We’re officially within the game week window as Oklahoma date against the Oregon Ducks moves to being just a week away. The OU team that takes the field in San Antonio will look differently that the one that played in the Bedlam game to close out the regular season. A string of opt-outs and transfers will change the look of the Sooners’ two-deep, even somewhat drastically along the defensive line. Next Thursday’s Alamo Bowl has suddenly become a de facto audition for playing time next season under new head coach Brent Venables. For the fans, it might just be a glimpse for what the future holds. Here’s a look at Oklahoma’s Alamo Bowl depth chart.
Quarterbacks
| Number | Name | Year |
| 13 | Caleb Williams | Fr |
| 19 | Ralph Rucker | Fr |
Spencer Rattler’s transfer to South Carolina leaves the Sooners with two freshman quarterbacks as QB1 and QB2. Coming off a season where he was named a True Freshman All-American, Williams is one of the most talented young quarterbacks in all of college football. Things get a bit scary after that though as Rucker only has two pass attempts in college and they both came in garbage time of the Western Carolina game. A preferred walk-on, Rucker was the Texas High School District 7-5A MVP in 2020.
Running Backs
| Number | Name | Year |
| 26 | Kennedy Brooks | R-Jr |
| 0 | Eric Gray | Jr |
| 24 | Marcus Major | R-So |
| 25 | Jaden Knowles | R-Jr |
Nothing changes with this unit. They are entering the bowl in the exact same order that they went into the Bedlam game with. That said, I would expect to see the running backs used a little more heavily than they had been in the regular season.
H-Back
| Number | Name | Year |
| 27 | Jeremiah Hall | R-Sr |
| 9 | Brayden Willis | Sr |
The Sooners lose Austin Stogner who was #3 on the H-Back depth chart for Bedlam but had his best game of the season with 61 yards and a touchdown on three catches. Stogner has also transferred to South Carolina.
Offensive Line
| Number | Position | Name | Year |
| 71 | LT | Anton Harrison | So |
| 77 | LT | Erik Swenson | S-Sr |
| 54 | LG | Marquis Hayes | R-Sr |
| 77 | LG | Erik Swenson | S-Sr |
| 73 | C | Andrew Raym | So |
| OR | |||
| 66 | C | Robert Congel | R-Sr |
| 56 | RG | Chris Murray | Sr. |
| 70 | RG | Brey Walker | R-Jr |
| 52 | RT | Tyrese Robinson | R-Sr |
| 64 | RT | Wanya Morris | Jr |
Once again nothing changes here for the Sooners. This is the same group, in the same order, as the Bedlam game. There are some major decisions to be made along this unit following the game though as multiple players will be draft eligible. Erik Swinson is the only one who absolutely has to go, due to the fact that he’s out of eligibility, and Anton Harrison and Andrew Raym are the two that cannot go yet. That leaves the rest of the group to contemplate their futures.
Receivers
| Number | Position | Name | Year |
| 81 | X | Trevon West | So |
| 10 | X | Theo Wease | Jr |
| 17 | Y | Marvin Mims | So |
| 12 | Y | Drake Stoops | R-Jr |
| 8 | Z | Michael Woods II | Sr |
| 4 | Z | Mario Williams | Fr |
Jadon Haselwood’s transfer to Arkansas makes sophomore Trevon West the new face atop the depth chart a the X receiver spot. During the 2021 regular season West has caught 4 passes for 45 yards. Everything else remains the same at the receiver spot but it’ll be interesting to see how much Theo Wease might be used after missing the entire season with a lower leg injury.
Defensive Line
| Number | Position | Name | Year |
| 14 | DE | Reggie Grimes | So |
| 40 | DE | Ethan Downs | Fr |
| 94 | NG | Isaiah Coe | Jr |
| 92 | NG | Kori Roberson | So |
| 31 | DT | Jalen Redmond | R-So |
| 90 | DT | Josh Ellison | Jr |
This unit will look vastly different than the last time out. Perrion Winfrey and Isaiah Thomas have opted out which elevates two new starters among the three defensive line positions. Reggie Grimes will step in the spot vacated by Thomas at defensive end. He was responsible for 15 total tackles and 1.5 sacks during the regular season.
At the nose guard position Isaiah Coe got a promotion from being third on the depth chart the last time out to number one. He leap frogged sophomore Kori Roberson into the starting position.
Jalen Redmond also solidified the starting defensive tackle spot when he had been previously listed as an “or” with Josh Ellison.
Linebackers
| Number | Position | Name | Year |
| 23 | WILL | DaShaun White | Sr |
| 13 | WILL | Shane Whitter | So |
| 2 | MIKE | David Ugwoegbu | Jr |
| 28 | MIKE | Danny Stutsman | Fr |
| 33 | RUSH | Marcus Stripling | Jr |
| 30 | RUSH | Brynden Walker | So |
Another unit that’s going to look vastly different, which is a disturbing trend, is the linebackers where Nik Bonitto and Brian Asamoah have opted out of the bowl game. DaShaun White will move from middle linebacker to the weakside, taking the spot vacated by Asamoah. This isn’t a big stretch for White as he was already the backup at weakside as well as splitting time with David Ugwiegbu in the middle. Freshman Danny Stutsman moves up to #2 at the middle linebacker spot, backing up Ugwiebu. The big one here is at the rush linebacker spot where Nik Bonitto leaves an All-American sized hole for Marcus Stripling to step into. With just two tackles to his credit in 2021, Stripling definitely has the brightest spotlight on him heading into this game.
Defensive Secondary
| Number | Position | Name | Year |
| 9 | CB | D.J. Graham | So |
| OR | |||
| 12 | CB | Key Lawrence | So |
| 32 | SS | Delarrin Turner-Yell | Sr |
| 12 | SS | Key Lawrence | So |
| 10 | FS | Pat Fields | Sr |
| 25 | FS | Justin Broiles | R-Sr |
| 25 | NB | Justin Broiles | R-Sr |
| OR | |||
| 5 | NB | Billy Bowman | Fr |
| 0 | CB | Woodi Washington | R-So |
| 4 | CB | Jaden Davis | Jr |
We’ve only got minor changes in the defensive secondary, which makes this the most stable of the defensive units going into the bowl. Key Lawrence goes from being listed as Woodi Washington’s backup to pushing DJ Graham on the other side of the field as a potential starter. That also flips sides of the field for Jaden Davis who will now be backing up Woodi Washington.
So there it is, the new Oklahoma depth-chart. Where are you confident and where are you worried?
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