Oklahoma football: Sooners still QB-U, but by just a slim margin

Over the past several years, the Oklahoma football program, long recognized as a running-back factory, has been designated in ESPN’s annual “Position-U” rankings as No. 1 in the recruitment and development of college quarterbacks and, thus, the classification as “Quarterback-U.”

For well over a decade now, it has been a two-way battle between OU and USC for the title of QB-U. ESPN has just published its 2023 edition of the Position-U rankings, and the Sooners retain the No. 1 ranking at the quarterback spot for the fourth straight year, but the gap has narrowed considerably now that former Oklahoma quarterback Caleb Williams is now playing for USC.

The methodology the ESPN Stats & Information department employs for the position-u rankings includes an examination of data going back to 1998, “looking at key markers of greatness at each position.” Points are awarded for college production and achievements (e.g., all-conference and All-American honors) as well as NFL Draft selections and NFL production for the first five years.

Oregon, Alabama and Ohio State round out the top five for quarterbacks. Boosting the Sooners No. 1 ranking is the fact that Oklahoma has had four Heisman Trophy winners at the quarterback position in the 2000s as well as two QBs who were Heisman runners-up. Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray also were No. 1 overall NFL Draft picks.

Notably, the Sooners are ranked in the top 10 in all four of the other offensive positions: running back (6th), wide receiver (5th), tight end (8th) and offensive line (4th).

Given Oklahoma’s defensive woes in recent years, you wouldn’t expect to see the Sooners as a top-10 school for players are the defensive side of the ball. I was pleasantly surprised, however, to see Oklahoma ranked No. 6 at the linebacker position.