Five crucial position battles to watch throughout fall camp that could decide the fate of the Oklahoma Sooners

Five Position Battles to Watch in Fall Camp for Oklahoma Sooners

Left Tackle

Jacob Sexton vs. Logan Howland vs. Michael Fasusi

This is probably the most pivotal positional battle that the Oklahoma Sooners will have all camp. The decision on who to trust to protect John Mateer's blindside will be a crucial one. Fortunately, the Sooners have a deep and talented battle going on here for such a role.

Sexton started the 2024 season at left tackle before moving inside after injuries forced the Sooners to reshuffle the entire unit. He was replaced midway through by Logan Howland, who held down the job well with some strong performances to close out the 2024 season. Fasusi, meanwhile, is Oklahoma's highest-ranked offensive line recruit ever, and someone the staff is extremely high on.

By all reports, Jacob Sexton is in the lead to start, but how much of that is because Howland is returning from injury and Fasusi is a true freshman? We'll find out soon enough. I won't be shocked if Fasusi outright takes that job by the time the Sooners suit up against Texas on October 11th though.

Cornerback

Gentry Williams vs. Kendel Dolby vs. Jeremiah Newcombe vs. Courtland Guillory vs. Devon Jordan vs. Jacobe Johnson

The starting cornerback spot opposite of Eli Bowen, and subsequent snaps following it, are completely up for grabs in camp, and there's a massive battle going on for those snaps. The list of names here is long for a reason, as each one has a strong case and has put forward some tremendous steps to put their hat in the ring.

Williams is the outright favorite, given his talent on the field. However, he's struggled with health in recent seasons, battling a difficult shoulder injury. That is seemingly behind him now, as he's working with the ones in camp. The Sooners are being cautious though, given his injury history.

Dolby is an intriguing one to monitor, as he is working back from injury. However, he's primarily played Cheetah, and has excelled in that role. For Oklahoma to want to move him to work more with the cornerbacks now, they must feel confident in their depth there moving forward.

Beyond those two is a tough battle between several talented youngsters. Johnson played a ton of snaps last season and played well for the most part, and he has a very high ceiling as an athlete. However, Jordan, Newcombe, and Guillory have all drawn some high praise from this coaching staff as well. This is a fascinating position room to watch.

Defensive End

PJ Adebawore vs. Marvin Jones Jr. vs Taylor Wein vs. Danny Okoye

The starting defensive end spot opposite of R Mason Thomas is one of the fiercest competitions the Sooners will have, as their defensive end room is inarguably their most talented position room on the roster.

Adebawore, a former five-star, has battled injuries in his first two seasons, but is pound-for-pound one of the most explosive and dangerous pass rushers in the country. He's already produced some quality film over the years, but he has to put it all together and stay healthy in 2025.

Another former five-star, Marvin Jones Jr., is in the same bucket. Jones transferred from Florida State after some promising, but underwhelming seasons. He's reportedly been a strong standout as a leader in camp. The talent is there, but consistency hasn't quite been.

Wein and Okoye are two players the staff has raved about the entire offseason. At SEC Media Days, Brent Venables called Okoye the best athlete on the entire team, while Wein has drawn an enormous amount of buzz all offseason.

It won't surprise me if this role becomes fairly rotational, but the outright starter will have to win a tremendous battle.

Outside Wide Receiver

Zion Kearney vs. Elijah Thomas vs. Javonnie Gibson vs. Keontez Lewis vs. Jer'Michael Carter

The slot receiver roles for the Sooners seem to be pretty set between Deion Burks, Isaiah Sategna, and Jacob Jordan, but the battle outside will be a tremendous one for reps.

Javonnie Gibson was the outright favorite over the spring before suffering an injury that will limit him until the start of the season. In the meantime, all of Kearney, Thomas, Lewis, and Carter have drawn some serious praise from this staff and sources around the team.

The team, and offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, are very high on Zion Kearney and his skill set as a deep threat playmaker. However, Lewis and Carter have built some strong chemistry with John Mateer, and should feature into the offense regularly.

Truthfully, I have no idea how this battle will go down, but it's obvious the Sooners feel more comfortable with this room than they did at any point last season.

Tight End

Kaden Helms vs. Will Huggins vs. Jaren Kanak vs. Carson Kent

While I'm not certain that any tight end will play a major role for the team this season, this battle has been discussed fairly heavily throughout the offseason.

So far, it seems like Kaden Helms has taken the lead despite a strong spring from Huggins and Kanak. It's obvious that the staff doesn't want to deploy Kanak as a serious blocker, and thus Helms, Huggins, and Kent seem like the more likely players to start as the full-time TE1.

Helms seems like the favorite, but this is a battle worth watching throughout camp.