Spring game preview: 6 players who can boost their 2024 stock

There's a lot of reasons for Oklahoma's annual spring game.

It's an opportunity for players, particularly new ones, to experience things in a game-type atmosphere. Coaches can experiment with different lineup combinations and strategies to get a sense of what works. Potential recruits and transfer portal players get a real glimpse of what happens on Saturdays. And, of course, it gives fans a chance to see their team on the field before the offseason begins.

However, this year's spring game (Saturday 2:30 p.m.) is a bigger-than-usual opportunity for several players on both sides of the ball to stake their claim for bigger roles in the fall. There are 35 new players who weren't on the roster last year, and a lot of them are jockeying for immediate playing time.

But given the numerous injuries the Sooners have dealt with on both sides of the ball, and the departures from last season, there are also several returning players who have really emerged during spring practices. The spring game is a huge chance for them to capitalize on the developments in camp. But there's a few that stand out among the rest.

Here's a look at six players who could boost their stock for the 2024 season with a huge spring game performance:

They say the best ability is availability. Nobody has embodied that more than Gibson.

There's arguably been no one who has stepped up and seized their opportunity more than the third-year receiver. With Andrel Anthony, Nic Anderson and Jalil Farooq all missing chunks of time with injuries, Gibson has been the primary outside receiver during spring practices. He's been a staple of the first-team offense and has gotten plenty of reps with starting quarterback Jackson Arnold.

But what it's really done has showcased his development. On the field, the 6-foot-5 receiver's confidence continues to grow after catching 14 passes and five touchdowns last season. Off the field, he's used this spring to step into more of a leadership role.

"He’s stepped up big time," Arnold said. "I wasn’t here when Gib came in as a freshman, I was a year behind him. I heard stories about how he needs to grow up and this and that and the Gib I’m seeing this spring is balling. He’s stepped into a leadership role, he’s taken lead of that receiver group and he’s really put on a show this spring.”

That is significant for a lot of reasons. But primarily, the wide receiver room might be the deepest on the team with Deion Burks, Anthony, Anderson, Farooq, Gibson and plenty of others. The battle for playing time is going to continue into the summer and fall.

Gibson had a small but impactful role in 2023. If he has a huge performance in the spring game, it could solidify him as a top option worthy of significant snaps heading into 2024.

Really, this could apply to any of the Sooners' running backs outside of Gavin Sawchuk. But this particularly feels like a big opportunity for Barnes.

Barnes, entering his third season at Oklahoma, was lost in the shuffle of last year's running back room after dealing with an injury that dated back to last spring. It's easy to forget that Barnes was largely expected to be the starting running back after showing real promise in 2022.

The situation is a lot different heading into 2024. Sawchuk has established himself as the go-to guy. Even with the departures of Tawee Walker and Marcus Major, playing time won't be a given. Kalib Hicks has really stood out this spring and has grown more than almost anyone since last year. Sam Franklin is a transfer player with experience. Emeka Megwa could be an under-the-radar guy to watch. The staff is really excited about the true freshman duo of Xavier Robinson and Taylor Tatum.

The good news is that Barnes is fully healthy, and he has the best combination of experience and production on the field outside of Sawchuk. The Sooners need someone else in the room to emerge. The spring game is a big opportunity for Barnes to both regain his rhythm and avoid falling behind.

It was hard to know exactly where to project Bates heading into the spring. The redshirt freshman saw just four snaps last year, per Pro Football Focus, and with the Sooners adding nine offensive lineman via the portal and freshman class, it was hard to know if Bates could stand out.

Under unfortunate circumstances, Bates has been handed a real opportunity.

Bates has taken the majority of the first-team snaps at center since Troy Everett suffered a knee injury last month. Everett's injury will likely be something that keeps him out into the fall, giving Bates plenty of chances to establish himself. It's an important opportunity for Bates to find confidence there, too — he has some experience playing center, but he's largely played guard since his junior year of high school.

But it won't be without competition. Joshua Aisosa and Geirean Hatchett will see some snaps there. The Sooners could also add someone like Branson Hickman via the portal as a depth piece or potential starter and rotation player.

But the offensive line needs anybody and everybody to step up. Bates may not have a better opportunity than he does right now.

Is 2024 the year where Halton breaks through?

The junior defensive tackle — who his teammates call "G-Baby" — has been one of the players to watch this spring. He's had some of the more standout reps in drills and has gotten tons of playing time with the first-string defense. The spring buzz has been as significant around him as nearly any other defensive player.

If his improvement is real, that'd be a big deal for the Sooners. Halton is a former consensus four-star recruit with clear potential to make a big impact, but the playing time and consistency just hasn't been there. He played just 165 total snaps over his first two seasons, per PFF, as the coaching staff has leaned on more veteran players.

But with Jordan Kelley, Jonah Laulu and Isaiah Coe off to the NFL, and Jacob Lacey having to medically retire, the timing is perfect for Halton to make an impact. Really, it's a great opportunity for any of the defensive tackles — that includes guys like Da'Jon Terry, Davon Sears and Ashton Sanders and especially true freshmen like Jayden Jackson and David Stone.

But heading into his third season, Halton could easily work his way into being a starter if he continues his upward trajectory.

Danny Stutsman, obviously, is the heart of the Sooners' defense and the stalwart at linebacker.

Most of the time, it's been McCullough next to him this spring.

While McCullough saw most of his playing time at cheetah last year, he's been playing more a traditional linebacker this spring. He's still playing some at cheetah, but the coaching staff appears to have found something with him near the line of scrimmage.

That's more of his comfort zone, anyways. McCullough's strengths lie more in run support and pressuring the quarterback, something he showed during his freshman year at Indiana.

According to Stutsman, the Sooners are simply trying to make sure he's on the field.

“We’ve been trying to get him on the field as much as possible because when he’s on there, he makes plays," Stutsman said when asked by OUInsider. "He’s a freak athlete so when he’s on the field, good things happen. We’re trying to find every single position we can put him in to make things happen.”

McCullough missed time last year with two separate injuries, but he still appeared in 10 games and logged 276 snaps, per PFF. He's likely to have a real role in 2024, too. But there's plenty of players vying for playing time at both cheetah and linebacker.

However, he's created a real opening to become the starting linebacker next to Stutsman. It'll be interesting to see how much, and where, he plays on Saturday.

Defensive end might be the position that's had the most competitive battles this spring. Two-year starter Ethan Downs is a presumed starter at one of those spots, but there are several guys with legitimate paths to earning a starting role.

Adebawore is certainly one of them.

Even in a crowded DE room, Adebawore stands out as the player with arguably the most unique skill set. Listed at 6-foot-4, his size, wingspan and speed give him an incredibly high ceiling. That was on display at times last season — he played 184 snaps, the most of any true freshman outside of Peyton Bowen.

Most importantly, he's put on about 10 pounds since last spring. He's at 248 right now but he's hoping to be between 255-260 by fall camp. If he can, that should help his case for a bigger role.

He's not the only one vying for more playing time. R Mason Thomas is heading into his third season, and Brent Venables said he was the best defensive end on the team last fall. Ohio transfer Caiden Woullard has more experience than anyone on the roster. Trace Ford saw a ton of playing time last year. There's real excitement about Danny Okoye and Wyatt Gilmore's potential. Regardless of who starts, there will likely be a heavy rotation throughout the year.

But for Adebawore to earn a bigger — and maybe starting — role, these next few months will be crucial. It starts on Saturday.

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