The Oklahoma Sooners are mounting up for what could end up being an incredibly defining college football season. They’re making their move from the Big 12, a conference they’ve been able to find a plethora of success in, for the Southeastern Conference, the toughest in the sport.
While moving from the Big 12 to the SEC is a big enough change for the program, they’re also entering a new era at the quarterback position. After years with Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and Jalen Hurts, the program then got the services of Spencer Rattler, Caleb Williams and, most recently, Dillon Gabriel.
Four of those quarterbacks won a Heisman, three of which came with the Sooners, and Gabriel could compete for the award in his final season of college football, which he’ll play as an Oregon Duck.
Jackson Arnold, who just finished his first season with OU as a true freshman, will be taking over under center as the program transitions to the new conference. He was a five-star quarterback, according to 247Sports, and he was the fourth-best quarterback in his class while being the best-ranked in Texas.
Arnold will have the luxury of having a solid wide receiver corps early on. Nic Anderson is likely to be his top target, as the two ranked No. 10 as the best quarterback-wide receiver duo for the 2024 college football season by 247Sports.
“Projecting Jackson Arnold’s production as he enters the starting lineup for the first time is no exact science, but the former five-star recruit has as much upside as any first-year starter in the nation,” 247Sports wrote. “He showed flashes of excellence in his seven games as a true freshman and even connected with Nic Anderson for a highlight-reel touchdown in the Alamo Bowl. Anderson entered bowl season as the national leader in yards per catch and closed the year as the Sooners’ freshman receiving touchdown record-holder. This young duo should be explosive.”
Arnold and Anderson being an incredible duo will help OU’s offense in its first season under Seth Littrell’s guidance as he establishes a system and implements his styles within the program. Taking on SEC defenses will be no easy task, so Arnold will need a go-to receiver to ensure the offense is able to make some noise.
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