OUInsider Roundtable: Grading the Sooners' 2023 season

Oklahoma's 2023 season is in the books. The Sooners finished with a 10-3 record, improving by four wins from the previous season.

There's still plenty to analyze and discuss as the Sooners head into the offseason. OUInsider's Jesse Crittenden, Bryan Clinton and Blake Mullen discuss some of the biggest questions from an interesting season in Norman:

Jesse: B. In a lot of ways, the Sooners did what they needed to do this season. The main objective? They needed to get better and they clearly did, particularly on defense. The 2022 defense ranked 122nd in total defense (461 yards per game) and 99th in scoring defense (30 points per game). This year, the Sooners ranked 80th in total defense (389 yards per game) and 49th in scoring defense (23.5). Even if the defense wasn't elite, it clearly showed substantial improvement. The offense improved in nearly every category and averaged almost 10 more points per game. And, of course, the biggest sign was the Sooners improving from six wins to 10. There is absolutely nothing wrong with a 10-3 season.

But the losses to Oklahoma State and Kansas were particularly disappointing. Those were winnable games that the Sooners lost mainly by shooting themselves in the foot. Plus, if the Sooners win just one of those games, they would've made it to the Big 12 Championship, which would've marked another big step forward. To me, a "B" grade is accurate — it was a season defined by improvement, but it also left some meat on the bone.

Bryan: B+. Looking at things from a 50,000-foot view, Oklahoma got back to its standard of play in 2023 by getting to 10 wins on the year, something it's done as many times as anyone in the country. After a 6-7 campaign in 2022, there was a stark difference in the level of play that the Sooners showed from week to week, and there were marked improvements on the defensive side of the football. Offensively, Oklahoma hummed down the stretch and ended up as the best unit in the Big 12 and one of the best units in the nation. However, despite all the improvements and wins, there was still plenty left to be desired from Team 129. Costly penalties, turnovers, and special teams blunders continued to be an issue for the Sooners in 2023, and a culmination of those things led to each of their three losses this season. The youth of this team and coaching staff showed up at times throughout the year, and while the future certainly looks bright in Norman, some things have to be cleaned up and adjusted for them to get where they want to go.

Blake: I am giving the 2023 team a B+. The season had its ups-and-downs, but a 10-win season with a win over Texas is not a bad year. Going into the 2023 season, most fans were calling for double-digit wins to be the goal and the Sooners’ did just that. Despite suffering back-to-back losses to Oklahoma State and Kansas, the overall season was still a positive and many players made big leaps. The defense was a question mark coming into the season and they shined on multiple occasions. As for the offense, it was great. Up through October, Dillon Gabriel was deep in the Heisman race and was receiving national recognition. The running back room took time to figure out, but DeMarco Murray found his guy in Gavin Sawchuk and he shined down the stretch. Overall, there should be a lot of optimism going into 2024.

Jesse: Gavin Sawchuk and Nic Anderson are the prime candidates on offense. For me, I'll single out freshman safety Billy Bowman. Despite battling through injuries in conference play he ended the season playing 363 snaps, which ranked the 13th-most on the team, per Pro Football Focus. He ended the season with a performance grade of 73.9, which ranked 11th. He finished with 36 tackles, a tackle for loss, a sack, five pass breakups and a forced fumble. He even showed his playmaking ability on special teams, becoming the first Sooner to block at least two punts in a season since 2004. Bowen made his first collegiate start against Arizona and played 60 snaps. Assuming health, Bowen is going to be an even bigger part of the defense in 2024 and has all the makings of a potential star in the secondary.

Bryan: Though it doesn't feel like he should qualify as an underclassman for some reason, I think the answer here is Gavin Sawchuk. The redshirt freshman stumbled out the gate in 2023, as a nagging hamstring in fall camp kept him from finding his footing until the back half of the schedule. However, when he did find his stride, Sawchuk turned into one of the best running backs in the country over the final five games of the year. He eclipsed the 100-yard mark in each of those games and averaged 7.2 yards per carry on 86 carries, going for 617 yards in that span. Heading into the 2024 season, there's no doubt that Sawchuk is the leader in the Sooners' backfield, and that's a far cry from what was the case midway through the year. If he can take another step in the Sooners' inaugural year in the SEC, he could be one of the top backs in the country.

Blake: Give me Nic Anderson. After the injury to Andrel Anthony, the Sooners’ needed help at wide receiver and the former four-star rose to the occasion. Oklahoma fans were hoping to see development with Emmett Jones coming to Norman and everyone got that with Nic Anderson. The redshirt-freshman had a terrific season with 38 receptions for 798 yards on a whopping 21 yards-per-catch. He finished the year only behind Drake Stoops in yards. Anderson also broke the school record for most receiving touchdowns by a freshman with 10. Iconic moments were there for him as well, with the most notable being the game-winner versus Texas. After such large strides in only his second season, it is safe to assume he will play a large role in the Sooners’ 2024 success.

Jesse: It wasn't fully disappointing, but it was surprising to see Jaren Kanak's snaps decline down the stretch. He averaged nearly 60 snaps per game in the first eight weeks. But in the final five games, that number dropped all the way to 24.2. He also finished with a PFF season grade of 49.4, which ranked second-to-last. He did finish with the fourth-most tackles on the team (62) and he had good moments, including in the Alamo Bowl, but the Sooners will need a lot more from him in 2024.

Bryan: This goes hand-in-hand with my last response, but Jovantae Barnes was a major disappointment in 2023. He was supposed to be a major part of the Sooners' offensive game plan in 2023 and was even considered running back 1A heading into the year. After having foot surgery in the offseason, Barnes never seemed to regain the explosiveness that made him so promising as a freshman. Add to that a questionable rotation with the running backs and offensive line issues early on, and you've got a perfect storm for a sophomore slump. Now, Barnes is a guy that could have a productive offseason and burst back onto the scene next year, making everyone regret that they'd forgotten about him, but doing that will be more difficult than it would've been this year. He'll have the No. 1 high school running back in the country, Taylor Tatum, nipping at his carries, and UT-Martin transfer Samuel Franklin vying for touches as well.

Blake: The easy answer here is Jovantae Barnes. The former four-star had a terrific freshman season, being the No. 2 running back for the Sooners’ after Eric Gray. After rushing for over 500 yards as a true-freshman, many had assumed he would be the Sooners’ primary running back this season but that was never the case. Due to missed time with injuries, he looked unable to knock the rust off this season, resulting in a year with only 140 rushing yards and one touchdown on 3.8 yards-per-carry. Many were hoping this could be the breakout season for him, but it quickly turned into Barnes finishing the season being the fifth leading rusher for Oklahoma.

Jesse: I'm really excited about defensive end. The Sooners lose Rondell Bothroyd, but they return a ton of key players. Ethan Downs will be back for his senior season. R Mason Thomas, who Brent Venables said was the best player in the position group during fall camp, should have a huge impact if he can stay healthy. Adepoju Adebawore clearly has the talent to be a difference maker as he continues to develop. Trace Ford gives the team a veteran presence. That's not mentioning the new group of freshmen that the Sooners will add.

The defensive line made real strides in 2023. There's no reason to think there won't be another jump next season.

Bryan: The wide receiver room might be one of the best in college football in 2024, which is wild considering how big a question mark it was coming into 2023. Andrel Anthony is set to return after going down with an injury against Texas and was a legit WR1 before that. Nic Anderson owns the Oklahoma freshman record for receiving touchdowns (10) and is joined by fellow sophomore Jayden Gibson, who made big play after big play in 2023. Despite a forgettable performance in the Alamo Bowl, Jalil Farooq is a polished route runner and sure-handed wideout when the ball is in the air. Brenen Thompson is a true vertical burner and showed what he's capable of with a team-high 34.4 yards per reception in 2023. Add to that a truly dynamic threat in Purdue transfer Deion Burks, an immensely talented freshman in Zion Kearney, and a guy like Jaquaize Pettaway just waiting for his chance, and you've got more targets than Jackson Arnold could ever want. This group is deep and versatile and could be a strength of the team in 2024, even with Drake Stoops headed out the door.

Blake: It has to be the wide receiver group. The Sooners’ are losing production in Drake Stoops, but that will be filled by Rivals No. 2 wide receiver and No. 19 overall player in the transfer portal, Deion Burks. Burks was incredible at Purdue, with the redshirt-sophomore racking up 627 yards and seven touchdowns this season. The Sooners’ will also be returning Andrel Anthony for the 2024 season, who was Dillon Gabriel’s primary option before his season-ending injury. Anthony had 429 yards in just six games on the season, which led the team. With the returning options and new acquisitions, it is easy to assume that wide receivers could not only be the strength of this team, but also one of the deepest groups in the nation.