touchdowns. He also has a running ability that should give the Sooners' offense some versatility. He has a bounty of reliable, elite weapons at the skill positions, including running back Gavin Sawchuk and a wide receiver group that enters the season with an argument for one of the deepest units in football. And while the offensive line is largely brand new, the Sooners did add some experience in Branson Hickman and Michael Tarquin.

Ultimately, Venables bringing Arnold to SEC Media Days sends a clear message that he's one of the faces program. He's the only underclassmen to attend a conference media-days event in years. This'll be just the first step in a huge season for Arnold.

3. Can the new coordinators make a difference?

The two biggest changes in the offseason came at the coordinator spots. The Sooners severed ties with Ted Roof and hired Zac Alley as defensive coordinator, while Littrell replaced Jeff Lebby after he accepted the head coaching job at Mississippi State.

Defensively, the Sooners made some real strides from Year 1 to Year 2 under Venables. The Sooners finished 49th in scoring defense (23.5 points per game) and 80th in total defense (389.4 yards per game) in 2023 — huge jumps considering the Sooners ranked 99th and 123rd, respectively, in those categories a year ago.

They'll need to make more strides in 2024. They'll play five teams that ranked inside the top 30 nationally last season in scoring, total offense or both. It'll be interesting to see if the defense makes any changes to its rotations or schemes with Alley involved. Venables had a very hands-on approach the last two seasons but hinted he would take a small step back with Alley on board, and that was on display during the spring.

Offensively, the Sooners were prone to some head-scratching moments under Lebby, but they finished third in total offense and fourth in scoring last season. Plus, the Sooners will face much-stouter defenses in the SEC compared to the Big 12. Four of their opponents (Texas, Alabama, Tennessee, Missouri) ranked inside the top 25 last season in scoring defense. Can Littrell be the architect for an above-average offense in the SEC?

4. How much will the SEC impact OU's NIL efforts

The Sooners have made two key moves in preparation for the SEC.

The first move was officially naming former player Curtis Lofton as the program's first general manager. Lofton, who spent the last two seasons as part of the SOUL Mission, will now move into a role that'll oversee key parts of the team's recruiting efforts, including NIL.

Secondly — and in a related move — they announced a partnership with former Philadelphia Eagles Vice President of Football Administration Jake Rosenberg. The move will "will leverage OU’s longstanding success in recruiting and support its efforts to remain competitive at a distinct moment in the history of college football," per a press release, and will focus specifically on talent analysis, acquisition and retention.

“We’re seeing things we’ve never seen before in the recruiting process,” Venables said in a pres release. “At Oklahoma we know how to adapt, and this new approach to how we manage our recruiting operations is a representation of our forward thinking and agility. Winning takes all of us and I’m confident in Curtis and the rest of our staff and their commitment to continuing to elevate Oklahoma Football.”

The Sooners have been very successful in recruiting under Venables, but there will be pressure to keep up in the SEC, especially when it comes to NIL. These recent moves show an acknowledgement of that, but it'll be interesting to hear Venables' perspective in Dallas.

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