Oklahoma Football: The top-5 toughest offensive players the Sooners will face in 2024

Missouri and Ole Miss have daunting wide receiver corps. Burden, Wease, and Mookie Cooper are as talented a receiver group as anyone in the country outside of maybe Ohio State. Not far behind them is the receiver corps in Oxford, MS. Ole Miss's Tre Harris, Jordan Watkins, and Antwane Wells are burners with an excellent QB throwing to them.

Texas is reloaded, too. Aside from Ewers, Texas has two potential All-SEC receivers: Isiah Bond and Jontay Cook. Alabama, Tennessee, and Auburn return tons of talent as well. Luckily, the Sooner defense looks more prepared and skilled this season than any other in the last twenty years.

Preseason All-American linebacker Danny Stutsman leads a group of 8 returning starters on the Sooner defense. The Sooners' defensive backfield, led by senior safety Billy Bowman, is also one of the nation's best groups. A revamped defensive line full of talent and experience also looks to pressure opposing offensive schemes.

Although the SEC has tons of offensive talent, this Sooner defense is up to the challenge. New defensive coordinator Zac Alley has been reported to be a Brent Venables 2.0. and he gets the chance to prove his worth early. I would be more concerned if this defense was one of the old Grinch defenses or even a Ted Roof defense from the past two seasons.

However, experts have compared this Sooner defense to the Clemson-era Venables defenses. It will undoubtedly need to be if they want a chance at competing for an SEC crown in year 1.