Oklahoma is in the midst of preparing for what promises to be the strangest season on record. As it stands today, the Sooners are set to host Missouri State in exactly two weeks. As the season enters the unchartered territory, as does the Sooner offense. The youth movement is in full force for the 2020 season. We’ll look at each position group in our Oklahoma Sooners 2020 Offensive Preview.
Quarterback
Even with what some would call an inconsistent year, Jalen Hurts came in second place for the 2019 Heisman Trophy. Hurts accounted for more than 5,000 yards through the air and on the ground as well and 52 total scores. Both of those were very comparable to former Heisman winners Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray.
Although no official word has been provided by head coach Lincoln Riley, Spencer Rattler will most certainly trot out on the field on September 12th. The redshirt freshman out of Pinnacle High School in Phoenix, Arizona came to the Sooners as the number one quarterback in the 2019 recruiting class. Expect the offense to return more to the prototypical Riley offense with Rattler. However, like his counterparts, Rattler will be a dual-threat for the Sooners.
Backing up Rattler will be Tanner Mordecai and Chandler Morris. By the surprise of many, Mordecai elected to stay in Norman to battle Rattler for the starting position. With injuries and potential positive COVID-19 tests, depth will be more important than ever. Mordecai, who is more of a drop-back passer, could provide that depth. Comparatively, the Sooners would love to redshirt Morris. A four-star, dual-threat quarterback from Texas will be a true freshman this year for Oklahoma. He should not be counted on unless in an emergency situation.
Running Back
The Sooner backfield will look much different than it did a year ago. The top three rushers from 2019 in Kennedy Brooks, Trey Sermon, and Rhamondre Stevenson will be gone. Albeit Stevenson will only be gone for part of the year with a suspension. However, Brooks has opted out of the season due to COVID concerns, and Sermon transferred to Ohio State. With that in mind, there will be many new faces for the rushing attack as we continue with the Oklahoma Sooners 2020 offensive preview.
T.J. Pledger, Seth McGowan, and Marcus Major will get the first looks. Pledger, a junior, has the most time in the program and his dependability will what most likely gets him the starting spot. He was never able to put everything together. However, this could be the opportunity that he needs. McGowan and Major are both talented freshman that have the tools to be the number one guy. Both are strong, elusive and can catch the ball well out of the backfield. Look for new running back coach Demarco Murray to go with the hot hand early on until he feels confident in the rotation.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Again, at the wide receiver position Oklahoma has will see a lot of turnover here. CeeDee Lamb, a 1,300 receiver for the Sooners is gone via a first-round draft pick of the Dallas Cowboys. Additionally, Lee Morris and Nick Basquine are lost through graduation. And, Jadon Haselwood who has torn his ACL this summer appears to be gone for a majority of the year. With that, the Sooners will turn to a returning starter, a couple of transfers, and a true freshman.
Charleston Rambo will be counted on to fill the shoes of Lamb this season. He started out hot but fizzled a bit as the season went on. Theo Wease also figures to slide into a starting role after getting his feet wet in his freshman season. Wease was a big contributor in the comeback win over Baylor last year. Also, Austin Stogner will also slide into a starting position as the Tight End. Standing at 6’6 and 262 pounds makes him an excellent short-yardage and end zone target.
The aforementioned transfers and true freshman could be the wildcards here. Theo Howard transferred into Oklahoma from UCLA. Howard is still recovering from an Achilles injury in the spring. But, he’s been making a lot of plays even while recovering. Once he gets back to full strength, he could be a difference-maker. Finally, true freshman Marvin Mims figures to play quite a bit. He’s physically ready to play and has picked up the offense quickly.
Offensive Line
Unlike any other position group on offense, the line is very experienced. Oklahoma is anchored at the center position by Creed Humphrey. Humphrey likely skipped a big payday on Sunday’s and opted for a shot to win a national championship this season. Aside from Humphrey, Oklahoma returns all five starters from the offensive line. However, there are a few newcomers that will push for a starting spot.
Offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh was very complimentary of the depth that the Sooners have on the line. Redshirt freshman Stacey Wilkins has been impressive at tackle this fall and is likely to start at one of the tackle positions. But, perhaps one of the biggest surprises could be from true freshman Andrew Raym. He was a four-star prospect locally out of Broken Arrow High School. Bedenbaugh has high praise for Raym saying that he will be in the rotation and could start. Apart from that, Adrian Ealy could be the most improved and could be the anchor for the Sooners at the left tackle.
