Who could emerge for OU football as freshmen?

It is what every team’s fans want to know. OU football isn’t any different in that regard. You’re always looking ahead to the future. You’re always looking to the freshmen and wondering who is going to step up now?

It’s just not nearly as crazy as in years past to see a freshman ready to roll right from their arrival. You almost have to halfway expect it with some of the guys.

Looking at Oklahoma’s 2023 class, ranked No. 7 by On3, who might be those guys? Or should we say who, besides quarterback Jackson Arnold, could be ones to watch for Brent Venables?

Hmm.

(Listed in alphabetical order)

DL P.J. Adebawore

It’s not a shock we begin with a couple of five-star prospects. They’re five-star guys for a reason, right? It won’t be a cakewalk for Adebawore to take over at the position and be great. But he’s got the potential. It’s simply going to be a question about how quickly he can adapt and figure out what the defense is asking him to do. He’s got the tools to be something incredibly special.

S Peyton Bowen

The other five-star prospect in this list. Nobody cares anymore about the Notre Dame-Oregon-OU signing day drama. It’s over, moving on. Now it’s going to be about Bowen playing his way onto the field. The spring game was a fantastic indicator with the play he made on his interception. That’s what five-star guys do. Bowen shrugged it off as something special because he knows that’s what you do.

RB Kalib Hicks

You rarely see running backs stay healthy. Jovantae Barnes and Marcus Major missed time in spring because of injury. And freshman backs can step up in a hurry like Barnes in 2022. Hicks feels like he’s the most ready to roll right out the gate. He impressed a lot of people with his size during the spring and had a chance for a lot of quality reps.

DB Jacobe Johnson

Another stab in the dark with this one, if only because Johnson wasn’t a mid-year enrollee. The logic behind this is Johnson has always been a great athlete. Whether it was at wide receiver or playing basketball, great athlete. Now if you get him to focus solely on becoming a great cornerback? Oh. Add in his size at the position? Oh, a lot to like.

WR Jaquaize Pettaway

It’s no secret that nobody has a clue about how this position is going to shake out. The 2022 freshmen class couldn’t find their footing, but maybe Pettaway will be different? He can stretch the field and that might be enough to get him to separate from the pack. That kind of speed is something OU hasn’t had in a bit and something the Sooners knew they needed.

DB Makari Vickers

You look up and down the secondary, and you wonder exactly where Vickers could skip rungs of the ladder and become the guy. But then again, OU hasn’t recruited someone like Vickers in a while. He’s got the look and the size of someone who will be incredibly special. But does that special mean 2023? Or do we have to wait a year or so?

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