Summarizing the article “Stormin in Norman” by Josh Yourish on Fansided, it discusses the challenges faced by Oklahoma Sooners’ new quarterback, Jackson Arnold, under coach Brent Venables, especially in the loaded SEC conference where they’ll face top quarterbacks like Quinn Ewers from Texas Longhorns. Venables, known for his defensive expertise, faces the challenge of containing these formidable opponents.
In Week 4, Oklahoma kicks off their SEC schedule against Tennessee, led by former quarterback Josh Heupel, featuring their own rising star, Nico Iamaleava. While this matchup will be crucial for setting the season’s tone, it’s not expected to be one of the top three toughest challenges for the OU defense.
According to Josh Yourish’s article on Fansided, Brent Venables, the head coach of Oklahoma Sooners, faces challenges in establishing a defensive identity, especially with the move to the SEC. The conference is rich in talented quarterbacks, posing a challenge for Venables. Last season, Oklahoma’s success was partly attributed to quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who has since transferred to Oregon, leaving five-star recruit Jackson Arnold to take over. Arnold’s performance will be crucial, but facing formidable quarterbacks like Texas Longhorns’ Quinn Ewers adds pressure. Ewers, despite his talent, hasn’t fully met expectations. Although he can threaten defenses deep, his accuracy and utilization in the offense have been questioned. Oklahoma’s Week 4 matchup against Tennessee, led by former quarterback Josh Heupel and rising star Nico Iamaleava, will be important for setting the season’s tone. However, it’s not expected to be among the top three toughest tests for the OU defense.
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.
Jalen Milroe has very similar issues to Ewers. He’s a deep-ball thrower who struggles with his consistency on underneath routes and his lack of pre-snap processing can knock Alabama off-schedule too often. However, Milroe’s dynamic running ability and durability separate him from Ewers, a slight pocket-passer.
Last season, after he lost to Texas and was benched early in the year, Alabama tailored its offense to Milroe’s skill set and the offensive production exploded. While Texas forces Ewers to throw short often, Milroe’s average depth of target of 13.4 yards downfield was the fifth highest in college football and 16 of his 23 passing touchdowns came on throws over 20 yards downfield.
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 burst onto the scene as a freshman, garnering some attention at USC, but nothing on Ewers’s level, and he’s the same size as Milroe at 220 pounds but isn’t close to the same caliber of athlete. So why is Dart No. 1 on this list? His decision-making and accuracy, which will stand out in his third season at Ole Miss.
By the end of the 2023 season and into the Peach Bowl against Penn State, Lane Kiffin and Dart were in total lockstep with the offense. Undermanned in the secondary, Penn State constantly brought pressure and Dart dissected the Nittany Lions with incredible precision. Dart averaged just 2.30 seconds to throw, his lowest of the year, with a 10.4 ADOT, and finished the game 25 of 40 for 379 yards and three touchdowns.
