Last season, Dillon Gabriel was one of the top quarterbacks in the country, leading the Oklahoma Sooners to a 10-win season. However, Gabriel left to spend his final year of eligibility at Oregon, prompting Brent Venables to entrust the team to 2023 five-star recruit Jackson Arnold. Arnold struggled in his only career start against Arizona in the Alamo Bowl.
In 2024, Arnold will be Oklahoma’s most important player, and new offensive coordinator Seth Littrell is responsible for maximizing his potential. However, in the highly competitive SEC, the Sooners might frequently find themselves at a disadvantage at the quarterback position. The league is packed with talented quarterbacks, posing a significant challenge for Venables, a defensive-minded head coach.In Week 4, Oklahoma opens the SEC schedule against Tennessee and former quarterback Josh Heupel in Norman. Like Venables, Heupel has his own five-star rising sophomore taking over the starting job, Nico Iamaleava. That matchup will set the tone of the season, but still won’t be one of the three toughest tests for the OU defense.
Brent Venables has faced challenges establishing a defensive identity at Oklahoma, and this task won’t get any easier with the move to the SEC, which boasts a plethora of talented quarterbacks. Last season, Dillon Gabriel guided the Oklahoma Sooners to a 10-win season, but he departed for Oregon in the offseason. In his place, 2023 five-star recruit Jackson Arnold has been entrusted with leading the team, although he struggled in his lone career start against Arizona in the Alamo Bowl.
Arnold is poised to be Oklahoma’s linchpin in 2024, with new offensive coordinator Seth Litterell tasked with optimizing his performance. However, facing the formidable competition in the SEC could often leave the Sooners at a disadvantage in the quarterback department. Venables, a defensive-minded head coach, will have the arduous task of containing the multitude of talented quarterbacks in the conference.
In Week 4, Oklahoma kicks off its SEC schedule against Tennessee in Norman, facing former Oklahoma quarterback Josh Heupel and his rising sophomore Nico Iamaleava. While this matchup sets the tone for the season, it may not be one of the three toughest tests for the OU defense.
One of the top quarterbacks the Sooners will face in 2024 is Quinn Ewers from the Texas Longhorns. Despite being one of the most hyped high school quarterback recruits, Ewers has yet to fully live up to expectations. Although he led the Longhorns to the College Football Playoff last year, throwing for 3,479 yards and 22 touchdowns, his accuracy hasn’t been consistent enough to consistently dismantle defenses. While Ewers boasts a strong deep ball and can threaten defenses downfield with the right receivers, he struggles with accuracy on shorter throws. Additionally, Steve Sarkisian’s.Texas won’t be easy to stop in the Red River Rivalry this year, but Ewers is not the best quarterback that Oklahoma will face this season.
Title: “Stormin’ in Norman: The 3 Toughest Quarterbacks Oklahoma Sooners Will Face in 2024″
Brent Venables has faced challenges establishing a defensive identity at Oklahoma, and this task won’t get any easier with the move to the SEC, which boasts a plethora of talented quarterbacks. Last season, Dillon Gabriel guided the Oklahoma Sooners to a 10-win season, but he departed for Oregon in the offseason. In his place, 2023 five-star recruit Jackson Arnold has been entrusted with leading the team, although he struggled in his lone career start against Arizona in the Alamo Bowl.
Arnold is poised to be Oklahoma’s linchpin in 2024, with new offensive coordinator Seth Litterell tasked with optimizing his performance. However, facing the formidable competition in the SEC could often leave the Sooners at a disadvantage in the quarterback department. Venables, a defensive-minded head coach, will have the arduous task of containing the multitude of talented quarterbacks in the conference.
In Week 4, Oklahoma kicks off its SEC schedule against Tennessee in Norman, facing former Oklahoma quarterback Josh Heupel and his rising sophomore Nico Iamaleava. While this matchup sets the tone for the season, it may not be one of the three toughest tests for the OU defense.
Here are the three toughest quarterbacks the Sooners will face in 2024:
3. Quinn Ewers (Texas Longhorns)
Junior | 6’2″ 205 lbs
Ewers was one of the most hyped high school quarterback recruits in recent memory. Although he led the Longhorns to the College Football Playoff last year, throwing for 3,479 yards and 22 touchdowns, he hasn’t fully lived up to expectations. While Ewers boasts a strong deep ball and can threaten defenses downfield with the right receivers, he struggles with accuracy on shorter throws. Texas won’t be easy to stop in the Red River Rivalry this year, but Ewers is not the best quarterback that Oklahoma will face this season.
2. Jalen Milroe (Alabama Crimson Tide)
Redshirt Junior | 6’2” 220 lbs
Milroe has similar issues to Ewers, as he excels at deep-ball throwing but struggles with consistency on shorter routes. However, his dynamic running ability.There are plenty of noticeable flaws in his game that could prevent Milroe from translating to the NFL game, but as a 220-pound physical runner with a picturesque deep ball, he can dominate the college game in Kalen DeBoer’s offense. Jaxson Dart emerged as a freshman at USC, but didn’t reach the same level of attention as Ewers. Despite being the same size as Milroe at 220 pounds, Dart isn’t as exceptional an athlete. However, he tops this list due to his decision-making and accuracy, qualities that will shine in his third season at Ole Miss.
By the end of the 2023 season and during the Peach Bowl against Penn State, Dart and Lane Kiffin’s offense were in perfect sync. Despite facing pressure from an undermanned secondary, Dart showcased remarkable precision, averaging just 2.30 seconds per throw, his lowest of the year, with a 10.4 average depth of target (ADOT). He finished the game 25 of 40 for 379 yards and three touchdowns.
This performance offers a glimpse into what Ole Miss’s offense will look like in 2024, positioning Dart as a Heisman Trophy candidate.
