Oklahoma well-represented in ESPN's 'Position U' rankings

Oklahoma's football brand is on par with any program across the country. The interlocking O-U has been synonymous with success on the football field since the program's inception in 1895, predating statehood by over a decade.

The Sooners have won 934 games in their 128-year history, and this year's team is hoping to pile on plenty more to that total.

Heading into the 2023 season, Team 129 has a high standard to live up to with seven Heisman winners, 82 consensus All-Americans, and 414 NFL draft picks coming before them. Those players, who helped build Oklahoma into what it is today, are also the reason why Oklahoma has an argument as "Position U" almost entirely across the board.

In ESPN's 2023 version of the "Position U" rankings, Oklahoma is well-represented, appearing in the Top 10 in all but two of the offensive or defensive positions.

Here's How Oklahoma Stacked Up:

QB: 1st
RB: 6th
WR: 4th
TE: 8th
OL: 4th
DL: N/A
LB: 6th
DB: N/A

The Sooners are still QBU, with Dillon Gabriel facing the pressure to live up to names like Jalen Hurts, Kyler Murray, Baker Mayfield, Sam Bradford, and Jason White. Ranking first in this category is a no-brainer, as there's not been a program outside of Norman to have more success at the position.

Oklahoma ranks sixth, behind Alabama, Wisconsin, LSU, Miami, and Texas for RBU. The Sooners' list of running backs is distinguished enough to have an argument to be higher, with names like Adrian Peterson, DeMarco Murray, Samaje Perine, and Joe Mixon resonating with the younger generation, while guys like Billy Sims, Steve Owens, Greg Pruitt, Joe Washington, and Billy Vessels will get the old heads fired up.

At wide receiver, the Sooners have put several big names into the NFL over the past several years, with players like CeeDee Lamb, Marquise "Hollywood" Brown, Dede Westbrook, and Marvin Mims being the latest stars to come through the program. The Sooners ranked fifth in WRU rankings, coming behind USC, Ohio State, LSU, and Alabama.

Mark Andrews, Jermaine Gresham, and Keith Jackson give OU enough star power at tight end to put them eighth on the list for TEU, with Miami taking the title for the position.

For the title of OLU, Oklahoma has a legitimate argument for the top spot but comes in fourth in ESPN's rankings behind Alabama, Ohio State, and Wisconsin. Currently, the Sooners have several of the NFL's top offensive linemen, with Creed Humphrey, Trent Williams, and Lane Johnson being at or near the top at their positions, plus names like Ben Powers, Orlando Brown, and Anton Harrison all holding weight at the next level.

Finally, the Sooners landed sixth on the list for linebackers, with Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State, Penn State, and USC ahead of them. Lists of great linebackers aren't complete without Brian Bosworth, but Rocky Calmus, Teddy Lehman, Curtis Lofton, and Kenneth Murray are also legends around Norman.

In all, Oklahoma was one of only five schools to be listed inside the Top 10 at six or more positions, along with Alabama, Ohio State, USC, and Florida.

Can the Sooners get back to their winning ways in 2023 and look more like the team that Oklahoma fans have grown used to seeing over the years? Time will tell, but history is on their side.